View Full Version : any Local belgian Malinois puppies anyone knows of?
Hey guys!
Been thinking about this for a long time and I think I'm finally almost ready to do it. I've wanted a Belgian Malinios for quite some time now and I've been looking around a lot and have so far found no breeders in CO. It will be a family member pup and not a work dog, so super high-speed tactical work dog breeders are not important to me, on top of the fact that i am not a wealthy man and cant afford the price tag that goes with the primary breeders dogs. if anyone has any knowledge of breeders and or the breed itself i would love to hear about it. I'm hoping to find a female and it would be my first shepard breed dog, so like i said, any experiance/advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks guys!
Interesting choice. Red dogs are smart and hard workers. Very versatile. Most of the ones I knew of were coming from Germany into the Lackland AFB training program. Have you looked into some of the DoD or other government adoption/foster programs?
It will be a family member pup and not a work dog, so super high-speed tactical work dog breeders are not important to me, on top of the fact that i am not a wealthy man and cant afford the price tag that goes with the primary breeders dogs
Then a Malinois is *NOT* for you. Seriously these dogs are bred to be super high energy, super high drive, with super high motivation. These are *NOT* mean to be just family dogs, unless you can work them - I mean *REALLY* work them - daily. They are incredible dogs for the right environment/owner but this is not a dog you leave to its own devices for hours on end.
Do this. Go to your local Schutzhund club and go work with those people for at least 3 months -- every day, every single day for 2+ hours, since that is what you are going to need to do to keep the dog just mildly entertained. If you can keep up the regiment and can deal with the temperment, then go find a Malinois working dog that has been medically retired and adopt it.
I am expecting to see more notes like the OPs due to the new movie coming out. Everyone is going to see a beautiful Malinois that is super trained and think "Oh what a perfect puppy for me and my family -- that has never had big, high drive, super intelligent, massive energy dogs before."
P.S. I watched a Malinois go through a car side window one time (he was inside with his owner who has more international dig handling titles that wall space) because another dog was playing with a toy that looked similar to theirs.
“Most Malinois are not easy to work with and can only be handled and trained by professionals. They can become very destructive if left alone. They are a very high-energy-level dog, very active and driven. They are hard workers, can be social, enjoy challenges and are toy crazy. They have a very high-prey drive and need plenty of attention, exercise, patience and consistency,” he said. “They will destroy your house and anything else if not worked regularly.”
http://www.akc.org/news/max-the-movie/
http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2015/06/pet_talk_belgian_malinois_owne.html
http://www.timesnews.net/article/9088853/a-special-breed-belgian-malinois-not-a-good-match-for-average-pet-owner
Not an expert by any means but I've done a lot of research since we were thinking the same thing. What I've read lead me to believe that for a family pet, we'd be happier with a GSD and not a Malinois.
I found quotes like this all over the web.
"The fact is Malinois do not make good pets, as they are strictly working and sporting dogs. If you are NOT already involved with dog sport, you should not get a Malinois. (I said that ten years ago, click to watch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnUu0rAyIxI), and I’ll say it again- Malinois do not make good pets)"
Now I know everyone has opinions but just ask anyone who has tried to keep a German Shorthaired Pointer as a house pet and not let it run and hunt. You can't get rid of the instinct no matter how you raise the dog, we've had field dogs for the last 14 years so we have experience with that side.
Just my opinion and hopefully someone with actual experience with Malinois will chime in.
Great-Kazoo
06-25-2015, 22:03
We dealt with a local K9 trainer when there was an interest to add another dog to the household. Going in to it knowing they need a high energy environment. From our experience, if you don't have a large yard, high fence, 1/4 of your day to work with them, look elsewhere.
It's a shame as they have a lot of potential.
gnihcraes
06-25-2015, 22:09
dang, the newer neighbor had one of these. It wanted to kill me at every opportunity. If it was with him, outside the fence, it would respond. (most of the time) if the owner didn't keep on him every second though, he was across both yards in seconds and biting at me. (he would nip but never actually dig in).Apparently was trained to do this by someone.
Couldn't figure out how the dog was getting out of a 6 foot fence, couldn't find any digs or weak spots. Put the dog in the yard and waited outside for a while, he was jumping the fence like nothing was there.
