Normal people + Malinois =

[Maliraptor]

I agree 100% Mals are not for normal people. Hope these two find their groove.

[vandog]

What a waste of a great dog.

[Hillside]

Originally Posted by PWCorgi

And yes, I am calling all of you mal people abnormal

Hello Pot, this is Kettle...

That poor dog needs a job.

[sillysally]

Hopefully things improve for both of them, it sounds like a tough situation on both woman and dog. At least she seems to be trying to do right by the dog....

[Aleron]

This dog did sound all that crazy, just an active and under exercised young dog. I was expecting something a lot worse. Biting, barking, lunging, bewildered public, fear aggression, etc. It sounds like this is at least a nice enough dog. I'd have been tempted to encourage her to look up AMBC rescue for more info on her dog's breed...and to give her an option when/if it doesn't work out.

I worked at Petsmart briefly years ago and while there I met a single, full time working mom with three kids who lived in an apartment with a young Border Collie. The dog was very recognizable because he was black and white with big blue eyes, named Sky Blue. Someone sent her to talk to me because I did agility and they thought I might know something about BCs LOL The dog was sweet but somewhat like what you describe the Mal as - obviously needed more exercise/stimulation than what he was getting. The woman told me how she was trying with the dog but just didn't know how it could work out. She was bringing him to classes, walked him whenever she was able but he was getting destructive in her apartment and the neighbors were complaining that he sometimes barked for long stretches during the day. I talked to her for a long time and she really wanted to do right by the dog. I suggested she contact a local rescue because they could give her some suggestions and would also be a great resource if she decided she couldn't make it work. I told her it was understandable if she couldn't and that BCs don't tend to do well with so little exercise and stimulation. I got into BIG trouble with my boss because the store's trainer found out a few weeks later the reason they hadn't been back was because she rehomed the dog through rescue. I was told I was responsible for the breaking the hearts of those kids by telling her mother to rehome their dog. And of course, losing her a client.

Several years after that I ended up in an agility class with the dog. The dog looked familiar and I thought it might be him. Then I heard his owner calling him Sky...so I asked and sure enough, she had found him through the local BC rescue and his name was Sky Blue. He was owned by a woman with three kids who lived in an apartment just couldn't give him what he needed.

Originally Posted by stardogs

Poor dog. Glad your help might get her more walks, but it will prob not take much of the edge off, especially after all the prior lack of exercise. I hope I'm wrong, but boy it sounds like a horrid match. I wonder where she got the dog.

Sadly, there are plenty of Mal breeders out there who will sell a puppy/dog to anyone who wants one.

[FG167]

Awwww the dog sounds like a sweetheart and like she's trying so hard to be good!

I had a Dutch Shepherd in an apartment and while I'm not a runner - he got LOADS of exercise every day. Our normal summer schedule, I worked third shift was to come home in the am, off leash hike for potty break, go swimming for 30 minutes in a river, head to a local park for 20 of Chuck-It. We'd go home and he would have to train for his breakfast, then I'd sleep then after I woke up, we'd go for another off-leash hike before I relaxed for the evening and then went to work. He was as normal as a dog like that can be in an apartment - he slept, he didn't pace, played with his toys and I did not crate him when I was gone, just confined to my bedroom - never destroyed anything or had any issues.

It *can* work you just have to work at it!

I am getting a Mal x at the end of the summer and I'm SO SUPER STINKIN' EXCITED! It's a pity when someone ends up with one that they don't know what to do with. I frequently get comments that my GSD is like a Mal in a GSD body with a tiny bit better nerve/thinking-ness. So, I guess I'm abnormal and love it! hehee

[stafinois]

I agree with the above. Harry the Terrible lived in an apartment for the first 3 years of his life. With French Ring and other activities, he was fine. He was worse when I moved away from my clubs into a house with a yard.

[Shai]

As others have said, strange living situations can work with intense dogs *if* the owner(s) is dedicated and well equipped to deal with it.

I did the apartmen thing, but even more demanding was most of 2011 -- I was living in a single bedroom in someone else's house (+no fenced yard) for what, 9 months? Spouse in another state trying to sell our house, and I work full time.

But hey we made it work. But I don't have kids and pretty much every moment I wasn't at work was spent helping the dogs adjust and making sure they had what they needed mentally and physically. And boy was I in good shape by fall lol.

As others have also said, it sounds like this woman means well. This Mal must be a great dog to be able to hang on to sanity while that understimulated...sounds like a dog who would do just fine with a fairly rookie owner provided the person was active. I hope the woman figures out a way to give the dog real exercise (niece/nephew in cross-country? I know people who have their FCRs run by others who love dogs but don't have time to have their own...they get their dog fix, the dog gets a 10k at a strong pace, and the owner gets a healthy dog whose edge has been taken off), or finds a suitable home for the dog before all that stir-craziness starts doing permanent damage :/

[PWCorgi]

Oh I totally understand that dogs like Mals in apartments and stuff can work...if the owner goes out of their way to make it work. The impression that I got was that this woman would have enjoyed a pet dog who laid around the house much more than what she has. The dog gets zero free running time, I asked her in a joking manner how she deals with her energy level, really wanting to see if they at least had a baseball field or something where she was able to stretch her legs. She said they had been doing occasional leashed walks only and that she didn't take her around people much because of the way she acted. I did tell her that my town (2 towns over) allows dogs to run on the hockey rinks when it's not hockey season, and I told her where the one I know of is Hopefully she will drive her over.

And no, thank god the dog wasn't aggressive in any way or I'm sure it would be at a shelter. Just insane energy and a dog that had clearly not been out much. Before we got the head halter on she was on a choke (they brought the GL in to return it) and was literally just BOUNCING, she almost got up on our check out counter, and I'm sure would have if she wasn't on a leash. Absolutely no focus, every time she saw a new person she would fling herself at them, whining, and knock a bunch of stuff off the shelves trying to get to them.

strange living situations can work with intense dogs *if* the owner(s) is dedicated and well equipped to deal with it.

Bolded part exactly. Someone asked what breed she was and the woman said she was a "Belgium Maligua. Basically a German Shepherd, but they don't get as big." So yeah, that in addition to the fact that she doesn't even know how to properly reward a dog for a behavior makes me think she is lacking in the equipped department.

[FG167]

Originally Posted by PWCorgi

Someone asked what breed she was and the woman said she was a "Belgium Maligua. Basically a German Shepherd, but they don't get as big." So yeah, that in addition to the fact that she doesn't even know how to properly reward a dog for a behavior makes me think she is lacking in the equipped department.

*shudder*