As Dogs for Law Enforcement’s Police Canines in History page explains, the Malinois noise is also very useful to track down suspects – most famously Osama Bin Laden. In this article, find out why Belgian Malinois are used as police dogs. There are a few characteristics that are essential for any police dog who will practice both bite work and scent work. Have you noticed that police dogs seem to be a little bit smaller and sleeker looking than they used to be? Police dogs must be strong enough to take down an assailant and agile enough to effectively chase after suspects even if they climb over something, are trying to escape in a car, etc. In fact, Malinois reacts even faster than the German Shepherd in situations, that often occur in law enforcement. A malinois shepherd and German shepherd dog do have a lot in common. Mals, however, can be a great choice for those who want to prioritize work than play, since Belgian Malinois are more hardworking than GSDs. If u are looking get one as a pet then look for breeders that only breed as a "Pet Quality", Its every hard to find a pet quality breeder because this breed is used more for showing, police work, and personal protection. Cairo, the K-9 that accompanied the Navy SEAL team who brought down Osama Bin Laden, is also a Belgian Malinois. The best asset for police duties is a dog’s sense of smell. The Malinois lives and breathes work. German shepherds are valued as police dogs for their trainability, loyalty, and courage. Both the Malinois and German Shepherd are hard-working dogs that are used in a variety of important roles, including police work. The Belgian Shepherd malinois breed is … Many people are starting to become more familiar with the Malinois dog breed after the famous Navy SEALS operation and Cairo the Malinois’ role in that. They do not tolerate being left alone well, especially if it happens frequently. A German Shepherd will be between 75 and 95 pounds, while a Malinois is about 40-80 pounds. Differences. Like the German Shepherd, the Belgian Malinois was bred to herd stock and is the only Belgian shepherd with a short coat. If you’ve never seen a trained Belgian Malinois working in official police or military K-9 role, you are in for a jaw-dropping surprise with this YouTube video. Some people even confuse the Malinois for being just a shorter-haired version of the German Shepherd. It’s just not in their nature to show the kind of aggression that is required for a dog to do well in bite work. That being said, these breeds have different personalities and daily needs inside the home that owners need to know. Both German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois have an excellent sense of smell and are dedicated to scent work. Particularly so, as you stated, in the founding home of the breed. The Belgian Malinois is easily distinguished by its lovely fawn to mahogany coat, which is short and sleek, with black tips and a softer undercoat. He is retired now and lives with his handler, reports the New York Post. However, the Belgian Malinois’s nose may be on par with the Bloodhound – a breed with such a keen nose their evidence is admissible in some courts of law! Surprised? Malinois also has an unusually long life expectancy for a large dog breed – 14 to 16 years. There are a lot of reasons that Belgian Malinois make a good fit for police work and why they are replacing German Shepherds. Required fields are marked *. Both the Belgian Malinois and the German Shepherd are dogs that are commonly used by police, and they even look similar! Compare Belgian Malinois and Doberman Pinscher and {name3}. Hands down, no question about it, the Belgian Malinois is much more preferred for work like police k9 and military dog, and can excel in almost any other job like tracking, bomb/drug/narcotics sniffing, search & rescue, guard dog, herding dog, guide dog, and alert dogs for people with disabilities. Perhaps the primary reason that Belgian Malinois are replacing German Shepherds is simply their work drive. They are high energy,impulsive and an over the top “prey” drive. It takes a great number of years and usually a generational change of people working in it to make major changes. Both dogs enjoy an active lifestyle, but the Malinois has better endurance and will need more exercise to remain happy. Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd Because of the extensive diversity among dog breeds, dog lovers can go for their particular requirements that they would expect from the pet. And like the GSD, the Malinois had to find new work when using dogs to herd and guard livestock became less common. This makes the Malinois a great choice for a dog that needs to master difficult job duties with multiple variables. German Shepherds have long and straight hair that lies close to the body. As well, since the German Shepherd is the second most popular purebred companion canine in the United States, it is easy to see how any other dog that looks similar might be mistaken for the iconic GSD. The Malinois was one of four varieties of Belgian Shepherd … Law enforcement is slow to change anything. Intelligent and trainable, the Belgian Malinois possesses a strong desire to work and is happiest with regular activity and a job to do. But one thing that many Belgian Malinois owners don’t realize when they first bring their adorable fluffy puppy home is that their dog is going to grow up fast. Very sad. Police dogs today are trained to have extraordinary self-control so that they can be released in a crowd and safely take down a target without harming bystanders. They are masterful escape artists who find chasing people, animals, cyclists, vehicles, and pretty much anything else irresistible. So he is slightly better dog, than the German Shepherd for some situations. Belgian Malinois are becoming increasingly more popular for police work, replacing the German Shepherd in many police departments. All rights reserved. And when their Malinois puppy grows up, that dog is going to need and crave constant exercise and activity and both mental and physical enrichment. The Belgian Malinois is now arguably the number one pick for working K-9s in the military and police as well as in government and private security roles. We also participate in other affiliate programs and are compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies (at no cost to you). The Belgian Malinois will grow to the same size as a German Shepherd of around 24-26″ in height, however