I have just aquired a 1 yo Bel. Malinois that has a wonderful personality! She just seems to be lacking a strong prey drive! She will go after toys in the yard but when she gets into the water, forget about it! I can't seem to keep her focused.I wanted to start her on some bite work but again, no interest. She would rather chase dragonflies! She comes from the Broadcreek lines and has a TON of Ch. in her pedigree.I have tried everything that I know (bouncing balls, throw toys, frisbees, etc. I even tied her up while I threw, bounced a ball near her. It got her excited but when I let her off the lead, again, no interest. Any help would be great!

Is that a ton of *AKC* champions in the pedigree that you're tlaking about?

If so, what has happened is that the breed's drives have been selectively bred out by AKC breeders - this is done to make a pet out of a working dog.

If your girl is from AKC lines, just love and enjoy her as a pet - but please don't try and do bite work with her, it will just frustrate you both.

Now if she's from import lines, we need to approach this from a different tack...

You said she has tons of Ch. pedigree, is that working title? or somekind of show title?, if she is from a working line, she probably was not raise properly to bring out the drive, I would first tie her to a post, use a rag or a tug toy tie to a broom stick and swing it around in front of her, don't let her have it at first, only when you see that she start to build up her drive for it then let her have it, once she has it in her mouth, constanly keep pressure on the line to build up her grip, if she lets go then keep frustating her alot more before you let her have it again. Now if she is from a show line, then I don't know, be sure that she has solid nerve if you want to train her to do bite work, you don't want to train a weak nerve show line dog to do bite work.
Good luck.

Ahhh, now that I've seem the website ( thanks, Deanna! ) , I can definately say that you shouldn't train bite work with the dog.

Play with her, do obedience, have fun with her. But don't ask her to train in something that she just doesn't have the genetics to be successful in. It wouldn't be fair.

She has , yes, AKC show lines. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Parents excel in OB trials and in the show ring. Since my post yesterday, I have talked with the breeder AGAIN and did realize that protection training probably wouldn't be the best thing for this girl. When I talked to the breeder, she wanted me to breed her to another stud that she has but I think that I will look for a working line. Is anyone familiar with the Windrush lines? Or Turick? I want to bredd her in early 2005. If anyone can knows of a reputable breeder...????? I could really use the help! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

As far as the water issue...it's ANY water! Shower, pool. pond, lakes etc! She loves it! I just wish that she would retrieve when I throw something out for her. She goes to it, gets it, and drops it.She even watches it float away! Bummer!

Yesterday, I put a Kong on a 6' rope, tied her up and HELLO! she went NUTS trying to get it! It was in there after all! I think I just had to find her trigger!Tried the ball, nothing.

Ashley,
Be careful, and don't be so bent on breeding this female. Sounds like you're fairly new to the breed and are realizing that this female may not be entirely characteristic of what the 'true' Malinois is or should be. Take the time to learn from this dog what you like and don't like about her and the breed in general. Talk to people like Ivan & Silke Balabanov (Ot Vitosha Malinois), Cindy Rhodes (v Kaiserhaus), Augusta Farley (du Ciel Rouge Malinois), Josh Lewis (New England K9), Guy & Judith Powell (Seven Pines Kennel). These people have been involved with the breed for years and know that the essence of the Malinois is not found in an AKC Championship.
I would avoid people who breed strongly for AKC Show purposes. The working line Malinois can do everything the 'Show' dogs can do and much, much more. I think you'll end up disappointed if you continue down the road of the AKC Show Malinois.

John,
Excellent advice, but remember that sometimes when people buy from AKC show breeders, the breeders have the first choice for the stud. Back in my AKC days, I did a few co-ownerships, and the breeders controlled a lot of aspects of the dogs life. I quickly wised up ( I was a teenager back then ). Sometimes "puppies back" is required in a purchase contract.

Ashley, I looked over the breeders website, at least they take the time to get OB or agility titles on some of the dogs, and that is always a good sign!

Try to transfer the kong on a rope drive to ball on the string drive - it'll be easier for you to carry and use.
Ashley, also as you're in Florida...check your PM's <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I have seen two dogs from two different departments out of this kennel a few years back...their handlers / trainers tried to pass them off as "police dogs"....they had absolutely NO prey drive & would stress big time when in defense...some of us encouraged the handler/trainers to do some research on the lines of these dogs....I was just so shocked when they came back & said they were from AKC show lines - NOT!! One dept. decertified it's dog...the other trainer/handler remained obstinate until the end of the dogs career-"It's not important that he won't maintain a bite on a sleeve" :rolleyes:
Give the girl some good ear scratchins' and don't stress her trying to do what she may be genetically incapable of.

Ashley, the mother's temperament is MORE important than the father's. Hoping to get a working pup out of a pet isn't realistic IMO. When you consider all the money you will loose trying to breed her, it's going to be cheaper, easier, and a whole lot less frustrating to spay her and start over. Show breeders won't tell you about that side of breeding in hopes that they can get newbies to do their dirty work and give them free pups. Now, this is not always the case but I have seen it turn out bad for both the owner and the breeder because of misinformation and false hopes stemming from "working showline" rhetoric.

Sorry for the rant, but trying to breed before you are really ready and know what you are doing is just going to hurt you and the dogs in the long run. I was sucked into the same stuff, only with GSDs. Biggest mistake I have ever made.