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Everyone says the Belgian Malinois comes in 12 coat colors.

It's more nuanced than that...

Every coat has 3 layers, and once you see them, you can't unsee it.

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Layer 1: Base Color

Every Belgian Malinois starts with a base color. Think of it as a spectrum.

These are all shades of the same pigment (phaeomelanin), ranging from pale cream to deep mahogany.

Fawn is the most common.

Layer 2: Black Overlay

On top of every base color sits a layer of black-tipped hairs.

This is what most people call "charcoaling."

Some Mals have barely any overlay.

Others are so heavily charcoaled they look almost black.

Layer 3: Pigmentation

The default overlay pigmentation is black.

But a rare dilution exists.

This dilution changes the mask, overlay, nose, and paw pads.

Exceptions: White Markings

Some Mals carry white markings on the chest and toes.

These show up on top of any color combination and are controlled by a separate gene (S-locus).

Exceptions: Purpose-Bred Crosses

Belgian Malinois are commonly crossed with other working breeds.

These crosses can introduce coat patterns not typically seen in purebred Mals.

• Solid Black can occur in purebred Mals, but most often traces back to Groenendael (Belgian Sheepdog) lines

• Black and Tan can occur in purebred Mals, but most likely from German Shepherd crosses

• Brindle does not occur in purebred Mals. Found in Malinois crossed with Dutch Shepherds

TL;DR: Every Belgian Malinois coat comes down to 3 layers (base color, black overlay, pigment type), plus a few exceptions from purpose-bred crosses. But coat color should never be the reason you pick a puppy. Temperament and lifestyle fit matter more.

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Until next Thursday, ✌️

Sam