What is your opinion on a Malinois cross GSD as a pet? Discussions

Best of luck with your new arrival if you do decide to go for it. Please give us lots of updates and photos.
There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum so do stick around xx

I definately think that subject to them passing their health checks and finding one that feels right by this time tomorrow we will be proud to show off our newest family member.

We have no real preference as to sex or colouring of the pup so we are just going to meet them and see which one feels right for us. They will all be so different from the pictures now.

Will definately be keeping you posted and providing pics when I work out how.

ohh fingers crossed for you then, how exciting

Good luck viewing!

Very exciting. I look forward to hearing all about your new addition

If one parent is a GSD x Mal & the other a Mal, they will be 3/4 Mal & TBH not suited to an inexperienced owner especially if the parents are from working lines.

Are Wood Green experienced in 3/4 Mals & their requirements ? Have the puppies been assessed for work drive etc ??

I love working line GSDs & Mals but would need to know all about the parents of a cross bred litter.

There is no such thing as an accidental litter-negligent yes, but owners of entire dogs & bitches need to be very vigilant.

In my opinion a Malinois is not a dog that is made to be just a pet, and neither is a cross with that breed in it. I think these puppies will grow up to be very demanding and with strong urges to work, protect and act.
I know an extremely talented girl that has got two Malinois dogs and she puts them to use with obeidience, IPO, bicycle rides, hikes etc. She made a blog post to write about her experience with them but sadly it is in Norwegian. She wrote that these dogs are NOT pets, and she does not look at them in the same way as other dogs she has had. She loves them for their ability to work hard and do their jobs, but yeah, they are not just a pet or companion dogs.
She described it in a good way, like it's not just that they learn fast and are hard working dogs, they are strong minded and quite "sharp".

If your heart is already set on one of these puppies being yours then I know how hard it is to go back on it. If you go there with the thought of "just looking" and they are already old enough to leave with you... well, lets just say I know I would not be strong enough, lol!

If the parents were "guard dogs" (which as mentioned could be good or bad) I presume these are working line Malinois. If the puppies are 75% Malinois it is safe to assume their temperaments will heavily sway towards the Mal side rather than the German Shepherd side.

I think there is a reason you don't generally see working type Malinois in pet homes. I am under the impression that they are not the type of dogs that will be satisfied with daily walks and the odd go at agility.

I would be very wary of getting this type of dog that is not from a solid breeding.

The problem with general rescues rehoming dogs or puppies of more 'specialized' breeds is that they don't necessarily know what is in the dogs best interests. I am surprised this type of cross would be advertised as a good family pet when this is a breed found generally in working or competition homes.

I tend to agree with this.

While on one hand, it's good you have had Collie experience; though Border Collies and WSDs do vary a lot in their intensity, some experience with a very driven and worky WSD will help as you will have learned about their sensitivity, lightning reactions, propensity for chasing things, and inability to "switch off".

Now try to imagine a larger dog with the same instincts, more powerful and also with a very strong protective/guarding instinct. While Malinois are very trainable they are less easy and less 'intuitive' I feel, than a BC/WSD and need a firmer hand, but at the same time they are as sensitive if not more so, and harsh handling can damage them or at least, bring out undesirable behaviour. Unless you have had direct Mali/Belgian experience it's hard to understand the differences, even harder to explain.

GSD experience will not really stand you in any good stead as the breeds are quite different even though they do the same 'job' more or less. My sister, who has had GSDs for over 20 years including two from puppies and a rescue, has found our elderly rescue Malinois (ex working) quite a shock to the system. The lightning reactions, and speed of thought these dogs have, is poles apart, and even at 11-12+ years old our girl has all of that mental speed, despite her body being less able.

Sorry to sound negative but I thought you needed to hear the cons, things that Wood Green may not know themselves.

If you do go for this pup, don't take one on until you have scoped out the training clubs and classes in your area, and found one that has experience with Belgians in particular, but also uses positive training methods. You will need to do a lot of work with this dog in its early years to properly socialise it and train it, and the socialisation will likely need to be an ongoing process even when it is fully grown. This is not a breed that can go to classes for a year or so, then never after - it needs a lot of work and a lifetime commitment.

Agility is a good start BUT not all dogs take to it, so you will need to be versatile in your own thinking and strive to find something that suits the dog even if it doesn't suit you!

They can be amazing dogs in the right hands - but a nightmare in the making in the wrong home, which is why there are so many working-line Malinois in rescue at the moment, many of them passed on when adolescence hits which can be difficult in any breed. I understand the Belgian Shepherd breed club in the UK has regrettably had to close its doors to homeless working-line Malinois, as there are simply too many of these dogs coming in, and not enough suitable homes to take them on.

