Belgian Malinois are confident and smart herding dogs, which are successful in numerous dog competitions. They need exclusive obedience training and exercise plus mental stimulation.
Gender is of little influence in determining the temperament, but more important is the genetics and training. Male temperament can be altered towards sexual maturity.
Male and Female Belgian Malinois Temperament
The Malinois (both male and female) also are great pets when provided with a regular training routine and mental challenges as well as affection. The masculinity or femininity of the dog is not as important as the temperament of the dog, and the manner in which you raise and socialize your puppy is even more important.
Nevertheless, both sexes of this breed are highly protective and require extensive training to be able to learn that people and new circumstances are not dangerous.
As a rule, small children tend to be rather mischievous and unruly around the male Belgian Malinois, who are usually more active than females. Although there is no predisposition towards aggression, due to their size they may accidentally run over and hurt children unless they are well managed.
They are both highly territorial and could hunt smaller creatures, thus they must not be left with cats or other small animals. They are extremely smart and interested in learning and do experience an irritating adolescence period during puberty when their hormones may disrupt training.
Size and Weight
Both the male and the female of the Belgian Malinois are enormous animals with a weight of between 40-80 pounds. Their coat is thick and waterproof and it has to be brushed, once or twice a week to remove the dander and help it to stay healthy and shiny.
They are work dogs which were high-energy. They require lots of activities and should also be part of the activities of the day so as not to be bored or destructive. They will create undissolvable ties with their human beings and desire nothing only to be close to them everywhere.
A male Belgian Malinois can also be taller and heavier a female and this is attributed to their testosterone concentration. They are also, more dominant than the females and they might be more difficult to train.
The female Belgian Malinois has an earlier maturation compared to the males and hence is able to be trained a notch easier due to this reason. Thanks to their spay, they also have fewer reproductive health problems, like pyometra or mammary cancer, due to their spaying before they have an opportunity to mate.
Temperament and Personality
Malinois are energetic, smart animals that require organizing and a sense of mission. They are instinctive protective and territorial yet they adore and will do all in their power to please their people. They are suspicious of outsiders, and they might require time to consider new circumstances before determining whether or otherwise interacting with them.
The Belgian Malinois is a dog, which needs an experienced owner and a chance to create a strong leader, who can enforce physical and mental exercise and stimulation every day. They are also susceptible to hip and elbow dysplasia and as such it is important to feed them with a diet that will help avoid these.
Concerning temperament, boys pass through a turbulent adolescence that might render them harder to educate. They also get violent during their mating season hence having to be locked or kept guard of other pets.
Females grow faster and are more readily trained since females are not as restless and are more capable of concentrating. They are also easier to defer to their owners and they tend to form a close bond with their owners.
Activity and Energy levels.
Malinois are active dogs who wish to participate in everyday life of the family. They need a lot of exercise both physically and mentally to make them happy, healthy and stimulated. Unless they get this on a daily basis, then they will find a way of amusing themselves, which may result in harmful habits like chewing furniture.
Both genders are very active dogs and most unpatients with boredom. They are a herding species, which likes working and which will be bored on long periods of time when alone. One should walk his or her dog as often as possible and should involve him/her in herding and agility (or other activities) to help him/her burn his/her energy positively.
Both males and females have a very deep, loud bark that is used to communicate with herds as well as alert their handlers of danger or strangers. They make great watchdogs as they will protect their families and property with their protective nature. But, unless trained early in life, they may grow to be violent when they see someone or an animal they do not know.
Training and Learning Style.
Malinois are highly intelligent and keen to learn new things. This qualifies them as the optimum types of dogs in high level obedience conditioning and competing in dog sports such as rally, flyball and tracking.
They are also great herding dogs and they do well in herding trials where they are fully equipped with their instincts to guide and manipulate the livestock as directed by their handler. The strength and tenacity of the breed harners them to be useful in the Search and Rescue missions.
Both the male and female Malinois are serious protective dogs that the Belgians use and must be heavily trained and socialized until they become relaxed. They are also not advisable to the families having very small children in their family, as they are very large and high in energy and therefore the young people and other animals may get hurt due to their mishaps.
Both male and female Belgian Malinis need frequent grooming, in order to remove loose hair, as well as to spread skin-beneficial oils. Shedding occurs all year round, however, when the hormones fluctuate, and this happens more intensely, like in periods of puberty or pregnancy.
The breed is also predisposed to cataracts where the lens of the eye is used to see is made cloudy and can cause blindness unless a veterinarian treats the patient.
Body Guard Action and Jealousy.
Malinois are protective and territorial, i.e. very fast to get agitated on those occasions when they are threatened or their home is mistreated. This may result to aggressive behaviour like growling, barking, lunging, chasing and sometimes biting.
Both genders are reputed to be very smart and eager-to-please dogs, and thus are quite easy to train. But when they enter into the adolescence stage (two years old) they can begin to exhibit more stubbornness and autonomy. It is a healthy period of their growth and this can be surmounted through patience, persistence and effective training on the positive reinforcement.
Though both sexes are very faithful, they are very territorial and their jealous and protective nature can make them clingy and jealous towards other human beings who spend time with their master. Therefore, they are not the ones that can be recommended to families that have children.
However, when well-socialized at an early age and exposed to kids frequently, Malinois are affectionate toward children. Male is more viable with children compared to the females because they are larger.
Maturity and Development
A Belgian Malinois is an intelligent breed of dogs that are eager to learn and as such, they are good candidates to be trained. Yet, they are also obstinate and may undergo a rough adolescent stage where the hormones have begun to play their roles, and one may start to lose control. This is why it is necessary to implement regulations and training techniques at the early stage.
Our teenage years might be more of a strain on the male side than the female part, but they all may be required to grow to mature adults. This will ensure that they will become more attentive and easier to train.
Both sexes will require an active participation of both sexes during the day, because they are both very energetic dogs, who want to do something and necessary constant stimulation. When not occupied, they will find other ways of destroying things to pass the time like chewing furniture.
These dogs should also be kept healthy by taking them out on frequent walks and exercises along with being mentally stimulated and given a healthy diet. Also, this breed is susceptible to eye disease such as Progressive Retinal atrophy (PRA) and cataracts.