Malinois Breeder Recommendations

[Kat09Tails]

I just wanted to chime in and mention rescue. There are a surprising number of mals going through shelters in the south - especially Florida for some reason. I know several people who have picked up really nice dogs from the Miami shelter and shipped them to other people around the country for sport prospects.

[release the hounds]

Originally Posted by Aleron

Just give you some general things to consider, no matter who you get your puppy from.

Health - Parents should be OFA'd hips/elbows and have a current clear CERF. But the real issue you want to bring up is seizuring. Ask about parents/grandparents and their siblings. A litter with parents who are both over 4 and seizure free is much better than a puppy from a litter where the parents are both 2 and the breeder swears that seizuring isn't an issue in Mals, just the other Belgian breeds. I have heard that I don't know how many times, often followed by the person with the Mal saying "well I mean, he does have a sibling/half sibling/cousin/etc who seizures but that's the only one...". Also ask about immune issues and lifespan of relatives (they should be fairly long lived).

Temperament - Know what you want ahead of time and stick to it. Not sure if you read the Laekenois thread where "No Touch Belgians" were brought up. Decide upfront what temperament traits are most important and which you'd prefer to avoid. Look for a breeder who's dogs live in the house and who's puppies are in the house at least some of the time and given lots of attention, enrichment and interaction. There's a lot of breeders involved with Mals solely as a sport dog and not because they are interested in breeding good Mals. I'd personally avoid breeders who have the attitude that the breed is only good for protection sport and you can't expect them to be any sort of companion at all. Mostly because I find that sort of attitude sad but also because such breeders often aren't producing the sort of dog I'd want or raising their puppies in the way I'd like.

I will say that you may have a bit of a wrong idea about Mal temperament when you say: "Gsds think and then do. Mals once they know the command they just do. Not a terrible lot of over thinking." Good GSDs tend to be better thinkers than most Belgians IME. Most lack the easily frustrated, frantic tendencies the Belgians can have. I'd tend to say over thinking is actually problem for Belgians though, it's just that it manifests itself differently than it does in GSDs.

I also want to put in a word for ABMC rescue, who seem to get puppies in at least a few times a year. A puppy from rescue could certainly suit your needs as well, so definitely consider them. Most rescue Mals comes from not-so-great "working breeders" or "working breeder wanna-bes". As such, you can often find a puppy in rescue who has good drive and a sound temperament. They always have plenty of adult dogs available too http://www.malinoisrescue.org/

Good luck with your search!

I very, very, very, much agree with this post.

There's lots of good and bad in any breed and I tend to think people get enamored or repelled by a few experiences.

I train with lots and lots of good Mal's, but I have also seen more than my share of insane, frantic, easily frustrated nerve bags that I wouldn't want to live 10 seconds with let alone 10 years.

LIke said earlier, go find the dogs, observe them. As much as you can and get dogs from places that produced those dogs. It's the same with Shepherds or any other dog.

[Panzerotti]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

I will add, Backup is *not* a thinker and it's not nearly as fun as it sounds. I regularly leave training (and trials lately) crying. I once thought I wanted that no thinking just go go go dog, now I want bravery, courage, and a brain.

The nice thing about S & Q is their ability to think. Would they (the thinkers) be good SWAT dogs? Maybe, maybe not, most likely Sloan would look at a fire storm and say WTF?? and Q would look at his dad and bark and bite him. LOL

I absolutely love your posts describing the Mals that you know. It is a fact that Mals can be insane, and one can breed with the best intentions and still end up with crazy dogs with (what some may see as) less than desirable traits..... it's the breed. I like that you don't try to sugar-coat the breed....they are definitely not the dog for everyone. My parents and sister have no idea why I would ever choose to live with a dog like Panzer, lol.

That being said, I really like Stephanie, where I got Panzer. She is very honest about the breed, her dogs, and what she likes and breeds for in Mals. She is incredibly supportive post-puppy purchase as well. However, she will also caution that some of her pups/breedings are not the best for first time Mal owners.

Another breeder that I really like is La Forge... http://laforgemalinois.homestead.com/index.html
I have met 4 dogs from Konnie, and they are all very very nice dogs. The ones I've met are all very social, if you're looking for that in a Mal, and great workers.

[Panzerotti]

Breeder in GA that Pan/Aeri's sire is from....

http://www.facebook.com/deatlawor?sk=info

[CharlieDog]

Thank you guys for the links. I've been checking rescues here periodically and while I've seen a few, I haven't seen any that would fit in my home. And no puppies, which I think would have the easiest time integrating into my house hold. And I'm only able to add a female at this point. I think another male especially would make home life incredibly difficult for Ozzy and Knox both

[stardogs]

Keep in mind that some rescues won't place dogs in homes planning to do bitework with their dogs. That (plus wanting the benefits of a purpose bred dog's genetic foundation and allowing me to alter the dog on my schedule) is one of the reasons I went to a breeder instead of rescue for my malinois.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Originally Posted by CharlieDog

I'm only able to add a female at this point. I think another male especially would make home life incredibly difficult for Ozzy and Knox both

I need a female for the same reason, stoopid boys.

[CharlieDog]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

I need a female for the same reason, stoopid boys.

Yeah, I like girls, but I do prefer boys.

Originally Posted by stardogs

Keep in mind that some rescues won't place dogs in homes planning to do bitework with their dogs. That (plus wanting the benefits of a purpose bred dog's genetic foundation and allowing me to alter the dog on my schedule) is one of the reasons I went to a breeder instead of rescue for my malinois.

This is also the reason I'm looking at breeders more than rescues. I'd prefer to alter on my own time and having the option to keep the dog intact until maturity and beyond is important to me. Bitework is also something I'd prefer to not be told I can't do just because the rescue doesn't like it/feel its acceptable.

[Maliraptor]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

http://www.malinoispuppies.com/ (Nor Cal)
and http://competitivek9s.net/ (Ontario?) which is where Quarrel, Aeri, and Panzer came from.

The first link is in Florida.

Second link I have known for years and she is very honest about her dogs. As some of you may not know, I sent Quarrel's dad to the second link kennel to get his dog. I think he is pretty pleased.

I have a female being bred to our Stud dog this summer, but we are pretty far away from you, in Southern California.

I want to add one other thing- Each of these kennels suggested have a definite "type" of Malinois they are known for. Find out the truth, and make sure this is the kind of dog you want to live with, and deal with. Some are known for the "Don't Touch Belgians" and others are known for super social but VERY driven dogs. And as always, each litter will vary a great deal. There is a difference also, between a dog bred primarily from Ring lines, (also matters WHICH ring, French ring and NVBK vary greatly) and a dog bred for IPO. Or perhaps a dog bred for conformation, or agility, or all around.

So, do your research.

[AdrianneIsabel]

D'oh flipped Ivan and Ellis after I c/p'd the links. Thanks

Yup, he's extremely pleased (and thankful for the direction) with Q. He's a really nice dog, now if only his dad would show that in IPO instead of just DD. LOL JK

(I'm actually going to start helping him in agility for the fun of it. I'll be interested to see how he comes along)