The Belgian Malinois may not be as popular as the German Shepherd, but it has been featured in a number of pop culture works, specifically in film, literature and television. The Malinois has appeared in the silver screen multiple times over the years, although most of these are in non-starring and minor roles. Some of the films where a Malinois can be spotted include Ace of Hearts, The Breed, Case 39, Dogboys, The Dog Who Saved Summer, Night of the Wild, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Olympus Has Fallen and Step Brothers.

One of the films where a Belgian Malinois has a starring role is in the 2015 film entitled Max. The adventure family movie features a Malinois as the titular character. The plot revolves around Max as he serves with the United States Marine Corps. In the film, he is trained by a marine named Kyle Wincott. Kyle discovers that his friend, Tyler, is involved in some sketchy dealings and warns him that he will not cover for his acts. As they go on the battlefield, Kyle is killed in a fight.

Max, who is displaying aggressive behavior upon Kyle’s death, was given to the Wincott family. Immediately, Max takes a liking to Kyle’s brother, Justin. While Justin was not a fan of the dog at first, he eventually warms up to Max. He also receives a DVD showing Kyle training Max and realizes just how close the dog and his brother were. As Justin tries to investigate the death of Kyle, he starts to become more suspicious of Tyler. When Justin discovers the dealings of Tyler with a cartel, he decides to take matters into his own hands. This leads to a number of events involving Justin, Max and his friends trying to expose Tyler’s wrongdoings. Eventually, Max saves Justin from Tyler. At the conclusion of the film, Max is adopted by the Wincott family.

Max helped boost the reputation of the Belgian Malinois and highlighted the breed’s extreme protectiveness and loyalty. Other major Belgian Malinois characters in film include Scoot, from the 2013 film Scoot & Kassie’s Christmas Adventure and Meatball, from the 2013 film Step Dogs.

Other than films, the Belgian Malinois was also featured in a few literary works. One of the most prominent novels involving a Malinois is the Tucker Wayne series by James Rollins. The series, which was made in collaboration with Grant Blackwood, features a Belgian Malinois named Kane in a major role.