Also be aware that even some of the police dog handlers find some of these dogs (BSDs and BSDxGSD) unsuitable, even in a full time, professional training environment,with a professional handler, due to some of their breed traits, if those traits are too strongly present in certain individuals.

Traits such as their instant reactions/switch on, speed of response, their very strong intensity both in terms of degree of focus and strength of reaction in areas such as chase and suspicious/guarding or territorial responses.

Some can also be quite competitive with other dogs, particularly as mature adults.

They can be a difficult combination. Needing very firm, clear handling, as they can be very strong-willed and determined and difficult to dissuade, distract or interrupt from a course of action once they have (sometimes instantly) set their mind on a course of action, However their handler/owner very much needs to remember, understand and allow for how extremely sensitive they also are.

Their sensitivity can mean they have very long memories for bad experiences, even if it seemed minor at the time, and in that sense they may not get over things quickly or easily.

Good ones, in experienced hands can be great, poor ones, or even potentially good ones if in inexperienced hands, can be a major liability.

Although they have many excellent points e.g. intelligence, highly affectionate, protective, very keen to be involved in whatever you are doing, it is not a breed, or combination, I would recommend lightly or indiscriminately.

As someone once said, "even 12 week old lion cubs make great pets"- their point being they don't stay 12 weeks old forever and it is as they mature that problems can become apparent, rather than when they are tiny babies.

Thanks Tass for explaining it better than I could. Hope the OP takes it on board. I like the wild animal analogy as I have personally experienced how some traits lay dormant and appear later at 2 years old or so.

Excellent posts from MerlinsMum and Tass, and well worth taking on board and having a really long think about before deciding whether this particular type of dog is for you.

If you feel able and up to the challenge, then at least you have gone into ownership with your eyes fully open.

The lion cub analogy is an excellent one

I have one
All I can say is you have to like training & I'm not talking about once a week at a local village hall. They need proper outdoor active training sessions.
You can't socialise them enough...with people & dogs, they are extremely reactive if in a situation they are unsure of & not sure what YOU want them to do.
Mine is mad on retrieving, so I have articles on me all the time, to keep her occupied & use as distractions.
You need to be aware of the speed, strength & determination of the dogs & the need to work. There is no "off" switch.
They are born athletes & love to run & chase...if you don't teach them the appropriate time & place everyone & anything is fair game.
On the pro side, mine is a perfect house dog, never destructive, loves her crate, lets me know if somebody is at the door (usually before they get up the drive), very trainable & quick to learn/eager to please.

As a puppy (5 Months Approx)




A year old


2 Years old


Her favourite passtime

Oh Lorraine, she is gorgeous

Great for the original poster to hear how active, energetic and reactive these dogs can be from the horse's mouth so to speak .

Thanks ... I do love her , BUT have to admit I nearly admitted defeat with this one.
She is a rescue & was 5 months old when I got her & hadn't had a great start.
I've later found out her lines & she is working import on both sides...hence the drive.
Now I know where all the buttons are she's a lot easier to live with. She likes her own space where people are concerned & she's VERY protective of me...but I live alone & use it to my advantage.
She doesn't like people in "Our" space when she's on lead, unless invited...again not a problem.
I've stopped her chasing cyclist, joggers etc & they can now pass when she's off lead without me calling her to me.
She's met calm children (on lead) & played ball with Dog savvy children...but I could never trust her with excited children, running about...I know she'd go hyper & nip.
Like everything I think it's about YOU knowing YOUR dog...they are all different. This cross is just different, fast & determined.

Oh yes, definitely, and that isn't just with Belgians

Thank you everyone for you brilliant responses. I had done a lot research into the breed before I posted and everything you have said confirmed what I already knew that it was going to be hard work but very rewarding.

In the end we decided not to adopt one of these puppies. Our family need to be happy as well not just us and if they are going to have issues with the kids being around this breed their was no other choice.I still think they are a stunning breed and would love to have taken on the challange. We will eventually find the right pup for us and our family to all be happy around. One of the main things we had to take into account was who will look after our dog if we need to go out for any period of time. Normally that would be my children in their homes but with the little ones there I am not sure they were happy with the idea.

*Loraine* your pictures are stunning and made this an even harder decision. I just hope it was the right one for the pups and that they all find good homes.

Thanks again. I am glad I found such a helpful forum and will definately stick around.

What other breeds are you thinking of?

Sorry to hear you won't be taking on one of the Mali x GSD pups, but it does sound as though you are doing so for the right reasons, and I have no doubt you will be able to offer another dog or pup a wonderful home.

Do you have any other breeds in mind?

I think you definitely made the right decision.

It is a shame those puppies are not in a GSD or BSD rescue where more suitable homes could be assessed.