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PUPPIES: NEW LITTER EXPECTED SOON – www.rocknrollover.com
Did you know?
· The Belgian Malinois was bred around the city of
· In 1911, the first shorthaired Belgian Shepherds (Belgian Blackie and Belgian
Mouche) were registered with the AKC.
· The Belgian Malinois is one of four types of
Belgian sheepherding dogs registered in
So you want to own a Belgian Malinois?
The Belgian Malinois is proud, agile, strong, and
full of life.
The Belgian Malinois's coat is short and straight.
The coat is easy to care for, but should be groomed regularly to keep healthy.
The
Belgian Malinois is a very confident dog. He is
naturally possessive of his owner, but he is not an aggressive dog.
Breed Standard
General Appearance
The Belgian Malinois is a well balanced, square dog,
elegant in appearance with an exceedingly proud carriage of the head and neck.
The dog is strong, agile, well muscled, alert, and full of life. He stands
squarely on all fours and viewed from the side, the topline,
forelegs, and hind legs closely approximate a square. The whole conformation
gives the impression of depth and solidity without bulkiness. The male is
usually somewhat more impressive and grand than his female counterpart, which
has a distinctly feminine look.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Males are 24 to 26 inches in height; females are 22 to 24 inches; measurement
to be taken at the withers. Males under 23 inches or over 27 inches and females
under 21 inches or over 25 inches are to be disqualified.
The length, measured from the point of the breastbone to the point of the rump,
should equal the height, but bitches may be slightly longer. A square dog is
preferred. Bone structure is moderately heavy in proportion to height so that
the dog is well balanced throughout and neither spindly or leggy nor cumbersome
and bulky.
Head
The head is clean-cut and strong without heaviness; overall size is in
proportion to the body. The expression should indicate alertness,
attention and readiness for activity, and the gaze is
intelligent and questioning. The eyes are brown, preferably dark
brown, medium size, slightly almond shaped, not protruding. Eye rims are black.
The ears approach the shape of an equilateral triangle and are
stiff, erect, and in proportion to the head in size. The outer corner of the
ear should not come below the center of the eye. Ears hanging as on a hound, or semi-prick ears are disqualifications. The top of
the skull is flattened rather than rounded with the width
approximately the same as the length but no wider. The stop is moderate. The muzzle
is moderately pointed, avoiding any tendency to snipiness,
and approximately equal in length to the topskull.
The planes of the muzzle and topskull are parallel.
The jaws are strong and powerful. The nose is black without discolored areas.
The lips are tight and black with no pink showing on the outside. The Belgian Malinois has a full complement of strong, white teeth, that are evenly set and meet in a scissors or level bite.
Overshot and undershot bites are a fault. An undershot bite in which two or
more of the upper incisors lose contact with two or more of the lower incisors is a disqualification. One or more missing teeth is a serious fault.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is round and of sufficient length to permit the proud
carriage of the head. It should taper from the body to the head. The topline is generally level. The withers are
slightly higher and slope into the back which must be level, straight and firm
from withers to hip joint. The croup is medium long, sloping gradually. Thebody should give the impression of power
without bulkiness. The chest is not broad but is deep with the lowest point
reaching the elbow. The underline forms a smooth ascendant curve from the
lowest point of the chest to the abdomen. The abdomen is moderately developed,
neither tucked up nor paunchy. The loin section, viewed from above, is
relatively short, broad and strong, and blends smoothly into the back. The tail
is strong at the base, the bone reaching to the hock. In action it is raised
with a curve, which is strongest towards the tip, without forming a hook. A
cropped or stumped tail is a disqualification.
Forequarters
The forequarters are muscular without excessive bulkiness. The shoulder is long
and oblique, laid flat against the body, forming a sharp angle with the upper
arm. The legs are straight, strong, and parallel to each other. The bone is
oval rather than round. Length and substance are well in proportion to the size
of the dog. The pastern is of medium length, strong, and very slightly sloped.
Dewclaws may be removed. The feet are round (cat footed) and well padded with
the toes curved close together. The nails are strong and black except that they
may be white to match white toe tips.
Hindquarters
Angulation of the hindquarters is in balance with the
forequarters; the angle at the hock is relatively sharp, although the Belgian Malinois should not have extreme angulation.
The upper and lower thigh bones should approximately parallel the shoulder
blade and upper arm respectively. The legs are in proportion to the size of the
dog; oval bone rather than round. Legs are parallel to each other. The thighs
should be well muscled. Dewclaws, if any, should be removed. Metatarsi are of
medium length, strong, and slightly sloped. The hind feet may be slightly
elongated, with toes curved close together and well padded. Nails are strong
and black except that they may be white to match white toe tips.
Coat
The coat should be comparatively short, straight, hard
enough to be weather resistant, with dense undercoat. It should be very short
on the head, ears, and lower legs. The hair is somewhat longer around the neck
where it forms a collarette, and on the tail and
backs of the thighs. The coat should conform to the body without standing out
or hanging down.
Color
The basic coloring is a rich fawn to mahogany, with black tips on the hairs
giving an overlay appearance. The mask and ears are black. The underparts of the body, tail and breeches are lighter fawn,
but washed-out fawn color on the body is a fault. Color should be considered a
finishing point, not to take precedence over structure or temperament. The tips
of the toes may be white, and a small white spot on
the breastbone/prosternum is permitted, not to extend
to the neck. White markings, except as noted, are faulted.
Gait
The movement is smooth, free and easy, seemingly never tiring, exhibiting
facility of movement rather than a hard driving action. The Belgian Malinois single tracks at a fast gait, the legs, both front
and rear, converging toward the center line of gravity, while the topline remains firm and level, parallel to the line of
motion with no crabbing. The breed shows a marked tendency to move in a circle
rather than a straight line.
Temperament
Correct temperament is essential to the working character of the Belgian Malinois. The breed is confident, exhibiting neither
shyness nor aggressiveness in new situations. The dog may be reserved with
strangers but is affectionate with his own people. He is naturally protective
of his owner's person and property without being overly aggressive. The Belgian
Malinois possesses a strong desire to work and is
quick and responsive to commands from his owner. Faulty temperament is strongly
penalized.
Faults
The degree to which a dog is penalized should depend upon the extent to which
the dog deviates from the standard and the extent to which the particular fault
would actually affect the working ability of the dog.
Disqualifications
Males under 23 inches or over 27 inches and females under 21 inches or over
25 inches. Ears hanging as on a hound, or semi-prick
ears. An undershot bite in which two or more of the upper incisors lose contact
with two or more of the lower incisors. A cropped or stumped
tail.
Approved
Effective