Brigita is correct. The best place to contact about "Dutchies" is Seven Pines Kennel.

http://www.sevenpineskennel.com/dutch_shepherd_history.htm

They are located in Texas and are the only place I would consider buying a DS from.

Jonathan Robinson

I'd be willing to go to Texas to get a good dog <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

On a side note - does it matter wether I get a male or a female in terms of getting along with my current male GSD? Would it be a "safer bet" to get a female? I'd kinda like a female, but I don't like the bleeding, which means she'd have to get spayed, which means that I'd have no option of breeding if I were to ever decide to do so - whereas with a male, if it turned out to be a really awesome dog that was worth breeding, the option could always be open. I guess I'm worrying too much about something that won't happen till 2008 or 2009 but hey, I like thinking ahead <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Mike...before you consider a Dutchie or a Mal, I would STRONGLY suggest you go to someone's house that owns one...for a couple of days. It is NOT EASY to get a HIGH STRUNG dog to cohabit with you. It takes at least two years. Unless the dog will be kenneled, in which case that dog will be even more high strung. There is a WORLD of difference between what you own now and a "proven bloodlines" Dutchie or Mal. A WORLD of difference.

Based on all your posts that I have read, it seems you have the will, the time and the money to keep a dog...you have read up and tried your hand at training one dog. In about 6 months you have gone from asking very basic questions to providing solid advice to those same basic questions.

Before you move towards a VERY HIGH STRUNG dog...regardless of whether you belong to a club or not...try your hand with a strong working lines GSD bitch. This will not only be easier for your dog (a 2 or more dog household is a pain in the a$$)...but most importantly, it will give you more than enough experience, yet will assist in preserving your SANITY.

In my view...it's CRAZY to get a mal or dutchie pup - before you've raised and trained a WORKING GSD. It's WAAAY more hassle than it's worth.

Thanks Andres, your advice is much appreciated <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I definately agree with what you said about experiencing a mal before going with a dog like that. I guess part of the reason I'm considering the options NOW, years before actually intending on doing it, is because I do realize how much of a difference there is with these dogs. Even with my limited exposure to Mal's, there's a very clear difference between the working line GSD's I've seen and Mal's. A really nice working line GSD is still on the table as an option too, but I also know that the odds of me owning 3 dogs at the same time are pretty much ZERO, so my 2nd dog has to be the perfect selection for me, if I were to pick a dog that turns out to not wanna bite or for some reason has very weak nerves or gun shy, then that'd be it - I'd have to wait till one of my dogs passed away before trying again, and that's a prospect I really don't care to think about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> I'm sure I'll run into some dutch shepherds before the time comes, and I train with a guy who has a really nice 6 month old Mal bitch that comes from one of Turbo's litters from Gatorland Malinois, I'm sure he can give me plenty of insight into living with a "Crazy Mal" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />