The Belgian Malinois was bred to be an active and intelligent working dog who spent its life herding and protecting sheep.  These high-energy dogs tend to be slightly smaller and slimmer than other working dog breeds.  Belgian Malinois are easy to train, enjoy being challenged, and are known to be protective and hardworking.  This makes them ideal for use in military and police operations. Like other working dogs, the Belgian Malinois breed first appeared around the late 1800s.  It originated in Mechelen, Belgium, but was given the name "Malinois" after the French name for the city, "Malines."  The Belgian Malinois is part of a larger group of dogs known as Belgian Shepherds, which were officially recognized as a breed in 1901. Today, Belgian Malinois do a variety of tasks for the police and military.  They are exceptional at scent tracking, alerting humans to explosives, search and rescue, and occasionally detaining enemies.  The Secret Service uses Belgian Malinois to guard the grounds surrounding the White House.  One Belgian Malinois, named Cairo, even participated in the operation that brought down terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.  That proves while German Shepherds may be the most well-known military working dogs, Belgian Malinois are just as impressive.