Calling all malinois owners/enthusists, info needed please.

[Dogdragoness]

Hello all, as you know I am not in the market for a pup any time soon, but thie recent experience with this companies drug/police/personal protection dogs (mostly malinois) got me researching via google for when the time comes a year or two in the future (never too early to research, right LOL), but i cant really find anything in depth about them, only that they are active & smart & crave mental stilulation.

I would like to know, how are they to raise? to live with? they seem like awesome dogs & i would just like to know more. I have owned, dobes, GSDs, JRT's & various mixes through out my 20 + yrs owning dogs so i have a good amount of dog experience.

[Aleron]

I like the Malinut page: http://malinut.com/

I'm currently raising a Mal pup named Roust and I have had Black Belgians for years. The Belgian breeds are quirky and some go through some rough adolescent phases. They absolutely need proper early training and socialization to develop into great adult dogs. Approaching the early training and socialization in the wrong way can pretty much ruin some dogs. So far I have found Roust fairly easy and fun but I am a Belgian person He settles well when nothing is going on on but at the first hint of action he's up leaping, spinning and sliding across the floors. He's very lovey and needs touched a lot. He's already 40lbs+ and he loves to sit in laps and be held (just be careful of his hard head hitting you in the face, he's nearly broken a couple noses :/ ). He is obsessed with being with me, out and about he barely pays attention to anything going on around him because he's so happy to be out doing stuff with me. IME his needy, dorky, lovey traits are fairly typical of male Belgians. It seems you either find those traits endearing or they drive you crazy LOL Roust is good in a crate to a point but when he thinks he's been in one too long, he lets you know. Even if it is 5am on Saturday He isn't wanting out because he has to potty. He wants out because...well because! This is fairly typical of a lot of Belgians I've had and known.

Roust is a "no touch" sort of dog with strangers though and you will find that in the breed. By "no touch" I mean he doesn't tolerate strangers petting him very well. I can take him anywhere, strangers can hold his leash while I walk away and he acts very appropriate but he doesn't want them to get too personal. He had a less than stellar upbringing until I got him at 14 weeks old (from the home his "breeder" placed him in...48 hours after the breeder placed him). He's come a long way socially since I first got him and I think he'll continue improving.

Not sure what you are looking for a dog for but there are a lot of very shady Mal breeders out there and unfortunately, some of them have a lot of credentials and accomplishments. If you are looking to buy a puppy from a breeder, look for a breeder who shares similar ideas with you in terms of how dogs are kept and interacted with. If you want a dog who's high drive, high energy but also a great companion, don't go to a breeder who's dogs live out their lives in kennels and only come out to be worked. If you are open to rescue, ABMC always has a lot of dogs available and they even get puppies in fairly often. If you're curious what a Mal would be like to live with, offer to be a foster home http://www.malinoisrescue.org/

[Dogdragoness]

Awesome info, think you!!! Now if I could find a good breeder in Texas (I want to see their dogs, their setup in person etc) sadly there aren't many in tx good... Or bad.

[stardogs]

There are several really thorough threads about the breed on CHaz already.

Malinois: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=168069

Normal Person+Malinois = : http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158187

Breeder Recommendations: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151116

For those thinking about a malinois: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134891

And numerous threads similar to this as well:
"To balance the cute...": http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130958

[AdrianneIsabel]

You may want to consider fostering first, this breed is overflowing lately with people who maybe aren't the best fit that they thought they would be. That way you can be sure, save a life, and help the breed all at once.

I won't go too long because Erin posted the vital threads but you're welcome at any time to review my YouTube. I have several "just hanging out" videos of my dogs who've been taught off switches and yet severely lack them. I wouldn't trade them for the world but they can be trying.

[stardogs]

Rescue is in HUGE need of fosters for sure - they had four in TX looking for foster homes just last week. It's GREAT way to get a feel for the breed (and maybe find a dog you can't live without).

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by stardogs

Rescue is in HUGE need of fosters for sure - they had four in TX looking for foster homes just last week. It's GREAT way to get a feel for the breed (and maybe find a dog you can't live without).

I totally agree! It is mind boggling how many Mals need foster homes.

FWIW Roust never needed taught an off switch. And we play in house even He is a high drive crazy boy but if nothing fun is going on he can chill. Some people find their's don't. There really is a lot of variation in the breed with individuals and lines. The main thing to be aware of is they are quirky dogs. Sensitive but intense, needy and obsessive, happy, goofy guard dogs who have a hard time containing their enthusiasm. Fostering is a great way to see if you really mesh with the quirkyness...or if it will drive you crazy.

[Dogdragoness]

Originally Posted by Aleron

I totally agree! It is mind boggling how many Mals need foster homes.

