Siam Crown Kennel - Thailand

2008-01-19

What is a Malinois? How did the breed come about?

"We only know of two shepherd dog breeds being classified: the Collie and the Old English Sheepdog without tail. In Belgium we know shepherd dogs and gooseherds with all types of coat. No club or commission has ever described them."

This gave rise to the formation of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge which was founded on 29 September 1891 under the patronage of the Société Saint-Hubert.

The Club du Chien de Berger undertook a survey of the state of purity of the Belgian Shepherd breeds. By eliminating elements of uncertain origin and introducing planned breeding, they began the development of a standardized Belgian Shepherd. 

Dogs were collected from the Brussels urban area and the Brabant province. This event took place in the clinic room at the veterinary college in Cureghem on Sunday 15 November 1891. There were a total of 117 dogs present.

There was considerable variation in the types of dogs with shoulder heights varying between 50 to 62 cm. Coat colors ranged from black to brindled brown and yellow.At the General Meeting of 3 April 1892 the Club du Chien de Berger Belge established the standard of the breed. It divided the breed into three varieties without any distinction of colour: the long-haired, the short-haired and the rough-haired. 

On Sunday 25 October 1896, some forty Belgian shepherd dogs were gathered as being the best representatives of their breed. Two families were particularly well represented They were the family of Picard of Nicolas Rose from Groenendael and the family of Poets of  J.-B. Jansen, a shepherd from Laeken. 

The purpose of this session was to delineate three varieties of shepherd (long, short and rough hair) before a commission in order to admit the Belgian shepherd dog to the Studbook.

Standards introduced around 1897-1898 stated that it was imperative for the Belgian shepherd dog to have a complete tail and to carry it low. It was decided that in the future Belgian shepherd dogs without tail would not be accepted. 

On 12 March 1898, on the occasion of the exhibition of the Schipperkes Club, the public first saw the black long-haired Belgian shepherd dog shown separately from the other coloured long-haired shepherds. These dogs were give the name 'Groenendael'. It was only from mid 1909 onwards that the names of 'Groenendael' and 'Malinois' were used in the official catalogue. 

During the years 1898, 1899 and 1900, Professor Reul acted as the sole judge for the Belgian shepherd dog. 

Since Professor Reul was a strong believer in inbreeding, he wrote the following: 

"The progress realised during these last years has really been extraordinary. The Sunday exhibition was so successful that many regretted that it did not continue the next day. The public wanted to review the exhibited groups in all their splendour and admire their prominent character. The dogs are so well divided into three classes: fawn short-haired with black overlay, black long-haired, ash grey rough-haired

But it would not have come to this if we had not sometimes practised inbreeding or if the breeders had hesitated to base their operations on incest. It is deeply immoral in anthropology, but the breading in and in between healthy and morally sane half-brothers/sisters gives the most remarkable results in zootechnics, _"

Compared with older established breeds such as the Collie, Barzoi and other gun dogs, the Belgian shepherd dog had more humble origins and took some time to establish pedigree lines. The first Belgian Shepherd to be admitted to the LOSH stud book with number 5847 was Vos, a fawn short-haired shepherd with black mask and overlay. He was born in 1897 . Vos is the father of Dewet, one of the pillars of the Malinois. 

In 1898 it was decided to attribute a specific colour to the rough-haired and in 1899 for the short and long-haired: 

Black for the long-haired

Fawn with black mask and overlay for the short-haired

Dark ash grey for the rough-haired 

Many afficiondados could not understand why other colors rejected? Why were the brindled, the pale fawn, the isabel-colored and the black short haired discouraged? A lot of fine dogs whose color did not correspond with the new standard were ousted from the exhibitions. This provoked dissatisfaction that still has repercussions today. A great deal of good but other colored stud dogs were disqualified. 

This is why the fawn long-haired, the fawn rough-haired, as well as the Malinois with pale fawn coat and almost white undercoat no long appeared in the show ring

In this period another group of Belgian Shepherd keepers founded the Berger Belge Club. This club organised in Laeken the first dog show dedicated to the first victim of the color principle: the fawn rough-haired, later called Laekenois. The Berger Belge Club was founded on 18 July 1898 in Laeken and became Royal at its twenty-fifth birthday.