Super smart dog, worked well with the right person at his side, definately not a family pet though. (in my opinion) Way to protective in the wrong ways.
Thank you for the advise asmo! maybe I should have been clearer, I intend to be heavily involved and active in this dogs life. I too recognize that with that movie coming out, many people who have not read up on this breed may be walking in blind, but rest assured my eyes are wide open. I've been looking at/ researching the breed for the last twoyears, and am now at a point in my life where I will have the time to spend with the pooch. Like I said, I do appreciate your advice and it does sound like you know a substantial amount about the breed. When I say it will be a family member that does not mean it will not be active.
Great-Kazoo
06-25-2015, 22:16
Thank you for the advise asmo! maybe I should have been clearer, I intend to be heavily involved and active in this dogs life. I too recognize that with that movie coming out, many people who have not read up on this breed may be walking in blind, but rest assured my eyes are wide open. I've been looking at/ researching the breed for the last twoyears, and am now at a point in my life where I will have the time to spend with the pooch. Like I said, I do appreciate your advice and it does sound like you know a substantial amount about the breed. When I say it will be a family member that does not mean it will not be active.
How many people in the household, of responsible age will be on site 24/7 ? Like any dog, especially a pup needs constant attention, can that be done?
I'm afraid that this is going to go the way of 101 Dalmations and Dalmation puppies being dumped into shelters shortly thereafter.
Gman, I hate to say it, but I'd bet that that may be true... Kazoo, what i'm aiming for is to be able to not be away from home for more than 8 hours twice a week. i would be the primary caretaker as my wife has a much busier and time demanding career than i do. i am seeing an overwhelming pattern of opinions and info here that shows that even the amount of time I'm shooting for may be insufficient. I think i will take more time to figure out if this is in fact the breed for me. I do sincerely appreciate all of your advice! Please continue to share more experiences with and about Malinois as i'm sure i am not the only one thinking about this. hopefully it will help people make an informed choice as to whether or not this breed will work as a part of their families or not.
I have a general question about working/sporting dogs I've always wanted to ask. Does having a lot of land make up for giving them something to do all the time? For example, I wouldn't feel as bad for the days I don't get to walk my dog if we lived on 50+ acres. How much does space to roam matter for a dog like this?
Great-Kazoo
06-26-2015, 00:29
I have a general question about working/sporting dogs I've always wanted to ask. Does having a lot of land make up for giving them something to do all the time? For example, I wouldn't feel as bad for the days I don't get to walk my dog if we lived on 50+ acres. How much does space to roam matter for a dog like this?
Depends how easy it is for them to jump the fence. Having a large area to run doesn't always equate to them staying put. While out at the daughters boyfriends place, 5 fenced acres. It took 30 minutes tops before our dogs managed to find the weakness in the fence line. They were gone 1-2 hours before their domesticated stomachs got the better of them.
Great-Kazoo
06-26-2015, 00:36
Gman, I hate to say it, but I'd bet that that may be true... Kazoo, what i'm aiming for is to be able to not be away from home for more than 8 hours twice a week. i would be the primary caretaker as my wife has a much busier and time demanding career than i do. i am seeing an overwhelming pattern of opinions and info here that shows that even the amount of time I'm shooting for may be insufficient. I think i will take more time to figure out if this is in fact the breed for me. I do sincerely appreciate all of your advice! Please continue to share more experiences with and about Malinois as i'm sure i am not the only one thinking about this. hopefully it will help people make an informed choice as to whether or not this breed will work as a part of their families or not.
Here's Option B. Consider becoming a foster family for one.
http://belgianmalinois.rescueme.org/Colorado
There's a few needing good homes, as with any breed. If this place is like other rescue's, they do not allow you to adopt the dog you foster. It will give you & your family time to work with one, yet not be locked in to a dog you might need to find a home for it it didn't work out. We're probably in the minority when it comes to dogs. We have an issue with pure breed vs mixed when looking to give one a home. YMMV
TheSparkens
06-26-2015, 06:34
Although the Malinois is a great dog it is a stubborn dog also, you may want to think about a German Shepard, they rank in the top 5 when it comes to brain power. I have a year and a half GSD and this dog does everything I ask with a little training. She pheasant hunts, with a soft mouth and will take you down if needed also. She is not a pointer but she will flush and stay close to you when tracking I use her in any tracking that I need. You can get this type of dog with many breading instinct a home pet, security work, attack, cattle, or other uses. A GSD in most cases need to be trained to do most of the jobs they do learn, in any case, no madder what you get learn how to test a puppy before you by it for your needs and its health.
