Safegaurding Your Pets Against Air Pollution Vol XII , Issue No 12 , Dec 2019 | Page 21

Dog Breed
THE BELGIAN MALINOIS
CAN MAKE A FANTASTIC PET TOO
By Priyanka Tanwar*
T
he Belgian Malinois takes its
name from its birthplace, the
Belgian town ofǜ Malines. They
are among the four breeds of Belgian
sheepdogs that were initially bred
for herding in the late 1890s. They
are registered in Belgium and France
as Chien de Berger Belge (Belgian
Shepherd Dog Club) along with the
other three breeds of Belgian pastoral
canines.
In the last few decades, this coveted
breed has proven to be extremely
versatile and is one of the top breeds
selected by military and police
departments across the world. They are
extensively used in detection, search
and rescue missions as they excel at
detection of explosives, accelerants
and narcotics. They are also known to
guard the lawns of the White House.
Five Belgian Malinois dogs were fi rst
recruited into the New York City Police
Force in 1908. The breed enjoys the
distinction of serving as messengers
and assistants to the Red Cross along
with performing artillery duties and
pulling ambulance carts during World
War I. Their popularity escalated after
the war when many military men
returning to American shores brought
along a dog and other European nations
continued to import them. Belgian
Malinois canines are in high demand
again following the valorous service
of canine commando Conan in the US
raid on ISIS leader Baghdadi. SIZE
A life-size bronze statue of a Belgian
Malinois military commando wearing
full deployment kit stands tall at the
Airborne and Special Operations
Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina,
US. This K9 Memorial for SOF dogs was
created by master sculptor Lena Toritch
and unveiled on July 27, 2013. The Belgian Malinois is similar to the
German Shepherd in appearance,
though much lighter. The breed sports
a short, fl at and straight double coat
ranging from a rich fawn to a dark
mahogany in colour, with black tipped
hairs. Their large, bright eyes are
the colour of Belgian chocolate. As a
general rule, their back and head are
darker in colour.
The Belgian Malinois is NOT the typical
family dog and could be a challenging
pet to a fi rst time owner. However, they
make fantastic pets with experienced
owners. These canines have an average
life expectancy of 14-16 years. They are
identifi ed as a distinct breed by AKC,
UKC and other famous kennel clubs.
The Belgian Malinois is a medium
to large dog breed. Males reach an
average height of 24-26 inches while
females are relatively shorter at 22-
24 inches. A fully grown male weighs
from 60-80 pounds, while females are
again much lighter and weigh between
40 to 60 pounds.
APPEARANCE
They are elegant animals with a
square built. They are strong and well-
muscled, and have an honest look
about them. Their distinctive feature
is their proud stature and head posture
with naturally upright ears.
December 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 12 • Noida
21
| Creature Companion