The Belgian Malinois

[Bad Sport]

Sitting around and relaxing after the snow and yuck yesterday. Just thought I would toss this out there, maybe some might be interested.

Some of you know that I have the 2 Malinois and am passionate about the breed.

Quite often after seeing a movie, news footage etc, people run out and buy these dogs for the "cool" factor. That is how I ended up with my youngest one, a reserve cop here in Michigan got him, I suspect as a status kinda thing, and he quickly realized it wasn't for him. Consequently the dog spent the first 9 months or so of his life locked in a dog crate in the garage. They would play a little with him, let him out for potty breaks and feeding time, and that was about it.

Robert Cabral is an animal behaviorist and a world class trainer. Here is a video on his thoughts about it. He is absolutely correct. I myself researched the breed for nearly 2 years before I decided to get one, I'm glad I did, they truly are a challenge but it is also fun and rewarding to watch them learn.

It's 27 minutes, but well worth the listen. I would have put this in the way off topic, but only Gold Members could see it, if your so inclined, this is an informative vid. Way too many of these dogs end up in rescues and shelters.

Does anyone else here have one, or more?

 

[inkjunkie]

Don't have one but a family members neighbor did years ago. Sadly these folks had no clue what they were getting in to. Dog escaped on a regular basis. Every time it did someones cat went missing, or someones dog was found dead. The area where these folks lived had growing bear population. Dog got out one day, what was left of it was found on one of the trails that the bears used. Damn shame....

 

[famous bob]

Don't have one but a family members neighbor did years ago. Sadly these folks had no clue what they were getting in to. Dog escaped on a regular basis. Every time it did someones cat went missing, or someones dog was found dead. The area where these folks lived had growing bear population. Dog got out one day, what was left of it was found on one of the trails that the bears used. Damn shame....

Had a big Rottweiler like that , had to put him down due to health reasons . Still miss him !

 

[fratzog lover]

Bruce, these dogs are smarter than most people. An amazing breed.

 

[Bad Sport]

Bruce, these dogs are smarter than most people.

Including me sometimes. You have to be a couple steps ahead of them all the time, and they make that very difficult as they adapt and overcome really well.

Everything I expected from the the nearly 2 years of research before getting one.

 

[yellow rose]

Sitting around and relaxing after the snow and yuck yesterday. Just thought I would toss this out there, maybe some might be interested.

Some of you know that I have the 2 Malinois and am passionate about the breed.

Quite often after seeing a movie, news footage etc, people run out and buy these dogs for the "cool" factor. That is how I ended up with my youngest one, a reserve cop here in Michigan got him, I suspect as a status kinda thing, and he quickly realized it wasn't for him. Consequently the dog spent the first 9 months or so of his life locked in a kennel. They would play a little with him, let him out for potty breaks and feeding time, and that was about it.

Robert Cabral is an animal behaviorist and a world class trainer. Here is a video on his thoughts about it. He is absolutely correct. I myself researched the breed for nearly 2 years before I decided to get one, I'm glad I did, they truly are a challenge but it is also fun and rewarding to watch them learn.

It's 27 minutes, but well worth the listen. I would have put this in the way off topic, but only Gold Members could see it, if your so inclined, this is an informative vid. Way too many of these dogs end up in rescues and shelters.

Does anyone else here have one, or more?

Let's just call it what it is...people are just stupid. Unlike you, they don't do their research. They refuse to consider its a LIFE LONG COMMITMENT...the lifetime of the dog. They need time and affection and human contact and plenty of time socializing with other dogs, from the moment you bring them home.

This is a working breed. They live to work and be active. Most breeds like this are even more pack oriented than other breeds. Most love to go anywhere with their owners.

It's a crying damn shame so many of these dogs (of all breeds) are owned by jackasses who don't realize these are living, breathing creatures who see and hear and feel many things humans do. They get anxious, lonely, scared. They feel pain. They form incredible bonds with humans and other animals, and when those are severed, it's an emotional issue for them, and they sometimes act out in ways they may not normally act.

I had a dog pass in April of 2017 and July 3rd 2018 we adopted a little dog from our vet who was only about 6 months old who was attacted by a pit bull and was paralyzed from her mid back to the tail.

Her worthless owners brought her into euthanize her, but my vet refused to do it without attempting to save her. The scum bag owners didn't want to spend any money to save a "dog"!

How we breed humans like that I can't say. But they are scum.

They signed the dog over to my vet, and 4 weeks later she was as good as new, and the wife and I brought here home to our other three dogs. She is smart, funny, fun, goofy and best of all, mighty loyal.

Screw the selfish pukes who didn't think she was worth saving.

August 30, 2019 we lost another of our dogs. We are not looking to replace him, as 3 dogs is still plenty. But I would suppose if my wife and I had to save another dog, of most any breed, to keep it alive we'd do it.

We are just wired like that.

THANK YOU Bruce for doing what you do to save that incredible breed. You are a good man.

 

[RustyRatRod]

We have a local trainer who has three. When I was at the store, he would come in with them all the time. They are very smart dogs. All three follow him through the store. When he stops, they sit. If any of us made a move to want to pet them he gave a one word command......**** if I know what it was, in German and they would go from programmed robots to slobbering babies and come running over and lick us to death. Very energetic. We like dogs, used to raise minipins years ago, but unless we run into the perfect (small) dog, we're probably stickin with cats. lol

 

[Bad Sport]

he gave a one word command......**** if I know what it was, in German

I'm actually going to incorporate German commands, I have to learn them first and be able to remember them and I'm quite sure it will take me longer than it will them...................lol.

Dogs don't really understand words so much, but rather the sound of the word. You can actually make up your own words and as long as you train that way they will learn.