Judging whether the equine dog is pure or not depends on the proportion: measured from the dorsal nail, the male dog’s body height is 61-66 cm, and the female dog is 56-61 cm. Body height error beyond body height and recommendation height lower than the body height of more than 4 cm, are out of order. Measured from the front of the sternum to the front of the hips, the body length should be equal to the body height; females can be slender and longer, but square dogs are preferred. His proper bones are in proportion to his height so that the whole proportion of the dog is harmonious, neither slender or too long, nor thick and huge. Look at the stature: A purebred Equine needs to look at the stature according to the standard depicted as a medium sized, medium sized dog, then it is necessary to make a selection among very large and heavy or very small and light dogs. Owners need to be aware that the coat of the Equine is short and has to appear smaller when compared to the Tervuren and Belgian Shepherd. Long coats give the illusion of large size. In critiquing a dog for conformation, a dog given a standing height near the upper limit of the standard cannot be critiqued higher than a dog measured near the lower limit of the standard, even though both are within the standard range. Look at the five senses: Equine dogs need to look at the five senses to determine if they are pure or not. The eyes are brown, more inclined to light fawn, with medium sized, almond shaped eyes that are not outstanding; the margins of the eyes are black. The shape of the ears approximates an equilateral triangle, strong and erect, and their size is proportional to the size of the head. The general defect is that the ears droop on one side of the head. A flat head is better than a round one, its length is virtually the same as its width, but not wide, near medium. The nose is pointed and moderate, preventing the onset of a feeling of being cut off, and is close to the top of the head in length. The nasal mirror is parallel to the skull. General defects include a rounded top of the head, a rough or heavy head, and round and/or unchromatic eyes. The mouth is strong and powerful; the nose is black and free of other miscellaneous colors; the lips are compact and black, without any pink showing. The Malinois is energetic, with evenly placed white teeth in a clipped or pincer bite; an excellent upper jaw and an excellent lower jaw bite is a defect; in an excellent lower jaw bite with two or more upper incisors failing to bite with two or more lower incisors, this dog is out of order. One or more missing teeth is a severe defect. The general defects of the selection of the horse dog are excellent bite of the lower jaw and short teeth. The coat is appropriately short, straight and stiff, and dense enough to be accustomed to changes in climate; the coat is very short on the head, ears, and bottom of the legs; the coat is slightly longer on the neck, where it forms a long scarf-like trim coat, and on the tail and back of the thighs; the coat should be in line with the body. The length of the coat of the Malinois should be worth considering. There is no one coat length that is the most correct. Conditions in which the coat violates the standard include: a short fleece and very short coat, as in a Great Dane or Boxer; a coat with significant fuzz around the ears and on the backs of the forelegs (hair that is extremely long and now falls out of the dog’s body). The wavy coat is a defect.
