The Belgian Malinois is a dog breed that can be protective and assertive. But is there a possibility of them being aggressive and attacking?
We outline whether the Belgian Malinois is dangerous, the signs of aggression, if they attack other dogs and what makes them aggressive.
Do Belgian Malinois turn on their owners?
The Belgian Malinois are not known to turn on their owners. They generally have a protective and friendly personality and they can only become aggressive and attack their owners if they are not properly socialized or trained.
Are Belgian Malinois Dangerous?
Belgian Malinois are generally good-natured dogs and loving to their families however, just like any other dog breed, they can be dangerous when they display aggressive behavior. Their behavior largely depends on their upbringing, training, and socialization.
Signs of Belgian Malinois Aggression
The Belgian Malinois is a gentle, willful, assertive, loyal and affectionate dog.
They are bred to be protective and assertive and often used as a guard dog because of their natural protective instinct.
However, they can also attack humans, dogs, or other pets and also some socially trained dogs can have aggressive tendencies and can attack.
Signs of this aggressive behavior can be observed before an attack happens through the dog’s body language. The signs of this include:
- Growling
- Barking
- The rigidity of their body
- Display of teeth
- staring
- Consequent biting
As an owner or someone near a Belgian Malinois, these are the signs to look out for that indicate the dog is becoming aggressive and may attack.
Can a Belgian Malinois kill a human?
A Belgian Malinois can kill a human because of its sheer size, strength, and powerful bite which can inflict serious injury on a person which can be fatal and cause death. The Belgian Malinois is a giant dog with an enormous size and combined with their weight which can be up to 110 pounds, they can overpower a human.
Belgian Malinois attack statistics show that their bite is among one of the most fatal dog bites. Belgian Malinois attacks are not common but can happen and there are reported cases of human deaths caused by Belgian Malinois attacks.
Do Belgian Malinois Attack Other Dogs?
Belgian Malinois can attack other dogs, especially dogs that they are not familiar with because of territorial aggression and lack of proper training and socialization.
The Belgian Malinois is a good family dog meaning they integrate well with their owner and families as well as their other dogs or pets.
This is achieved by early training and socialization. However, if this is not provided they can have tendencies of aggression towards other dogs.
They are protective of their families and homes and can attack other dogs that may be introduced or approach the home.
Also, this can happen when they are threatened or sense danger from other dogs. They are usually on high alert for signs of danger or intrusion.
Aggression can be controlled and managed through socialization and training.
What makes a Belgian Malinois aggressive?
Factors that can lead a Belgian Malinois to be aggressive and attack include:
Lack of proper training
Aggressive behavior can also be brought about by a lack of proper obedience and behavior training.
Naturally, all dogs have an aggression potential and this is usually kept under control by behavioral training. This makes them less likely to be aggressive and have good behavior.
In the event they are not trained properly from a young age to adulthood, aggressive behavior may be a problem.
Territorial aggression
A Belgian Malinois can be territorial and can show aggressive behavior when they detect a threat to their space, their owners, family’s property, from people or dogs they do not know approaching them.
Signs of aggression is also seen around food. Food aggression is a display of protectiveness of their food when another dog approaches them when eating.
Socialization and training are important to expose a Belgian Malinois to people and dogs to enable them to integrate with them to have good behavior around them.
This will train them to be less reactive to strangers and unfamiliar dogs.
Recommended Reading: Why does my Belgian Malinois bite me?
Pain and discomfort
A Belgian Malinois in pain or discomfort as a result of injury or illness can display aggressive behavior.Pain and discomfort can make them lash out in an expression of what they are feeling.
As a Belgian Malinois owner, it is important to be aware of this and seek medical attention for your dog.
Mistreatment
Mistreatment of a Belgian Malinois by their caretakers or owners can also trigger aggressive behavior.
Any form of abuse or mistreatment can leave them traumatized and they may show aggression when they feel threatened and need to defend themselves when they experience this again.
Mistreatment develops mistrust and fear of people and can lead to this sudden unpredictable behavior.
Takeaway
Although they are inherently protective and assertive dogs, Belgian Malinois do not attack, but they can become aggressive if they are not properly socialized or trained, or if they feel threatened.
A Belgian Malinois owner should be aware of this and the signs of potential aggression so that they can know how to protect themselves and other people around as well as have their dog trained to prevent potential attacks.
Attacks by Belgian Malinois are not common, however, they can happen. So it is good to know and to be aware of these factors surrounding their aggressive behavior.