I've been wanting to get my own dog for a year and a half now and it just wasn't really advisable until recently. And a little bit ago I started to get more serious about searching for a suitable companion. And I think I have a really good candidate but I wanted to get some experienced and dog smart people to give me a second opinion and maybe a little guidance on what questions to ask, how to proceed, etc..?

First of all, I am looking for a large breed dog, I want to train them in obedience and anything else I can get into, and would like a dog that makes me feel a little safer taking walks (even if they only act as a deterrent cause of looks). My goal is to ultimately have a companion I take with me almost everywhere and one that is very trainable.

I started by looking at GSDs because I knew they were great dogs, even though I really admire the Malinois. I just had heard horror stories about their energy levels and potential destruction and didn't think I could make it work. But then I went to go see a kennel that had both Malinois's and GSDs and took a second to check out their Malinois's and was blown away by the information I received and the temperaments I observed in the parents and a little of 12 week old pups. The breeder had the same concerns I did about getting a Mali-gator and sought out temperaments they could live with. Now I'm sure there's plenty of trainers out there who would like a little more crazy-level drive but I thought of these as great "Starter" malinois.

Now I didn't pursue the litter of pups cause I decided a well-established adult dog would be better considering I have a job and need to figure out how to leave an animal for 8 hours a day. But the visit opened my eyes to look at Malinois's again and I found this guy:


I contacted the Rescuer who has him (this is a working dog rescue) and they have answered all my questions and seem very optimistic that I could provide an appropriate home for him which includes housing, exercise, food, training, and attention. I have been as honest as I know how about my situation and abilities with the rescuer and they are very knowledgeable and looking for the best home for him. But I wanted to get some guidance on how to dot my i's and cross my t's before I proceed.

Info on the Mal: He was a military flunky because he was made to be fearful from abuse (so they said) and has since recovered and is very stable now. According to them, he needs only about 10 minutes of OB every day to stay sharp, and about 15 minutes of chasing a ball to be happy - and that's a lot lot less than I was anticipating. He was bite trained by the military, which I would like to practice with him, but not necessarily develop. I think he would like to learn something fun like agility (and there's a starter set I could save up for on Jeffer's Pet). And the rescuer says he is a sweet sweet love bug unless told not to be.

Ummm that's all I can think of for a first post at the moment cause I'm sleepy, but I'd like some 2nd opinions.

Thanks so much!
Laurel

Hi Laurel, Nice looking dog! How old is he? I can't speak to the "was a military flunky due to being fearful from abuse" issue and how that may or may not translate into issues for you, but I'm sure other more experienced folks will chime in.

My recommendation is that if you do adopt this dog, you get involved with a Schutzhund club and work with a good trainer if you want to "practice the bite work" and NOT do that on your own. The same with agility. You will learn so much from being around experienced folks and seeing how they work their own dogs compared to doing it on your own. (Having the agility equipment at home to work on out of class is of course great!)

You might even consider finding that Schutzhund club and go speak to the trainer. See if you get a good feel about them and perhaps ask if you could bring the dog in for an evaluation prior to formally adopting, if the rescue folks would allow it (or pay him to go see the dog?). Not having any experience myself with a dog who was bite trained, I personally would want someone who knows what they are doing to evaluate a potential pet.

One other thing, I don't think this dog will be happy with 15 minutes of ball chasing a day, nor do I think that is enough to keep him in shape. I personally would plan on two good walks/runs a day in addition to the ball playing. You're going to love being with him anyway so it won't be hard to do.

Best of luck, I hope this works out if this is the dog for you. He is a handsome guy!

He is a great looking dog. Have you met him in person yet?

The only red flags I see are regarding the training/exercise commitments. My almost 9 year old GSD, who is of medium energy level, needs even more than that! Like Barbara, I am really not experienced enough to comment on the military/bite training/etc.

Good luck in making the right decision!

Could you visit him and see how he feels to you? It would tell you a bunch if you could handle him, be around him for a day or so. Sort of like a "date".

Thanks so much for the responses! I'll try and answer everyone's questions.
Barbara: I would like to hear more about possible fear issues, I did forget to mention that the rescuer said he is a very soft, biddable dog, and he has really improved in her home with positive interaction and mild corrections. So far, that gives me the vibe that maybe someone was to hard-handed on him? Also, she mentioned he had a specific abuser and that since he's got away from that he's really become quite happy.
The closest Shultzhund-type club is a Service Dogs of America club back home, maybe they would let us come by. You are right, I don't want to do it on my own! I'll have to travel a little bit for agility too. I would also take cues from him whether or not to even try to keep up with bitework. If I see that it is triggering some old issues then I am happy with him without it.

