Posted on 08/23/2011 1:15:51 PM PDT by markomalley
Günther Bonke, a dog expert for the police in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), said on Monday the trusty German Shepherd, or Alsatian, was slowly being replaced by the Belgian Shepherd. The breed, also known as the Malinois, is considered more dependable and robust than its German rival.
Bonke said NRW had only 26 German Shepherds still working alongside the police compared to 281 Malinois. He explained that not all German states bred their own dogs, making the often cheaper Belgian Shepherd even more attractive when bought in bulk.
NRW, which borders Belgium, has been breeding the Malinois since 1988. Over the years, the police discovered the dogs were healthier and more courageous than their German counterparts. Belgian Shepherds can also be used as sniffer dogs, unlike German Shepherds, which are largely limited to security details.
The trend to Malinois has also spread to Germany’s federal police, however, they haven’t entirely given up on other breeds like the Alsatian.
“We are not planning exclusively with these dogs for the future,” said a federal police spokesman.
Officials in North Rhine-Westphalia aren’t only betting on the Belgian dogs either. The state's police pack of 350 canines includes Dutch Shepherds, Giant Schnauzers, several mutts, as well as one Boxer and one Rottweiler.
I always heard that GSDs were problematic because of hip problems caused by breeding for the sloping back, and that’s one of the reasons the Malinois were preferred. Any truth in that?
Gorgeous, but he looks a little thin. Give him a treat! LOL. I love to watch dogs with jobs. My Golden is sweet, but he’s as lazy as his owner!
Arghhh!
Arghhh!
Arghhh!
Why do they breed for the sloping back? My friend has a GSD that is my Golden’s best doggie friend. They are essentially the same age, and Reagan (the GSD) has become so crippled in just the last few months that I am worried that she’ll be gone the next time I go over there. She’s only 10.
My Golden (same age) still runs like a puppy. he only way you would know that he is getting old too is because of his white face.
I have a 7-month old female Belgian Malinois/Doberman mix. Scary smart, athletic and full of boundless energy. I hope the energy dies down a bit with maturity. She wears out the whole family and the other dogs. She’s a delightful dog, tho.
So is our Boston, at least during the day when I'm on the PC. When the wife gets home and he has all that pent-up energy, Katy bar the door...
They herd shep. ;)
There seems to be some rationale in getting a better gait, but apparently it was taken too far by American breeders.
Not really. The hips are essentially unrelated to the slope of the back (that is more of a lower leg angle and height of the withers issue). The exaggerated slope you are talking about is more prevalent in the American AKC GSD bloodlines, rather than in the German lines of the GSD. They are essentially a separate breed now. (I work with German lines exclusively, not with AKC lines.) You are starting to see this sort of structure in the German lines now, but not as exaggerated and extreme. It is essentially a fashion thing...
Hip dysplasia runs about 18% in the breed right now, and is about a low as it can go, due to genetics. Don’t know what the rate for Malinois is. I tried to google it, but got nothing useful. I would expect the rates to be similar or even higher for them, as GSDs have been screened for hip and elbow problems a lot longer than other breeds.
Malinois are more athletic dogs, geenrally speaking, as they are built smaller, and are more refined in bone and strength. So, generally, they are smaller, quicker and faster than most GSDs. But, like all generalities, it only applies so far... I have had several female GSDs that were somewhat smaller than most, and they were as agile as a Malinois, and more resilent and physically stronger, due to their more robust structure.
Interesting. Thanks for the detailed reply. I’ve always admired GSDs, but personally I’ve always been more of a scruffy terrier guy.
German? Belgian? Couldn't make up my mind, so I just got one of each...
Such handsome dogs!
Terriers are quite a handful!! You have my admiration! I need something a little less spunky...
I was blessed to own two of these wonderful dogs (Belgian Malinois), and, in my humble opinion, they are the best dog ever. I have owned three German Sheps in my younger years, so think I can give an honest comparison between the two.
The Belgian is more “square” in build, the GSD is more rectangular/oblong. The typical Belgian bitch weighs about 45-50 lbs, and the male 50 to 55 lbs at present. The GSDs, at present are often 20 lbs more than the Malinois.
The sloping rear end preferred by the USA AKC club breeders has “beauty” as a goal, but has hampered the working ability of the dog. So far, the Malinois breeders are very choosy about who they sell their pups to, and will not sell a pup that is worthy of breeding to just anyone.
The Malinois has a stronger work drive than the GSD, which might relate (a bit) to your comment that they have fallen out of favor with some police depts, but the Malinois is so loyal to his person, and so easy to train, that I don’t think this criticism of being more aggressive is accurate. It is probably because the police handlers do not understand the differences in temperament between the two breeds.
The Malinois can get very frustrated by the typical training techniques used by trainers who do not understand the different temperaments between the two dogs. A GSD can be trained for long periods of time without getting bored, but a Malinois will “get” the idea in five minutes, or sometimes even just by watching what other dogs and trainers are doing.
Longer training periods bore them silly, and then they start to play around, goof off, etc. But, when actually working, they will work until they drop dead from heat exhaustion, because of the strong desire to please the owner, and the drive to work. A GSD will usually quit when they are overheated or tired. The trainer has to watch the insides of the ears and tongue on a Belgian to see when it is time to rest them, and let them cool down.
Some police think the bigger GSD is better for taking down criminals, runners, etc. But, a small Belgian bitch actually won a big Schutshund (sp?) trial held on Long Island some years back, beating dogs that weighed 30 or more lbs more, by taking down a 300 lb. man.
Her technique was one that the bigger dogs couldn’t handle. She flew through the air, all 4 paws off ground, and double tapped him, until he was down, and then held him.
And, these are wonderful farm and family dogs. They patrol the perimeter of your property, chase off all comers, and will even alert to the sounds and smells of hawks/crows/visiting varmints when inside the house. Varmints include stray or loose dogs, strangers, deer, raccoons, groundhogs, etc. and they typically do a “bark/snap routine in the air on either side of the intruder, but will not bite unless given the command, or if they are attacked.
But, these are not dogs you can leave alone at home all day. They have been bred to work closely with their farmer/farmer’s family in protecting the garden and herding the stock. They are not the kind of dog you can tie up in the yard, and expect to have a mentally healthy family companion.
They definitely need a “job” to do, and they need exercise. This can be just tossing a ball, or wonderful leashed walks. THey love herding, flyable, agility, and other doggie activities.
The only downside I can think of is that once they have bonded to you, you will never be alone again, not even in the bathroom.
My trainer here in TX trains the police dogs for TX and he raises the Belgian breed. They are hyper; but very good dogs.
I’m not really lazy -— just old. My rescue golden, who came to me 10 years ago full o vim and vigor, has just adapted his lifestyle to ours. I don’t walk this dog; I just let him run. We live on 12 acres, so he has plenty of space to run. He never leaves the property and is never outside when we are not home. He goes to work with us and he just paces himself to our schedule. He can still run like a pupy, if we rile him up, but he just takes life at our pace.
Did I mention that he is the most wonderful and most special dog in the word? ;)
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