Will a malinois suit me? - Page 2

You asked some intelligent questions. The people I know with Malinois either take their dogs to work with them, meaning they own a patrol dog or a detection dog, etc. Sure you can put one in the crate for a few hours, but, then you must have several more hours you need to dedicate to that dog to work it/allow it to expend its energy and drives in ways that are suited for the breed and its particular use.
There are reasons why most breeders of Malinois wont sell to pet homes..people today dont have the time or energy or desire to devote in a dog.
Yes, a lot of them can be nervy, yes, most people will confuse that quality with drive or aggression or whatever. Yes, some of them, mainly the Belgian NVBK dogs, can shut it off, but not all.
Yes, some of them have drives and stamina that will drive the average human up a wall and yes, some of them have dominance issues.
I would never suggest the breed for the average pet owner that wants to do some flyball, but, then again, I believe that the Malinois is first and foremost a WORKING breed that needs and must have a job.
If you ever find yourself looking at them and seriously considering a purchase, do some deep research and homework, look, talk and experience what other WORKING dog handlers with Malinois have to say, then act accordingly. Good luck.
 

Thanks for that! I have to say, I don't think I'm too keen on a Mal for myself, but I do know a few in flyball who are really lovely dogs with great personalities, and man are they ever fast with awesome drives. I just think the margin for error is great, as in I could very easily out-dog myself. I want to make sure it's not the advice of hard-core GSD people trying to steer me toward their beloved breed, so thought I'd ask. :)  Too bad GSD's aren't a bit smaller!

I have actually been doing a bit of schutzhund with my GSD (which is why I was asking, because the Mal people at my club have regular FT work and don't bring their dogs to work with them, and it somehow works for them), although it's taken a back seat for flyball. I'm hoping to get a dog a bit better suited for flyball down the road, but people are moving away from BC's and going to mixes. My problem with mixes is that you don't really know what you'll end up with and I am Not. A. Whippet. Person., no offense to anyone :D So I'm trying to figure out a couple of different breeds to look into.

Maybe a Mal/BC cross? lol  Just kidding.  ;)

Anyway, I'll keep reading up, I'm just trying to stay open minded. and I thought I perhaps shut the door on Mals a bit too quickly, but perhaps it was for good reason.

Remember your job may change...ie work hours may change in a few years. Overall, unless the malinois will be a patrol dog, best to go with gsd where the chances of getting a non-hectic dog with off switch is high.

Hi to "will a Malinois suit me?"
from what you have said, in my experience with my amazing female Mal, YES....she is my "Heart Dog" that is to say if one is lucky enough to obtain one in a lifetime, you are blessed.  (that is a dog you feel a genuine connection with.  I'm a 73 year old Lady, got Topaz when she was aprox 7 weeks......I got her into training at 10 weeks, then some more training, well yes she had difficult "issues" more training with a K9 trainer.  I have the luxury of being retired (finally) and devote a lot of time with her.  We walk 2 miles each morning, several outdoor "playtimes" when the weather cools off , I will walk her in the evening also.  Living in Southern AZ we have 6 months of "Insane Heat"  as described by other Mal owners she does require at lot of attention, thankfully she does "shut down" 3 to 4 times a day for a nap.  Mal's Intelligence is unsurpassed,  some of the research says they are not affectionate and not recommended for over age 65 - yes I will admit you must be "in shape" and my sweet girl IS affectionate.   signed "Love my Mal"

I rescued a Mal a couple of years ago. While I work she spends the day with my retired parents and 4 year old nephew. Everybody is  just happy as they could be. I think some of the folks saying no may have high-end working dogs and what they are telling you is true of their experience, but they do come in a range of temperaments, and if you're carefull and choosy (maybe adopt an adult?) there's one for you.
 

I advise every single person that i meet to never get a mal. Now I have one mali bitch. so this isnt a bash.

If you are not a working dog enthusiast that is severely dedicated, or a professional you should not get a mali. period.

now exceptions, washout pups with low energy and drive need homes.

however since malis are suddenly growing in popularity in the US it will be detrimental to the breed just like every other.
As you see mali rescues growing and to match shepherd rescues in recent years do to the ignorance of new owners.
Plus with growing popularity and fads you with see much more shiXXy breeding practices for someone to make a buck.


 

There is a show on National geographic channel called Alpha Dogs. Training mostly Malinois for police work and army work. You should watch that show for a few episodes and see if you could handle a dog like that. I love watching these dogs at work. They are incredible.

I own a Mal and I work 4 days on, 4 days off, for 12.25 hours per day lol... Valkyrie, a almost 2 year old female, is the best dog I've ever had. She is a lot of work, but after I learned to make some adjustments to suit her needs (i.e. a wireless fence so she wouldn't be fighting a kennel and freaking out while I'm gone, a vibration collar so I can always have a secondary method to get her attention when she's off leash, and daily exercise plus playing in the backyard with my neighbor's dogs all day), she has become a well balanced dog. She'll pass out while we watch TV on our "lazy days", is very eager to please and obedient, and incredibly affectionate. We did have to battle her timidity for awhile, but with a firm hand and consistency she grew past that and now happily engages in new environments and activities. But when I chose Val, it wasn't because of her breed. I had no prior interactions with the breed before meeting her. But when I saw her and got to interact with her for awhile and saw her potential to become a great friend, I knew I had to have her. She wasn't even supposed to be for sale and I just got lucky and wound up buying myself a puppy for my birthday!

So, from what I've seen, Malinois are wicked smart in addition to being high energy, which can present a plethora of problems, but they're also super eager to please, so as long as you engage their nose (find it games?), teeth (lots of chewies and tug of war), muscles (exercise), and appeal to their desire to do a job (which can be anything from jogging to find it games), then you should be fine. As Caesar put it (lol, I watch Dog Whisper quite a bit ;) ), if you find ways to engage the DOG then you can find ways to overcome the traits inherent in the BREED, which I've taken to mean that by exercising her and by keeping her with a pack of dogs who keep her socialized and entertained when I'm not home then I can overcome that boredom and high energy that leads to a lot of owner and dog frustration (not to mention property destruction). I can now leave her at home confident that she's having a great time, and I can take her places confident that we're both going to have a great time. She's become a family favorite, taking on all of the kids on Thanksgiving for a game of football and loving every minute of the attention, not caring if her ears got pulled or her paws stepped on.

So, if you've got the time and want that loyal, protective companion, then I'd say you can find it in a Malinois. Just be alert and remember when choosing a dog that the personality is the most important thing, and that being that pack leader who understands what your dog needs vs. what they want leads to a happy, awesome life :)  

Conspicuous - look into an Australian shepherd.  That breed might be what you are looking for in fly ball and the ranch.  By the way... Where are our updated pictures?

If you know people who own and train Mals, I'd talk with them.. Maybe you have some good breeders in your area you could go talk with, they might have an older dog or a pup that is lower drive.. I bought a Mal a few years ago, he was nothing like what I expected.. Very low drive, he wouldn't even play ball.. He would climb a 6 foot fence to go wander the neighborhood to play with kids.. I gave him to a trainer, who had a more secure area to contain him. Every dog is different, even in a breed standard..There might be a rescue or breeder that has or knows of a dog that would fit into your family.. I'd go visit some training clubs, breeders and rescues, see if you could get some "hands on" experience with the breed..