Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd
Because of the extensive diversity among dog breeds, dog lovers can go for their particular requirements that they would expect from the pet. Belgian malinois and German shepherd are two such types of dogs with great variability between each other; hence, they make two very different kinds of dogs. The two dogs Belgian malinois and German shepherd come from two different countries, and one is a full breed while the other is a variety of a breed. In addition, their body shapes, standing poses, intelligence, and temperaments could be discussed to understand the main difference between Belgian malinois and German shepherd.
Belgian Malinois
Belgian malinois (aka Malinois) is a medium size dog breed that has been originated in Belgium. Belgian malinois is a variety of the original dog breed Belgian shepherd. Their body shape is unique among all the shepherd dog breeds; it is square-shaped with a length as equal as the height. Purebred Belgian malinois male measures between 61 and 66 centimetres while a female measures between 56 – 61 centimetres as their heights at withers. The weight of a female could range from 25 – 30 kilograms while a male would be between 29 – 34 kilograms. The muzzle is black in colour and the ears are erect. Their unique appearance has been accompanied with the presence of some extra-long hairs around the neck.
Purebred Belgian malinois dogs are available in colours ranging from fawn to mahogany, and tan with some black colour present in ear tips. However, other varieties of the original breed, Belgian shepherd, are available in solid black, as well. They are generally active and hardworking animals. In fact, malinoises are among the most energetic dogs. These dogs are very friendly and protective of their owners. The importance of Belgian malinois is high as a police dog since they can track down the suspects using their excellent sense of smell. Additionally, they can be trained to detect odours of explosives, as well.
German Shepherd
It would be important to discuss some of their characteristics before dig into the differences. As the name indicates, the German shepherd dogs (GSD) originated in Germany. There are other commonly referred names to GSD apart from Alsatian such as Berger Allemand, Deutscher Schäferhund, and Schäferhund. The German dog breeder Max Emil Friedrich von Stephanitz (1864 – 1936) developed this breed for the purposes of herding and guarding of sheep because of strength, intelligence, and obedience of GSDs.
German shepherd dogs are working dogs with a large body and a fearsome appearance. A well-built adult male has about 30 to 40 kilograms of weight while a female weighs about 22 to 32 kilograms. They are about 60 – 65 centimetres in height and males are slightly taller than females. They have a long square cut muzzle with a black nose, and their ears are large and mostly stand erected. Their fur coat is long and has different colourations viz. red, tan, brown, black, tan & black, red & black… etc. However, black and tan varieties are popular and common. Because of their higher intelligence, armed forces keep German shepherd dogs for security purposes viz. bomb finding. They are extremely loyal to the owner family and mostly be friendly with children. GSDs are aloof towards strangers, which is an advantage to keep them as guard dogs. Their lifespan is generally 10 to 14 years, and they maintain a serious personality throughout their lifetime.
What is the difference between Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd?
• The two breeds have been originated in two different countries as their names suggest.
• German shepherd is larger and heavier than malinois.
• Malinois has a square shape body while German shepherd has a rectangular shape with a sloping back.
• The back of the German shepherds is slanting towards the posterior, but not in the Belgian malinois.
• Belgian malinoises are available in fawn colour but not the German shepherds.
• German shepherds can be more intelligent than Belgian malinois.
• The personality of the German shepherds is more dominant than that of Belgian malinois.
• Belgian malinois is more energetic than the German shepherd.