Quote: john caven

The male 4 months old. He's had training done as the breeder is also a trainer.

What type of training has been done? The pup is only 4 months old, so I would expect the pup to be crate trained, mostly housebroken, and started on some basic commands via food/marker training.

Also, 4 months old is the start of teething time. Expect the biting to be at full force.

 Quote:

I'm looking for the dog to be a well rounded family dog. I do hope it can provide some home defense for my wife and kids when dad is at work. I've handled large GSD's (I know this isn't a GSD!) before so I think I will be ok.

Again, "well rounded family dog" and Malinois aren't words I'd put together. Not saying there aren't Mals who fit that description, but it's not common (at least it's not common by the layman's definition of well rounded family dog).

Do you know the dog's pedigree? Just curious. It might help shed some light on the energy/drive/reactivity level you should expect.

 Quote: John Caven

I'd like to get this thread back on topic.

Here's my list so far in no order:

...
Dominant Dog Collar
...

What would you need this for?

Also, Malinois range in size quite a bit. It would be difficult for me to recommend a crate size without knowing how large he is. You probably can get away with using a larger crate if he's already crate trained.

Here's some of the terms I've seen on the breeders page. I really am reluctant to give out any information about the breeder yet. Some people online have gotten in my business before when I did that.. I haven't formally introduced my self. Just by email. He knows the ages of my kids ect. He from the video's I've seen has small kids himself.

here's the jist of it from his website.

Taking deposits on picks now. Puppies are due in May!
$1000

All puppies come with one full year health GUARANTEE!!

Then he has a dogs for sale link.
He is selling 4 month olds for $600

Then I went over and searched with google his kennel name and review. Brought up some dogs for $200 unregistered. His dogs are all AKC so i'm guessing the unreg'd one was for $200 with no register.

I'm going to call him today to just chat and see whats up.

Mastock Malinois

Konnie I wanted to have the dominate dog collar just in case. Hopefully never have to use it. Just a tool in the toolbox

You'd prolly be better off investing in a prong, and use the DD collar as a backup.

 Quote: John Caven

Here's some of the terms I've seen on the breeders page. I really am reluctant to give out any information about the breeder yet. Some people online have gotten in my business before when I did that..

I can understand and appreciate that. The only reason I asked was to get information to help you. There is a wide range of temperament in the Malinois breed.

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I'm going to call him today to just chat and see whats up.

Good idea. Some questions I would ask are:

- What are the temperaments of the sire and dam? Are they social and stable? Are the breeding lines known for sociability and stability, or are they on the more reactive side? Has this breeding combination been done before? If so, what were the results? Where did those pups end up?

- What was the purpose of the breeding? Sport, police, etc.?

- What training has been done with the pup? Has he been exposed to children, new environments, etc? If so, what was his reaction?

Don't be afraid to ask in-depth questions. This is a dog you plan to have around for a long time, plus you have small children, so you want to make sure the dog is a good fit. Better to do a lot of up front questioning now, than to have to deal with problems later.

Yes I do know the temperament of the breed and the prey drive. I need to also put this out. I'm a terrible people person I get along with animals more than I do people so trying to explain on here what I meant by a all around family dog isn't easy for ME. I don't want a litte poodle. I want a dog that is a sport dog and can go play ball,hikes ect. Lots of dogs fit that bill but I want to get into the ring sports at some point. This will be my first mal. Everyone has to start some with a dog. If it can provide protection to my family that's a big plus but that's also a big IF and what guns were made for.

Konnie I sent you a PM and am about to fire another one off.

FYI Video

Sorry, John, but you're not going to like what I have to say. Your first post says you basically want a family dog, a dog your children can grow up with, a dog your wife (admittedly not a dog person) will get along with. You also say you want a dog to provide protection for your family when you aren't home. In order for all of those requirements to mesh, any dog you get is going to require dedicated, extensive (and yes expensive) training on your part. (I'm NOT talking about sending the dog out for training, no way, no how.) I haven't heard you mention any training plans you have for this dog (sorry if I missed it). Do you have a local Schutzhund club or even a local obedience club you are planning to attend?

Please take Konnie's (and everyone else's) advice to heart and ask yourself if a Malinois is really the breed that is best for your family and your situation. Yes, all puppies have sharp teeth and they bite and they jump on people, but not all breeds have the drive and intensity of a Malinois. I personally would love to own one, but it's probably not the best breed for me. (And there are no children in my house.)

The other thing that raises a red flag for me is why does your breeder have what looks to be an entire litter of four-month-old pups? In my experience, seven or eight weeks is the typical time that puppies go to their new homes. And now he's got another litter due in May, if I understand correctly? Hmmm.