Belgian Malinois are agile and energetic dogs, they are used in military and police, trained for all kinds of dangerous tasks. Maybe you have heard of the terrible accident in which 6 week-old baby boy died after being bitten by a family dog ( Belgian Malinois )in South Dacota, USA.
So they can be trained to protect and serve but also there were cases they attacked, hurt, or even killed someone. The question ”Are Belgian Malinois Dangerous Dogs?” is quite expected if you know all these facts.
Belgian Malinois can be dangerous dogs if they are in the wrong hands. If they are not trained nor socialized properly at their early age, they can become aggressive and dangerous.
On the other hand, if they have a good handler, who trains them, provide enough physical exercise and mental stimulation, Malinois become great dogs and lovely companions.
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Are Belgian Malinois Considered as Aggressive Dogs?
Generally, they are not aggressive by nature but that improper handling may lead to aggressive behavior.
Belgian Malinois are working dogs. In the past they were herding dogs, taking care of livestock in Belgium. These dogs are very intelligent and full of energy, they simply need to work almost constantly.
In the second half of the 20th century, they were gaining popularity in police units across Europe. These dogs were healthier, lighter, and more energetic compared to German Shepards that were used by police. So Malinois dogs were trained to become police dogs.
At the same time, some dog sports became pretty popular such as the French ring or KNPV. In all these sports dogs had to overcome agility, obedience, protection.
The breeders were trying to find harder and more powerful dogs so created something like super Malinois. The media did their work, promoting Belgian Malinois as a highly energetic super dog capable of every task.
Films and TV reports have been made, so many people learned about these beautiful dogs and wanted to have them as family pets.
What people didn’t know is that Belgian Malinois is a high-maintenance dog especially when it comes to training and exercise.
Malinois is not meant to be a pet dog. These dogs have to be occupied constantly, they enjoy working. Since they are very clever, you need to set new challenges in front of them every day. A simple walk or jogging around the block is not enough.
Now when you know Malinois background ( first was herding dog, then police/military dog ) you understand how hard is for Mal to fit in the role of a family pet dog.
The biggest concern is laziness. Malinois dogs don’t know how to do that. They need to do something and if you don’t organize their day, they will do it by themselves but you won’t like the outcome, that’s for sure.
Now we are coming to a conclusion – if Mal is left alone for too long, if he is not trained nor socialized if you don’t spend time with your dog in an active way, you Mal can easily slip into aggression. This is the main reason why Mals are not recommended to first-time owners.
A Swiss Dog trainer and animal psychologist Mr. Ernst Krusi agrees that Belgian Malinois are not naturally aggressive dogs but ‘‘ in wrong hand Malinois is a weapon” he says.
Why Belgian Malinois is Good For Police Dog but Not Good For Family Pet?
Every dog breed has its own purpose. Belgian Malinois are good to be protective and service dogs.
Belgian Malinois are super smart dogs that react very quickly and emotionally. They love to learn new things so a good trainer can teach them literally everything. These dogs enjoy any kind of training.
Have you thought about the reason Mal enjoys training? Ok, he loves challenges, likes to learn new things but above all – he has enough energy to train all day!
Now, what do you think – what will happen if he has nowhere to spend all that energy? In most cases, as a family pet, Mal won’t have a chance to be as active as he needs.
Mal needs a lot of daily exercises ( don’t forget that these dogs were working at least 12 hours herding sheep), a quality stimulation not comparable to any other breed, obedience training…
If you don’t fulfill it, there is a great risk for your Mal to become destructive towards your furniture and other belongings, hyperactive and aggressive to other animals and kids but also to other adults and you.
Why these dogs are good for police? Well, we have already said that they are highly trainable, fearless, have a lot of energy, react quickly, and love to work all the time. What else do you need for a police dog?
Plus, they have a lighter build than German Shepard and have fewer health issues.
This breed can jump very high. According to Mr. Brett Simon, lead trainer and co-founder of K9s for warriors, Malinois can jump up more than 8 feet in the air and can be trained to climb up the side of the house.
The important thing about Malinois is that their trainer needs to be quick, firm, and consistent. Since Mals are energetic, intelligent, have very strong instincts, especially prey and protective ones, they are easy to motivate and train.
Like they learn good things quickly, they can also pick up some unwanted behavior pretty fast. The trainer must be quick enough to break off that bad behavior.
Firmness is also very important as Belgian Malinois tend to assert dominance and if the owner doesn’t show that he is the leader of ”pack” then Mal will try to get that position.
If he succeeds, then he can refuse to obey his owner’s commands which further may lead to unpredictable and aggressive behavior.
Your Mal has to recognize you (his owner) as the alpha. He needs to understand that has a lower rank in comparison to you, your kids, and everyone else in your household.
Do Belgian Malinois Bite Their Owners?
Belgian Malinois can bite his owner but if properly trained and socialized, that won’t happen. This breed is not on the list of frequent biters found by AVMA ( American Veterinary Medical Association ). But as AVMA claims -any dog breed can bite!
Have you heard of the expression – Maligator? It comes from Malinois and Alligator. These dogs were bred to be strong and persistent biting machines that work for the police. So the expression Maligator stands for bite work as police dogs.
So Belgian Malinois can bite and they are known as ”grab and hold biters” but if they understand the owner as alpha, they obey his commands, then biting the owner is less likely to happen.
Dogs usually bite of fear or if they protect some territory and their own things such as food. Malinois may bite of boredom, lack of stimulation, and exercise.
If Mal is not socialized at an early age, he didn’t learn how to behave with humans and his owner (inexperienced one) unconsciously let him be dominant, different unwanted behavior may show up, including aggressiveness and biting.
Not to forget to mention- any dog including Malinois may become aggressive and bite due to pain and some health condition (especially Neurological issues, Cancer, or Hypothyroidism ).
So if your dog that behaved perfectly, starts to show signs of aggressiveness and tries to bite, you should visit the vet.
What Is PPP Dog List? Are Malinois Dogs On That List?
PPP dog list is a list of potentially dangerous dog breeds. Belgian Malinois breed is on that list together with many other breeds such as Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Bull Terrier, French Bulldog, Rottweiler, and many others.
What does that mean? Are Malinois dangerous dogs? As we have already explained, generally Mals are not dangerous but they can be.
The presence of the Malinois breed on this list suggests that these dogs are potentially dangerous by their physical abilities ( like any dog that weighs 35-40 lbs or more) and the fact that Malinois dogs are sensitive which may cause behavioral imbalances and unwanted behavior.
Final Thought
Belgian Malinois can become dangerous dogs if not treated properly. If they receive plenty of daily exercises, training, and mental stimulation, they can be loving companions but still, they are not suitable for first-time owners and classical American families that usually require passive dogs.
If not socialized at an early age, they can become aggressive dogs. Many inexperienced owners make mistakes. Since we live in a democratic society, people don’t like to place their dogs in a subordinate position.
It seems cruel to them. They consider them as family members ( and they are) so treat them as equals.
Dogs don’t live and think as we do. They are pack animals and need to have a firm and consistent leader. They are happy to follow the owner’s commands and directions.
They are satisfied only if they know what is wrong and what is expected from them. So the owner is the one who should organize Mal’s activities such as training or mental stimulation. Otherwise, Malinois will be confused, frustrated which further may lead to hyperactivity and aggressiveness.
