Belgian Malinois — temperament, care and breeding in Dog Kennel Simulator
The short-haired fawn variety of the Belgian Shepherd, named after Malines — a herder turned police and military dog.
About the breed
History
The Belgian Malinois comes from Belgium and is named after the Mechelen region — Malines in French — where local shepherds used this short-haired, fawn type for herding. It is one of four varieties of the Belgian Shepherd: Groenendael, Laekenois, Malinois and Tervuren.
The American Kennel Club treats it as a separate breed in the Herding Group and recognised it in 1959. It has a long history with the Belgian police and armed forces and served in both World Wars; today armed forces worldwide use it, and it works as a detection, search and rescue, guide and assistance dog. AKC lists the Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, Belgian Laekenois, Dutch Shepherd and Schipperke as related breeds.
Temperament
AKC describes the Malinois as smart, hardworking and confident. AKC rates its energy level 4 of 5, its trainability 5 of 5 and its barking level 3 of 5.
AKC notes a high prey drive and a strong interest in moving things, recommends channelling them through training, and calls early socialisation and obedience training essential.
Care
AKC says the Malinois needs to be actively engaged, mentally and physically, and that daily walks are not enough. It is a good running, hiking and cycling companion and excels at agility, tracking, herding, obedience and protection sports.
The coat is short and waterproof; AKC recommends occasional brushing, and it sheds twice a year. AKC rates its shedding level 3 of 5 and its grooming frequency 2 of 5.
Males stand 61–66 cm and weigh 27–36 kg; females stand 56–61 cm and weigh 18–27 kg. The life span is given as 14–16 years.
AKC trait ratings
The American Kennel Club rates each breed from 1 to 5 on its breed page. These are real-world ratings, not game stats.
| Energy levelCouch potato → High energy | |
|---|---|
| TrainabilitySelf-willed → Eager to please | |
| Mental stimulation needsHappy to lounge → Needs a job | |
| Grooming frequencyMonthly → Daily | |
| Shedding levelNo shedding → Hair everywhere | |
| Barking levelOnly to alert → Very vocal |
Source: AKC breed page, "Breed Traits & Characteristics" — AKC — Belgian Malinois
Real breed vs in the game
| Aspect | Real Belgian Malinois | In Dog Kennel Simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Height | male 61–66 cm; female 56–61 cm | 56–66 cm |
| Weight | male 27–36 kg; female 18–27 kg | 20–32 kg |
| Life span | 14–16 years | Puppy, Junior, Adult, Senior |
The Belgian Malinois in Dog Kennel Simulator
In the game the Belgian Malinois is a rare breed that unlocks for 200 medals. Its strongest stats are Agility and Obedience.
Stat ranges
Each bar is the range a Belgian Malinois's stat can fall in, on the game's 0–100 scale.
- Tier
- Rare
- Unlock
- 200 medals
- Size in the game
- Medium · 56–66 cm, 20–32 kg
- Pregnancy
- 3 days (real time)
- Litter
- 1–4 puppies
- Coat colours
- 4 coat colours, 8 variants
Life stages
Puppy
Junior
Adult
Senior
Coat colours
- Fawn · variant 1
Fawn · variant 2
Red · variant 1
Red · variant 2
Black · variant 1
Black · variant 2
Blue · variant 1
Blue · variant 2
A Belgian Malinois pregnancy takes 3 days of real time, and the timer keeps running while the app is closed. A litter has 1–4 puppies. Its strongest stats are Agility (65–90) and Obedience (65–90).
Train both parents before you pair them, in the stats you care about most. Read the breeding guide
Where this breed is strong
The Belgian Malinois is equally suited to the Local Agility Cup and the Obedience Trial. The Regional Championship is its weakest fit.
- Equal best fitLocal Agility Cup — mostly about Agility.
- Equal best fitObedience Trial — mostly about Obedience; opens at kennel level 2.
- Weakest fitRegional Championship — an all-round test, and the only one where Charm counts; opens at kennel level 3.
Start your own Belgian Malinois line
Dog Kennel Simulator is free to play on Android.
Sources
Real-world facts on this page come from these sources. Game data comes from Dog Kennel Simulator itself.
Updated