Pollet Belgian Malinois

Limited Auflage
ISBN: 978-1-59378-989-3
Verlag: CompanionHouse Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 155 Seiten

Reihe: Comprehensive Owner's Guide

Hailed as one of the world's most accomplished police and military dogs, the Belgian Malinois continues to gain in popularity in the United States as more people discover the versatility and utility of this very talented working breed. Written by Belgian breed specialist, Dr. Robert Pollet, this Comprehensive Owner's Guide offers an insightful look at the European and American history of this superb breed, one of four related herding breeds from Belgium. In addition to chapters on the Belgian Malinois's special traits and abilities and an authoritative look at the breed standard, the book includes chapters on puppy selection, socialization, and care, house-training, obedience, feeding, grooming, exercise, and competing in shows and trials, all illustrated with quality color photographs. The health chapter discusses parasite prevention, inoculations, and finding a skilled veterinarian for the Malinois. Sidebars throughout offer helpful advice to readers about hundreds of topics. Fully indexed.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pollet, Robert

Leseproben

The name of this breed can bring to mind the beautiful flower fields of Belgium in the springtime, the wonderful storybook city of Bruges (or Brugge) in the North and the bustling cities of Antwerp and Brussels. But the Belgian Malinois came from the farms of this great country, where he spent his days herding the livestock, protecting his family, their property and their farm.

The histories of many breeds of dog are difficult to trace and in previous centuries very few, if any, records were kept of the dogs that were used for breeding. The dog that performed the best at his bred-for purpose was mated to a similar animal that excelled at the same task. Dogs selected were picked for their intelligence, abilities and devotion to their masters. Within a few generations, litters of puppies would begin to look alike, and the dogs would be able to perform specific tasks with ever-improving precision and skill.

With the Belgian Malinois, we know that he hails from Belgium and that his basic task was, and still is, to herd…be it sheep or cattle, and sometimes even his owner, as the herding instinct lies deep within the breed. In addition to his herding abilities, the Belgian Malinois excels in a number of canine activities such as agility, obedience, tracking, Schutzhund and guard work.

On September 29, 1891, the Club du Chien de Berger Belge (the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club) was founded. The same year, on November 15, veterinarian Prof. Dr. Adolphe Reul assembled a group of individuals from the various Belgian counties at the veterinary faculty in Cureghem. This meeting was called in order to determine whether a national shepherd-dog type actually existed. The expert panel reviewed 117 representatives and it was determined that there was indeed a consistent type of a Belgian shepherd breed. Forty dogs were selected from this group, all of which were anatomically alike, though their coats varied greatly in length, texture and color.

A quartet of the Belgian shepherding breeds.

Tjop (Tomy x Cora I), a famous ancestor of today’s Malinois.

The varieties of the Belgian shepherds were named, more or less, for the towns in which they originated. The Malinois was named after the city of Malines (the French name for Mechelen). The Tervuren came from the town of Tervuren where the dogs were originally bred by M. F. Corbeel. The Groenendael was named after the village where Nicholas Rose bred the black Belgians. The Laekenois, bred around Antwerp and Boom, was named not after its hometown but after the royal park of Laeken where the dogs worked for shepherd Adrien Janssens.

Tomy (Samlo x Diane), the ancestor of the Malinois and the first short-haired Belgian Shepherd with a charcoal fawn coat and a black mask.

It should be noted when reading about the varieties of the Belgian sheepdog that in the United States only three of the four breeds are recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC): the Belgian Malinois, the Belgian Tervuren and the Belgian Sheepdog, which is the Groenendael variety. They are all classified and shown in the Herding Group. The Belgian Laekenois is registered through the AKC’s Foundation Stock Service but cannot compete in AKC shows. In continental Europe and the UK, they are shown as four varieties of the same breed and all varieties are referred to as Belgian Shepherds, which are part of the Pastoral Group. There are two accepted pronunciations of the name Malinois: malinoy in the US and malinwah in Europe.

In 1891 in the Belgian city of Malines, south of Antwerp, a group of dedicated breeders lived, gathered and promoted the Malinois. By 1901 the first Belgian Shepherd, Vos des Polders, was registered with the Societé Royale Saint-Hubert. Vos sired Dewet, who was considered a cornerstone of the early Malinois. The Belgian shepherds owe their foundation to Vos, who was a rough-haired fawn dog coming from a line of shepherd dogs that were used to guard the Belgian flax fields. Vos was bred to a bitch, Lise de Laeken, and eventually bred to his daughters, which produced a line of gray and fawn dogs with rough- and short-haired coats that were consistent in type. These are the breedings that formed the basis for the Belgian shepherd breeds. Of interest is that Vos was also considered an ancestor of both the Dutch Shepherd Dog and the Bouvier des Flandres.