FWIW Roust never needed taught an off switch. And we play in house even He is a high drive crazy boy but if nothing fun is going on he can chill. Some people find their's don't. There really is a lot of variation in the breed with individuals and lines. The main thing to be aware of is they are quirky dogs. Sensitive but intense, needy and obsessive, happy, goofy guard dogs who have a hard time containing their enthusiasm. Fostering is a great way to see if you really mesh with the quirkyness...or if it will drive you crazy.

Different breed I know, but Izze was like that she could settle (once she got older when she was young she would jump to her feet if I so much as changed positions on the couch, so I did a lot of shifting around & ignoring her to desensitize her to it & it worked .

@StardogsI looked on google but couldn't find any rescues that had dogs near me in Texas (San Antonio & surrounding areas) but if there was I would jump at the chance to foster . Thanks for the thread links by the way.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by stafinois

You forgot this thread: So you think you want a Malinois... http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117960

My two Malinois have turned out to be polar opposites. Harry was a poster dog for every scary thing you could encounter. He was reactive, had no off switch, was nearly impossible to contain

Yeah...Roust jumped the fence yesterday to get to me in the yard (we have a little yard and a big yard, I was in the big yard with Savvy). I fully blame Savvy for showing him that fence jumping was a possibility to start with. Until Savvy came none of my dogs ever tried to go over the fence. Savvy right away said "a fence is merely an obstacle". The older dogs said "you aren't supposed to do that!" and Roust said "Huh...you know...you're right!".

Off to make the little yard fence taller. -_-

Originally Posted by stafinois

Stan is everything Harry is not. He's still wild and energetic, but he's so happy. He's never met a stranger. He doesn't alarm bark at all. The only time he makes noise is when he's really happy excited about something. He's Dug from Up as a real dog.

I met two of Stan's brothers last weekend! Both very happy, wild dogs. Pictures to come

Originally Posted by Dogdragoness

Different breed I know, but Izze was like that she could settle (once she got older when she was young she would jump to her feet if I so much as changed positions on the couch, so I did a lot of shifting around & ignoring her to desensitize her to it & it worked .

LOL well...the leaping up at any sign of action is often a lifelong thing for Belgians. I've never really given it much thought or tried to train them out of it though. Just "nope sorry, went to the kitchen to get a drink and I'm not opening the door" while pointy dogs stare in disbelief. "I coulda swore she was going to open the door!"

[stafinois]

Originally Posted by Aleron

Yeah...Roust jumped the fence yesterday to get to me in the yard (we have a little yard and a big yard, I was in the big yard with Savvy). I fully blame Savvy for showing him that fence jumping was a possibility to start with. Until Savvy came none of my dogs ever tried to go over the fence. Savvy right away said "a fence is merely an obstacle". The older dogs said "you aren't supposed to do that!" and Roust said "Huh...you know...you're right!".

Off to make the little yard fence taller. -_-

Harry went over a 6 foot fence the first time at 4 months. He just did a Spiderman running strait up it and going over when he saw a cat on the 2nd story balcony of the building behind us. Other than that, he would stay in the yard when we were home, but couldn't be contained if I wasn't there. I had related this story in the thread I had linked to...

I picked up Harry & Grant from the boarding kennel Sunday evening. I chose this particular kennel because they have indoor/outdoor runs. They even have a couple that have lids on them inside and out, just for containing spaz dogs like Harry. Imagine my shock when I discovered that he had escaped their Super Deluxe Escape Proof Kennel a couple of times. Fortunately, his escapes were in the indoor portion of his run. I guess the Saturday morning kennel attendant showed up for work, and was surprised to find Harry waiting for her in the kitchen. They assume that he crawled through a hole in the lid that wasn't very secure, dropped in the the run next to him that contained Grant, and then jumped out of Grant's uncovered kennel. After they reinforced that spot, he just started tearing at the chain link on the kennel door, and got out that way.

They later told me that they found him in the kitchen several times before they figured out how he was doing it.

I met two of Stan's brothers last weekend! Both very happy, wild dogs. Pictures to come

I can't wait to see them! Which two did you meet? From what I understand, Stan is the smallest. He was the tiniest puppy, but seemed to have caught up when I got him at 3 1/2 months. Green (now Rune) and Blue (can't remember new name, Ranger maybe?) were still there when I got him, and he was nearly their size. I suspect that he's going to be a little guy. I weighed him on Wednesday, so he's now 43.8 lbs at 10.5 months.

LOL well...the leaping up at any sign of action is often a lifelong thing for Belgians. I've never really given it much thought or tried to train them out of it though. Just "nope sorry, went to the kitchen to get a drink and I'm not opening the door" while pointy dogs stare in disbelief. "I coulda swore she was going to open the door!"

They can't bear to miss anything!

Originally Posted by Dogdragoness

With ACDs females are usually less lovey dovey, & males are more so. Females tend to be tougher physically & more dutiful: there is a saying "females love you but males are IN love with you" lol.

I think that's a good description of Malinois, too.