here we go again....Belgian Malinois

ditchdoc24

Senior Member
I've heard that Belgian Mals are smarter than most 16 year old boys. :LOL:
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

Mayor of Spring Hill
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

Senior Member
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

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
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.
IMG_20240306_045745.jpg

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.


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WOODIE13

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
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.IMG_20230819_151401.jpgIMG_20230819_151316.jpg
 

WOODIE13

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
They brought back two of Mongo's litter mates, a male and female, too aggressive and too wide open.
 
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ditchdoc24

Senior Member
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

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
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

Senior Member
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.:rockon: 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.(y). I’ve seen a couple females that were low keyed.
 

WOODIE13

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
That was the best way to enter a NCO club in Germany too. A 5 foot gator popping teeth on a 6 foot lead.:rockon: 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.(y). I’ve seen a couple females that were low keyed.
I liken it to a light switch, off or on (wide open)
 

WOODIE13

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
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.

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dtala

Senior Member
beautiful dogs.
My rescued Mal, Taz, is finally calming down. It takes TIME for them to decompress. He does sit, shake, down, kennel, come. He is a good boy.
Buddy called me last night, neighbors of his moved away and abandoned a 4 month old Dutch Shepherd male. I drove over and picked the puppy up. Dang is he cute...my wife is going to killl me DEAD. Hopefully he is cute enough to keep me alive...for a while anyway.
 

ghadarits

Senior Member
I've heard that Belgian Mals are smarter than most 16 year old boys. :LOL:
Seriously, I heard that they're intelligence meant you had to keep them busy so they wouldn't get depressed from not being challenged.
Having been a 16yo boy I don't find it hard to believe anything is smarter than that..... including jellyfish. Just saying.

Any working breed generally requires a lot of mental and physical work everyday. It's a hard day at my house if its bad weather trying to mentally and physically keep the dogs entertained. We usually resort to hiding stuff in the house and sending them to find it for hours during bad weather.
 
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ghadarits

Senior Member
My first Mal was a female from La, named her Taz. She was my K-9 when I was a GW in Alabama, worked 8 years with me. She saved my bacon on at least two occasions. She retired with me in 2005 and died in 2014.

Fast forward thru several Mals. Last Friday I see a male Mal in a local shelter...named Taz. I don't NEED another Mal(I have two and a Dutch Shepherd) but I just couldn't let him waste away in a shelter. The Mals are hard to home out and suffer in the shelter environment. So Tuesday we went to the shelter and came home with a new(to us) Malinois. 1-11/2 years old, fawn color, VERY rambunctious and friendly. He is going to be a handful to teach obedience and manners but I believe in him. We shall see.

I'll get a pic later.
Good on you for rescuing him. I'm leery of adopting working dogs that I want to put to work just because I don't know the true back history. Mainly health. I'm way too attached to my dogs and its a long long time before I get over the loss of one of my dogs. I really hope he works out (it sounds like he will) and has a long and happy life with your family.
 

ghadarits

Senior Member
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.
The down fall of many a great breed has been the casual pet owners breeding dogs without regard to anything. Health, mental stableness, general ability and the fact that they really didn't know what they were inviting into their life to start with. I firmly believe you should have to pass some kind of test to own certain breeds of working dogs. I have a Deutsch Drahthaar and its two hours of intense mental and physical work at a minimum every day 7 days a week or accept that something is going to be destroyed. When something has been destroyed it's usually a matter of me not doing my part and keeping them busy enough.
 

WOODIE13

HILLBILLY COOT SLUICER
Today Mongo was playing with the neighbor kids and they left his kong in their yard. He came in like he was crushed, wife said "Get your Kong" and he did. Jumped the fence, played with their begal puppy and cleared the fence when he was done.

Told her to as "Where's the kong?" and not "Get the kong"...kids said he can't understand what we're saying, told them he understands better than them :rofl:
 
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