The Malinois

[Curmudgeon]

Some of you know that I have the 2 Malinois and am passionate about the breed.

Quite often after seeing a movie, news footage etc, people run out and buy these dogs. Robert Cabral is an animal behaviorist and a world class trainer. Here is a video on his thoughts about it. He is absolutely correct. I myself researched the breed for nearly 2 years before I decided to get one, I'm glad I did, they truly are a challenge but it is also fun and rewarding to watch them learn.

Just thought I would toss this out there, it's cold and bright white outside so I'm hibernating.

It's 27 minutes, but well worth the listen.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have seen a few of them over the past few years. They are beautiful and interesting dogs.

 

[Curmudgeon]

They are beautiful and interesting dogs.

They truly are, quite fascinating, consequently people go out and get them without doing proper research.

That is how I ended up with my youngest one, a reserve cop here in Michigan got him, I suspect as a status kinda thing, and he quickly realized it wasn't for him. Consequently the dog spent the first 9 months or so of his life locked in a kennel. They would play a little with him, let him out for potty breaks and feeding time, and that was about it.

He is from an imported blood line, his Grandfather came from Ot Vitosha breeding, they are one of, if not the, premiere Malinois breeder/trainer in the country. The only breeder/trainer to win not one but two world championships, they are the only breeder, of any breed, to achieve this in the US.

When I got him he had severe resource guarding issues and really severe food aggression issues, he would literally want to tear anyone up that got near him, including me! I now have him so he eats outside of his kennel and I can walk up and pet him with no problems.

He is definitely from aggressive working breed lines. My older boy was from a breeder that bred more for show, he's still all Malinois but a little more on the chill side.

 

[Weedygarden]

That is how I ended up with my youngest one, a reserve cop here in Michigan got him, I suspect as a status kinda thing, and he quickly realized it wasn't for him. Consequently the dog spent the first 9 months or so of his life locked in a kennel. They would play a little with him, let him out for potty breaks and feeding time, and that was about it.

I know that keeping dogs in kennels is a thing now. In my childhood, dogs ran the streets. I understand why people kennel dogs, but some spend way too much time in kennels and not nearly enough time exercising,running, playing and being with their humans. This was one of the many reasons I spent my time with my daughter's Rhodesian Ridgeback, dear Crosby. I couldn't stand the idea of her spending her days in a kennel, especially when she was not supposed to live very long. I believe that many get dogs as a status thing or another thing to keep up with the rest of the world. I have never sought out a dog or a cat. They have come to me one way or another and I take care of them then.

 

[dademoss]

Teddy Ruxpin, our Aussie Shepard mix, has a crate. I took the door off 3 weeks after he was adopted, but it's still his spot. Sometimes he has to share with one of the cats

 

[Amish Heart]

That's cute, Dademoss. Our dogs won't share anything with the cat.
Our heeler mix loves his kennel. He goes right in at bedtime. Our heeler hates kennels, but goes to bed in the laundryroom.

 

[Curmudgeon]

I kinda misspoke above when I said kennel. This dog was in a crate out in the garage for the first 9 or 10 months, and although crates are actually good for the dog, it's no place to be 20+ hours everyday for nearly the first year of it's life.

@dademoss that's too funny, it appears the cat rules the roost, lol. Our cat took a while to show himself after I brought the first one home, but after 6 weeks or so he just figured he would show the dog who was boss. When I brought the young one home the cat was very quick to tell him he had claws. Any small animal around these Malinois is a serious trigger for their prey drive. We are fortunate these guys just kinda follow the cat around sniffing at it, he doesn't bother to hide anymore.

 

[Weedygarden]

Curmudgeon, I misused the term as well. I think a kennel is actually a better option than a crate, especially for young dogs.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Curmudgeon, I misused the term as well.

I do it quite frequently. The folks that I adopted Zeus from had an outside kennel that ran along 20' of the side of their pole barn and was around 20' out from the barn, he also had a door cut in the side of the barn with a smaller area inside so they could get out of the weather.

He was an inside dog when they were home though.

 

[dademoss]

Teddy is a rescue, took a while to find a dog that had "experience" in a home with cats. He doesn't chase cats, or chickens, and works and plays well with others. Willow, the cat in his crate, didn't come downstairs for 6 months after we got Teddy. One day, she walked down, licked the dogs head, and apparently hypnotized him to be her guardian