Belgian Malinois
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| Other names | (Chien de Berger Belge) Mechelaar Mechelse Herder Mechelse Scheper Pastor Belga Malinois |
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| Origin | Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traits | |||
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| Weight | Male | 25–30 kg (55–66 lb) | |
| Female | 22–25 kg (49–55 lb) | ||
| Height | Male | 61–66 cm (24–26 in) | |
| Female | 56–61 cm (22–24 in) | ||
| Coat | short | ||
| Color | fawn mahogany black |
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| Life span | 10–12 years | ||
| Classification / standards | |||
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| FCI | Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #015c | standard | |
| AKC | Herding | standard | |
| ANKC | Group 5 (Working Dogs) | standard | |
| CKC | Group 7-(Herding Dogs) | standard | |
| KC (UK) | Pastoral | standard | |
| NZKC | Working | standard | |
| UKC | Herding Dog | standard | |
The Malinois /ˈmælᵻnwɑː/ is a medium-to-largebreed of dog, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd dog rather than as a separate breed. The name "Malinois" is derived from Malines, the French name for the breed's city of origin.
The breed is used as a working dog for tasks including detection of odors such as explosives, accelerants (for arson investigation), and narcotics; tracking humans for suspect apprehension in police work; and search and rescue missions. The U.S. Secret Service uses Belgian Malinois to guard the grounds of the White House.
The Malinois is a medium-to-large and square-proportioned dog in the sheepdog family. The Malinois has a short mahogany coat with black markings. It has black erect ears and a black muzzle. It has a square build in comparison to the German Shepherd.
Due to its history as a working dog (i.e., being bred for function over form), the Malinois can vary greatly in appearance. The acceptable colors of pure-bred Malinois are a base color fawn to mahogany and tan with a black mask and black ears with some degree of black tipping on the hairs, giving an overlay appearance. The color tends to be lighter with less black agouti or overlay on the dog's underside, breeching, and inner leg. White markings are also allowed on the tips of the toes and the chest, as long as the white on the chest does not extend up to the neck.
The other varieties of Belgian Shepherd are distinguished by their coats and colors: the Tervuren is the same color as the Malinois but has long hair, the wire-coated Laekenois is fawn and lacks the black mask and ears, and the Groenendael (registered as Belgian Sheepdog by the American Kennel Club) has long hair and is solid black.
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Wikipedia