Why You Should Reconsider Getting a Malinois

Choosing my words carefully — I’ll never say you shouldn’t do something. I’m not your father, your brother, husband, boyfriend, priest, CPA, or therapist. I’ll never tell you not to do something.

As a dog trainer — your dog trainer — my goal is to give you the best advice possible so you can make the most informed decisions. That way, you build the best relationship with your dog instead of getting into a situation you can’t handle or, worse, regret — one that leaves you angry, frustrated, and taking it out on your dog.

With that in mind, I implore you to reconsider getting a Belgian Malinois.
You read that correctly: I’d rather you not get one.

The reasons are plenty, but here are a few big ones I’ve seen firsthand.

The Malinois Is Way Too Much Dog for the Average Owner

Every Malinois is a dog — but not every dog is a Malinois.

Different breeds have different instincts and abilities. Breed type shapes a dog’s drive, speed, musculature, and priorities. Even within the same breed, each dog’s genetics determine how extreme those traits are.

The Malinois’ core design? Dense muscle, nonstop energy, and scary intelligence.

Put that all together and you’ve got a dog that’s incredible to watch — but a whole different story to live with.

They’ll watch you, analyze you, and test you. They’ll find your weak spots and push you there — not out of malice, but because their brains never shut off.

And they’ll test you when you’re at your lowest — tired, hungry, or distracted. They’ll push to see what they can get away with.

If you aren’t comfortable correcting your dog — verbally or physically — so they learn what’s allowed and what isn’t, trust me when I say: you’ll have to correct a Malinois.

They require a lot of attention. Training, walks, runs, play, structure — it all counts.
If you can’t or won’t dedicate that kind of time, do not get a Malinois.

Nonstop Crackhead Energy

What you’ve heard about Malinois energy? It’s true — all of it.

That insane drive is what makes them perfect for herding, police work, military, and protection sports.

You’ve heard “a tired dog is a happy dog.” True. But with a Malinois, their threshold for exhaustion is almost endless — and left unchecked, that energy will be used against you.

They’ll find ways to burn it off: running laps in the house, bouncing off furniture, chewing things they shouldn’t.
Because they’re so athletic, they can literally bounce off walls — and often do.

True story: Arya and I have done 3–4 mile walks. She’ll rest maybe 30 minutes — just enough time for me to clean up and rehydrate — and she’s ready for round two.

That’s a Malinois. They can work, work, work — and they’ll want to if they’re having fun with their handler. The real challenge is knowing when to stop. Sometimes you have to decide it’s enough — because your dog won’t.

If you’re not ready to manage that kind of energy — or better yet, use it to your advantage for training and skill work — it will drive you insane.

Mental Work Is Non-Negotiable

If a Malinois’ only form of exercise is physical, you’re in trouble. You’ll end up with a very fit terror on your hands.

Just like us, the better shape they’re in, the more chaos they can handle.
Physical exercise alone doesn’t tire them out — it just builds their stamina to cause more problems.

Think of them like a fighter jet. The Malinois is the F-18. But if there’s no trained pilot — you — in the cockpit, that jet will crash, or worse, go rogue.

Mental work is the key.

Exposure and socialization are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same.
Exposure is letting them see the world — new environments, people, sounds, textures.
Socialization is how they interact with it.

And spoiler: your dog does not need to meet or play with every dog. If they don’t live together or see that dog regularly, there’s no need for them to say hello.

A well-balanced Malinois needs both — consistently. Without it, they can become fearful, defensive, or reactive. You don’t want a 70-pound rocket with trust issues and a chip on its shoulder.

What Having a Malinois Really Looks Like

Let me be clear: 30-second social media videos are not reality.

Those clips don’t show what life with a high-drive, hyper-focused, borderline feral athlete actually looks like.

This isn’t a “take them to potty and they chill on the couch” kind of dog.
They need structure, purpose, and both physical and mental outlets — daily.

That means multiple walks a day.
Daily training — obedience, skill work, or exposure.
Activities like tracking, bite work, dock diving, or trick training all give them something productive to obsess over.

If you’re not ready to challenge yourself alongside them, or seek help from professionals who understand this breed — then this dog is not for you.

They Will Train You If You Don’t Train Them

Everything matters — from crate time to feeding to how you leave the house.

If you don’t set boundaries and routines — borderline rituals — a Malinois will take over your life.
They thrive under leadership and structure. If you don’t provide it, they’ll create their own.

And here’s the truth: if you don’t have the fortitude — the balls — to train a Malinois or keep them in line, reconsider.

Because these dogs thrive under strong leadership. They respect strength, clarity, and consistency.
If you don’t show it, they’ll make you.

Social Media Is Not a Real Place

People see the cool Instagram reels — Malinois flying off walls, launching at decoys, or doing acrobatics on cue.
Movies like John Wick, Zero Dark Thirty, and Dog have only fueled the hype.

But what you see online is the finished product — not the process.

You don’t see the hours of training, structure, and corrections it took to build that control.
You don’t see the chewed drywall, bloody hands, or 5 a.m. grind behind the camera.

And those dogs? They’re the top 1%.
They come from world-class breeding and are trained by incredibly skilled handlers.
You can’t replicate that with an impulse buy and a few YouTube videos.

So when you ask, “Why doesn’t my dog do that?” maybe take a look in the mirror and admit:
you haven’t put in the time or consistency to build your own skill set as a handler.

And maybe, just maybe — your dog just doesn’t have it.

If those videos inspire you to level up, to learn, to train harder — awesome.
But don’t buy a dog because it’s trending. You don’t see what those owners go through to make those 30-second clips.

Final Thought

Owning a Malinois isn’t about having a cool dog.
It’s about becoming the kind of person that dog needs.

If you’re not ready for that — that’s okay.
There are plenty of amazing breeds out there that will fit your lifestyle better.

Because the most responsible kind of love… is knowing when to say no.