Melissa: The 15 minutes a day was the bare minumum to keep him from destroying the house, I agree its not enough to keep him in shape. I have a bicycle that I'd probably ride with him to the dog park (its about 1 1/2 blocks away). That's where we'd do our ball-throwing anyway cause no one is ever using both of the big pens there. And also, even if he already knows his OB, I really want to see what kind of tricks I can teach him, so that's a little more mental stimulation for the day?

Betty: He's pretty far away to go by and see him, I've been trying to figure out the same thing. He's over 8 hours from where I am now, but if I go stay at my parents house for a weekend its only 3 hours from there. How much (ballpark) would it cost to get a trainer to go look him over? One that was already in the area?

Little more info I forgot last time: He is a love bug and enjoys being around people but can do fine on his own during the day - as long as he has toys cause he L-O-V-E-S his toys. Primarily a Kong, which he likes to toss in the air and catch again. He also is toy/play motivated in training, not so much food. I've forgotten to ask about age, though I think he's pretty young.

Maybe they might let you bring him home to your parents for an over-nite. After all, you will have this guy(with luck) for >10 yrs.
What some people think is" a little fearful" could be " a dog that misinterprets everything" to you. It would be cool if you could make your OWN impression. A big fearful guy trained badly to use his bite could be not so fun.

I think that it would be best for you to find a dog that is local that you can spend some time with (multiple visits) & possibly take out for some walks etc before making any decisions on taking home.

I would also suggest that the dog you are thinking about getting, after doing the suggestions above, that you have a knowledgable trainer evaluate for temperment etc, away from the rescue's home or property. In fact a completely new envirenment that the dog has never been to. And I am not talking about decoy/bite work here, only temperment.

This dog sounds like he may be carring a fair anmount of baggage. Some that you may be able to deal with & some possibly not or that you may not want to take on.

A dog with a soft temperment,(handler sensitive) has nothing to do with his confidence level & ability to do serious bite work. If he has other fear or confidence issues that is entirely different story. Some of which may not show up until triggers are hit or pressure in work testing is done.

As far as exercise...the amount that you listed isn't even enough for most laidback pets. I would expect a dog with evewn a fair amount of drive would need way more then that. My working line GSDs would be climbing the walls in the house with even only a 2 hrs of running a day.

Good luck I hope that you find the dog that you want.

He's handsome! I'd follow the wonderful advice of the other Ladies who responded. Especially spending as MUCH time as possible with him because of his past treatment/handling.

Does he have papers? (not that it matters!) He looks like he has Elgos du Chemin des Plaines in him. All that pretty white on his chest!

 Quote: Anne Jones

I think that it would be best for you to find a dog that is local that you can spend some time with (multiple visits) & possibly take out for some walks etc before making any decisions on taking home.

I would also suggest that the dog you are thinking about getting, after doing the suggestions above, that you have a knowledgable trainer evaluate for temperment etc, away from the rescue's home or property. In fact a completely new envirenment that the dog has never been to. And I am not talking about decoy/bite work here, only temperment.

This dog sounds like he may be carring a fair anmount of baggage. Some that you may be able to deal with & some possibly not or that you may not want to take on.

A dog with a soft temperment,(handler sensitive) has nothing to do with his confidence level & ability to do serious bite work. If he has other fear or confidence issues that is entirely different story. Some of which may not show up until triggers are hit or pressure in work testing is done.

As far as exercise...the amount that you listed isn't even enough for most laidback pets. I would expect a dog with evewn a fair amount of drive would need way more then that. My working line GSDs would be climbing the walls in the house with even only a 2 hrs of running a day.

Good luck I hope that you find the dog that you want.

I hope the O.P. takes this post to heart.

High-drive and protection-trained? And a washout? This is all a brand-new area for the O.P., right?

Please take this to heart:

I would also suggest that the dog you are thinking about getting, after doing the suggestions above, that you have a knowledgable trainer evaluate for temperment etc, away from the rescue's home or property. In fact a completely new envirenment that the dog has never been to. And I am not talking about decoy/bite work here, only temperment.

I am not trying to sound negative -- only realistic. I'd take anything that anyone who mentioned 15 minutes of exercise a day with a HUGE grain of salt.

I would'nt even think about any kind of bitework with him. He allready showed he wasnt capable of it so I wouldnt put that pressure on him. I don't think I would even play tug with him. I'd just throw toys for him. What a rescuer would term abusive could be anything they don't like, so I agree with taking him someplace new to try and get a fair idea of his temperament.

I would also keep in mind that if he's a soft dog who may be a little fearful, any corrections need to be very impersonnal. No emotion at all. Management to build trust with him is where I would spend the time so you could avoid the corrections as much as possible.

I think its just like any rescue you may take in, you need to take your time and be aware of what could trigger problems.The big difference though is what you know he washed out from, that could make him not a good choice for a first dog. Baggage, like Anne mentioned, could be a bit more then you would want to deal with.