Sounds like the vet doesnt know much about mals. The dog in the pic is definitely a mal. Head is proper, body shape and proportions are perfect, the mask, color, ears.
Most Mals you see here in the US ARE smaller, but different areas of Europe breed differently. Think of the classic US GSD vs the big, square back, eastern bloc GSD's.
My old EED mal was HUGE and very calm for a mal. Depending on the breeder and their goals (conformation vs work vs type of work) they vary. Good chance if she's calm, she was bred with EDD work in mind.