The Belgian Malinois is also known as the Belgian Shepherd dog and is a herding dog. This dog closely resembles German Shepherds and was typically used to herd sheep and guard flocks from other animals. Since this is a working dog, it has been adapted to be used in the detection of narcotics, explosives, police work and also for rescue missions. They are even used by the U.S. Secret service in order to guard the grounds of the White House.

The Belgian Malinois is a medium sized dog that is notable for its black ears and black muzzle. The males typically weigh between 64 and 75 lbs and the females between 55 and 66 lbs. They have short coats and stand between 22 and 26 inches tall. The typical color of these dogs is fawn and mahogany along with various black markings.

Now, we will look at the temperament of this breed. The Malinois is a very active, intelligent and friendly dog that is always alert and protective. It has a hard working attitude and has extremely high energy levels. This means that they will keep up with you and then some! This high energy can easily become destructive and they may develop neurotic behaviors if they are not given enough exercise and daily stimulation. They have an extremely high prey drive and they need to be constantly given obedience training. However, don't worry, they are relatively easy to train due to the fact that they love being praised and are highly motivated by rewards.

Even though this dog was bred to be a working dog, they can make excellent family dogs. They are extremely obedient when trained right, loyal and very protective of the family. There are a few precautions that should be taken with this dog if it is in a family setting. For one, you shouldn't rough house with the dog often as this will cause their herding/protective nature to activate. Therefore, it is best that if you want to have the Belgian Malinois as your pet, they should be the only pet in the house. However, it is still possible that they can coexist with other animals, but they need to be well trained and socialized with the new pet.

These dogs have a very confident nature and are extremely strong minded. Therefore, you need to be even more strong minded as an owner and make sure they know you are the pack leader. If you have children, you will probably notice this dog herding them around since this is their nature.

In order to take care of a Belgian Malinois, you will need to regularly brush its fur to ensure it remains clean and well kept. They usually shed their fur approximately twice for the year and you should brush them more often and remove any clumps of loose fur when necessary.

In closing, the Malinois is a beautiful and amazing dog that will certainly make your house a home. There is no greater friend than a dog and once you take care of them, they will take care of you.