That kennel also microchips its puppies (a good policy, though shelters don't normally check owner surrenders). This means if you get the dog, you can have it scanned and if it is chipped, will reveal the breeder.

My dogs are all rescues, but I would love to know more about them! And with a working Mal it would be nice to know what you are getting, and I'm sure the breeder would appreciate knowing where the puppy ended up.

 Quote: Elisabeth Barber

Her husband is an MP and they got the dog thinking her husband could use him at work (I'm not really sure it works that way, does it?)

No, it doesn't. In my last unit, we received the dogs fully trained (18-24 months old) and integrated them into our unit and SOPs. Dogs were not trained from puppies at the unit level. There is simply no time for that in an operational unit.

My malinois is 5 months old now. Sounds to me that you're getting the good end of the deal. The pup is probably done teething by now and can hold his pee over night. The pup you describe sounds exactly like mine - mouthy and onery. But we don't want mals to sit on a rug and just look cute, do we?

Good luck!

I agree :-) I am really hoping this pup is from that breeder. I can't find anything else in the area unless it was just a private person who bred a litter. Just because she used the word "breeder" doesn't necessarily mean he was. But I assume (a bad thing, I know) that since she brought him back there for his shots the "breeder" wasn't just Joe Blow breeding his dog for the fun of it. I hope that my assumption proves correct.

I wish she would call me back. I would really like to know what is going on with the pup ... this is driving me nuts! I hope she didn't go off and take him to the shelter for some odd reason. She would not have gotten rid of him any faster that way as I was going to meet her when she got off work.

Kurt, if I found a mal than just sat on rug looking cute, I would think he was broken rofl :-)

I didn't really think military personnel bought puppies for use in their unit. Just didn't sound efficient or realistic. It just takes too long for them to get to a "useable" age ... I can't come up with a better word than that right now, lol, my brain is fried.

 Quote: Kurt Smith

But we don't want mals to sit on a rug and just look cute, do we?

Wellll..just for the split second of taking a picture of them sitting still so we have proof it can be done would be GREAT...LOL

LOL! My former mal tried her best to convince me that it was an impossible feat for her to sit still even for a picture. I had many, many blurry attempts, lol.

Elisabeth,

So what's the latest? I don't want to believe it was all a wind up. The wife wanting one thing to happen to the dog and the spouse wanting the opposite. How cruel would THAT be!!!

I just got home ... talked to her on the phone this morning as we were leaving and that's exactly what it is. He is out of town and freaked out when she told him she'd found him a home. He is getting home on Saturday and they are going to talk about it. I am supposed to call her on Sunday to see what they decide.

The way she talked about the pup, I can't believe they'd want to keep him. It sounds as if they don't do anything with him and that he has no manners. I hope he realizes, as they think about and discuss this, that a dog (especially a mal) is much happier when it is worked and has a job. If they want a dog that doesn't require as much work and is calmer around the baby, they should get a golden retriever ... or maybe something small.

I do understand that it is difficult to rehome a pet, I've been there. When my Grandma got sick I had to rehome several dogs (including my beloved malinois, who went to my Uncle) in order to be able to help care for Grandma. I just didn't have the time or emotional energy to devote to the dogs, it just wasn't fair to them. It's a tough thing to have to do, but sometimes it is what is best for the dog. I hope they realize that with their situation, it is best to find the dog a new home ... and where better than with someone who has malinois experience and has the time to train and work the dog? *crosses fingers and hopes for reason*

So, I'll find out Sunday, I guess. More waiting ... I am so not good at waiting.

Sounds to me as if the wife wants to place the dog in a new home and the husband does not.....

Keep us posted Elisabeth. I am always surprised at how many people underestimate the time investment required for these dogs even when they are pre-warned. While most of our GSDs don't need that "hands on" one on one work done with them every day the typical Malinois does.

Even people that have experience with working dogs find themselves in over their head with a young Malinois especially if they haven't given the dog a SUITABLE outlet for it's high intelligence and drive early on. It is because of this reason that I am reluctant to breed anymore. Homes that can really do these dogs justice and won't feed junk and vaccinate them to death are few and far between.

I have 2 retired Mals (age 7 and 12) and 2 younger ones (age 4 and 1) The 2 younger dogs take up a large percentage of my time to keep them emotionally and physically content. I'm lucky enough to work from home, so I can take breaks whenever I feel like it to go out and play with, walk or train the dogs but most people don't have this luxury.

I hope you get the puppy!