Posted: 6/25/2009 4:33:28 PM EDT
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Hello VAHTF,
I've been researching dog breeds and am interested in the Belgian Malinois. Anyone know a breeder and/or rescue in the northern area of Virginia? Anyone have experience with them or just a general recommendation for or against? TIA, -3D |
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I know a lot of police departments are replacing there German Shepard with these. Keep in mind that these are working dogs and need to be worked. From what I have been told by a few PD K-9 officers, they don't do well just sitting at home like a lot of other dogs. They need exercise and a job.
Good luck with your dog hunt. |
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My wife is a vet and said that this breed is great for military work and similar to the german shepherd but slimmer and longer muzzle. Any way, they are good for working dog but not the best pets in domestic environments. they might be good on the farm with the goats but chickens don't need to be herded. Hopefully you will learn more about the breed before taking the plunge.
Hip dysplasia is the number one problem. you have so many choices in herding dogs or working dogs, you should do more research or contact the vet of your choice to determine the best fit for your specific environment and family life. She would not want your to get one and then be disappointed with their temperament and want to get rid of the dog. do your home work on the breeds personality, talk to people who own them who have a similar situation to your own. they are not bad dogs, the personality may be not so compatible with your specific situation. sorry for babbling, just trying to convey her thought. |
| I have a maligator & she is a great dog, she goes to work with me everyday at Stonewall Arms, they are very much the companion dog and like was said above they need to have something to do. You need to do the home work and see if they are the right fit for u and your family. Kitty my dog's name does very well with kids but you need to socialism them so they are not dog or people aggressive just like any other dog but their drive is much higher than other's, that is why they are a better working dog. Lighter , faster & better bite. you will get bit is goes with ownership it is up to your training & the dogs learning on weather they are just a play bite or an aggressive one. I'm not a dog expert but I'm more than happy to talk with you about mine, & pass on the love of owning man's ultimate best friend. Give me a call at the store, number is on the web site |
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Try this: http://malinoisclub.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=155&Itemid=44
I love these dogs, and plan to get one or two myself once I move to a place with the proper amount of land for them to run around on |
| My PD uses a couple Mallies, they're great for our purposes because they're faster and more nimble than sheperds. They do like to jump (i'm talking 6 foot fences here) so make sure your fences are good. Also, growing up on a farm, we had multiple sheperds, they were very much incompatible with chickens. They'd be great around goats and lambs, but chickens was too much, they'd usually "get" one a month. Mainly they were just trying to play and ended up killing them. |
