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LargeHerding Group

Belgian Malinois

The Belgian Malinois is one of four distinct varieties of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, named for the Flemish city of Malines.

Calculate Belgian Malinois age
Lifespan12 yrrange 11–13
SizeLargeHerding Group
Weight40–80 lb18.1–36.3 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Belgian Malinois

The Belgian Malinois is one of four distinct varieties of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, named for the Flemish city of Malines. Heavier-boned than the other three varieties, it has become the dominant protection-sport and military working dog since the 1990s.

Aging

How Belgian Malinoiss age

RVC VetCompass places median lifespan at 12.0 years (n=943) — shorter than other Belgian Shepherd varieties in the same cohort. Elbow dysplasia (7.8%) leads orthopedic findings; intense working drive adds elevated exercise-related soft-tissue injury.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 12 yr · range 11–13Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues9 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
40–80 lb(18.1–36.3 kg)
Height
22–26 in(55.9–66 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
FawnMahogany
Temperament

Temperament

How Belgian Malinoiss tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

confidenthardworkingalertfocused
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Osteochondritis Dissecans

    Description and veterinary guidance for Osteochondritis Dissecans land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Belgian Malinois physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.