the GSD will weigh more at around 90 pounds compared to the 60 pounds of a Malinois. Every police dog will be asked to put themselves in situations where they know that they are in danger. They have extremely high work drive and never-ending energy that allows them to work all day long and keep going well into the night. That’s 23 places lower than German Shepherds. Don’t even consider getting a Malinois. As well, since the German Shepherd is the second most popular purebred companion canine in the United States, it is easy to see how any other dog that looks similar might be mistaken for the iconic GSD. As Chien Policier European Belgian Malinois breeder points out, there are some potential known health risks to the timing of your dog’s spay or neuter procedure.. And there are some known health risks if you decide to leave your male or female Belgian malinois intact. Access special offers, exclusive content, and receive tips on caring for & training your pup. Belgian Shepherd malinois. Fighting Dog : Yes . Police dogs may be trained in scent work, bite work, or both. Here is what you need to know about why the police use Belgian Malinois for all kinds of police work throughout the United States. Most will never be recognized and celebrated to the extent Cairo and Conan have been, however. Conan, a male Belgian Malinois who accompanied the Army’s Delta Force elite unit to take down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was injured in the line of duty and later honored by President Trump for bravery, as Stripes reports. One example of this would be to determine when a true threat is present and what to do about it. And a bored Malinois left at home alone is likely going to become a destructive dog in short order. The only other dog breed that comes close to matching the Malinois is the German Shepherd, and both are very popular for these types of working dog jobs, as Scott’s Police K-9 training program discusses. As a pet writer and blogger, Shannon is passionate about crafting knowledge-based, science-supported articles that foster healthy bonds of love and respect between people and animals. The Belgian Malinois breed has a long history as a livestock herding and guarding dog. The book is considered a little dated and Belgian Malinois are generally perceived as one of the smartest dog breeds. The Malinois is perfectly capable of leaping very tall fences in a single bound (which you already know if you watched the YouTube videos from an earlier segment here). We also participate in other affiliate programs and are compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies (at no cost to you). The Belgian Malinois is frequently confused with another dog breed that is often used in military and police dog work – the German Shepherd. With proper training, their innate intelligence gives them excellent self-control. As the American Belgian Malinois Club explains, the New York police force is widely regarded as the first police organization to incorporate the Belgian Malinois into their ranks. Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd. In fact, there are even special breeders that supply Malinois to the military, police force, and private sector organizations! There are some very good reasons why police are using Belgian Malinois instead of German Shepherds or any other breeds. The reason police use Belgian Malinois lies partly in their physical frame and partly in their temperament. As an Amazon Associate, TrendingBreeds.com earns from qualifying purchases. Does the Belgian Malinois Make a Good Companion Canine? Malinois are shades of red, Dutch are Brindle. However, because Belgian Malinois have a stronger work drive in general, they also tend to have a higher work drive when it comes to sniffing out scents. Police dogs must have very high drive because they need to work all day and be extremely dedicated to learning difficult and complicated behavior. However, because Belgian Malinois have a stronger work drive in general, they also tend to have a higher work drive when it comes to sniffing out scents. All Belgian shepherds, regardless of their variant, are generally healthy dogs that live between 12 and 16 years. Like all dogs, the Belgian Malinois has a very keen sense of smell. German Shepherd Dogs are everywhere!As one of the most active dog breeds working today, you see GSDs in airports, subway stations, and even Times Square. They must also be willing to run blindly into dangerous situations without taking time to scope out their surroundings. Like the German Shepherd, the Belgian Malinois dog breed has been bred for certain working-dog qualities and traits that make the Malinois an ideal choice for police dog work. Like most herding breeds, German Shepherds are well known for having very high work drive, but Belgian Malinois have even more intensity for work. , have no intention of switching from German Shepherds to Malinois. Why are Belgian Malinois Replacing German Shepherds as … The Belgian Malinois is known to have a driving need to please their people. Female vs male Belgian Malinois neuter/spay differences. Working Dog Magazine calls this trait “calculated aggression.”. THE MALINOIS, also known as, Belgian Malinois, Mechelse herder. In fact, as the American Belgian Malinois Rescue explains, inability to cope with the Malinois dog’s active temperament is one of the main reasons these dogs can get relinquished to shelters and rescue organizations. This is largely because Belgian Malinois have fewer innate health problems, and therefore it is easier to get a healthy one. These dogs look larger than they are, simply because they are so lean and tall. Here are some comparison points between them. Because it takes so much money and time to train a police dog, it is essential that you invest in a dog who can perform for some time after being trained. You should also probably know that GSD are heavy shedders that shed … Compared to Belgian Malinois, German shepherds are better for a family. Therefore strength and agility are essential in a good police dog. It takes a very high level of athleticism to handle the kinds of special operations that military and police K-9s are required to participate in. Choosing a Belgian Malinois as a family guarding and protection dog can look really good on paper. Mixing the breeds allows some of the best aspects of each to come out, although these traits are also less predictable. 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