Several years after the creation of the Berger Belge Club a split occurred in the Beligian canine world. The Société Royale Saint-Hubert exercised its guardianship of the special clubs too strictly. The task of the breeding commission consisted of rendering decisions without any possible appeal. 

For example in 1904 a letter from the Société Royale Saint-Hubert was addressed to the Malines Section. In this letter the Société Royale Saint-Hubert expressed its regrets that it could not award the requested championship certificates for the 

In the wake of this the Fédération des Sociétés Canines de Belgique was founded in Brussels on 18 June 1905. The Fédération possessed and maintained a studbook under the name of "Livre des Origines Belge" (LOB).

The Malines Section of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge decided in the meeting of 11 November 1905 to remain loyal to the Société Royale Saint-Hubert and to resign from the Club du Chien de Berger Belge. The Malines section became autonomous under the name 'Société du Chien de Berger Belge'. 

On the occasion of the International Dog Show in Antwerp (Southern velodrome) five varieties were enrolled in the program. The show was organised by the Union Canine d'Anvers (Société Royale Saint-Hubert) on 15, 16 and 17 June 1907

The terms 'Malinois, Groenendael, Tervueren or Laekenois' were not used in the catalogue or prize list for this dog show. Two years later official recognition was given to the names Groenendael and  Malinois . 

Basically from 1907 two standards existed for the Belgian Shepherd.  

The standard attributing a specific color per coat type was only published on 24 September 1899 in the review "Chasse et Pêche", the official body at that time of the "Club du Chien de Berger Belge".  

On 17 May 1914 the Société Canine Malinoise (founded on 4 July 1913) organised its second dog show in Malines under the patronage of the Société Royale Saint-Hubert. 

The catalogue listed the following six varieties of the Belgian shepherd dog: 

Ring 1: Malinois shepherd dogs 

Ring 2: Groenendael shepherd dogs

            Belgian shepherd dogs with black short hair 

Ring 3: Belgian shepherd dogs with fawn long hair

            Belgian shepherd dogs with ash grey rough hair

            Belgian shepherd dog with fawn rough hair

Since its coming into effect on 1 January 1912, the Société Royale Saint-Hubert was part of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (F.C.I.). 

6. The evolution of the standard applied by the Club du Berger Belge

In 1909 the standard was published in the second edition of the book 'Chien de garde, de défense et de police' written by Joseph Couplet. He was a member of the committee of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge. 

In its General Meeting of 2 February 1908, the Club du Chien de Berger Belge considered the treaty between the Fédération and the Société Royale Saint-Hubert as null and void. The opinion was that although the majority agreed to the alliance, an agreement could only be valid if it had first been submitted to the federated clubs. 

On 27 May 1908 the representatives of the Fédération des Sociétés Canines de Belgique  gathered to discuss its dissolution. A group of opponents organised a dog show on 13, 14 and 15 June in Brussels in the Parc du Cinquantenaire: 377 dogs were gathered. This was the first event organised by the newly constituted 'Kennel Club Belge' 

The « Club du Chien de Berger belge», during its general assembly on December 27,1909, decided not to join the « Belgian Kennel Club » (B.K.C.) but to become  independent under the legal form of a « Professional Union ». However, in its statutory general Assembly on February 20, 1910 the majority voted for an alliance with the B.K.C. This assembly adopted the idea of a long haired fawn colored dog as a fourth approved breed. 

On  24 September 1911 the Club du Chien de Berger Belge organised its twentieth international dog show in the Palais du Cinquantenaire in Brussels. The catalogue mentioned the participation of four recognised varieties in the following terms: 

· Belgian shepherd dog with black long hair (Groenendael) 

· Belgian shepherd dog with fawn long hair (Tervueren) 

· Belgian shepherd dog with fawn short hair and black overlay (Malinois) 

· Belgian shepherd dog with dark ash grey rough hair 

At the Kennel Club Belge dog show of 1912, some black short-haired dogs were present in the ring.

In 1913 the ash grey rough-haired was replaced by the rough-haired of all colors. 

