Welcome to the American Belgian Malinois Club Website
.The American Belgian Malinois Club (ABMC) is the single organization recognized by AKC as the national parent club. The ABMC represents Belgian Malinois owners and breeders across the United States. We are dedicated to promoting , preserving and protecting the Belgian Malinois breed by educating and encouraging quality in the breed and doing all possible to bring its inherent qualities to perfection.
This is NOT Your Typical Pet Dog
The Belgian Malinois is a marvelous companion and lifelong partner. Partnership implies an ongoing commitment to active interaction, and the Belgian Malinois demands and needs that commitment. But, the Malinois is NOT for everyone.
Highly intelligent, elegant, athletic and muscular, this breed excels at agility, herding, tracking, obedience and all protection sports. Malinois demand to be actively engaged with their owner/handler, both mentally and physically. Also, all the qualities that make it an ideal dog for military and police purposes are what make it imperative that its owner be committed to working actively with it on a virtually daily basis. Without intensive and long-term training, Malinois will create their own activities – and those activities can be destructive. However, in return for active engagement, the owner/handler receives the unconditional love and affection — and loyalty — that a Malinois reserves for the “person” in its life.
If you are someone who is looking for an active participant in your active life, and who is excited about and committed to training your dog to share that lifestyle, you would need to look awfully hard to find a better dog than the Belgian Malinois. Or, for that matter, a better dog to live with you and your family. BUT if you are looking for a beautiful animal to just sit at home with you, or to be left to its own designs, do NOT choose a Malinois. These dogs are bred to be taught and assigned tasks, and then to perform them at the highest levels of their mental and physical capabilities. An underutilized dog is a frustrated dog. And a frustrated dog is not a good housemate.
As “custodians” of our breed, the American Belgian Malinois Club is delighted at the interest in our breed sparked by videos and television shows that show off the intelligence, physical capabilities and beauty of these animals. However, the activities and behaviors that are presented, and that look so easy for the dog, are the result of lengthy, intense and constant training. Malinois are bred and born to perform most any task; they are not bred to be a couch potato.
We urge anyone interested in the Belgian Malinois to do as much research as you can and to look for, contact and talk with a reputable breeder. The American Belgian Malinois Club maintains a current breeder referral list on our website; all of these breeders have signed our Breeder Code of Ethics.