Quote: joseph romano

can a mal be a house pet with the right amount of excrise or is it only for working sports

I think it was Kelly from LB that gave some good advice in another thread.
You have to find what you are looking for by finding a good, reputable breeder.
Sure there are Mals out there that can be a good house pet, and mine are fairly good in the house.
But, they still need something to do to keep them well exercised and mentally balanced.

Oh yes, Sandy.
I'll back you up on that one. Gsds do and can come with some kind of weird hardwired Mal gene in them. That is if I understand what Malinois stands for. My first GSD was like that. She would literally use the walls of the house as speed ramps the same as race car drivers do. She went through I can't remember how many pairs of gloves and one motor cycle jacket (I still have the jacket. Not good for anything now but show and tell). LOL, in the first year I had her my best Christmas present came from my stepson, a big bundle of suede insulated gloves!
So to the op, Lindsay I believe, you should beware, big surprises come in different wrappings all the time.

Love surprises,
Randy

 Quote: Sandy Moore

Do you want to do French Ring or Mondio? Personally I'm at a loss as to what breed other than the 2 mentioned would be good for either of those sports. I'm still sticking with not getting a Mal for yourself, or a high drive GSD.

Yeah, it just seems to me that what you want is going to be hard to find. The drives and energy that makes the dog bionic are also the drives that are going to help you in french ring or mondio. I know some GSDs that can chill when needed, but I know plenty that can't. Unless you're planning on buying an adult dog whose temperament and energy level is already established, you shouldn't be surprised if you get a revved up dog. if it were me I'd be just assuming that if I don't want a dog like that, then maybe I should find a different training avenue.

 Quote: carol boche

 Quote: joseph romano

can a mal be a house pet with the right amount of excrise or is it only for working sports

I think it was Kelly from LB that gave some good advice in another thread.
You have to find what you are looking for by finding a good, reputable breeder.
Sure there are Mals out there that can be a good house pet, and mine are fairly good in the house.
But, they still need something to do to keep them well exercised and mentally balanced.

This is true, some breeders are offering tempered drive in some Malinois pups because they can't be handled by John Q Public. These dogs then are not what you say true working Malinois anymore. IMHO if those dogs get bred they soften the whole breed and you get less and less choice of real working lines.

Since 9/11 there has been a plethora of Malinois interest, and the market has gotten swamped with breeders jumping on the Malinois bandwagon. IMHO some for the right reasons and others for the wrong reasons. What makes the breed so great has made the breed popular with the public. That adds related stress on breeding programs so hopefully that will not be "my breeds" undoing either.

I'm thinking the slow 60-70 year crawl of German working line GSDs where unethical people have bred most of that working ability away turning them into show lines where 10% or more of the dogs progeny are dysplasic etc, I hope that doesn't happen to the Malinois in 50-60 years from now.

That's why I could never support a breeder who bred for tempered drive vs working ability. There is a lot to be said for ethical breeders like Cindy who put the breed first from a working stand point. They are the true champions of the breed IMHO.

Well said Geoff.

I didn't realize I am getting tons of replies on this, but I appericate it alot. I can understand several concerns. I do not want a dog that is totally couch potato! I can't stand those dogs either. I don't want a dog that get tired easily and want to sleep all day!

I tend to like breeds that are "mild" or balanced; even though, border collies is not suitable for people who want to watch t.v. all day and do nothing. I am not those kinds of owners.

I am looking for a right breed that I should go with to do french ring and mondioring which I am very serious about. I want to do a compeitive level, but I want a dog that can relax after doing things with me.

I do like malinois, but they were never my first choice. I am not crazy about GSD either or even pointers. I'm not crazy about herding breeds in general, but I don't hate them or anything. It has to do something with my personality conflict I think. Even though any dogs that come to me, will have a permant home. No matter what happens or where did I go. It goes with me and it is not going to the shelter or rehome. I grew up dogs and some died of old age or kidney failure, whatever.


I don't want a border collie; however, my parents wanted one. I tried to talk them out of not getting one. They didn't listen to me, but we still have him now.

He is 4 years old and living with us. I knew they are high energy breed so I tried my best to serve Riley's needs. I took him as a running and walking companion. We would walk for an hour and half or two daily. He had done some basic OB and completed his puppy class. I still work with him everyday for 10 minutes on OB since I am teaching him to come when I called his name in present of other dogs. When I didn't call his hame, he sits there and wait.

What should I do? What is your advise? I dont mind to go with doberman because I really like the breed. I know they are prone to WVD, other stuffs. I have researched it more than I did with Mali. I don't mind to learn more about Mali. I'm not sure what I should do at this moment.

Last few weeks, I have been searching for a training field and I finally found one. We are forming a MR club here in Tucson. I have searched for a field for few weeks after I was told that it is very hard to find one. I contacted almost everyone around the town to see if they rent one. We have had michael ellis come to several seminars. I'm dead serious about doing FR and MR.

My problem is what breed can I do to compete it? That won't drive me crazy when it is time to relax?

