Any references or knowledge of Mason's Malinois? - Page 1

I have been speaking with Bill Mason at Mason's Malinois (masonsmalinois.com), for a while now, about buying a pup from him. This will be my first Mal, and first pure bred pup. Bill seems like a very straightforward guy, but after reading the "Buyer's Beware" post in the GSD section I have some concerns. I am just searching fro anyone who can give references, or had direct experience with the quality of pups produced by Mr. Mason.

My concerns mostly stem from the lack of OFA, and Cerf certification. How important are these certs. in Mals?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Mason's Has some nice mals but if you are looking for a stron Mal there are a few other places to look try www.topgunk9.com he has a nice import male that he is using for a stud dog out of the Perle de Tourbiere Kennels. Mason's has a male and a female from this exact dog Dylan Perle de Tourbiere. I also have a litter coming in two weeks out of Dylan and my bitch Dogman's Red her pedigree is listed on this site and the Litter's pedigree is also listed under her Progeny under Dogman's Nemesis. There are a few lines that you might want to stay away from depending on what you are looking for. Sport dogs or just a family Personal Protection dog. I would keep your options open and look at a few different Kennels. At masons I personally feel that they are not breeding to better the breed which is the goal that I have in mind, they are a mass production kennel not a quality kennel. But like I said keep your options open if you need help finding a nice working mal you can call me and I will give you a bit of advice depending on what exactly you are looking for. Or you can email me at vincent.mchugh@yahoo.com my phone number is 720-951-1458 and feel free to call me at anytime. Tale it easy and Ihope that this helps!!!    Vincent Mc Hugh

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Hey Scuba.  How about a little information on your intentions with the dog?  What is it you wish to do with your new friend?  What experiences do you have with respect to training?  Are you looking to do SchH, FR, PP, agility?  Not trying to tell you what to do with your dog, just trying to give sound advice.  The breed itself has gotten very popular over the past couple of years and every Tom Dick & Harry is breeding them and selling them cheap.  Take your time and be comfortable with the puppy you are looking at.  Beware of guys that keep broadcasting that their dogs are police K9's as 99% of police departments are not allowed to breed their dogs.  In fact, I know personally of K9 officers that lost their jobs because they bred their K9 partners.  The AKC will not allow the breeding of dogs registered to departments and not private owners.  Departments will not allow the private ownership of K9 dogs because of liability, so it's kind of a Catch22.  One of the problems with breeding dogs in our litigious society is if by chance your future purchase happens to bite someone (heaven forbid), and his father/mother were associated in any way with a police department, that department will be placed on the guilty party list.

Do some research into the bloodlines that you are looking for so you can educate yourself on drives and temperament.  Hopefully you have done your homework and truly understand what you are getting into!!!  This dog will absolutely need a job so find yourself someone local who understands the breed that can help you.  If you plan on doing SchH or French Ring, find a club in your area and check them out preferably before you even get your puppy.  Beware of people who broadcast their puppies will be great for different sports that they themselves have never done. 

Phil,

My dog will not be a working dog per se, other than the fact it will be second in charge of security at my home. I have little experience training, but I am doing a great deal of research, and I have to start somewhere. I may get involved in agility or SchH eventually, but being that I work on the weekend,s that will be difficult right now. I plan on training the pup for retrieval, possibly tracking, and frisbee, and he or she will be my running companion every morning. The dog will be a house dog and needs to be social,  confident, courageous, and cautious of suspicious strangers. I prefer a more muscular looking dog, rather than the thinner body type, but I know this can't be predicted in an 8 week old puppy. 

Thanks for the advice and I welcome further suggestions. 

If you are not going to use the dog for schutzhund than I would suggest possibly a showline Mal or a working X showline. They a bit lower drive but still has the energy to do the activities you desire as well as basic protection of the household, the liability of a showline is much lower, especially if you have never owned the breed before. The showline are still great in things like agility, freestyle, herding and many other activities.  There are many great breeders out there that are breeding showline and showlineX working mals. I certainly agree with Phil in that you shouldn't buy the first you see. Check around and depending on where you are I can give you some names of some great show kennels.
If given the choice I wouldn't buy from a kennel that doesn't do health testing. It is important in any breed. Mali's are generally healthy dogs but I still wouldn't take the chance, the money you save from buying from a kennel that doesn't heath test may come back on you in vet bills X6. 

 Storms,

Thanks for the info. I am located in Texas. What do you mean when you say the liability is much less with the show lines?

Scuba,

I disagree, don't get a showline or showline x workingline bred dog. IMO, that whole line of thinking is BS, sorry Storms. The Malinois is a working dog and should be bred for work.  This being said, inevitibly there will be pups in a litter not suitable for work. Often their character is perfect, but lack the drive, intesity or sustained drive to do the work....this is what you need. Workingline dogs are healthier and have better character overall, including the pups that may not cut it in a specific working venue.

Talk to Phil, he breeds and he seems a good job of it.
Here are others:

www.loupdusoleil.com

www.dantero.com

www.pawsnclaws.com

Ot Vitosha malinois

There are more that I could list, and you can contact me privately if you wish. There's a lady I know who just had a nice litter out of Son of Sam Deacon X Stormvogel's Ayla Joy. AFAIK, the Mason's are decent people with decent dogs, but there's nothing in the website that tells me that they are breeding with a really focused direction, nor do they seem to work their dogs in any objectively measured venue & there is the issue of no health certs.

John Haudenshield

Thanks John. Any knowledge of WindRush Kennel in far south Texas? She has been breeding for 30 years and seems pretty knowledgeable.

Bill Mason has been very nice and professional and I believe him to be true to his word. I don't want anyone to take my questions about them the wrong way. I am just trying to learn, and being pretty particular and very analytical in everything I do has it cons sometimes.

Scuba, my mistake on the reference to a daughter working with the dog, I had an E-mail inquiry about a puppy and I somehow combined the two conversations.  So, forget the part about the children (unless of course you have some, and in that case, throw it back in).  So you say you are interested in a male or it doesn't matter?  On another note, watch the Frisbee thing, can be very dangerous.  Dogs are notorious prey animals and commonly "sell out" when it comes to chasing things whether they be flying or running across the ground.  When committed to flight, it is not easy for the dog to change direction in mid-air so consequently it is far too common to see spinal problems, ACL tears or myriad other problems arise from "playing" Frisbee.  Just be careful.