We're looking at either a  Malinois or Groenendael. Do any of you have experience with either of these two? I've done the research, I would just like to hear from actual owners. My main questions are: 1. How are they with kids? 2. How is the shedding?

Thanks!

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I have a 9 month old English Mastiff.  Great with kids, sheds like crazy.  

Very short hair though, so it's not that big of a deal.

Until you have 1, you won't be prepared for just how BIG they are.  At least I wasn't.

I used to think my labs were big dogs.

Thor's head is above my waist, and he's about 135 lbs.  Again, 9 months.


ETA:  The slobber.  Keep a towel handy.

I've owned a Boerboel in the past.  The one I owned had a great temperment and shed moderately.

Whatever you get, try to get a pup from working (and NOT show) lines.  The temperment and health will probably be much better, with half of the health issues.

Just on mastiffs in general:

For 5 years,I had an English mastiff live with me for 3-4 months of the year while his owner worked in another state over the winter.For most of that time I would say that other than covering everything in black hair and slobber,snoring like a idling bulldozer and laying farts of mass destruction he was one of the best dogs I'd ever met.

 However,one day he decided that he no longer liked someone who he had been around in my home probably a dozen times out of the clear blue and made 2 honest attempts to bite her.Granted,I'm a fairly big dude but 195lbs of dog is a hell of a lot to restrain when they have something else on their mind.I do not have the absolute slightest clue as to what may have triggered it but I had to tell his owner that I could no longer accept that responsibility as people>dogs in my view,not to mention that my home ins. specifically does excludes mastiffs and had he managed to make contact other than sleeve of the coat,it would have been both of our asses.

 I'm not trying to scare you away from the idea of owning a mastiff,just want to share my tale of a dog doing something entirely out of character and that a big dog is a big responsibility.

Hopefully those aren't the kind that drooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool. If they are you WILL cover your entire home in towels.

Both those dogs are shepards, not mastiffs.

Oh, if he's getting swamp collies, he needs to get one from working lines for sure then....

I haven't had personal experience yet, and hope I don't, but from what I've been able to find out, Mastiff's are more likely to knock someone on their rather than bite.

Ok Shepards. Know anything about them?

We were also looking at the Belgian Mastiff.

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Secret Service UD uses the Malinois for bomb sniffers, worked with them on numerous occasions.  They are awesome, friendly, intelligent dogs.

I've worked around Malinois bomb/drug/people dogs.

Friendly with multiple handlers. Be aware Mals are EXTREMELY (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) high (!!!!!!!!!!) energy dogs. They require a lot of attention and time, and/or a large yard with toys and a good fence.

Trained properly they make good guards and the ones i worked with were trained to take people down. Seeing  medium sized dog at full speed take down a large (6'2, 195lb) guy in a bite suit will make a believer out of you.

If you get one, have it professionally trained for discipline.

We go through a lot of Kleenex

A Mal is not for the average person