Belgian Malinois

The Malinois or Belgian Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog classification, rather than as a separate breed. The Malinois is recognized in the United States under the name Belgian Malinois. Its name is the French word for Mechlinian, which is in Dutch either Mechelse herdershond or Mechelse scheper (both meaning: shepherd dog from Mechelen) or Mechelaar (one from Mechelen). It is used as a working dog for tasks including detection of odors such as explosives, accelerants (for arson investigation), and narcotics; tracking of humans for suspect apprehension in police work; and search and rescue. The dog is also used extensively by Unit Oketz of the Israel Defense Forces. Oketz favors the slighter build of the Malinois over that of the German Shepherd and Rottweiler, which were employed formerly. Malinois are the perfect size to be picked up by their handlers, while still being able to attack their enemies, and their shorter coats and fair and neutral colors make them less prone to heatstroke.[citation needed] A Malinois named Posy is the only canine in the Israel Defense Forces ever to receive the Medal of Distinguished Service. According to a member of the Unit Oketz, Posy left her handler and burrowed beneath a collapsed six story building and located two Mossad agents that had been trapped beneath the rubble for several days. Though she suffered a badly broken front leg while searching for the bodies, Posy remained with the two agents for over twelve hours while earth moving machines cleared the debris.