On 31 March 1910 the Groenendael Club was founded. The purpose of this club was for the promotion of the Belgian shepherd dog with long black hair.

The Groenendael Club set up a system of granting pedigrees

The Groenendael Club organised its first dog show together with some other clubs on 23 and 24 October 1910. All varieties of the Belgian shepherd dog were admitted. 

Catalogues from dog shows such as the "Société Royale Saint-Hubert" Internationals of 1923 and 1924, the "Royal Kynos Club Liègeois" dog show (1924) and the "Malinois Club"(*) dog show of 1925, listed eight different varieties of shepherds: 

1. Belgian shepherd dog Malinois (short fawn hair with black mask and overlay)

2. Belgian shepherd dog with short hair (other than Malinois)

3. Belgian shepherd dog Groenendael (long black hair)

4. Belgian shepherd dog with long fawn hair

5. Belgian shepherd dog with long hair (other than fawn or black)

6. Belgian shepherd dog with fawn rough hair       

7. Belgian shepherd dog with dark ash grey rough hair

8. Belgian shepherd dog with rough hair (other than fawn or dark ash grey)

On 12 February 1928 the "Union Cynologique Saint-Hubert" (U.C.S.H.) was founded by means of the 'agreement of revision of the convention of 6 January 1908'.

From these origins we have today four recognized breeds

The Malinois, a Beligian Shepherd dog with short hair ranging from fawn to dark red/brown with a black mask overlay.

The Groenendael, a Belgian Shepherd dog with long black hair

The Tervueren, a Belgian Shepherd dog with long fawn colored hair 

 

The Lakenois, a Belgian Shepherd dog with rough hair and coat colors ranging from ash grey to fawn. 

The Kennel Club Belge continues to recognize a short haird black Belgian Shepherd.

Breed standards vary depending on society and location, especially with respect to color, but a lot has certainly happened in the last 120 years. One of the primary reasons for such variance is explained in the quote below from Jean marie Van Butsele.

“In 1920, after the damages caused to the kennels during the war of 1914-18, which also strongly decimated our Belgian shepherd population, dogs of all permitted colors, with the same type of coat, were allowed to be mated. The breeding between short-haired and rough-haired was also permitted, the other intervariety breeding was prohibited (t.i. the breeding between long-haired and short-haired).

At the end of the second World War, in 1945, the following matings would be accepted :

a) short-haired with long-haired,

b) short-haired with rough-haired,

c) the mating of all short-haired colors,

d) the mating of all colors long-haired.

It is noticed, says O'Breen, that mating long-haired and short-haired, practiced in view of multiplying Tervueren, has often resulted in a bad expression, mainly a too pale eye, which is of course not in favour of intervariety breeding. Of course, not all Malinois have the requested dark eyes, far from it. But is often a question of family and should be paid attention to. The main difficulty remains avoiding the production of semi-long-haired, and, its getting into unexperienced hands.

From 1st January 1974 on, the different intervariety breedings were abolished and the black short-haired was no longer recognized. On the other hand, starting 1st January 1979, according to the rules of the F?d?ration Canine Internationale (F.C.I.) the intervariety breeding of varieties to which a CACIB is attributed, was prohibited.”

Additional conferences were held in 1984 and 1991, but as of 2008 only the four breeds of Belgian Shepherd are recognized.

For Reference the breed standards of the Belgian Shepherd including the Malinois are reprinted below as published by the FCI. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE: 

The Belgian Shepherd is a mediolineal dog, harmoniously proportioned, combining elegance and power, of medium size, with dry, strong muscle, fitting into a square, rustic, used to the open air life and built to resist the frequent atmospheric variations of the Belgian climate.

Through the harmony of its shape and its high head-carriage, the Belgian Shepherd should give the impression of that elegant strength which has become the heritage of the selected representatives of a working breed. The Belgian Shepherd is to be judged in its natural stance, without physical contact with the handler. 

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: 

The Belgian Shepherd dog can be fitted into a square. The chest is let down to the level of the elbows. The length of the muzzle is equal to or slightly longer than half the length of the head.  

