Kiersten Lippman Webboard User Reg: 09-28-2009
Posts: 487
Loc: Alaska
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I am interested in looking into buying a belgian malinois puppy. I really love their build, intelligence, and versatility as a breed. I'm not planning to pursue mondio or schutzhund, rather I'd be interested in training for S&R (there is a local club in town), skijoring (both two dog and single lead), and advanced OB. We are very active outdoors, which requires that a pup be able to handle meeting other dogs and people on the trails regularly. Specifically, I'd like to avoid a 'skittish' pup, or one that is unable to handle a situation confidently, or one with just over the top drive that is never, ever able to settle, even after adequate exercise and mental stimulation.
Please PM me with thoughts/suggestions of breeders. I've looked into a few breeders, and found one that breeds for what I'm looking for, but wanted some input from the experienced mal people on the board. I'm doing the research right now, and will not jump into this lightly- at all.
Just one thought, have you checked with the SAR club in your area to see if they are taking new people? It's VERY difficult to get into the SAR groups in my area, they have a certain number of teams they will utilize, and basically unless a team leaves, retires, etc they don't have openings. And when a dog retires, if the handler has another one coming up, then they get the spot the previous dog had, so once again no openings.
This seems to be a common theme with SAR groups in other areas also, although I'm sure some are more open to new people than others.
Hi Kiersten:
In addition to what Kadi said, I recommend that you spend some time with the local SAR group before you get a pup. That way, you can be sure of their expectations for new members and dogs before you decide on a breeder/breeding. Different SAR groups have different ideas of what the appropriate dog for the work is.
If you plan to do SAR, make sure you do a lot of research into the sire/dam of the pups. Ask the breeder what their goal of the breeding is, and what they expect the pair to produce. You want to choose a pup from a breeding that is known to (or has a high likelihood to) produce dogs with the traits you're looking for.
I've been doing SAR for over a decade, and have owned Malinois for the bulk of that time. If you have any questions about SAR or Malinois doing SAR, feel free to ask.
Kiersten Lippman Webboard User Reg: 09-28-2009
Posts: 487
Loc: Alaska
Offline
Thank you both. I got the impression that there was actually a shortage of S & R dogs in Alaska. I have called the club and will attend a few meetings, maybe start volunteering as a non-dog handler to get a feel for the group and what they are looking for in a dog.
If anyone is interested, here's a link to the local club. http://www.asard.org/index.php. I'll certainly need to do my research before I decide that I want to pursue S&R. It is a serious commitment, and literally life and death could depend on the dog and handler's preparedness and focus. Another option I've considered is wildlife conservation work (scat detection), but as Konnie pointed out, it's one or the other. Not both.
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Belgian Malinois
#332450 - 05/13/2011 02:30 AM 
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