25/07/2026
We Don't Have a Malinois Problem. We Have an Education Problem.
I've shared my life with working dogs for over 35 years, and for the last 25 of those years, Belgian Malinois have held a very special place in my life.
When I first decided that a Malinois was the breed I wanted, finding one wasn't easy. Working-bred Malinois were incredibly rare in the UK. In fact, I seriously considered importing one because there simply weren't many breeders producing the type of dog I was looking for.
Eventually, I found a breeder and asked if I could have a female. He refusedânot because he doubted my intentions, but because he felt a deep responsibility to protect the breed. He told me, 'These dogs aren't for pet homes. They shouldn't be available to everyone because people will breed them, buy them and own them without truly understanding what they're taking on.' At the time I thought he was being incredibly selective. Looking back now, 25 years later, I understand exactly why he felt that way.
Today, I'm contacted regularly by owners struggling with Belgian Malinois, Dutch Herders and other powerful working breeds. More often than not, they aren't dealing with abnormal behaviour. They're dealing with perfectly normal behaviour from extraordinary dogs.
Dogs that have been selectively bred for generations to work, think, solve problems, cope with pressure, possess incredible drive and keep going long after most breeds would have switched off. The problem isn't the dogs. It's that we've made these dogs more accessible than ever, while making education no more accessible than it was twenty-five years ago.
Social media certainly doesn't help. What concerns me is that both ends of the training spectrum often end up promoting the same thing: the illusion of a quick fix. One clip suggests the right lead or collar suddenly transforms the dog. Another implies medication or endless decompression is the answer. Different methods. Different language. The same underlying problem. Neither starts with the most important question: Why is this dog behaving like this in the first place?
In so many cases, this isn't pathology or stubbornness. It's a powerful working dog behaving exactly like a powerful working dog whose needs aren't yet being fully understood or consistently met. And this isn't just about Malinois. The same principle applies to Dutch Herders, terriers, working gundogs, livestock guardian breeds, Border Collies, Huskies and many other purpose-bred dogs.
A fifteen-minute walk around the park and a snuffle mat simply won't satisfy a dog bred to work all day. Equally, suppressing behaviourâwhether through equipment, punishment or relying solely on medicationâisn't addressing the root cause. Neither approach teaches the owner. Neither fulfils the dog. The real solution is education. Not just educating the dog... educating ourselves.
In fact, I had an enquiry this very week from someone with a strong working-line Belgian Shepherd. They outlined the behaviours they were struggling with before asking me, 'Can you fix my dog?'
I smiled and replied, 'Yes... I'm confident I can help you. But that's not actually the question you should be asking.' The question isn't whether I can change your dog. The question is whether you're prepared to change alongside your dog. Because the dog isn't broken. There's nothing to 'fix'. What needs developing are the skills, the communication, the understanding and the relationship between the two of you. My role is to coach you, educate you and guide you through that process. But I can't do the work for you. Whether we succeed depends largely on your willingness to commit.
Are you prepared to change your daily routine? To get up earlier? To spend evenings training instead of sitting on the sofa? To educate yourself just as much as your dog? Because I'll tell you nowâit won't be easy. There will be frustration. There will be setbacks.
Owning one of these dogs is like learning to drive a Ferrari on the Autobahn, in the fast lane, on the wrong side of the road. They're astonishingly capable, but if you don't yet possess the skills to drive them, they'll expose every weakness you have. That's not the Ferrari's fault. It's simply more car than the driver was prepared for. Working-line Malinois and Dutch Herders are very similar. They're extraordinary dogs, but extraordinary dogs require extraordinary ownership.
Before bringing one home, ask yourself: Do I genuinely have the time? The energy? The finances? The patience? The consistency? The desire to learn? These dogs aren't hobbies you pick up when life is convenient and put down when life gets busy. There isn't a magic collar. There isn't a miracle lead. There isn't a pill that teaches skills. There isn't a thirty-second social media video that will solve years of unmet needs.
People often ask me how I manage fifteen dogs. The answer is simple: they are my responsibility every single day. If I know I'm working all day, I get up earlier. If I finish late, I stay out later. Meeting their needs isn't something I fit around my lifeâit is part of my life.
For me, those needs come back to the Five E's: Exercise, Enrichment, Education, Emotional Stability and Entertainment. Those aren't optional extras. They're responsibilities.
Sometimes I think we've become too focused on changing the dog. Perhaps the better question is whether we're prepared to change ourselves. These breeds don't need us to suppress who they are. They need us to understand who they are.
Will it take time? Absolutely. Will it sometimes be frustrating? Without question. But if you invest in understanding them, build your relationship on compassion, education and clear communication, and commit to meeting the needs of the dog you've chosen, the partnership you create is unlike anything else.
These dogs don't just give you obedience. They give you trust, loyalty, partnership and everything they have. As dog lovers, I believe our responsibility is to give them the very best life we possibly can in return. Because ultimately, we don't have a Malinois problem. We have an education problem.
