Malinois are near and dear to my heart. I’ve owned the breed for over two decades and know how difficult they can be. They are not for everyone but if you are willing to adopt some new tools, and make some adjustments to your training you can learn to live in harmony with your Mal. 

Created in the late 1800s as an all-around farm dog, the breed slowly transitioned into the breed of choice for military working applications, protection sports, and police work. 

The 2010s saw a massive growth in breeding when Hollywood movies started to popularize the breed. Back when I got into the breed in 2000, the concept of a pet Belgian Malinois did not exist. You had to pull teeth to buy one from a breeder if you were not a full-time dog trainer, police K9 officer, or military working dog handler. 

These days the breed is still protected by specific breeders, however many newer unscrupulous breeders have popped up seeing dollar signs. Today there are two types of Malinios breeders. Working dog breeders, and pet-ish dog breeders. The working dog breeders have disdain for the pet-ish dog breeders for what they have done, however, I’m happy that there are Pet style Malinios breeders around to satiate the appetite for this breed.

You don’t want a working line Belgian Malinois. They are freaking terrible to live with and they will make you hate most of your day. They are incredibly needy and don’t ever stop wanting to work. The benefit of the pet-style Malinois breeder is that they have dumbed down the breed to a more reasonable level. They are still not like owning a Lab, but they are a lot more manageable. 

With this dumbing down comes some downsides. Because many of the pet-style breeders are only in it for the money, sometimes they just don’t care what they produce. They often don’t invest the time into proper socialization and some will even sell multiple puppies to the same home which is a big no-no. The genetics and looks resemble that of the working lines, however, they are not as needy. And easier to live with.

Working Lines / Pet Style

Working lines never stop. They can’t be left alone in the home without destroying everything. They tend to have more of an edge around new people and dogs, and this means they rarely do well living with other animals, or in busy homes with loads of guests coming and going. Guarding food, sticks, and toys, is usually a thing to watch out for. 

The pet-style Malinois are are usually more social, say a 7/10 but can have issues if dogs and people are not properly introduced. It’s better to focus on the quality of social interactions instead of the quantity. They are rarely dog park dogs, even with proper socialization because they have been bred for generations to be with one person and not have other animals around. 

In common. Both styles of genetics need something to do. Fetch, scentwork, protection work, dock diving, hiking, agility, you name it, they can do it. They both have stamina to go all day, but the working lines never turn off. Not much napping for the working dog lines. Both should be crate trained until at least 5 years of age if my own dogs have taught me anything.