 Quote: joseph romano

can a mal be a house pet with the right amount of excrise or is it only for working sports

If I decide to go with a mali or any breed that is right for me, I want it to be a house pet, workinig companion (sport), walking/ running partner, and help me pulling the scooter. Maybe be a hearing service dog if I need to in the future.

I got a scooter for xmas and I have used it with Cody, a rottweiler mix. I had Cody evaulated for the sport, Michael Ellis said he wasn't suitable for the sport. So, he suggested me a mali too.

Like I say before, malinois isn't my "favorite breed" and I have no interest to become a breeder. I'm more comfortable buying a puppy from breeders who breed for a specific purpose rather than me doing it.

 Quote: carol boche

Lindsay,
I would think that you would be better with a good GSD rather than a Mal. If this is going to be your first "sport" dog, this is what I would do.

I am not a big Mal promoter, especially since I get all kinds of rescue notices for them now....grrrr

They are not for people who want a "go get on your bed and sleep" dog, although they will, but it is usually with one eye open, still looking for something to do.

I know what you mean about Mali rescue. I don't understand why some breeders need to breed more dogs out there than we need? Same for any other breeds, actually we have too many dogs that are homeless.

Some people haven't done tons of research on the breed. If I was going to go with malionis. I want to make sure I know exactly what I am getting. I have seen malinois doing things that are impressive. I know they are pretty handful, but when I say its time to rest. Will it rest?

UNFORTUNATELY, There are lots of mal's out there that would make fine house pets/weekend sports dogs.

Too many people breed Mal's to GSD standards... "wow this dog is more intense than a GSD, lets breed him". Most people haven't even seen a good Mal, and many people wouldn't want to own the Mal they have if he was the type of dog that a Mal should be.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The limitation is that breeders breed the type of dog they can handle. If the breeder cannot handle a great dog, they won't breed great dogs either. Most people cannot handle a great Malinois, so the market is flooded with crap. Mal's now have a reputation as being nervey. I won't even look at a Mal from a Schutzhund background. Stick with KNPV, NVBK, MR or FR lines.... but if you get a good Mal, make sure you have a contingency plan on rehoming the dog if the dog is too much for you Be prepared to get bitten in the ass randomly for the first 18 months or so.

The hyperness is not what makes the Mal a difficult dog to own. A border collie is hyper and any schmuck can own one of those. In a GOOD Mal, its the combination of drives, dominance and incredible willingness to bite that makes a Mal difficult to own. Especially a young Mal.

Mike, you're partially correct when you say

"Too many people breed Mal's to GSD standards... "wow this dog is more intense than a GSD, lets breed him". Most people haven't even seen a good Mal, and many people wouldn't want to own the Mal they have if he was the type of dog that a Mal should be."

No, the problem is people breeding dogs for profit and not to keep the working qualities of the breed. Look at all the working breeds that have found mass popularity in History. Dobermans, Rotties and Gsd's and soon Malinois. I'm old enough to remember when it was much easier to find good working Dobie's and Rots. Now it takes more effort and a boat load of cash.

With the Mal, being a dominant force in sports and police work. People see quick bucks. We'll see people breed for numbers and easy money. Here in the US, I've seen the numbers of Malinois Kennel expand quite rapidly. I would venture to say a high percentage don't know dick about genetics,drive,nerves or training. Whenever a increase like this happens, The breed sees the working quality and health go down. Just wait a few years and the increase of Backyard Malinois breeders and average pet owners buying the hot sport, work and protection dog. The inevitable biting of the owner's children, mail man or their neighbors child will happen. You'll see an even bigger decline in quality. When the back lash comes and it will come sooner or later. You will see Mal breeders offering a golden middle. Just like the GSD breeders did years ago, after a rapid increase in popularity and publicized bites.

I agree with you Mike: most people haven't seen a good working dog of any breed. Nor do they truly understood the drives,temperament or accept the responsibility of owning such a dog. They see a good looking athletic animal that makes them feel safe. I count myself lucky in that I found 2 really good GSD's. They are out there but harder to find. Dedicated GSD owners have to compete with police departments,schutzhund competitors to get a good one. You have to sift thru the countless breeders. Which means allot of leg work and more Money!!!

I wouldn't want anymore drive than my dogs have. I was recently in the hospital and my good friend who handled Mal's for the last 15 years boarded them. He'll tell you they drove him just as crazy as any Mal he has handled. He'll tell you their drives are up and how hard it is too live with them. My male Loco is similar to Will's description of Fetz.

Mike I've already seen a decline in Malinois. My local police bought their first pair about 20 to 22 years ago. Both great dogs. Extreme drive,good tracking and breath taking bite-work. The next 4 were mediocre. They did good bite-work but couldn't track worth a damn. Their scent work was piss poor. Now, they have 2 GSD's from Slovakia and Czech Republic. One of them from the dreaded show-lines. Guess what he can work. He may be a step or two slower than a Mal but he does all that is ask of him very well. it's all about the breeder,blood-lines and training. Personally I wish pet owner would stick to labs and poodles.