Dear Malinois Folks,

I'm writing to you to inform you that the UKC is considering a "New Breed" to be recognized. However the UKC, when contacted, stated that they would not ask for public comment on this decision and not discuss this issue further until they had reached a decision on whether or not to create this “new breed”.

When we asked them questions, they obliterated the whole thread from the UKC message board.

What is being considered is the following. The UKC is thinking of splitting the Malinois into two categories. Thus creating a second Malinois – called the Dutch Malinois. The Dutch Malinois is something they consider to be an established breed in Holland (their words NOT mine) and basically they think the Shepinois (or as it is sometimes known the Malashep) is a 5-7 generation breed established in Holland and they would simply be continuing this breeding recognition and program here in the states. When they were notified that they had been misled about the Shepinois, they pulled the threads. Who started this with them and why they believe this crap is beyond me.

Since emails don’t seem to be working, I urge you to weigh in on this matter by doing things the old fashioned way and while it might be a long lost art, if we all want to get the attention of UKC's deciding folks, WRITE A LETTER! Stick on a stamp, and drop it in the mail.
The address is:
United Kennel Club
100 East Kilgore Rd.
Kalamazoo, MI 49002-5584

Following are the names of people who may be of assistance and to whom it would do well to send some information to:

You can start with Vicki Rand (Editor) vrand@ukcdogs.com; Cindy Stickle (Registration) stickley@ukcdogs.com; Kathy Sullivan (Registration) sullivan@ukcdogs.com; Denise Valva (Dog events) denisev@ukcdogs.com; Michelle Morgan (Dog events) mmorgan@ukcdogs.com; Mark Threlfall (Dog events) MThrelfall@ukcdogs.com; Peggy Bickell (General Registration) pbickell@ukcdogs.com or who ever you know there that is in a decision making position. In the past, the UKC has been very receptive to the opinions of people involved. E-mails obviously disappear.

I know one of the sources of this, and that is the UKC’s new Program, the Service Dog of America Program. You can find out more by going to: http://www.servicedogsofamerica.com/introduction.php

Following is my letter to the UKC Discussion Board (which was pulled as was the whole thread by the way) – so that Malinois owners have more information. If any of you have any pull with the UKC, I BEG you to please let them know your opinions on this matter (of creating a new breed of Malinois that is in reality only GSDxMal mixes).

Regarding Registering a New “Malinois” Breed:
This information just in from Brook (Moore) regarding the Dutch Malinois or “Shepinois” issue. Brook stated “I talked to Michelle (Morgan) at the UKC and really did not get much other than it (A new breed) has been proposed and is under negotiation and there is no public comment and probably won't be anything out to the public until after UKC rules on it. Other than it is under negotiation and they did not know how they were going to rule.”

Brook also got the following info from Michelle at the UKC; Michelle stated to Brook that her understanding of why the UKC is considering the Shepinois/Dutch Malinois as a valid breed over the Labradoodle is “because the Shepinois/Dutch Malinois is actually a truer breed. That the Labradoodles were not a 5-7 generation breed with a national interest to continue breeding to become a pure and separate breed.” (Michelle’s own words according to Brook).

Whereas Michelle has been led to believe that “the Shepinois has national standards and it is a common, controlled, and regulated breeding selection and program.” It was also relayed to me that Michelle also stated that “since the Shepinois is an established and controlled breed that making it UKC recognized would be basically continuing the breeding practices to be a separate breed that were already started in Holland.”

ARGH!!!!!!! Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. I don’t know where Michelle got her information or what organization is behind the development of this breed but this is a fallacy, a falsehood and utter nonsense and I hope and PRAY that the UKC does really good research before ruling on any decision as they will see that this is a total fabrication. No such "breed" exists in Holland or elsewhere. No such breed has national standards in any country (including the U.S.) or is regulated or controlled in any way. Heck, do a Google search and you’ll find no such breed as the Shepinois… because the “breed” doesn’t exist.

