A Brief History of the

Belgian Shepherd Dog

The Belgian Malinois was developed as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog about one hundred years ago. The Belgian Shepherd Dog breed was established out of a desire to standardize the local herding dogs of Belgium. The Malinois variety was named after the town of Malines where in 1898 a club was founded for the improvement of the shorthaired Belgian Shepherd Dog. The Club emphasized the Malinois’ character and intelligence which made him a valuable utility dog.

The American Kennel Club first registered the Malinois as a variety of the Belgian Sheepdog in the 1920s. The shorthaired fawn variety became known as the Belgian Malinois breed and because of his relatively small numbers he was placed in the Miscellaneous group. When the Working Group was divided in 1983, the Malinois took his place in the newly formed Herding Group.

In Europe and the rest of the world the Belgian Malinois remains a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog and it is only the American Kennel Club which registers the Malinois as a separate breed. A study of type in the Belgian Tervuren and in the Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendael) is also helpful for understanding the less well known Belgian Malinois.

The Malinois was developed not only for beauty but also for his talent as a working dog.  Although excelling as a herding dog, the Malinois, along with the other Belgian breeds, has a very protective nature and high prey drive.  They are very tenacious and have  a drive that never tires, unlike the drive of their owners.  Those characteristics are what make the Mal so desirable as a Search and Rescue, Police or Military dog.