Are Malinois Aggressive?

[A Behavior Guide]

Belgian Malinois Overview

Personality

The Belgian Malinois is a protective dog breed that is well equipped to handle all situations. These working dogs might look shy and reserved, but they do have a loving and caring side to them, exclusive to their family members.

The Belgian Shepherd dog is known for brilliant watchdog skills, allowing them to protect family members, places, and properties with ease. Dog owners can polish their personality through early socialization, which will help in reducing shyness and aggression. As they get more used to social surroundings, Belgian Malinois becomes a well-rounded dog with social charisma.

Temperament

The Belgian Shepherd is a highly trainable dog breed, belonging to the temperament of workers. These dogs tend to be vigilant, intelligent, attentive, and sensitive. Such qualities have made them ideal dogs for working alongside the police force. The Malinois dog works in the armed forces, serving the nation with active physique, alertness, and hard work.

If these dogs do not have a good dog trainer, they turn neurotic and destructive. Their instinctive herding behavior calls for an ample amount of mental and physical stimulation, and the lack thereof can inculcate unacceptable behavior in these dogs.

History

We can trace back the origins of the Belgian Malinois or Belgian Shepherd dog breed to Belgium, a western part of Europe. These dogs are also famously known as Belgian Sheepdog and Chien De Berger Belge. We can find four types of coats with different colors in these dogs, but we still count them as a single dog breed. 

These coats include the Tervuren long-haired fawn, the Malinois short-haired fawn, the Laekenois rough-haired fawn, and the long-haired black Groenendael. However, the American Kennel Club in the United States of America recognizes them as four separate dog breeds.

How Dog Trainers Deal With Belgian Malinois

Some trainers suggest enrolling your Belgian Shepherds in a puppy kindergarten class so that they can socialize with other dogs at an early age. Their high intelligence enables them to read the slightest changes in facial expressions, and they learn best from tricks paired with agility training. 

Dog trainers usually prefer to provide high-intensity training with rigorous physical activity to these shepherd dogs for their mental peace and health. In the case of a dog with stubborn and harsh behavior, dog trainers resort to positive reinforcement training, which is best for disciplining.

Can Belgian Malinois Be Friendly?

Contrary to popular beliefs, the Belgian Malinois dog is usually aloof and sociable. Anything else like fearful or aggressive behavior is a result of improper dog training in the puppy years. Even though they are brilliant police and military dogs, they can accept and love if raised with children. 

As herding dogs, they get the temptation to chase people and nip on heels; however, this is an unacceptable attitude that we should not tolerate. Our experts highly recommend dog trainers for all dog owners with ill-mannered Belgian Shepherd Malinois dogs.

Natural Instinct Of the Belgian Shepherd

Humans bred the Belgian Malinois dogs to be herders, watchdogs, and guard dogs. As a result, they incline to chase and nip. A lack of proper exercise can make them chase cars, bikes, and even kids out of boredom. These dogs are naturally protective of their family members due to their herding instincts, but such behavior can be problematic for visitors and unfamiliar guests. 

The Belgian Malinois can have aggressive tendencies if you fail to socialize them at a young age. Lack of physical activity and boredom can also result in separation anxiety, barking, and chewing.