here we go again....Belgian Malinois

[The Original Rooster]

Gunner

Lord, if he grows into his ears, you ain't gonna be able to afford to feed him!

 

[ditchdoc24]

I've heard that Belgian Mals are smarter than most 16 year old boys.
Seriously, I heard that they're intelligence meant you had to keep them busy so they wouldn't get depressed from not being challenged.

They're definitely very smart and they need lots of stimulation to keep them happy. This breed is not for everyone and that's something that needs to be understood. When we adopted Tillie, she was labeled as being level 4 aggressive. She even tried to bite a chunk out of me in the parking lot the day we brought her home. We think someone couldn't deal with the hyperactive Mal side of her personality. But as long as you understand them, they're not hard to manage. They're very protective and loyal dogs.

 

[The Original Rooster]

They're definitely very smart and they need lots of stimulation to keep them happy. This breed is not for everyone and that's something that needs to be understood. When we adopted Tillie, she was labeled as being level 4 aggressive. She even tried to bite a chunk out of me in the parking lot the day we brought her home. We think someone couldn't deal with the hyperactive Mal side of her personality. But as long as you understand them, they're not hard to manage. They're very protective and loyal dogs.

I completely understand. My golden retriever/duck toller mix had been returned to the shelter 3 times for biting children and some adults. He had been badly abused and I figured out he bit out of fear. He can still be a handful but he's the most loyal dog I've ever had.

 

[ditchdoc24]

I completely understand. My golden retriever/duck toller mix had been returned to the shelter 3 times for biting children and some adults. He had been badly abused and I figured out he bit out of fear. He can still be a handful but he's the most loyal dog I've ever had.

It burns me up that the movies like to show how great these dogs can be but they don't show all of the time and work it takes to get them to that point. Then everyone wants a cool dog like that and runs out to get one without researching the breed or thinking about what they might be getting into. After they realize they can't handle a dog that needs something to do, they dump it on the street or in a shelter.

 

[WOODIE13]

Mongo, Dutch/mal mix, almost 3 years old. We got him as a puppy, socialization was key around dogs and kids, he absolutely loves when the grandkids come over. He also loves the neighbor kids, drop the kong over the fence so the can throw it.

Mongo after the grandkids left.


Handled one mal patrol dog and a mal/GSD patrol/explosive detection dog, drive happy and super intelligent.

TV ruins great breeds because everyone wants to be COOL and own one, most started getting the after the raid on Bin Ladden and all the media hype over the malinois, most do good to pronounce the breed let alone own one.

 

[WOODIE13]

Here's two I worked, Rikk, probably the smartest dog I have ever seen, best detection dog imaginable.

Then Pukkie, my first patrol dog, @ 50 pounds of bite everything when a call came across the radio, started salivating.

 

[WOODIE13]

They brought back two of Mongo's litter mates, a male and female, too aggressive and too wide open.

 

[ditchdoc24]

Then Pukkie, my first patrol dog, @ 50 pounds of bite everything when a call came across the radio, started salivating.

There's just something about holding the leash with 60+ lbs of fur, teeth and bad attitude on the other end. I always enjoyed telling people that he loved me but them not so much. He was so intense when he was working that everyone thought he was a man-eater, even my Sheriff. I did several narcotics searches in our jail with Dee-moe and he would come through the door with that leash at max extension and pulling for all he was worth. I've spoken with several former inmates over the years who were in the jail when we did those searches. They said the way he looked when he came through the door was something they would never forget.

 

[WOODIE13]

There's just something about holding the leash with 60+ lbs of fur, teeth and bad attitude on the other end. I always enjoyed telling people that he loved me but them not so much. He was so intense when he was working that everyone thought he was a man-eater, even my Sheriff. I did several narcotics searches in our jail with Dee-moe and he would come through the door with that leash at max extension and pulling for all he was worth. I've spoken with several former inmates over the years who were in the jail when we did those searches. They said the way he looked when he came through the door was something they would never forget.

That was Pukkie, lived for bar fights. Squad of MPs getting beat down, role up in my Bongo truck and put him at the end of leash, ID cards started coming out and it was like church. Contacted their CSMs, passed off the IDs to them, 12 mile road march, full kit.

Saved a lot of paperwork, careers and kept the unit off the blotter, so good relations with units.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

That was Pukkie, lived for bar fights. Squad of MPs getting beat down, role up in my Bongo truck and put him at the end of leash, ID cards started coming out and it was like church. Contacted their CSMs, passed off the IDs to them, 12 mile road march, full kit.

Saved a lot of paperwork, careers and kept the unit off the blotter, so good relations with units.

That was the best way to enter a NCO club in Germany too. A 5 foot gator popping teeth on a 6 foot lead. People need to research and understand that Malinois & Dutch Shepard’s are working dogs that need to be both mentally and physically stimulated. That old “20 minute walk around the block 3 times a week“ won’t cut it with them. They need more, it’s a huge commitment not just a pet. That’s the same reason they let inmates work out in prison, to burn it off. Their a handful…..but man I love em.. I’ve seen a couple females that were low keyed.

 

[WOODIE13]

That was the best way to enter a NCO club in Germany too. A 5 foot gator popping teeth on a 6 foot lead. People need to research and understand that Malinois & Dutch Shepard’s are working dogs that need to be both mentally and physically stimulated. That old “20 minute walk around the block 3 times a week“ won’t cut it with them. They need more, it’s a huge commitment not just a pet. That’s the same reason they let inmates work out in prison, to burn it off. Their a handful…..but man I love em.. I’ve seen a couple females that were low keyed.

I liken it to a light switch, off or on (wide open)

 

[dtala]

when getting a Mal the first thing is to acknowledge that the dog is smarter than you are....Makes training easier.

 

[WOODIE13]

Mongo today after us playing with the Kong for an hour decided he hadn't had enough and started handing it over the fence to the neighbor's daughter.