Belgian Shepherd- can you educate me, please?

[PuppyDogNose]

I registered with a reputable rescue shelter recently and got a call today to say they have a 4-month old female Belgian Shepherd who is in need of a home and they think she’d be a good match for us. We’re meeting her tomorrow.

I have always had dogs and happy to manage socialisation, training etc. We have a dog currently who is very sociable and just loves other dogs. From speaking to the rescue, this pup is sociable too and they’re hoping to place her in a home with another dog.

We have the space/time/money/energy for a puppy so not concerned about that, but I’ve never had a Belgian Shepherd before and not familiar with the breed. I’m definitely going to do some research. She is part of a a litter surrendered by a breeder so is full Belgian Shepherd.

If it’s a breed you’re familiar with, can you give me some information around how you’ve found them in terms of personality, activity-levels etc, please?

They're personally not a breed I would go for.

They are extremely intelligent and need a lot of physical and mental stimulation. They're also incredibly sensitive and don't really like being alone. In addition, they are protective of property and family which can lead to resource guarding if you're not 100% on top of their training and socialisation.

If it's coming from surrendered litter, I would also want to know what strain of Belgian Shepherd it is - a Malinois or one of the others? Each has its' own (different) good and bad traits so I'd be wanting to know which kind of Shepherd I was getting, if possible. Some are known to be good with children and not great with dogs, some the other way around.

Do you have children in the home?

I'm not all that familiar with the breed, but I do know that they differ between type (Malinois, Laekenois etc) and line. I would want to find out a good deal on that score before committing myself.

A high-drive Malinois is a fabulous dog in the right hands, but the working lines are bred to find biting rewarding and fun - there is a reason that they are so popular in the ring sports and with the police and army. They are very trainable, but my understanding is that you need to put the work in and give them an outlet.

Meant to say, she’s a Malinios.

No children at home, very rural, and a big and very secure garden. Because we’re so rural, I wouldn’t mind a dog that’s a bit aloof with strangers, and maybe even a deterrent.

Our current dog is a very boisterous Old English Sheepdog who spends her time herding her toys and running around the garden like a lunatic. If somebody broke in to kill us all, she’d basically lick them and then bring them her favourite blanket in exchange for belly rubs. We adore her but she’s been tough work so training has been constant.

Obviously, our existing dog is the priority here so would need to do a trial with the new pup if we were to proceed.

My parents always had Groenendaels - the black ones. Tons of character, almost like having another person in the house. They tended to fasten onto one person in the household too and liked the others well enough but definitely had a favourite.

From what I can gather Malinois are similar and the ones I have known thrived hugely on being worked/learning - eager to please their chosen one. Sounds like you have the perfect set up to give this one a home. Please post photos

Aloof is the word used but I don't think that really covers it. They are outright rude to anyone who isn't in the family group or known to them.

I don't have a Malinois, I have an Akita but my vet has malinois' and we both joke about how we wouldn't have the other because they are so difficult.

From what I gather, they are outstanding dogs, if raised right. Most aren't and there's an abundance of them in rescues at the minute because people misunderstand just how much work goes in. The videos of what they can do are fantastic.

Sounds like you have a great set up but you must get a professional in, have loads of time, space, ability to exercise and be an experienced hand.

Are they ok with other dogs?

So, Malinois are typically bred to work and probably need the most exercise out of all the strains of shepherd.

They need a "job" or they have a tendency to be destructive and anxious, so you'll need to be prepared to find him something to "do" once he's old enough. They're used a lot by the police and law enforcement (and are bite trained), or they could do sports like cani-cross, scent-work or agility.

I would only get one if you have a lot of time to devote to them and their needs. They don't like being left and need lots of mental stimulation and exercise to avoid them becoming destructive, aggressive and anxious.

I lived in Brussels for years and there were a lot of Malinois dogs at the parks where we walked our dog. The ones that were well behaved definitely had strong, steady guidance and a job to do and a lot of reward from their owners. There also seemed to be a high proportion of them that were very dominant around other dogs or showed aggressive behaviour. Personally I think they are like every other bright dog that was bred to do a job. They need consistency, clear boundaries, lots of reward and a lot of exercise that stimulates their brain.
Think a working border collie + a police dog... it would definitely deter random people entering your property

My ex boyfriend had a Groenendael and she was the most gorgeous dog. The only thing she used to get worked up with was postmen or physically disabled people which wasn't great!