Neighbors have a Malinois, they are experienced dog owners, Lady works at home, Two teens and two other dogs. Crazy Malinois has destroyed two couches and the back yard chasing Squirrels. He is fixed and keeps trying to screw the male Labrador. He is well mannered to stay in the fenced front yard, and not jump on people etc. I have never seen that dog lay down and rest or relax.
Our Doberman and Ridge back can handle playing with him for about a half hour, then their done.
ruthabagah
06-26-2015, 06:55
He is fixed and keeps trying to screw the male Labrador.
That's because he is a Flemish Belgian malinois.....
I'd also recommend going with the GSD. Intelligent, trainable, great member of the family unit, but not hyper-kinetic.
ACE2GOOD
06-26-2015, 08:13
I know a German Sheppard breeder if you decide to go that route. Just had a litter around Christmas. Not sure when he will be breeding next.
That's because he is a Flemish Belgian malinois.....
Now that is funny! [LOL]
National Mill Dog Rescue East of Colorado Springs. They specialize in rescuing dogs from puppy mills so they have mostly pure breed dogs from puppies to adults that need adopted. I highly recommend you at least look at their website to see what they have available (a visit in person would be ideal) before you buy another dog. Unless you have a very specific reason (no, a Disney movie doesn't count) for needing a specific blood line of a specific breed I'm 100% confident you will find a fantastic pet to adopt and when you rescue a dog it's far more rewarding every day you're together. I speak from first hand experience and I will never buy another dog as long as I live.
Great-Kazoo
06-26-2015, 09:33
National Mill Dog Rescue East of Colorado Springs. They specialize in rescuing dogs from puppy mills so they have mostly pure breed dogs from puppies to adults that need adopted. I highly recommend you at least look at their website to see what they have available (a visit in person would be ideal) before you buy another dog. Unless you have a very specific reason (no, a Disney movie doesn't count) for needing a specific blood line of a specific breed I'm 100% confident you will find a fantastic pet to adopt and when you rescue a dog it's far more rewarding every day you're together. I speak from first hand experience and I will never buy another dog as long as I live.
[Beer]
+1 to everything said here. Looked at one and also a husky for a few days and decided not to go there, as they are high maintenance and the 4 foot fence we have would not be good enough. Went with a GSD. If you want a pet go with American lines on GSD, if you want a work dog get a Deutschland GSD. Even then the dog was highly driven and started challenging me for alpha until we clipped him.
I can highly recommend the breeder we got him from. I constantly get comments on how he is the best behaving GSD anyone has met.
I have a general question about working/sporting dogs I've always wanted to ask. Does having a lot of land make up for giving them something to do all the time? For example, I wouldn't feel as bad for the days I don't get to walk my dog if we lived on 50+ acres. How much does space to roam matter for a dog like this?
For some dogs this is okay, as they will roam and work themselves while they explore (Collies, Labs, etc) -- but that is not the mentality of a Malinois. A Malinois *NEEDS TO BE WORKED*, it has an innate drive to want to work and do something useful for its master. They have been breed specifically for this purpose. If you don't give it something to do, ALL THE TIME, it will find something to do - and 99.9% of the time you won't like what it chose to do.
Imagine a 5-8 year old, on meth/speed, who needs you to constantly keep him entertained. That is about 1/10th of what its like to have a Malinois. They are incredible, loving, caring, wonderful dogs -- but they are bred to work, hard.
I have worked with Malinois (and GSDs) in both a working and a sporting capacity (and I have GSD at home now). I have been in bite suits, and have been on the other end trying to work the dog for 12+ hours a day (it is effing hard).
