Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd" Compare Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd. Which is better: Belgian Malinois or German Shepherd?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Belgian Malinois	German Shepherd
Origins	Belgium	Germany
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	44	2
Reviews	0	0
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Other Names	Malinois	Alsatian, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog (UK), Deutscher Schäferhund, Schäferhund
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1959 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Not recognized by FCI.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club German Shepherd Dog Club Of America
Price	$1200-$1400	$800-$2000

General Appearance - Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd

Size	Large	Large
Weight	Male: 65-75 pounds (29-34 kg), Female: 60-70 pounds (27-32 kg)	Male: 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg), Female: 49-71 pounds (22-32 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 70 pounds (31.5 kg), Female: 65 pounds (29.5 kg)	Male: 77 pounds (35 kg), Female: 60 pounds (27 kg)
Height	Male: 24-26 inches (61-66 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (56-61 cm)	Male: 24-26 inches (60-65 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (55-60 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 25 inches (63.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (58.5 cm)	Male: 25 inches (62.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (57.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd

Coat	Weather-resistant Straight	Fuzzy
Colors	Brindle Cream Fawn Black	Silver Tan Red Black
Grooming	Average: The Belgian Malinois requires average grooming effort.	Average: The German Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Belgian Malinoiss shed moderately.	German Shepherds are heavy shedders.

Characteristics - Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd

Temperament	Active Alert Confident Friendly Hard working Protective Stubborn Watchful	Alert Courageous Intelligent Obedient Confident Curious Loyal Watchful
Intelligent Rank	Very smart: Belgian Malinois is an excellent dog breed.	Outstanding: German Shepherd is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Belgian Malinoiss are very easy to train.	German Shepherds are easy to train.
Playfulness	The Belgian Malinois is a highly playful breed.	German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	German Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Belgian Malinoiss may seem unfriendly sometimes due to their independence.	German Shepherds are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Belgian Malinoiss are a social breed.	German Shepherds need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Average to high: The Belgian Malinois is a vocal breed.	Low to Average: The German Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Belgian Malinoiss are one of the best watchdogs.	German Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Belgian Malinoiss strongly protect their territory.	German Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Belgian Malinois has a low chance of biting somebody.	High The German Shepherd has a high chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Belgian Malinoiss have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shepherds have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Belgian Malinois is strong enough to escape from home.	German Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Belgian Malinoiss have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	German Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.	German Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Belgian Malinoiss adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	German Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Belgian Malinoiss do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are kid-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are average friendly towards cats.	German Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are average friendly towards other dogs.	German Shepherds are not the most dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Belgian Malinois is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are usually recommended for elderly people.	German Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Belgian Malinoiss are generally with other pets.	German Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Belgian Malinoiss are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No German Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Belgian Malinois breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd

Health Issues	The Belgian Malinois is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	German Shepherds are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Eye Problems Hip Dysplasia	Allergies Blindness Bloat Cancer Cataracts Cherry Eye Chronic Diarrhea Cruciate Ligament Rupture Cushing's Syndrome Degenerative Myelopathy Demodectic Mange Diabetes Digestive Problems Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Heart Disease Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Hip Dysplasia Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy Lens Luxation Lupus Megaesophagus Myasthenia Gravis Nail Bed Disease Osteochondrosis Pannus Panosteitis Paralysis Perianal Fistula Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia Seborrhea Vitiligo Von Willebrand's Disease Wobbler's Syndrome
Life Expectancy	12-14 years	10-13 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Belgian Malinoiss are high energy dogs.	German Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Belgian Malinoiss need a lot of exercises.	German Shepherds need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Belgian Malinoiss don't need too much sleep.	German Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Low to Average.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Belgian Malinois has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Belgian Malinois is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The German Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Belgian Malinois vs German Shepherd

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	6-10 puppies	6-10 puppies
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