Wonderful....

i respect your opinion.
the woman said that the dog has not once shown any aggression. like i said in my last post, the more i look at her she looks more like a gsd not a mal. and what if this dog has lost the drive but with work and training it can come back.? forgive me for being so dumb but i'm trying here.

It is a risk.

With some dogs, and I see it more with poorly bred Mal's, people will say "unsocialized" when in reality its a genetic temperament flaw. The dogs can be socialized all day long from puppy to adult and beyond, and the dog will still act spooky no matter what you do. They might get better, but it'll always be there.

You can gamble, and hope she wakes up and does "ok." If thats what you really want to do. But the further away you stray from the proven types of dogs used for work, the more challenges you face in trying to train the dog. Training a well bred dog with all the right genetics is a whole different experience compared to training a dog that has a borderline amount of drive and interest in training.

You can go visit, but if you do I strongly suggest you bring back an experienced working dog trainer to evaluate her potential and knock some sense into you if you're guilted into taking her home because she's sweet :p

Ofcourse, if you are absolutely fine with a high probability of ending up with a pet, and perhaps having to deal with alot of issues long-term, then go get her, you can always get another dog later for working.

Well said Mike...you have a better way with words than I do.

I agree with Mike's post 100%

(well, maybe not the knocking sense into her, we barely know her)

There is always a chance that the dog will "come around". If long shots had no hope and no chance, no one would ever root for them. ;-)
Just make sure that you make the most informed choice possible. Take someone with you and be ready to leave without the dog to think about it. This is important! If she is a sweet heart, it will be tough. But if she has bonded with one or two people at the kennel she is at, and is terrified of everyone else, pay attention. If other workers haven't been able to win her over, you may not either. Are you prepared to have a dog that has to be put away when you have visitors because she gets too upset whenever there is anyone over? It may be best for a dog like that to live with someone who lives alone, or is retired, etc. Just go into it with realistic views on it. It's great to be ready for a challenge like that, but is your family ready for a challenge like that? In order to work out, it has to be a group decision. Just try to think of all the aspects of it. Also find out if they are willing to let you foster her first. She lives in a kennel now, is she able to live in a house? Some rescues are not. Some have to be in run when not directly supervised. Rehab-ing a rescue can be a lot of work, and sometimes it is none at all. It all just depends on the dog and the situation. I hope it works out for you!

 Quote: Mike J Schoonbrood

If you want a calm dog that can work then get a GSD. If you want a calm Malinois then don't do the work. If you want a Malinois then get a good one. The bad ones are a pain in the ass to do anything with. The good ones are a pain in the ass if you DONT do anything with them.

Haha, very true. I have never owned a malinois, but I have seen a several ones before at a seminar.

i can deal with the fact that she may turn into a pet. i won't want her if she will not be able to be around people who may come into my house without going crazy. if she can become a stable pet then i def. want her. if she can become more than just a simpli pet than it a great bonus and it would be wonderful. me and my husband have talked about having more than one dog though, so i will really be eager to find that stable temp. dog that i will be able to really work with. i'm going to run it by her today to see if she would let me foster her for a little while. if she want the best for the dog then she should have no prob with it. i shall see today.

Good luck Bounette!

Yes, good luck Bounette. I can see by looking at her why you want to rescue her. She obviously needs love and care and who knows, with bonding and trust, gentle and firm structure, learning and seeing new things, and exercise, she may well get past her shyness and out of her shell.

Dogs cry out and I can see that in her eyes. It's heartbreaking and almost impossible to not respond.

mike i have a question for you. did you look at the picture of her? does she look like a mal to you ?