If you want a [pet] dog with high probability of health issues go with American lines on GSD
Fixed: The American bloodlines for GSDs are truly terrible with the exception of those imported in the last 10 or so years to repair the breeding process here in the USA; don't touch them unless they trace back to European animals in the last 10-15 years as part of the rebuilding process with several generations of OFA certifications in the good and preferably excellent ratings. Also, if the animals don't have some measure of Schutzhund training and aptitude, stay away from them; it's absolutely not worth it with this type of dog.
It will be a family member pup and not a work dog, so super high-speed tactical work dog breeders are not important to me, on top of the fact that i am not a wealthy man and cant afford the price tag that goes with the primary breeders dogs.
My thought on this is pay a little more upfront or end up paying a lot more in medical costs later. I've paid next to nothing in medical costs and my GSD is 10.5 years old...you would never guess her age.
For some dogs this is okay, as they will roam and work themselves while they explore (Collies, Labs, etc) -- but that is not the mentality of a Malinois. A Malinois *NEEDS TO BE WORKED*, it has an innate drive to want to work and do something useful for its master. They have been breed specifically for this purpose. If you don't give it something to do, ALL THE TIME, it will find something to do - and 99.9% of the time you won't like what it chose to do.
Imagine a 5-8 year old, on meth/speed, who needs you to constantly keep him entertained. That is about 1/10th of what its like to have a Malinois. They are incredible, loving, caring, wonderful dogs -- but they are bred to work, hard.
I have worked with Malinois (and GSDs) in both a working and a sporting capacity (and I have GSD at home now). I have been in bite suits, and have been on the other end trying to work the dog for 12+ hours a day (it is effing hard).
Sounds like you have a lot of good info. and more experience then me. What I found to be the biggest difference with GSDs when I starting working with them is their absolute need for a handler as well as their possessiveness of their handler. I had two GSDs in the house before the divorce and they coexisted because my wife was the handler of one and I was of the other. My GSD is an interesting dog; watching her with the kids growing up was rather funny at times because she herds and she corrects. I haven't worked with the Malinois; getting a GSD trained gives me about all I can handle with the time I have.
Here is my pup hanging out with my ex's Husky.
59243
Yes MED my pup came from a line of OFA certified dogs, and came with a replacement guarantee. (I know sounds bad...) At 2 year check up the vet said his hips looked great.
It is an important factor as someone we know was warned their 3-4 yo will need both hips done.
As with any breed look at their faults and make sure to guard against them. No breed is without faults.
joeyshoe
12-02-2015, 18:45
we have a belgian malinois and he has been the most amazing dog. we got him when he was about a year old and he seemed insecure and skittish. i am not a dog trainer but i've worked with him some and he is just a joy to have now. he is very gentle with my five children and our chickens. he is very playful and has a ton of energy but he can also turn it down and chill. from what i've seen, that isn't normal, but that's what my mali is like. he is super smart and teachable. he gets super affectionate when i come home from work. if you have any questions about the breed, feel free to message me and i'll do my best to answer them.
we have been thinking about breeding him since we love the breed so much now, but we're not sure we want to deal with all the haters.
How do you guys feel Rottweilers rank in this discussion? We're thinking about one eventually but I would be interested to hear thoughts about how mellow they are compared to a german shepherd.
Rotties are awesome dogs but once again you need to deal with a high quality breeder or go with Rottie Rescue for a pooch needing a new home.
They are very head strong but very loving, sweet and gentle dogs when combined with a good owner/environment. I had one pure bred years ago when I lived in Arizona and he was a most incredible dog, protective of the home and family but once he knew someone was ok he'd try his best to crawl into their lap-just over 100 lbs of a snuggle bear.
My current dog is a Rottie/Lab mix (Ziva, rescue from Dumb Friends League 4 years ago) and she is also a great dog with a cool mix of their two personalities with the exception of being small dog aggressive (except for puppies and my son and d-i-l's puggle).
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/doc4545/IMG_3551_zps886e1d7b.jpg
She also enjoys curling up on the furniture, 65 lbs of love.