Dewet (Mouche x Vos des Polders) formed the basis of the Malinois breeding along with Tjop.

The Malinois Tomy, whelped in the late 1890s, was the most famous of the early Malinois, known for his outstanding color and build. He was an excellent worker as well as a winner at the dog shows. He was the first short-haired shepherd with a charcoal fawn coat and a black mask. Tomy was bred to Cora I, who was a short-haired brindle with a mask, and this mating produced Tjop, a short-haired fawn without a mask. Tjop is considered a pillar of the breed, and his name can be found in the background of the important bloodlines of the short-haired shepherds (Malinois). Tjop and Dewet, although both very different in type, formed the pillars of the Malinois breed. Dewet, a powerful and coarse dog, had light fawn coloring with an overlay of black patches. Tjop is considered to be the prototype of the Belgian Malinois.

Tom (Vos I x Lieske), rough-haired and with a fawn coat.

Boer Sus (Basoef x Mira), a famous rough-coated ancestor.

BELGIANS IN THE CONGO

During the Belgian rule of the Congo, Belgian Malinois were employed for guard work. The short-haired variety was best suited for work in the tropical clime, and the Malinois adapted to the heat remarkably well.

Early breeders recognized the beauty and elegance of the Malinois but never sacrificed beauty or type for working ability. Historically, the Malinois was known as the working dog and to this day he continues to enjoy the reputation of being the most trainable, versatile and hard-working of the four varieties. The Malinois was often used in the breeding of the other three varieties of Belgian shepherd to set coat type and color and to strengthen herding instincts and working abilities. Over the years there had been much crossbreeding between the four types of Belgians. Although often frowned upon, it was not until 1973 that the Belgian Kennel Club no longer allowed crossbreeding between the different varieties.

Jojo du Maugré (Iago du Maugré x Ialta du Maugré).

On May 8, 1892 the first Belgian specialty show was held in Cureghem, Belgium. Of the 92 dogs that were exhibited that day, about one-third of them were short-haired (Malinois), though the majority was long-haired. In the same year, the first standard for the breed was written, describing the three coat varieties: long, short and rough. This standard was reworked many times over the years to reach the definitive classification and description of the four varieties of the Belgian shepherd, divided by coat texture, coat color and length of coat.

In 1898 a second club was formed by Dr. G. Geudens and L. Huyghebaert in Malines. This new club was in fact a branch of the club of Brussels. Heated disputes and conflicts hindered the breed in these early years, and experts could not agree on the correct or desired coat length and colors. There was also conflict regarding the utilitarian ability of a dog versus its conformational (or esthetic) value. In time Dr. Reul’s club disappeared, and the Berger Belge Club remained and was recognized by the Societé Royale Saint-Hubert. Another club, the Royal Groenendael Club, was also recognized, and the two clubs functioned until March of 1990 when the Berger Belge Club and the Malines club were finally united.

In the late 1890s, because the Club du Chien Berger Belge held only herding trials, Louis Huyghebaert began holding dressage trials to test the Belgian dogs’ abilities with jumping over high fences and long obstacles and swimming. These trials were also combined with protection work and were called Belgian ring sport and Campagnes. The first trial, held in June of 1903, was won by Cora I, the dam of Tjop. Ring trials became a fixture in Belgian shepherd society, and national trials have been held on a yearly basis ever since.

Sicco de Kersouwe (Maubray du Maugré x Patara van Balderlo).

Gitan de la Terre Aimée (Maubray du Maugré x Alma de la Terre Aimée).

Historically speaking, the Laekenois, the rough-coated breed, is closely related to the Malinois. Both were originally bred and predominantly found near Antwerp and Boom. Vos I, a main ancestor of the Malinois, is also responsible for the Laekenois. Vos was mated to Lieske, a short-haired brindle bitch, and this breeding produced Diane, the dam of Tomy. The same combination, however, also produced Tom, one of the most famous rough-haired fawn dogs. Diane was bred by Adrien Janssens, whose sheep grazed in the royal park of Laeken. Janssens’s best dogs were rough-haired fawns, and these became the basis of the Laekenois breed.

Bundessieger Koran van Balderlo (Elton van Banderlo x Iris van Banderlo).

POST OFFICE SALUTES BELGIUM’S TOP FOUR

On May 26, 1986, four postage stamps were issued in Belgium to honor the best known Belgian breeds, namely the Belgian shepherd varieties (pictured, left to right: Malinois, Tervuren and Groenendael) and (not pictured) the Bouvier des Flandres.

Samlo, a short-haired Belgian shepherd, brown brindle, is one of the founders of the Malinois variety. He is the father of Tomy and the grandfather of Tjop.

The decade prior to World War I saw breeders working together to solidify breed type and promoting the breed...