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: 

The Belgian Shepherd is a watchful and active dog, bursting with energy,  and always ready to leap into action. As well as its innate skill at guarding flocks, it also possesses the highly prized qualities of the best guard dog of property. Without any hesitation it is the stubborn and keen protector of its owner. It brings together all those qualities necessary for a shepherd, guard, defence and service dog. 

Its lively, alert temperament and its confident nature, showing no fear or aggressiveness, should be obvious in its body stance and the proud attentive expression in its sparkling eyes.

When judging this breed, one should take into consideration its calm and fearless temperament.

HEAD: 

Carried high, long without exaggeration, rectilinear, well chiselled and dry. Skull and muzzle are roughly equal in length, with at the most a very slight bias in favour of the muzzle, which puts the finishing touch to the whole head.  

CRANIAL REGION: 

Of medium width, in proportion with the length of the head, with a forehead flat rather than round, frontal groove not very pronounced; in profile, parallel to imaginary line extending muzzle line; occipital crest little developed; brow ridges and zygomatic arches not prominent.

Stop: Moderate.  

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Black.

Muzzle: Medium length and well chiselled under the eyes; narrowing gradually toward the nose, like an elongated wedge; bridge of the nose straight and parallel to the continuation of the topline of the forehead; mouth well split, which means that when the mouth is open the commissures of the lips are pulled right back, the jaws being well apart. 

Lips: Thin, tight and strongly pigmented.

Jaws/teeth: Strong, white teeth, regularly and strongly set in well-developed jaws. Scissor bite; pincer bite, which is preferred by sheep and livestock herders, is tolerated. Complete dentition according to the dental formula; the absence of two premolars 1 (2 P1) is tolerated and the molars 3 (M3) are not taken into consideration. 

Cheeks: dry and quite flat, although muscled.

Eyes: Medium size, neither protruding nor sunken, slightly almond-shaped, obliquely set, brownish colour, preferably dark; black rimmed eyelids; direct, lively, intelligent and enquiring look.

Ears: Rather small, set high, distinctly triangular appearance, well-rounded outer ear, pointed tips, stiff, carried upright and vertical when dog is alert. 

NECK:

Well standing out, slightly elongated, rather upright, well-muscled, broadening gradually towards the shoulders, without dewlap, nape slightly arched. 

BODY:

Powerful without being heavy; length from point of shoulder to point of buttock approximately equal to height at withers. 

Topline: upper line of back and loins is straight.

Withers: Pronounced.

Back: firm, short and well-muscled. 

Loins: Solid, short, sufficiently broad, well-muscled.

Croup: well-muscled ; only very slightly sloping ; sufficiently broad but not excessively so.

Chest: little broad, but well let down; upper part of ribs arched; seen from the front forechest little broad, but without being narrow.

Underline: Begins below the chest and rises gently in a harmonious curve towards the belly, which is neither drooping nor tucked up, but slightly raised and moderately developed.

TAIL: Well set on, strong at the base, of medium length, reaching at least to hock, but preferably further; at rest carried down, with tip curved backwards at level of hock; more raised when moving,  although without passing the horizontal, the curve towards the tip becoming more accentuated, without ever at any time forming a hook or deviation. 

LIMBS 

FOREQUARTERS:

General view: Bone solid but not heavy; muscle dry and strong; front legs upright from all sides and perfectly parallel when seen from the front.

Shoulder: Shoulder blade long and oblique, well attached, forming a sufficient angle with the humerus, ideally measuring 110-115 degrees.

Upper arm: Long and sufficiently oblique.

Elbow: Firm, neither turning out nor tied in.

Forearm: Long and straight.

Wrist (carpus): very firm and clean.

Front pastern (metacarpus): Strong and short, as perpendicular to the ground as possible or only very slightly sloping forward.

Feet: Round, cat feet; toes arched and well closed; pads thick and springy; nails dark and strong. 

HINDQUARTERS:

General view: Powerful, but not heavy; in profile hindlegs are upright and seen from behind perfectly parallel.

Upper thigh: Medium length, broad and strongly muscled.

Stifle: approximately on the plumb line from the hip; normal stifle angulation.