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/doc4545/iphonepics007.jpg
62461
Thats Jake.. He was the love of my life for many years. He was the absolute best dog I have ever had in my entire life (and I have had many dogs - and worked with many many more). He was beautiful, he was intelligent, he was incredibly loyal, he was happy, he was everything you could ever want in a dog. He was also a royal pain the ass if he wanted to be.
Rotties are a special breed. I can't say they are like any other dog I have had. One one hand he was a giant lazy teddy bear who would lick you to death - on the other hand if his mind was made up to do something there was no stopping him. I have hundreds of great Jake stories where he protected me or my wife, or of him doing dumb things and just plain being a lovable idiot. I also have stories where he and I would have to have come-to-Jesus meetings about every 6 months until he was about 5 years old.
The biggest thing I have see with good Rotties vs. Rotties that give the breed a bad name is having really good pack leading Rottie owners. The Rottie *demands* and Alpha in the household. If its not you or your wife, then it will be the Rottie (and the last thing you want is a Rottie who thinks they are in charge). You have to play dominance games with them when they are young (its critical) and then every once in awhile when they are older. Good/Great Rotties come from houses where there are rules - and the rules are consistently enforced -- and one of those rules must be that the dog is a dog and not a human. I'm not saying dont spoil the dog rotten with affection, love, and time (please please do) - but there has to be a clear demarcation between the humans and the dog.
Think of it like this, if you have a 150 lb dog that can rip apart a human in seconds flat, you need to be the one the dog loves and respects - if your not, bad things can happen.
Only last word of advice on Rotties - if you have one, expect 90% of the general public to respond in fear and panic. Jake loved going to "Barker Days" where they close the pool in Parker and let all the dogs swim around. Jake was also incredibly well behaved around humans and other dogs and never showed an ounce of aggressiveness (unless he was commanded to - he was still a Schutzhund trained dog). That said, people would dive out of our way, complain to the management that we had an aggressive breed around all these children, and basically make fucking fools out of themselves.
Example story: We had one busybody in the neighborhood walk her two little squeeky toy dogs down the street in front of the house. Jake was always off-leash in the front yard (see pic above) and would just hang out while we did yard work. He wouldn't move and was just content to watch the day go by. The lady saw the dog and started SCREAMING in the street, then here little yappy things started barking at Jake. Jake never moved, never growled, never did anything. The lady LOST HER SHIT AND RAN TO THE END OF THE BLOCK pulling her yappy dogs all the way. 5 mins later DCSO pulls up with sirens going. The officer comes up and says that they got a complaint that Jake had tried to kill the ladies dogs and was trying to attack the woman. Whole time Jake is just laying there. So we tell the officer what happened and explain Jake's demeanor. The officer calms down a bit and I call Jake over. Jake sits and then I have him lay down. Jake proceeds to roll over on his back, stomach totally exposed, and paw at the cops leg to get the cop to pet him. Super ferocious you know. Officer goes an interviews the lady and comes back later to tell us that the woman doesn't think anyone should own "a killer attack dog" and that had told the cop about 10 different versions of the story during the time he interviewed her.
6246262463
So all that said - a Rottie is much more mellow that a GSD, but in different ways. If you want the size of a Rottie with the temperament of a lab - get an English Mastiff.
62464
I really appreciate the Rottie stories - that confirms a lot of what I had thought and expect. I had a 100+lb American Bulldog for the past 10 years (Bacon, below - who was my 'Jake' in a lot of ways - needed the Alpha in the house, but was a big lovable sweetheart), and I miss the guy (and having a big dog around.) He passed a year ago, so now we're thinking about another big guy. I also have a similar Parker PD story to yours, btw - went all the way to court, and the city attorney realized she didn't have a case at all (after both meeting with the judge once, and then I showed her the conditions of city statutes for an aggressive dog) - and she dismissed the charge.
Did you get Jake from a CO breeder? I'd like to find someone that leaves their puppies' tails undocked. That nonsense needs to stop.
http://i.imgur.com/vHjvyT9.png
UncleDave
12-02-2015, 23:13
+1 to everything said here. Looked at one and also a husky for a few days and decided not to go there, as they are high maintenance and the 4 foot fence we have would not be good enough. Went with a GSD. ​ If you want a pet go with American lines on GSD, if you want a work dog get a Deutschland GSD.​ Even then the dog was highly driven and started challenging me for alpha until we clipped him.