What does exist and it is more in the United States than in any country abroad is the mixture of the Belgian Malinois and the German Shepherd Dog. Now granted, Belgian Malinois are being bred and come from France, Belgium, Holland and other countries, but they are all the same breed with the same origins. The “MIX” called a Shepinois is nothing more then a GSD bred to a Mal and it has a catchy name. This combination is done more in the United States then any other country and I reiterate that this is NOT controlled in any way. The first few litters were more then likely accidents and the few people I know of who did it on purpose liked the mix of the temperament and so did a select few Law Enforcement K-9 handlers who had an inability to handle or train purebred Malinois. (I say FEW). There is a small movement of people who like the GSD, but don't take the time to find quality ones anymore and can’t handle the Malinois, so they bred the two together and liked the mix that occurred. (I said SMALL amount of individuals) However in no way does this constitute a true breed in any sense of the word. It is also NOT tracked, NOT documented, NOT registerable, NOT controlled and NOT a continuation of any breeding program anywhere that is legit in any way!!

Brook informed me that she gathered Michelle’s impression of the whole thing was that the Shepinois IS something that the Dutch are breeding, controlling, and importing here as a separate breed of police and sport dog and something different then the GSD and the Malinois or Dutch Shepherd and were not just GSD and Malinois crosses. In addition Michelle apparently believes that breeders of Shepinois here in the United States are structured after the Dutch program with standards and controls 'continuing' the breeding of this long established breed.

Since this Michelle has been woefully misinformed and is totally uniformed on the truth. How can we educate her and others who are decision makers at the UKC that they have been misled and are going down a path that has no beginning (since it is started in falsehood) and certainly nothing but a disastrous ending? Any ideas or suggestions as to how to educate the decision makers at the UKC? Especially in light of the fact that there will be no public comment on this issue until AFTER a decision has been made?

So, in case anyone from the UKC in any decision making authority is reading this post. I implore you to contact the authorities at the KNPV in Holland. Check the information you were given and you will see that neither Holland, Belgium or France (the main countries to produce the Malinois) have any registry going for a Shepinois nor are they trying to create a new breed that is a mixture of the GSD and Malinois. In fact, these countries would be adamantly opposed to the mix. The German Shepherd Dog as a breed has NOTHING to offer the Belgian Malinois as a breed. The GSD compliments the Malinois in no way. There is no benefit to the mixture, no added health, no added temperament, no added structure. The GSD offers absolutely nothing to the Belgian Malinois as a breed except that there are a few individuals who can’t handle the Malinois, prefer the GSD and like the combination of the two. However, a GOOD German Shepherd Dog, one that has not been ruined, is truly a magnificent animal in itself and doesn’t need improvement either. What has happened is that people are getting mediocre GSD’s and/or mediocre Malinois and can’t handle either or don’t like the end product and instead of learning to find quality animals from good breeding stock or upping their abilities as handlers, they opt for the easy way out and that is a mixture of the two. What needs to occur is that instead of creating a “new” breed by breeding Malinois to a German Shepherd, handlers need to improve their own capabilities, knowledge and ability to try new idea’s and training techniques to deal with the Malinois as it IS instead of trying to change it OR stick with the GSD and drives they are comfortable with and just find quality working ones instead of mediocre ones.

If the decision making people at the UKC don’t want to contact Holland or the KNPV, there are people here in the United States that come from Holland, have been to Holland and are thoroughly in the “know”. There is also a woman here in the U.S. that actually even worked for the KNPV and is still in contact on a regular basis with the KNPV who would be more then happy to educate them to either affirm or deny what they have been led to believe. I implore the UKC to do much research and to also look at the source of the initial information. Why would someone mislead the UKC in the first place? What gain would there be to creating a new breed? There is only one thing I can think of and that is monetary.

If the UKC truly follows through with this plan of creating a new breed of dog (which is NOT a breed at all, just a mix between the German Shepherd and the Belgian Malinois) then they will be doing a huge disservice to the public, themselves and will also lose their credibility in the process. One main thing the UKC has going for it is that they are known as the “working dogs” registry and indeed I know they are respected by working dog people for that integrity. They would lose all credibility in the larger working dog community if they succumb to this false information they have been provided with and create a new “breed” so that these mixes can be registered for the sole purpose of profit. No other benefit would be gained by making this GSD/Mal mix a recognized breed than pure profit.

If anyone at the UKC in a decision making position would like more information on this subject, I would be happy to provide names and phone numbers of individuals to contact who KNOW the truth regarding the Shepinois or Dutch Malinois as they’re being considered.

Very Respectfully,

Lesli Taylor
Taylor’d Canines
Yelm, WA USA
http://www.taylordcanines.com