Popular dog breeds in Morocco: temperament and needs

German Shepherds in villas, Malinois on sports grounds, Bichons in flats, Huskies on social media: a handful of breeds largely dominate Moroccan listings and streets. Each was bred for a specific job, and that history explains its character and needs. Here is an honest portrait of the most common breeds in Morocco, including the country’s own two breeds, to help you choose with your eyes open.

The shepherds

The German Shepherd

This is probably the most widespread pedigree dog in Morocco. Intelligent, versatile and very attached to its family, it learns fast and likes to work. It is an excellent guard dog, naturally dissuasive.

It needs daily exercise, consistent training from a young age and a real family life: relegated alone to a roof or a courtyard, it becomes a barker and anxious. Its double coat sheds heavily and copes only moderately with strong heat. The breed is prone to hip and elbow dysplasia: ask to see the parents and avoid lines with a very sloping back.

The Belgian Malinois

Lighter and more highly strung than the German Shepherd, the Malinois is an athlete built for work. Its quickness and capacity for learning make it the star of training clubs and security services.

It is not a dog for a beginner, nor for a sedentary lifestyle. Without at least two hours of physical and mental activity a day, it invents its own occupations: destruction, barking, chasing. Well handled by an active, experienced owner, it is an exceptional companion. Its short coat makes it more comfortable than many others in our climate.

The northern breeds: the Siberian Husky

Its blue eyes and wolf-like look have made it one of the most demanded breeds. It is also one of the most often abandoned, because reality comes as a surprise.

The Husky was bred to pull sleds over long distances in intense cold. It is enduring, independent, an escape artist, not inclined to obey, and it howls more than it barks. Its thick undercoat makes Moroccan summers hard: in Marrakech or Fes, it must live indoors, air-conditioned, and go out only in the cool hours. It must never be clipped to the skin.

It is an affectionate dog with no aggression, but suits a sporty, available owner, preferably living on the coast. Read our advice on protecting your dog from the heat before deciding.

The retrievers: Labrador and Golden Retriever

Gentle, sociable, patient with children and easy to train, these are family dogs par excellence. They love everyone, which makes them poor guards but excellent companions for a first dog.

They need exercise, love water and fetching, and stay playful for a long time. Their main fault is greed: they put on weight very easily, and obesity aggravates their joint problems. Weigh the ration and limit treats. The Golden needs more brushing than the Labrador.

Small companion dogs

The Maltese and the Bichon Frisé

Small, cheerful, very close to their owner, they adapt perfectly to flat life and suit older people. Their white coat hardly sheds, but it mats: daily brushing and grooming every six to eight weeks are essential. They cope badly with being left alone.

The Poodle

Often underrated, the Poodle is one of the most intelligent dogs. It comes in several sizes, from toy to standard. Lively, sporty and easy to train, it doesn’t shed, which makes it interesting for sensitive people. It needs activity and regular grooming.

The Pomeranian

Very fashionable, this ball of fluff of two to three kilos has character: lively, brave and apt to bark. Its abundant coat needs frequent brushing and makes it sensitive to heat. Its small size makes it fragile, and not suited to very young children. Beware of very low prices and puppies sold too young: the demand attracts unscrupulous sellers.

The Chihuahua, the Yorkshire and the Shih Tzu

The Chihuahua, the smallest dog in the world, is lively and very attached to one person. The Yorkshire is a terrier, energetic and stubborn despite its size. The Shih Tzu is calm and affectionate, but its short nose makes it sensitive to heat and its long coat needs a lot of upkeep. All three need training like real dogs: a small dog that is allowed everything quickly becomes a tyrant.

The big guardians: Rottweiler, Dobermann, Cane Corso

These powerful dogs are sought after for guarding. Well bred, well socialised and well trained, they are stable and very attached to their family. Badly selected or badly handled, they become dangerous through sheer strength.

They need an experienced, calm and consistent owner, intensive socialisation from puppyhood and training without brutality. Before any purchase, find out about the regulations: Moroccan law bans certain mastiffs and pit bull-type dogs, and the position of a few related breeds is worth checking. Our article dogs and the law in Morocco covers this.

The Moroccan breeds

The Aïdi, the Atlas dog

The Aïdi is Morocco’s mountain dog. For centuries it has protected the flocks and camps of the Atlas from predators. Medium-sized and muscular, it has a thick, medium-length coat that protects it from the cold of the peaks as from the sun, and a plumed tail.

It is a born guardian: vigilant, brave, wary of strangers and very loyal to its own. Hardy and resistant, perfectly adapted to the country’s climate, it needs space and a mission. It thrives in the countryside or in a house with land, much less in a flat. Often crossbred, the pure-type Aïdi deserves to be better known and preserved.

The Sloughi, the Arabian greyhound

Elegant, slender, built for running, the Sloughi is the greyhound of the Maghreb, whose breed standard Morocco holds. Traditionally bred for hunting, it was held in high esteem and lived in the tent with the family.

At home it is a calm, discreet, clean dog, very attached to its owner and reserved with strangers. Outdoors, its chasing instinct is intact: it needs regular free runs in a safe enclosed space. Its smooth coat and lean build make it sensitive to cold, but very comfortable in hot weather. Sensitive, it should be trained gently.

And mixed-breed dogs?

Most dogs in Morocco belong to no breed, and they are very often excellent companions: robust, adapted to the climate, with a character as varied as it is endearing. Their temperament is judged like any dog’s, by meeting them. Adopting an adult mixed breed also means knowing exactly what size and character it has.

How to choose

No breed is good or bad in itself. The right breed is the one whose needs match your life: available time, housing, the climate of your city, experience, the presence of children. Ask yourself the questions in our guide to choosing your dog well, meet several adult dogs of the breed that appeals to you, and talk to their owners.

When buying or adopting, check the age, the health record and, if possible, the parents, as explained in adopting or buying a dog in Morocco.

Key takeaways

Shepherds need work, the Husky coolness and space, retrievers exercise and a watched ration, small dogs grooming and real training, the big guardians an experienced owner. The Aïdi and the Sloughi, for their part, are at home in Morocco. The dog listings let you filter by breed and city to meet the one that suits you.