Hmm, Mals are touchy feely types? Does that mean Mike is getting a love bite in his ass every night?

Yup. The well-known Dutchie love-bite.

LOL Maybe touchy feely was the wrong term............

 Quote: Cindy Easton Rhodes

LOL Maybe touchy feely was the wrong term............

I don't think so.....we that have Mals and Dutchies have the bite scars to prove they touch and feel with their mouths.....HAHA

From some officers that I know with Mals:
"It's not a bite unless you need stitches."

"A Malinois is a Shepherd on crack."

That said, I would like to have a Mal, but my wife hates how they look. She says they're way too scrawny.

 Quote: Eric Eschmann

That said, I would like to have a Mal, but my wife hates how they look. She says they're way too scrawny.

LOL! My favorite is... Is that a greyhound shepherd mix?

I just like to go with coyote hybrid.

I just wanted to add my too cents. I do not have any experience with Mals, but I am the proud owner of a Dutchie. My dutchie is not a protection dog or involved in any ring sport, she is just a companion. We did start doing agility work with her because she NEEDS a job. Prior to her we had a GSD for 13 years, but wanted a smaller shepherd so we decided on a Dutchie. We did our research, but we had no idea what we were getting into until we lived with it. Also, we are not green, but we are certainly not experienced handlers either. My advice is seek professional help. After a year of working with and experienced trainer, our dutchie is now very enjoyable and I wouldn't trade her for anything. But its been a long year... my 76 year old mother is still affraid of her. I've been told mals or even harder to control than dutchies. The intensity and energy compared to a GSD is incredible. That being said, she can also be the sweetest dog when SHE wants to.

To the OP, make sure you know what your getting into and talk to owners in a simular situation. Just my advice since I'd lived it.

That being said, I would definitely get another dutchie, but this time I will be more experienced and ready.

Having been converted to the "dark side" by Cindy Rhodes some 3 years ago, I believe I will ALWAYS have a Mal in my life.

I have always had dogs... but there is something that sets the Mal apart from just a "dog". They are highly intelligent (smarter than me on most days), highly sensitive (which to me is a plus), tremendously protective, and pretty entertaining when you have 2.

Toni and Cat are amazing. They are not crazy, or neurotic. They work for me until they drop, pick themselves up and keep going if I ask them. They also settle down when I ask.

I am not much of a trainer... but my dogs have been very tolerant of my mistakes. They come back and work for me even if I give an unfair correction or screw something else up. My agility instructor likes to say that Toni is learning despite me

It was already posted, but breeding makes the dog. Cindy is an amazing breeder, and therefore produces the best dogs. I think I thank her almost every day for my 2 ladies. Find a breeder even half as good as Cindy and you will get a truely amazing Malinois

 Quote:

I've been told mals or even harder to control than dutchies.

I would have to disagree. It is entirely dependant on the bloodline of the dogs, and especially with Dutchie's its vastly different from line to line, because most Dutchie's are crossed with Mal's (with the exception of most Dutchies that are FCI registered).

Many people describe Dutchie's as "a Malinois with an Off Switch." I think that is more true for the true FCI registered papered Dutchies, but the majority of those lines of Dutchies have pretty much lost their working ability just as the showline GSD's have. The Dutchies that you will find doing work are from KNPV bloodlines, which are crossed with Mal's and sometimes a couple other breeds. The Mal's from KNPV lines are often born in the same litters as the Dutchies, but are named solely based on what color they were born. Because of all the crossing, essentially Mal's and Dutchies from KNPV lines are entirely different to Mal's from, say, French Ring lines. This also means there is a HUGE range of dogs from incredibly soft to insanely hard and dominant to the point that even many experienced handlers would choose to put the dog down because he is "too hard" or "too dominant."

I don't mean to sidetrack into an education on Dutchie genetics and bloodlines, but I'd hate for someone to read this thread on Mal's, then go out and get a Dutchie because they think it'll be "like a Mal but easier" Better looking yes, but easier: absolutely 100% dependant on the individual dog Remember: with so much crossing and outcrossing, litters can (and do) become inconsistent. Some of the breeders producing better KNPV line dogs do alot of inbreeding and develop their own bloodline, ofcourse, these dogs are also on the upper end of the scale of "dogs the average person wouldn't want to live with", some also falling into the "dogs the experienced person wouldn't want to live with" category

Could you guy's go a little in to detail about the sensitivity and how that affects training with Mals. What type of handlers are a good match and what kind of problems you could have and how it can be used? Thanks.