Today after obedience class I was offered a dog. He's a show-line of a popular breed on here (Not a GSD) who is for several reasons not going to bred but he has the speed and focus for performance events. While I initially turned down the offer after thinking about it now I'm leaning toward going to see him.

Ideally I would want a working line of this breed to be my next dog however I feel to do a working line dog justice I should just start with something less drivey but who shares some quirks. Am I misguided in this thought or does it have some merit?

I'll also be taking this up with my trainer who has several of this breed and will likely know something about this breeder. If I do see him I'll also be requesting his OFA numbers and/or his x-rays since I'm not interested in dealing with ED/HD as I've been there. I'll also be finding out why she's not using him in her programme since I don't want a temperament freakshow either. I liked the breeder after our conversation (The offer came after a long chat about related things) and she seems to be looking for a good home for more dog than is 'just a pet' appropriate. I'll try to drag my trainer along since she'd give me an honest assessment too so I'm not going into this without an experienced eye.

I had not been planning on another dog for about another six or seven months after I'd gotten serious about trialling my ACD but this seems like it could be a solid option, particularly as I have the time and space for him as is.

So with that, what would you do? A (presumably*) Sound showline with the potential to do what you want now, as well as give you a foot in the door for the breed or wait and just get a working line selected for my limitations (limited experience with the breed) eventually?

*Assuming all is on the up-and-up but I won't be taking the breeder's word for it. Odds are I won't like him anyway (I'm pretty picky) but I'd like the opinions anyway.

What breed?

Yeah some show lines are better than others...ex: Flat Coated Retrievers are better than show Labs for performance.

If you just want a dog to start with, it is possible to find a physically sound show line (varying by breed) and there are some of them with some drive and decent (probably soft) temperaments.

But why not start with a working puppy and build your training skills as the pup matures? That way you don't start out with a full grown amped up working dog...but you end up with one.

 Quote: Ingrid Rosenquist

What breed?

He's a Mal. I danced around it since I know there are some passionate opinions about that breed in particular here but it is relevant so fire away.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

If you just want a dog to start with, it is possible to find a physically sound show line (varying by breed) and there are some of them with some drive and decent (probably soft) temperaments.

But why not start with a working puppy and build your training skills as the pup matures? That way you don't start out with a full grown amped up working dog...but you end up with one.

A puppy was (and probably still is since I'm kind of skeptical about this dog) the plan but I'd assumed my first working-line dog would be a GSD. I do prefer Mals in general but it seemed to me to be a given that a working-line Mal is a poor and less forgiving first time working dog which is where I'm kind of stuck. I want a Mal but it seems like jumping off the high dive with floaties to get a working line Mal pup. I know I can handle whatever gets thrown at me, working line or not I have good people around me, but it seems a little unfair to subject a pup generally considered to be less forgiving than the GSDs to my mistakes. I was just wondering if viewing him sort of as a starter-mal purely for breed experience and a less project-based performance dog was correct or misguided.

I'm also without a club which is why I've hesitated in moving forward with the pup-search at all and why a puppy is in the longer range forecast.

Really in all of this there's no rush, the mal offer just sort of fell into my lap and I wanted some alternate views. I'm happy with my little project ACD right now, stubbornness and all but I wouldn't mind another performance dog in the picture.

This may seem like a contradiction, but even though you always want to gain experience and learn from it, I always need to remind myself to not compare my current dog to my previous dog.

So, if you're looking to learn more just by having a dog to train, yeah. If its just to get an idea of what a Mal is about, I'd say no. Does that make any sense?

What sport are you looking at moving him into? Some show lines are based upon working kennels, most aren't but... we'd need to see a pedigree.

If obedience etc. it might work. If sch. or ring sports - go for the pup

Radar has taught me everything I do not want in my next malinois. He is exactly what I wanted when I contacted the breeder, but having him has shown me all the holes in my ability to manage and train high energy, drivey dogs.

That said, if I can keep screwing up and he can keep figuring out what I'm asking him and do it beyond my expectations, then you can manage to successfully live with a show line malinois.

(my next malinois will not do Sudoku for fun!)

I would say move slowly and really think it through. My cody is a high drive dog and I have my hands full sometimes. He has taught me a lot, but I still have a lot to learn. I too have holes that need to be filled so I know what you are talking about. I would want to learn all I could from the dog you have. then about the dog you want, and then start with a puppy. I agree with that advise.
Cody stills goes toward any thing full force, high energy, full speed ahead! But oh what a heart he has! (cody is the little black dog in this picture)
Hope it all works out for you. sharon


Edited by Sharon Empson (01/17/2012 09:07 PM)
Edit reason: misspelling

I would check out the Malinois at the very least. Not all showlines are lousy in the performance arena. I have a friend who breeds Malinois and shows in conformation. Her current competition male that she bred is a breed champion with group placements and has his UDX. Two of his sisters have their SchH3 and at least one an FH. Granted she breeds with an eye towards performance and is keen on using "working lines" (sire of aforementioned litter is a littermate to Django ot Vitosha). Unfortunately not all breeders are like that but some are.

Check out the pedigree, check out the dog, and go from there.

Just my two cents :-)

If you don't take it, let me know if it is a male.