Belgian Malinois

　　The Belgian Malinois, also known as the Belgian Malinois Shepherd, is the only short-haired variety among the four types of Belgian Shepherds and is a renowned ancient breed. It surpasses other working dogs in intelligence, agility, obedience, and trainability, and is absolutely loyal to its owner. In European countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, Malinois dogs make up 60% to 70% of the total police dog population, and other countries have imitated this, making purebred Malinois dogs currently very difficult to obtain.
　　1. History
　　In 1891, a group of breeders in the city of Malines promoted the Malinois dog. By 1901, the first Malinois, Vos des Polders, was registered. Early breeders recognized the dog’s beauty and elegance but never sacrificed its working ability. Traditionally, Malinois are known for their work ethic, considered the most trainable, versatile, and hardest-working among the four Belgian Shepherd varieties. Malinois were often used to breed other Belgian Shepherd varieties to adjust coat type, color, herding instinct, and work ability. Crossbreeding among the four types was common in those years. Although the Belgian Shepherd Club objected, it was not until 1973 that crossbreeding among the four Belgian Shepherd types was prohibited.
　　In the decade before World War I, breeders worked to stabilize and promote the breed across Europe. The dog became increasingly successful and popular in police and tracking competitions. During World War I, the dogs served as messengers, rescuers, and artillery movers. The war was disastrous for the Malinois population in Belgium. After the war, breeders had to overlook coat colors to promote a foundational stock and rebuild lost qualities.
　　2. Role
　　The Belgian Malinois surpasses other working dogs in intelligence, agility, obedience, and trainability. It features excellent obedience, sustained excitement, high alertness, keen scenting ability, boldness, fierceness, strong aggression, high retrieving desire, strong jumping ability, and great adaptability. Especially notable is its explosive jumping power; a good Malinois can climb trees and easily jump over 3-meter-high walls. It is also absolutely loyal to its owner. There is a saying in the industry: "A Malinois bite does not release." Once a trained Malinois bites and holds, no matter how the enemy strikes, it will not let go. This is a major reason why the armed police and dog training institutions widely select Malinois as police and riot control dogs.
　　In European countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, Malinois account for 60% to 70% of the police dog population, widely used in tracking, drug enforcement, guarding, escorting, and more. In the United States, they are commonly used for search and protection tasks. Currently, the military and police sectors in countries such as the U.S., Germany, Australia, and China have recognized the value of Malinois and begun importing and popularizing them. In China, there is the Chinese Malinois—Kun Malinois. Introduced by China’s Ministry of Public Security from Belgium in 2000, crossed with improved Kunming dogs at the Kunming Police Dog Base, the hybrid shows obvious advantages. After training and field use in many regions, it has played a significant role in investigations.