Lower thigh: Medium length, broad and muscled.

Hock: Close to the ground, broad and muscled, moderate angulation.

Back pastern (metatarsus): Solid and short; dewclaws not desirable.

Feet: may be light oval; toes arched and well closed; pads thick and springy; nails dark and strong. 

GAIT / MOVEMENT:

Lively and free movement at all gaits; the Belgian Shepherd is a good galloper, but its normal gaits are the walk and especially the trot; limbs move parallel to the median plane of the body. At high speed the feet come nearer to the median plane; at the trot the reach is medium, the movement even and easy, with good rear drive, and the topline remains tight while the front legs are not lifted too high. Always on the move, the Belgian Shepherd seems tireless; its gait is fast, springy and lively. It is capable of suddenly changing direction at full speed. Due to its exuberant character and its desire to guard and protect, it has a definite tendency to move in circles. 

SKIN: 

Elastic but taut over all the body; edges of lips and eyelids strongly pigmented.  

COATS AND VARIETIES: 

Since the coat varies in length, direction, appearance and colour among Belgian Shepherds, this particular point has been adopted as the criterion for distinguishing between the four varieties of the breed: the Groenendael, the Tervueren, the Malinois and the Laekenois.

These four varieties are judged separately and can each be awarded a C.A.C., a C.A.C.A.B. or a reserve title. 

HAIR: 

In all the varieties the hair must always be dense, close-fitting and of good texture, with the woolly undercoat forming an excellent protective covering.  

A. LONG HAIR: The hair is short on the head, the outer side of the ears and the lower part of the legs, except on the rear side of the forearm which is covered from elbow to wrist by long hairs called fringes. The hair is long and smooth on the rest of the body and longer and more abundant around the neck and on the forechest, where it forms a collarette or ruff and a jabot or apron. The opening of the air is protected by thick tufts of hair. From the base of the air the hair is upright and frames the head. The back of the thighs is covered with very long abundant hair forming the culottes or breeches. The tail is furnished with long, abundant hair forming a plume. 

The Groenendael and the Tervueren are the long-haired. 

B. SHORT HAIR: The hair is very short on the head, the outer sides of the ears and the lower part of the legs. It is short over the rest of the body and fuller at the tail and around the neck, where it forms a collarette or ruff which begins at the base of the ear, stretching as far as the throat. As well, the back of the thighs is fringed with longer hair. The tail is ear of corn shaped, but does not form a plume. 

The Malinois is the short-haired. 

C. ROUGH HAIR: What especially characterises the rough hair variety is the roughness and dryness of the hair, which, moreover, is rasping and tousled. About 6 cm long over the whole body, the hair is shorter on the top of the muzzle, the forehead and the legs. The hair around the eyes and those furnishing the muzzle should not be so long as to disguise the shape of the head. However, it is essential to have furnishings on the muzzle. The tail should not form a plume.

The Laekenois is the rough-haired.  

COLOUR: 

Mask: For Tervueren and Malinois the mask must be very pronounced and tend to encompass the top and bottom lip, the corners of the lips and the eyelids in one single black zone. A strict minimum of six points of skin pigmentation is called for: the two ears, the two upper eyelids and the two lips, upper and two lower, which must be black. 

Black overlay: In Tervueren and Malinois, the black overlay means that the hairs have a black tip which shades the base colour. This blackening is in any case “flamed” and must not be present in great patches nor in real stripes (brindled). In the Laekenois the black shading is more discreetly expressed.  

Groenendael: Only uniform black.  

Tervueren: Only fawn with black overlay or grey with black overlay, with black mask; however, the fawn with black overlay is still preferred. The fawn must be rich, neither light nor washed-out. Any dog whose coat colour is anything but fawn with black overlay or does not match the desired intensity of colour cannot be considered an elite specimen.  

Malinois: Only fawn with black overlay and with black mask.  

Laekenois: Only fawn with traces of black overlay, mainly on the muzzle and the tail.  

For all varieties: a small amount of white is tolerated on forechest and toes. 

SIZE, WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENTS: 

Height at withers: 

The ideal weight at withers is on average - 62 cm for males 

- 58 cm for females.

