The Belgian Malinois originated around the city of Malines in northwest Belgium in the 1800's. It is one of four AKC-registered shepherd breeds from Belgium. While they were originally bred as shepherds, Malinois are versatile workers that have since been used for explosive and narcotic detection, tracking suspects for police apprehension, and search and rescue missions. They are currently used by the U.S. Secret Service to guard the White House grounds.