I can highly recommend the breeder we got him from. I constantly get comments on how he is the best behaving GSD anyone has met.
I have to disagree most vehemently. I have had GSDs all my life, with all different bloodlines. American lines have many more health problems. European line dogs have better temperaments, hips, elbows, and overall health. Training early, like at weaning is imparitive.
UncleDave
12-02-2015, 23:33
62470
Three of my boys. The GSD on the left is an Austrian import, no health problems at all after 4+ years. The GSD on the right only had a little american line blood, but had lots of allergy issues and other problems. I love them all but the imports are much lower maintenance.
cableguy11
12-03-2015, 00:23
Interesting choice. Red dogs are smart and hard workers. Very versatile. Most of the ones I knew of were coming from Germany into the Lackland AFB training program. Have you looked into some of the DoD or other government adoption/foster programs?
We had one of those Lackland AFB dogs when I was growing up. He was the meanest dog we ever had....lol. My dad bought him home with a muzzle on him. After about 6 months he then became one of the best dogs we ever had growing up. Super smart..he could open gates, climb/jump fences with ease and loved to chase everything he could! Always protected us and never left our side. I used to walk..or he used to pull me on my bike down the street and everything- humans, animals whatever gave him the right of way. He was a beautiful and majestic dog. He is best known in our family for keeping people in their car from behind a 6 foot fence...they wouldn't even come in our driveway!!! Forgot to mention he was a German shepherd...solid black!
TheSparkens
12-03-2015, 00:28
The people I got my GSD were all from Germany and there dogs came with them. They were all in the house when I got her as a pup, I had to talk to there 17 year old kid to understand what we were all talking about. I do agree that German blood lines are more healthy, the people I got her from assured me she was from a farm working line of dogs and they lived in Elizabeth on a working cattle farm.62472
When she is " on track " you may need to break her concentration by being a little more firm.
Cute pups, what a team.
My GSD is 4 years old now and so far no isses, knock on wood. So I am lucky that this perticular one has been healthy. Part of it due to doing our research and finding a healthy stock.
Here is a link to his daddys page
http://crystalcreekshepherds.com/Sires/Ronin/ronin.html
His pedigree shows 4 generations of OFA stock.
So folks do your research.
Stupid meme just for fun
62474
we have a belgian malinois and he has been the most amazing dog. we got him when he was about a year old and he seemed insecure and skittish. i am not a dog trainer but i've worked with him some and he is just a joy to have now. he is very gentle with my five children and our chickens. he is very playful and has a ton of energy but he can also turn it down and chill. from what i've seen, that isn't normal, but that's what my mali is like. he is super smart and teachable. he gets super affectionate when i come home from work. if you have any questions about the breed, feel free to message me and i'll do my best to answer them.
we have been thinking about breeding him since we love the breed so much now, but we're not sure we want to deal with all the haters.
Awesome Dog!!
Cute pups, what a team.
My GSD is 4 years old now and so far no isses, knock on wood. So I am lucky that this perticular one has been healthy. Part of it due to doing our research and finding a healthy stock.
Here is a link to his daddys page
http://crystalcreekshepherds.com/Sires/Ronin/ronin.html
His pedigree shows 4 generations of OFA stock.
So folks do your research.
Stupid meme just for fun
62474
Yep, makes a huge difference. My GSD still launches herself from the deck to retrieve and she turns eleven in February. I try to get her to slow down but she hasn't yet.
joeyshoe
12-03-2015, 17:26
Jack is making friends with the neighborhood kids.
joeyshoe
12-03-2015, 17:40
A few more of Jack.
A few more of Jack.
Are those dog specific goggles?
Are those dog specific goggles?
Doggles
Good for dogs with Pannus (eye condition kinda like macular degeneration but made worse with exposure to UV). Very prevalent in GSDs and Mals.
Those doggles are the best.
Anyone happen to know of CO any Rottweiler breeders?
UncleDave
12-05-2015, 00:29
Mine came from Panzer Rottweilers in Indio. There is a breeder in Elizabeth or right around there too.
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