When you think of loyalty or a noble appearance in dogs, chances are you think of the Belgian Malinois. These dogs that look like slim German Shepherds are loved because of their perfect mixture of tough and elegant looks.
The Malinois are working dogs that are used for a variety of tasks by the military, such as explosive and narcotic detection, tracking humans, and rescue missions. They are even used as guard dogs in the White House!
At the same time, Belgian Malinois can make amazing house pets – if you know how to deal with this strong and independent dog breed. It’s no wonder many people want to know all about Belgian Malinois colors!
Do these dogs always come with a black mask, and can they come in colors other than brown? Here’s all the coat colors they come in!
1. Fawn Belgian Malinois Colors
Fawn is one of the most common Belgian Malinois colors out there. These pups will have a neat and soft look. Most of the time, the shade of fawn will lean toward a yellowish-tan color, and it can vary anywhere between very light to dark colors.
Most fawn Belgian Malinois will have a black mask that will cover the larger portion of their face – most notably, their muzzle, nose, eye rims, and even ears! If the fawn is lighter in shade, this can create a beautiful contrast.
Fawn Belgian Malinois should have a black nose and dark brown eyes.
2. Fawn Sable Belgian Malinois Colors
Fawn sable Belgian Malinois look like regular fawn Mals but with a sable pattern. If you want to know what sable is – this is when hairs in any base color (which is, on this occasion, fawn) have black tips.
This makes them appear darker than regular dogs of that same color.
Many dog owners don’t even realize their Belgian Malinois is sable until the vet or groomers tell them so. This is because some sable dogs simply look like they come in a darker shade of a certain color. This is especially the case in dogs who already come in darker colors.
Just like a typical fawn Malinois, a fawn sable Belgian Malinois should have brown eyes and a black nose. However, their black mask might not be as prominent, as sable dogs already have black shades on their fur.
3. Red Belgian Malinois Colors
As their name suggests, red Belgian Malinois come in a coat that is in some shade of red. Red is caused by pheomelanin, a type of pigment responsible for yellow and red shades.
These dogs can be as light as ginger or as dark as deep red. Some people even confuse them with a rich fawn coat color. The prominence of their black mask will depend on how light their coat is.
Red Malinois are slightly rarer than their fawn counterparts, but they are still fairly common. Most of these dogs will have dark eyes, black ears, and a black nose.
4. Red Sable Belgian Malinois Colors
Similar to fawn sable Belgian Malinois, dogs in red sable have black tips on their hairs – only this time, the base coat color is red instead of fawn.
These dogs can appear quite dark depending on the shade of their base coat. In fact, some Belgian Malinois owners might not even be aware that their dogs come in sable, as they are so dark.
Just like all other standard Belgian Malinois colors, red sable dogs should come with a black nose and very dark eyes. Their black mask might not be as easy to notice as the mask on pure red dogs.
5. Mahogany Belgian Malinois Colors
Mahogany is a reddish-brown shade that resembles the tree of the same name. They can come in a variety of mahogany shades, from light reddish-brown to a very deep, almost black color.
The exact shade of mahogany Belgian Malinois depends on the distribution of eumelanin and pheomelanin pigments.
In these dogs, a black mask might not look very prominent as they tend to be very dark. Also, they have a black nose and dark brown eyes.
6. Black Belgian Malinois Colors
Pure black Belgian Malinois are very rare. In fact, black is rare in many dog breeds, such as Shih Tzus, German Shepherds, or Shiba Inus.
Most will have at least a speck of some other color (usually white or tan). These dogs have a high concentration of eumelanin, the pigment responsible for black and brown colors.
As these dogs have a dominant gene for their black color, their noses, eye rims, paw pads, and lips should correspond with this. Their eyes should be dark brown or even black.Despite not being a standard color, black Belgian Malinois are very sought-after, and their demand is rising. When you look at their glorious appearance, it’s easy to see why.