Asking, no begging, for sincere Belgian Malinois advice - Page 7

 i rescued about an 8 month old pup of the street just  over a year ago; my vet said "i think she's a maeekl;ldve." I said, " a maiwoqnios?" he pointed to the picture of the malinois on the dogs of the world chart, and I started googling. It scared me stupid. That's right, picked one up without even knowing there was such a thing, or selecting one with just the right temperament and bloodline with expert advice. While I work ,she stays with my 70 + year old parents and 13 year old neice and 3 year old nephew, and 2 cats (running around out in the yard) .  She DOES need lots of exercise and lots of attention but she's not the psycho overdrive maniac that some portray. based on my experience, I'd say a mal may do great in your home. Mine has without any special effort been one of the best dogs Ive had- she just needs to be included completely in the life of the family.

Thanks jeffc.  Good luck with your mal.  She sounds great!

You and your wife need to go see Mohawk John and Paula. They are some of the best people in the Malinois world. They won't "SELL" you a Malinois just to be selling one! 

Yes and No LOL  I don't feel "ANY mal from ANY litter from ANY breeder in ANY pet home is inherently a bad idea and ill advised"  However, I do feel MANY mals from MANY litters from MANY breeders in MANY pet home is inherently a bad idea and ill advised.  And I do NOT agree with breeding Malinois litters with the focus being active pet homes.   It's a working breed, and should remain as such.  Even in the working bred litters there will be the occasional pup who just doesn't have the drive to be a working dog, those pups can be placed in pet homes.  But if the breed has to be "bred down" to make it suitable for the average pet home, the average pet home should go get a different breed.

Now if only more breeders felt that way!!!!!!!

Jivan,

I know this is an older topic but I thought I'd weigh in.  I've had a Mal out of working lines.  To give you an idea of who is talking to you.  I grew up handling strong working dogs.  As an adult I've trained professionally.  So what works for me won't work for others.  Now having said that I've trained a lot of beginners.

To me the Mal is the fighter jet, the Ferrari of the working dog world.  They're sleek, fast, athletic.  They can think on the fly & act on those thoughts in an instant.  This is what gets folks in trouble.  Most people who've not trained a lot find this to be quite difficult & sometimes impossible to live with.  Many find this to be more trouble than it's worth.  I've heard people say, "That's too much like work.  Owning a dog is supposed to be enjoyable."  And that's right, if you don't like to spend the time training, this isn't the breed for you.   But it's more than just that.  They're on & they're ready all the time.  Now I'm not talking about dogs that are bouncing off the walls 24/7.  I wouldn't live with a dog like that & my Mal wasn't like that.  Being 'on' is different than having to be doing something all the time.  Mine would go out & run & work & run the farm with me & when we'd come back to the house... she would stretch out at my feet.  But this is a breed that can go from snoozing to full steam ahead in the blink of an eye.

Mine thwarted an attack by a draft horse & she could take control of a cattle herd & demand their respect.  That's quite impressive when you know this dog did this before she was 6 months old.  Sheep are one thing, cattle & horses something altogether different as they'll fight.  Awesome dog.  She would give her life to save mine.  She had no interest in other people outside of our immediate family.  She was not a dog to trifle with. I was her person & she never missed a thing when it came to protecting me.  I had to be careful of my focus.  This was not a dog I would leave loose at a party or would leave with strangers.

You asked about leaving the dog with the kids (dog to adulthood, respectful kids).  I'm a firm believer in the old adage that you can't unring a bell.  It's too late after something bad's happened so I wouldn't do that.  That's not about the breed but just safe practice.  I wouldn't leave a kid with a dog & parents watching a ballgame on tv either.  They're wathing tv, not the kid/dog.  So call me overly cautious  but I err on that side.

I'm not a lab fan either.  If you decide the Mal's not for you... you might look at the Dutch Shepherd & German Shepherd.  The Dutchies I've worked have been slightly more laid back than my Mal.   My German Shepherds were quick to go to work but they were more laid back than the Dutchies.  Keep in mind you can find 'hot' in these breeds.  I'm speaking in general terms at some alternatives.

I am a Mal owner who's Mal is a pet. We do obedience shows but he is a house dog. He lives inside with my husband and I. (no kids) I think it's crazy to say a Mal can't be a house dog. You just have to be careful with them. You need to put alot of work into them. Any breed can be bad if you don't put the effort into them to make them a good dog. Mals are super smart and trainable. However, it's not a breed for a first time dog owner. I was raised with German Shepherds so I've always had large breeds. Make sure you really look into everything before you decide to get one. If you want a pet, stay away from working lines. I have a show line Mal and they are different from the working lines. He's not lazy by any means though and still needs a good run every day plus lots of attention. If I can be of any help answering questions just let me know.

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No, the mal is not the dog for your family, household.  Sorry, but this is my feelings.  Nan

I have a deposit for a Mal coming out of a showline this spring.  

I didnt read in your posts what your background was in working with dogs. I ask this because in order to keep a mal happy and mentally sound, you are going to need to be on your game. Ive been working with dog a long time and I wont even own one. They take to much commitment .

Someone recommended a dutchie. Really? Not a good suggestion imo. A mwd handler once said to me that mals are shepherds on crack and over the years Ive come to believe this is true. With what you have described, there are some other breed choices for you that I feel would be a better fit. If you are insistant on a mal then do as others have suggested, adopt from a rescue and this why. A good rescue will know the dog and will be able to tell you if the dog will fit. I rescue and will only place a dog to the home not the other way around. Rescues don't want their dogs coming back and a good one will spend all the necessary time with you to make sure there is a good fit. Some breeders will too but as we all know from this board, many will not. And most importantly if something happens and you have tried everything to make it work and it doesnt, the rescue will take the dog back.

Why do people always recommend a lab as a dog of choice. They are not always plug and play as suggested esp working lines.

Barb