Limits: 2 cm less, 4 cm more. 

Weight: 

Males about 25-30 kg.

Females about 20-25 kg. 

Measurements: Average normal measures for an adult male Belgian Shepherd of 62 cm at the withers: 

Length of body (from point of shoulder to point of buttock): 62 cm. 

Length of head: 25 cm. 

Length of muzzle: 12,5 – 13 cm. 

FAULTS: 

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. 

General appearance: Cloddy, lacking elegance; too light or too slender; longer than high; fitting into a rectangle. 

Head: heavy, too strong, lacking parallelism, not sufficiently chiselled or dry; forehead too rounded; stop too accentuated or too flat; muzzle too short or pinched; Roman nose; brow ridges or zygomatic arches too prominent. 

Nose, lips and eyelids: traces of depigmentation. 

Dentition: badly aligned incisors. Serious fault: lack of one incisor (1 I), one premolar 2 (1 P2), one premolar 3 (1 P3) or three premolars 1 (3 P3). 

Eyes: light, round. 

Ears: large, long, too broad at the base, set low, carried outward or inward. 

Neck: slender; short or deep set. 

Body: too long; thoracic cage too broad (cylindrical). 

Withers: flat, low. 

Topline: back and/or loins long, weak, sagging or arched. 

Croup: too sloping, overbuilt. 

Underline: too much or too little let down; too much belly. 

Tail: set too low; carried too high, forming a hook, deviated. 

Limbs: bone too light or too heavy; bad upright stance in profile (e.g. front pasterns too sloping or weak wrists), from the front (feet turning in or out, out at elbow, etc.), or from behind (hindlegs too close, too wide apart or barrel shaped, hocks close or open, etc.); too little or exaggeratedly angulated. 

Feet: spreading. 

Gait: moving close, too short a stride, too little drive, poor back transmission, high stepping action. 

Coat: all four varieties: insufficient undercoat. 

Groenendael and Tervueren: woolly, wavy, curly hair; hair not long enough.

Malinois: hair half-long where it should be short; smooth-haired; harsh hairs scattered in the short coat; wavy coat.

Laekenois: hair too long, silky, wavy, crisp-haired or short; filled with fine hairs scattered in tufts in the rough hair; hairs too long around the eye or the lower end of the head (the chin); bushy tail. 

Colour: for all four varieties: white marking on chest forming tie; white on the feet going beyond toes. 

Groenendael: reddish tinges in the coat; grey breeches.

Tervueren: grey.

Tervuren and Malinois: brindle; tints not warm enough; not enough or too much black overlay or set in patches over the body; not enough mask.

Tervueren, Malinois and Laekenois: too light a fawn; a base colour which is very diluted, named washed-out, is considered a serious fault. 

Temperament: specimens lacking in self-confidence or overly nervous.  

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:               

Temperament: aggressive or timid specimens. 

General appearance: lack of breed type. 

Dentition: overshot; undershot, even if contact is not lost (reverse scissor bite); crossbite; absence of one canine (1 C), one upper carnassial (1 P4) or lower carnassial (1 M1), one molar (1 M1 -upper jaw- or 1 M2; M3 are not taken into consideration), one premolar 3 (1 P3) plus one other tooth or a total of three teeth (excluding the premolars 1) or more. 

Nose, lips, eyelids: strong depigmentation. 

Ears: drooping or artificially kept erect. 

Tail: missing or shortened, at birth or by docking; carried too high and ringed or curled. 

Coat: lack of undercoat. 

Colour: any colours which do not correspond with those of the described varieties; too widespread white markings on forechest, especially if they reach as far as the neck; white on feet going more than halfway up the front or the back pasterns and forming socks; white markings anywhere other than forechest and toes; lack of mask, including a muzzle of lighter colour than the rest of the coat in Tervueren and Malinois. 

Size: outside the limits laid down.  

N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. 

CROSSBREEDING – MATINGS BETWEEN VARIETIES:

Any matings between varieties are forbidden, except in exceptional circumstances, when this ban can be lifted by the appropriate and official breed councils (Text 1974, drawn up in Paris).