Why not cross working-line German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois's?

Question

Today German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois's are widely recognized as the top service dogs in the world. This is why these breeds are used almost uniformily for miliary and police work around the world. Working line German Shepherds are renowned for their solid nerves and superiour temerament, but in general are less agile, and healthy than the Belgian Malinois. Both breeds have the drives necessary for serious work, and are relatively similar in type.

Why not cross the two breeds for a better overall working dog?

Answer 1

That is an excellent question. What you are proposing has been done and is still being done in Europe today.
Countries like Holland and Belgium have cross bred these two dogs for decades to get the best of the 2 breeds. It is mostly done to get some size in the malinois. I have a malinois now that is 28 inches and 92 pounds. There are no malinois like that. Check out the pedigrees and pictures of most KNPV or NVBK competeing malinois and you will see the proof. I started out in the malinois breed 30 years a go and helped introduce the breed to America along with Barbara Huitt and Daniele Dougherty. All dogs that are here today and were bred in this country since then bear the name of those two kennels, Windrush and Crocs-Blancs. I had the first malinois in this country to work as a police dog. There is no finer working dog then a malinois, that is evident by the number of dogs working today. But what you have suggested is and has been done already. When you have a chance, take a look at dogs like A'Tim in Belgium, Zodt, Fun, Nopi, Cabil etc, they all have the shepherd/malinois look. Very good question though.

Answer 2

Because a Malinois of good lines will have an excellent temperament. Yes, Belgian Shepherds take longer time to mature mentally than German Shepherd, have a higher drive and need to be handled differently and more expertly than German Shepherds - and I would say that a young German Shepherd is easier to work than a young Belgian Shepherd, but a Belgian Shepherd from a good working lines will match a German Shepherd in nerves and temperament any day.

There is definitely a problem with the temperament of Belgian Shepherds, but do not let anyone tell you that Belgian Shepherds are supposed to have weak nerves and weak temperaments, dogs like that are inferior and do not meet the breed standard. Think of what this dogs were bred for, to independently herd (often the shepherd would merely show the way and leave the dogs to do their job), guard and protect livestock. A nervous, insecure and instable dog would never have been able to perform this task.

Avoid weak temperament dogs like the plague. You wouldn't buy a GS with visible HD or from parents with HD over A or B, right? Do the same with the Belgian Shepherds, make sure that you meet at least the mother dog and preferably both parents, that they have passed a mental test and that the puppies are given a puppy mental test and have been socialized before you get them,also it is preferable that the parents have some kind of sports or working dog background.

For the German Shepherd check for allergies and HD. Don't be satisfied with just HD-free parents, but check both parents' HD index. If possible check up on as many puppies as possible which have left that particular breeder as well. Competition or working dogs suddenly stopping to perform during their best age or a high young dog mortality rate is suspicious.

Both the German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois are superb working dogs each in their own right. I would much rather that all dogs of these already excellent breeds would start to live up to breed standards by people refusing to buy inferior puppies, puppies from inferior parents, and puppies from parents that have not been sufficiently tested against the breed's weaknesses.

Answer 3

German Shepherd Belgian Malinois Mix

Answer 4

A shepherd/mal cross makes a nice dog. I know, I have one. He has a lovely temperament and looks like a mal on steroids. He is outgoing, friendly, drivey, but not over the top and is extremely versatile. He is a nice smear of both breeds. At 4 years of age, he is also very healthy.

Both the shepherd and the Malinois are great breeds, each has their own positive and negative attributes. What some people call negative, others call positive. And don't forget that breed characteristics can vary from dog to dog. Even within this litter, the pups are all very different.

This being said, if someone one was VERY selective and took the time to perfect the cross, I think it is possible to create a nice working dog. However, we already have two nice breeds. If that same person was VERY selective about purchasing a pup and took the time to perfect and train him, it is also possible to create a nice working dog.

Most importantly, strive to improve the breed, not just make more puppies and make sure that all pups have GOOD homes before breeding anything!

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Why not cross working-line German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois's?
Today German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois's are widely recognized as the top service dogs in the world. This is why these breeds are used almost uniformily for miliary and police work around the world. Working line German Shepherds are renowned for their solid nerves and superiour...

Answer 6

If you knew anything about dogs... you would know that Malinois came first, and they were bred with other dogs to produce the German Shepherd. And only here in the US are the German Shepherds so ruined that they need to get a new infusion of "healthy" DNA. If you go to another country... the German Shepherds look/act totally different. In Europe, they have really strict breeding laws/restrictions. This keeps backyard breeders from succeeding. So, the bloodlines/health of the dogs over there is still just fine.

It is only here in the US that the German Shepherd has turned into a mess.

So, good thought, but do a little more research next time. And, I resent the fact that you think German Shepherds have better nerves/temperments than Malinois. Malinois are far superior in both...Malinois just haven't gotten the popularity that German Shepherds did because we didn't have a stupid TV show like Rin Tin Tin... But to me, that has been for the best because it kept the Malinois from being ruined here in the US.

Answer 7

Police dogs come from extremely high quality bloodlines and breeders. Pedigrees are perfect, and genetics are as perfect as they can be. When you crossbreed two different dogs, you never know exactly what you are going to get. There could be some underlying, unknown genetic disease that is passed from the two adults to the puppies.
So, overall, it's safer to stick with what you know. Don't risk it.
It could be a good idea, though, but I don't see it happening anytime in the near future. If someone does cross the two breeds in hopes of created the ultimate working dog, many generations of the new "breed" will need to be bred and all of the problems (physical, mental and genetic) will need to be worked out, which takes decades of dedicated and knowledgeable breeding.

Answer 8

Risky to cross...German shepherds have a hereditary weakness in the hips [dysplasia] and unless you get guarantees from the breeder going back many breedings, you might pick up the gene in such a cross with the Malinois. Not sure what the hereditary problems are with the M's, tho, but sticking with pure-bred for either would seem the best. In my old hometown police dept., they opted for all Malinois and got them from overseas to avoid inherited problems from greedy breeders who often don't disclose the genetics.

Answer 9

I really like your idea. They are doing all of those designer breeds, why not do a new service breed. I think If some one did it right you could have an excellent dog that has agility as well as temperment. If you ever breed the two i would love to see pictures. I bet if it became popular you would have a new type of service dog that may become very popular. By the way, to all the people that say "My dogs breed is better blah blah blah" Thats not an answer and really dosent have to do with the question.

Answer 10

As Greekman has said, it's already been done. I like both breeds, but right now if you bred a Mal to the hyper GSD's that are currently working in Shutzund you would have dogs that are climbing the walls. I'm all for high-drive dogs, but some of the GSD's are *way* over the top. I'm in the UK, and, quite honestly, we can't seem to get it right. The dogs either can't work or can work but are soooo hyper. I used to own GSD's and wouldn't touch one now here. Shame, because they're a super breed.