GSD or Malinois ? for Schutzhund sport - Page 2

a friendly bit of advice........it sounds like you need to have a good heart-to-heart discussion with yourself.  i think everyone needs to do this from time to time.  be totally honest with yourself in terms of what you want and then go for it.  schh/ipo began with the inception of the gsd breed as a tool to determine working ability & breeding worthiness.  the motives were pure, but over time it became less of a test and more about competition, points, winning and big $$$$ that go along with dogs that are in high demand.  nothing wrong with that.  dog sports are a wonderful opportunity to have a good time with your dog, meet others of like mind.  the thing that is wrong is when people who have competition dogs, trained to perform a routine, keep insisting that they have working dogs & proof that they have working ability.  real work & trained routine are nothing alike.  from what you have posted, it sounds like you are competition oriented.  if you believe owning and training a mali will get you on the podium, go for it.  be aware that the competition in those venues is brutally tough.  also be aware that you cannot get there on your own.  you have to have other folks who are willing to put time and effort in to training your dog at different levels to get you to your goal.  i wish you luck in whatever you decide.  just be honest with yourself & be fair to your dogs.
pjp

i have a mali and a gsd they both have their + and their - imo both good breeds both you need to get from reputable breeders or you will end up with some problems.

Really Ziegenfarm, trained a routine? You must be training a whole lot in Schutzhund. My guys work damn hard to outsmart me, that alone makes them working dogs.

Joe, nothing wrong with owning 2 breeds. You just have to adjust your training knowledge and how you apply it. My experience is that Mals are very black and white, more reactive than anything else when asked to perform an exercise. GSDs can be a bit more greyish, some like to think twice; as well as being more independent in problem solving and decission making. Both have their positives and negatives. If you are able to adjust your training style to the individual than you should do fine.

It's a routine. That's why you have to train to keep the dog from anticipating---as in, change up "the routine".

Of course the end result will be performing a "routine".  But you dont train a routine, you teach and train different exercises, broken down as far as one needs to.

Some do train a routine. It depends on the motive for the training. I'm all for it, if it gets the requisite title out of the way so we can all move on to something else.  

As to whether he wants a Mal, I would take Hired Dog's advice very seriously- many, if not most, Mals you see today are not what a true Mal person likes to see and values in their Malinois. I would take his breeder suggestions and start researching from there. Having said that, Hans' post was funny, but true- it illlustrates that the Mal vs. GSD debate is likely not going to be solved in this lifetime, and definitely not in this thread. 

Thanks all for your advice. I will do more research before I get my second dog.