Westminster Profile: Belgian Malinois

With the Westminster Kennel Club 134th Annual Dog Show almost upon us (Feb. 15–16), Paw Nation will be talking with some of the show dogs' owners for some insight into this year's contestants.

Dog Breed: Belgian Malinois

Group: Herding

Dog's Full Registered Name: CH TriSorts Zorro del Mango, RE, TT, HIC, CGC

Nickname: Zorro

Dog's Age: 6

Owner's Name: Sara Donadei-Blood

Hometown: North Lauderdale, Fla.

Tell me about your dog's personality.
Malinois as a breed typically are aggressive. They're very reactive to their environment. Malinois are super dogs when it comes to competitive obedience. I noticed that my Malinois was developing into a sweet, affectionate boy. He showed that sweetness of nature to strangers, which is unusual to the breed. He loves people, especially elderly people.

He's very bright and extraordinarily willing to please. In a dog show, he's literally the only Malinois wagging his tail. He's a happy dog. He's a lover, not a fighter!

What is your dog's favorite treat?
He likes raw chicken backs. I give them to my dogs from time to time to clean their teeth. I think it brings out the wild dog in him.

What is your dog's best trick?
He retrieves anything I drop: a paper clip, a pen, a dime. He knows how to bring me my purse from the kitchen counter. He brings the remote control. However, because I always reward him, when he's feeling bored he takes it upon himself to bring me all those things. At the end of the day I have a whole pile of things I didn't ask for.

What's your dog's weirdest quirk?
Probably his attraction to elderly, frail people. I don't know where that came from. He sees them and his eyes go soft; he wags his tail. He looks at me for permission to say hello. That's totally untrained.

How do you and your dog prepare for Westminster?
With dog training, it's not like programming a VCR. It's a constant work in progress. The only things I do [specially for Westminster] are the typical bathing and grooming, making sure he's in good condition, and psyching ourselves up.

To be honest, I think of Westminster as just another show. Unlike a lot of competitors, I don't get nervous. I'm certainly not a competitive person. I go in there smiling because I have the best dog. I leave the ring with the best dog every time, whether the judge gives me an award or not. I'm a small fish and I'm happy being a small fish. He is what he is, and I love to show him off.

Anything else you'd like to share?
I'm the only handicapped handler showing my own service dog at the show. He's the only dog [at Westminster] that actually works for a living!

Tags: dog show, DogShow, malinois, service dog, ServiceDog, westminster, zorro