Page 20 - ShowSight Presents - The Beligian Malinois
P. 20
“The Belgian Malinois is not a head breed,
BUT A CORRECT HEAD IS A THING OF BEAUTY.”
ers, this is normal. It should be confident though on your approach, never fearful, and showing good manners. The standard says “The dog may be reserved with strang- ers but is affectionate with his own peo- ple”. By nature the Malinois is an active dog and likes to move about. They also have a wonderful sense of play, and it does not take much encouragement for them to exhibit their humorous side. Never accept poor temperament, excusing a dog that is having a bad day is okay.
The Belgian Malinois is not a head breed, but a correct head is a thing of beauty. The head should be in propor- tion to the rest of the body, well-chiseled with no looseness of skin. The head is long but without exaggeration, strong but not appearing heavy. The length is equal from nose to stop and stop to occiput – the skull should not be wider than its length. The planes of the head are parallel and the top- skull flat. Look for a head that is balanced and a slight wedge. Commonly seen head faults include a too short muzzle, a round- ed topskull, cheekiness, or head planes that are not parallel. The eyes should be almond shape and a dark brown, with an alert, intelligent and kind look. Round or light colored eyes can destroy the look of a good head. Their ears are high set and
not large, an equilateral triangle in shape and moderately cupped. The ears should be firm and not soft even when the dog is moving, although they can fold them back against their heads. Correct eyes and ears are essential to good breed type. When combined with proper head structure, the Malinois head should never be confused with that of a German Shepherd, a Collie or an Elkhound. The Belgian Malinois is to have a black mask – that may be simply a black muzzle and black ears or a nearly black head. My preference is a mask that extends beyond they eyes, but color is a finishing point to me. A black mask is rare- ly solid black, there will be a combination of dark brown and even fawn hairs, but the overall appearance is to be a blackened mask. There is often what we refer to as “frosting” on the chin – white hairs – this is acceptable and normal, some puppies are born with it. Pigment around the eyes and mouth, as well as the nose, should be black. Expression in the Malinois includes the balance of head proportions, the ear- set, the eyes, the masking and ultimately, how they use it.
As a herding dog, the bite is of consid- erable importance; traditionally the bite most desired was a level pinching bite. As a breeder though, I am more comfortable
using dogs that have a scissors bite. Either a scissors or level bite is acceptable, please check this (or have the handler show the bite). Full dentition is desired. Although it is rare that a dog is missing teeth oth- er than premolars, we do want judges to check for full dentition, but do not pry open their mouths – simply lifting the lips usually offers the necessary information. The standard reminds us “An overshot or undershot bite is a fault. An undershot bite in which two or more of the upper incisors lose contact with two or more of the lower incisors is a disqualification. One or more missing teeth is a serious fault”.
I appreciate a beautiful neck, medium long and slightly arched. Proper neck arch is more evident when the dog is allowed to look forward naturally rather than up at its owner/handler. We do desire a well laid back shoulder, with the scapula and upper arm being of equal length. As a breeder, I realize it is hard to consistently produce dogs with correct angulation in a square silhouette, but it is the ideal and what we want. I like the dog to feel muscled, but never bulky. Correct feet thrill me nearly as much as a correct head! They should be cat-footed, not turned in or out, tight, and well padded. Good feet are what a herding dog works on.