She was highly trained though and spend most of her day outside watching her owner work (although not working herself)

I’ve just read an article saying that Malinios can climb trees 😮

Certainly a lot of the personality aspects are attractive, but I don’t think we’re high-energy enough for this breed.

Our Old English Sheepdog is high-energy but a boisterous 20 minute game of frisbee and football a few times a day in addition to walks is more than enough to keep her happy.

My husband and I both work from home so have plenty of time during the day to dedicate to pets, but I don’t know where we’d find the time to manage a dog who needs this level of exercise, interaction, and stimulation.

This video shows just how incredible they can be under the right leadership but I think you're looking at a low percentage of people who can maintain the level of commitment needed.

Crikey!!!

I’d ask a lot of questions as to why the breeder surrendered the litter rather than selling them. And their early weeks, those first weeks spent with mum are essential for developing a good well rounded adult dog- so I’d want to know about that.

A lot of professional dog trainers are very vocal about the fact that mallionois are not suitable for the majority of pet homes.
They need a lot of training and stimulation but equally can be " hard" dogs to train, less malleable than a gsd for instance.

I’ve gone down a Tiktok rabbit hole of similar videos. They’re amazing dogs and the things they can be trained to do are just amazing.

That said, I don’t think this is the dog for us. Hopefully she’ll find a good home with someone experienced in similar breeds but I think we’d just end up with a bored and destructive beast of a dog that wouldn’t get the most from us.

Badly bred Malinios don’t make great pets, and it will be badly bred or it wouldn’t be in a rescue.

My DH has an employee who breeds and trains malenois and enters these weird competitions where they attack people, he travels all over Europe winning these competitions and he an expert witness and advises/trains them for security the army etc. He obviously loves them but they are really hard work and he trains them every hour that God sent to keep them under control obedient and even still he's had a couple of near misses where they have seriously gone to attack random strangers who've they've taken an dislike too for no obvious reason.

In the spirit of entertainment only there is a film called Dog featuring a BS and Channing Tatum…( who incidentally has the obligatory shirt off scene). It’s about a military dog gone rogue.

@PuppyDogNose Don't take notice of anyone who hasn't actually owned the breed. I was brought up around them as a child. Lovely natured dogs. Easy to train and obedient. I personally can't fault them.

I believe they need a LOT of exercise and stimulation. There's one across the road, it's a police dog and he's massive!

Blimey.. that video. What amazing dogs but probably not for the faint hearted.

Malinois are probably the most common dog up for adoption where I live in France. They can, as others say, be very difficult and I think attract the wrong sort of owner, after a 'hard' dog.

However DDs stables has one, a puppy, and he's a lovely, happy dog who is a bit of a chewer snd stealer of carrots, but is gentle and not at all territorial or over-guardy. He is busy busy busy all day long though.

I’m sitting in the garden with one now. He’s not mine, he belongs to my brother-in-law, is absolutely delightful and keeps pestering me to pet him - I’m slightly worried he’s going to knock my gin over with his very waggy tail. He has, I think, been very well-trained although he is quite cheeky when it comes to food. He’s also been extremely well-socialised as they have a large extended family and often quite large family gatherings. Does bark at people going past the house, but quietens fairly quickly when told too. Restless, doesn’t lie down much. He plays with the cat too, they are buddies. He’s seven.

I do know another younger part Malinois too. She’s trickier. Owners struggled to socialise her as they got her just before Covid and she also had gastro problems, which meant they couldn’t mix her with other dogs. Consequently, she’s quite possessive and not keen on most other dogs.

So, I think the key (as with all dogs) is socialisation and training.

I know somebody who got a recue Malinois. A few years of 'hell' as she put it. Now really highly trained and does competition but dog reactive at times. She just got another as a puppy and says thats a whole different ball game as she learned do much from first one. I have a working line GSD who is quite full on and the trainer I work with describes malinois as x 10 times more full on. I think you would need to be doing competition plus Id be really wary of temprament coming from a breeder who surrenders.