Quote: Khoi Pham

What are you waiting for? I think you will be fine.

I agree with Khoi .. sounds like to me you are ready to rock.

The only thing to me is the breeding. Me I was lucky I bought a pet but got totally something else. I know you know not to buy a pup from a breeding that has CH in the name. I'm leaving momentarily for vacation or else I'd put my .02$ in via PM on the subject but I'm sure that others will help you with a litter selection then your local trainer can help you with a pup selection.

Good Luck with your search .. the journey to Malinoisville begins now!

After much deliberation and the wonderful help of the people on this forum, I have decided I WILL be purchasing a Malinois.

Had a really good discussion last night with my old man and the local trainer (who I have pre-registered with to take up classes once pup is ready).

I'm waiting on a report about the bloodline of the litter I am interested in, and im also waiting on a response to my 40 - 50 questions from the breeder and then its a 1.5hour drive to inspect with the both of them helping me out in terms of selection.

Thanks to everyone for the input, I had some pretty knowledgable people around me, but I find it helpful to try and get as many differing opinions as possible so cheers!

I will keep you posted on how I go, and I suspect I will be a regular here from now on

I also have a feeling my first OMFG IT ATE EVERYTHING! post is not too far away :P

- James.

 Quote: james benigno

After much deliberation and the wonderful help of the people on this forum, I have decided I WILL be purchasing a Malinois.

Hee hee....as I tell all future Mali owners...."Welcome to the dark side James, you will never go back now....."

Just want to add: In my experience I have found that the Dutch/KNPV lines are calmer, better house dogs (while still great working dogs) than the French lines. I wouldn't go so far as to state it's true for ALL KNPV lines or ALL French lines, but I've worked enough to know there's been a trend.

Not sure what exactly you want to do with the pup (I read the entire thread but might have missed it) but in general French dogs are going to be better for FR and Mondio, while Dutch lines will be better for, well basically living with and PP. You MAY find that a Dutch line dog will be "slower" than a rocket of a little French mal... But this dog will ALSO likely have a deeper bite naturally. So it really depends what you want.

My preference now for my own dogs are KNPV lines (mals, dutchies, or crosses thereof) because they're more robust, which appeals to me, generally have nicer heads (all things being equal a pretty dog gets my vote), and as I mentioned they're easier to live with. I generally take a bit of a hit in FR training with speed, and while my dogs have fantastic natural grip (which I like) you can imagine they tire themselves out more doing a FR routine than a little mal with the NATURAL tendency to run, bite, and return before anyone even knows he left.

I am more of the thought that the Belgian lines are the calmest of them all. The French lines yes smaller faster and nervier by nature. Both the Dutch and Belgian are bigger so they have bigger mouthes and bigger grips but IMHO the KNPV lines are more socially aggressive and powder keggy than the Belgian lines. But like anything, these generalizations to me YMMV.

I'd be inclined to agree with you Geoff re: the KNPV vs. Belgian lines. I very much like the Belgian lines but have found them somewhat harder to obtain.

 Quote: Geoff Empey

I am more of the thought that the Belgian lines are the calmest of them all.

As in a hurricane vs. a cyclone?

Belgian lines are the calmest of them all???? KNPV dogs make good house dogs????

What world do you people live in? Where are these people getting their dogs from???? Please tell me so I know who to avoid.

The calm house doggy KNPV dogs are the ones they ship off to other countries because nobody else wants them

Perhaps look at some of the Mal's bred for IPO. There's some decent German lines for that. They tend to be more GSD-like and less spazzy if that's your thing

 Quote: mike j schoonbrood

KNPV dogs make good house dogs???? The calm house doggy KNPV dogs are the ones they ship off to other countries because nobody else wants them

That's kind of an unfair statement. People like all types of dogs, and some enjoy saying things like "I own a malinut... I am special because he is crazy, he bites me and ate the couch, but I still tolerate living with him" and then there are others (myself included) who like a powerful dog ON the field and a liveable dog OFF the field. I am sure there are KNPV breeders who breed dogs I wouldn't want to own. But there are also MANY breeding balanced dogs, and the lines are (in my opinion and experience) easier to find these balanced dogs in.

Balanced doesn't mean inferior either. Aside from the fact that I personally believe a working dog is only as good as he is controllable and liveable (he ain't much use as a protection dog in a kennel) let's not forget that these dogs were SUPPOSED to be all-around working dogs. Herding, guarding, companions. In the creation of these breeds their balance and versatility was prized. And just because many sport breeders bastardized the vision of these breeds' creators, it does not make nutty, uncontrollable, stupid-driven dogs correct or ideal.

Mike, we may not like the same dog. But to state that a Belgian Malinois you can live with is a KNPV reject does a disservice to KNPV breeders as well as the dogs themselves. Of course I am speaking in relative terms here. They're STILL malinois, and still need a job to do.

I owned a very nice little female HHx from KNPV lines who was my personal ideal dog. She was calm in the house (with the exception of chewing through a water pipe as a baby and flooding the basement) and she was so dynamite on the field I had trouble finding decoys willing to work her. She was absolutely CRUSHING on a suit. At the same time, you'd probably have rejected her because she didn't bark, she didn't pull to get to the decoy, and in fact she stood so quietly at the beginning of her first running apprehension that I had doubts she would even run after the decoy! When told to go after him, she bolted off like a greyhound, and almost knocked him off his feet.

I sold her for a few reasons, mostly centered around the fact that even the "good" decoys we had access to were ruining her bite (she hurt, bad) but also because I (stupidly) wanted a male. I didn't factor in the fact that a female dog that works like she did would be so highly valued, and I incorrectly assumed dogs like her grew on trees because I found her so easily and quite by accident. I would kill to find another dog like her now that I have the experience and calibre of decoy work to deserve her. And now that I'm not so stupid to let something like her go.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.