Page 212 - SHOWSIGHT - JULY 2020

The Belgian Malinois is not a head breed, but a correct head is a thing of beauty and is important to define the breed. The head should be in proportion to the rest of the body, well-chiseled with no looseness of skin. The head is long, but without exag- geration, 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 topskull flat. Look for a head that is balanced and a slight wedge. Commonly seen head faults include a too short muzzle, a rounded topskull, cheeki- ness, or head planes that are not parallel. The eyes should be almond shaped and a dark brown, with an alert, intelligent and kind look. Round or light colored eyes can destroy the look of a good head and would be faulted. 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. Ears hanging as on a hound or semi-prick ears are a disqualification. Cor- rect 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 Shep- herd, 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 the eyes, but color is a finishing point to me. A black mask is rarely solid black, there will be a combina- tion 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 earset, the eyes, the masking and ultimately, how they use it. When judging, you will see the best expression when the owner-handler is allowed to bait their dog, rather than you attempting this. Remember the standard stating, “May be reserved with strangers, but affectionate with his own people.” If you notice a dog looking away from the handler into the crowd, chances are he has found his owner; they are vigilant in keep- ing an eye on those they know.
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
JUDGING THE BELGIAN MALINOIS
210 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2020