When you have a dog, there’s no telling who they’ll bond to. It could be you, your bestie, a neighbor, or another animal in the neighborhood.
On Friday, October 27th, a pair of unlikely friends really fell in love, and we were lucky enough to witness it in video form:
@hellacanines ✨💕 I can’t believe I’m saying this but my baby girl has a boyfriend 🥺 this is thr first time in her LIFE that I’ve ever seen her get excited about another dog. K9 Zilla does NOT like all dogs, for that fact that she’s paws over heels about K9 Kylo is all I need 😌 (no puppies were made in the making of this video) #fyp #foryoupage #K9 #K9Unit #workingdog #serviceanimal #belgianmalinois #newportkentucky #policeK9
I love that @hellacanines was able to find a bestie for her service dogs. Employed dogs deserve to have fun sometimes!
Related: Belgian Malinois’ Unique Way of Digging Holes Is As Effective As It Is Funny
According to the TikToker, both of these pups belong to the Belgian Malinois breed: a polarizing breed that’s popular for service and police work in particular.
The Belgian Malinois, as one might expect, hails from the northwest region of Belgium near a city called Malines. Originally, the pups were bred for herding on large farms in this region, and they still are used for herding sometimes, but they’ve largely been transitioned to the workforce.
The Malinois is an incredibly intelligent, very high-energy breed. Even though many don’t use them for herding anymore, those instincts are still inside them. They are chasers, and they are biters – two things that make them ideal for chasing after criminals. In police work, there are generally two types of dogs:
- “Chase” dogs that track your scent, find you, and alert their handlers.
- “Bite” dogs that chase you and then are allowed to keep you in place by biting you if you try to run.
Not every police dog is technically a bite dog, though most do receive the training for a controlled bite. In the case of a Malinois, they’re very popular police dogs because of their amazing speed and powerful bite. Many consider these pups to be dangerous.
A well-trained, properly exercised Malinois like Zilla and her boyfriend are of no danger to their handlers or anyone else. However, some people who manage to get their hands on a Malinois do not have the proper space or skills for them, and in that case, they can be dangerous. The innate need to chase and bite might be taken out on you, guests, or other animals in your home.
Generally, if you don’t have a farm, aren’t on the police force, and don’t need a service animal, you might be better off getting a German Shepherd, which are a little calmer!
