I just purchased an 8 week old female malinois. She is a serious pup not devoid of drive or sociability, but definitely likes to figure people and things out before accepting them. She doesn't run away from scary things with her tail tucked, but generally backs away considers it for a moment and then approaches on her own. When I selected her, it was clear she was the dominant pup out of the three remaining and the most inquisitive/intelligent. As a working dog handler, I know that doesn't always make for the best working dog, but she does show potential IMO. I don't really know what I have to work with and what exactly to do with it, as this is my first pup. She will chase a rag and bite and re-adjust to a good grip but when she wins it, she just tries to immediately lay down and chew on it. If I try to run her around, she drops it. If I snatch it away when she leaves it, she's interested again. She sometimes loses interest in the towel and decides to bite my arm or pants or whatever is most convenient instead, and generally she gets a nice, firm grip. She has medium ball drive. She will chase a ball or rolled up piece of paper but she reminds me of a cat. She watches everything intently and then pounces rather than chasing. Once she gets the object, she will carry it a bit and then try to lay down and chew it as well. If I get her to bring it to me, I have to pry it away from her. She is interested in people, but not terribly affectionate. She approaches people eagerly with ears and tail up and doesn't run away if they reach down to pet her but acts like she really doesn't care either way. She is more affectionate with me but has also tried to mount my leg. She was out with two puppies from another litter that she also tried to mount relentlessly.

So, here are my questions: 1. What should I be doing at this stage? How often should I take her out to play, for how long, and should she remain kenneled at all other times? 2. If she does grab a hold of me or some part of my clothing, should I discourage her or encourage her? 3. I want a confident dog with good nerves, but how and when do I draw the line with her trying to mount me and bite me? I would not accept that in a pet, but I don't want to discourage a behavior that would lend to her working ability? 5. If she brings a ball or toy back to me after a retrieve, how should I take it away from her?

I have worked with basic and advanced working dogs for the past 4 years. I know puppies are a "crap shoot" but I am willing to accept that she may not have working dog potential. I would just appreciate some advice/guidance in order to give me some directions to explore. I am also going to watch Bite Training Puppies and hopefully answer some of my own questions. I definitely want to do detection work with this puppy and most likely protection and trailing as well.

Ariel - get the DVD I did titled RAISING A WORKING PUPPY http://leerburg.com/117.htm You need this information

My female mal is 8 month old now and here is what I did . I got her at 9 weeks old. She is an outside dog who is kenneled sometimes and sometimes crated. I live in the country so she can just run and play and exercise without worrying about neighbors or vehicular mishaps

1) Old fishing rod with 4 feet of jute twine and rolled cloth- make prey movements and allow to bite and tug

2) Take the dog to the gas station play tug in parking lot, school grounds, woods - climbed water falls many noises and slippery surfaces- just mainly exposure to noises and different surfaces

3) some ball play and jute rag type play in the house; only 10-15 minutes at a time- I ensured no overly bad experiences , some lead training .

Basically that was it till 5 month old. My two first commands were " hier " reward hotdog piece and " nien " ,

No expert on this by far, but sasha seems pretty stable and is doing well and will be ready for next training phase in late Jan, feb of 06'
Good luck

Ed and Brad,
Thank you both for your input. I have ordered the video as it seems that it will answer many of my questions. For now, I'm just trying to socialize her and encourage her confidence and curiosity. I take her out to go to the bathroom and for short sessions to play. I do a few retrieves and some rag work which winds up with her biting my pants instead. I really appreciate any input, as I feel that there is something to be learned from every trainer. Thank you both again.