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Anyone Own a Belgian Malinois? (2 Viewers)

NewfieMom said:
Oh, what a beautiful young girl Nika has become! One can still see the face she had when she was a young puppy (gorgeous) but she is definitely a young lady now. What is she up to when she isn't training? She must be up to some mischief. Tell us some stories!
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She's actually very well-behaved. We haven't had too many issues. The worst thing she's done happened a few days ago. I woke up from a nap and found this:

Untitled.jpg

But you know, the interesting part is she could have made a MUCH bigger mess. She only tore apart the box where her toys were stashed. That cabinet had all sorts of other stuff like toilet paper, soap and cleaning supplies. But she only went after her own things, which is a bright spot I suppose.

We play a lot of hide and seek. My wife takes her deep into the backyard and I hide somewhere on the property. She already knows my hiding spots by memory and checks them off one by one and finds me rather quickly. Yesterday we tried the same game but in the woods near the house and had a blast. She searches like crazy until she finds me, even behind trees and inside bushes. You can tell she enjoys that kind of stuff a lot.

Yesterday we took her into town and walked around. We went to a dog park and she got along fairly well with the other dogs (she's had some issues trying to attack dogs). Thankfully she is super friendly with people. Today we're going to take her to the trainer. She does a bit of obedience, agility and finally some protection/biting work.
 
Jay Falcon said:
She's actually very well-behaved. We haven't had too many issues. The worst thing she's done happened a few days ago. I woke up from a nap and found this:

Untitled.jpg

But you know, the interesting part is she could have made a MUCH bigger mess. She only tore apart the box where her toys were stashed. That cabinet had all sorts of other stuff like toilet paper, soap and cleaning supplies. But she only went after her own things, which is a bright spot I suppose.

We play a lot of hide and seek. My wife takes her deep into the backyard and I hide somewhere on the property. She already knows my hiding spots by memory and checks them off one by one and finds me rather quickly. Yesterday we tried the same game but in the woods near the house and had a blast. She searches like crazy until she finds me, even behind trees and inside bushes. You can tell she enjoys that kind of stuff a lot.

Yesterday we took her into town and walked around. We went to a dog park and she got along fairly well with the other dogs (she's had some issues trying to attack dogs). Thankfully she is super friendly with people. Today we're going to take her to the trainer. She does a bit of obedience, agility and finally some protection/biting work.
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I am glad she is having so much fun! I love the hide and seek that and your wife have created for her. I also think it is great that you are making sure she is well socialized with other dogs since she has shown a tendency to attack some. My last dog, a rescue whose genetic make-up was unknown to me until I tested his DNA, had tendency to attack dogs but I did not adopt him until he was already about two years old and he had undergone abuse. (He came to me scarred and with a limp.) It is very hard to undo behavior that is part genetic but that was not changed through early training and socialization. My dog was great with people and cuddled with me, but I could never trust him with a new dog. My next dog is going to be (I think) another purebred Newfoundland.

Again: congratulations! Keep posting!
 
Jay Falcon said:
5 months young!
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She is extremely beautiful and graceful. She grew up way too quickly, but I know she is still a puppy and has a lot of growing to do. You and your wife did a great job with her, but she was also a great gift. :)
 
Jay Falcon said:
We do have an 10+ year old cat. Even if raised together as part of the family, do the Malinois will attack her?
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We have a six month old Smooth Fox Terrier pup and a 12+ year old cat. I read a lot of bad things about them killing cats, even if it's a family cat. No problem, we got the dog young and introduced them. They get alone fine, the cat dominates and I don't ever see threatening behavior by the dog.
 
Old 'N Chill said:
We have a six month old Smooth Fox Terrier pup and a 12+ year old cat. I read a lot of bad things about them killing cats, even if it's a family cat. No problem, we got the dog young and introduced them. They get alone fine, the cat dominates and I don't ever see threatening behavior by the dog.
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Same here. No problems at all so far with the cat. Sometimes she chases her but it's just curiosoty.
 
Jay Falcon said:
Same here. No problems at all so far with the cat. Sometimes she chases her but it's just curiosoty.
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Lol, he'll chase the cat a couple of steps in the house and the cat will turn around and give a false charge and send the pup playfully jogging away. They have been loose together in the yard too, no bad incidents. The cat holds his own and the pup respects that. Kudos to your wife for doing such a good job too, it does take teamwork.
 
Rexedgar said:
Thought of the OP when I e=ran across this clip.



@Jay Falcon
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I don't want to threadjack this thread, but I had a yellow Lab who would follow my hand signals without an oral command, I didn't do anything fancy with him, but his knowledge of the signals and his rapport with me came in handy when I was talking and needed him to obey. He was a huge boy at 110 pounds and very curious, He entered the vet's building and as he walked down the corridor pushed open any door he could to see what was going on in the room behind it. :)
 
Not as cute as Nika when she was a puppy, but still a great-looking dog IMO. Comes from a line of competitors and police dogs.

troy2.jpg
 
Congratulations on your beautiful boy Troy, bet Nika is very happy to have him around to play with and pal around with. They will both be in good company. Hugs for both of them, thanks for posting the photos. 💙
 
All in?

Six months ago you were wondering and now you have two. Do you plan to enter your dogs in competitions?
 
Rexedgar said:
All in?

Six months ago you were wondering and now you have two. Do you plan to enter your dogs in competitions?
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My wife is already training with Nika for mondioring. I still haven't decided with Troy.
 
Jay Falcon said:
We have been reading up and talking to people (including breeders and trainers) for months. As you can see, I've started this thread to gather additional feedback and advice.

When you say it's not a house dog, do you mean it cannot be trained to guard a house?
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It means that they will be miserable if they just lay about the house all day.
My middle brother used to own a dog very much like a Belgian, and owning a dog like this requires strict adherence to daily training routines, and major doses of vigorous exercise, plus a lot of individual attention AND socialization both. The last thing you want is a dog that is so focused on only you that even other family members have a tough time.

You need to live near advanced veterinarian services too because these breeds WILL drink deep of the outdoors and pick up all kinds of pests, infections and parasites.
They are more wolf than dog at a genetic level.
To borrow from one publication, this may be a "superhero" that you don't want confined to your home.

They absolutely need a job to do all day, every day.
 
Checkerboard Strangler said:
It means that they will be miserable if they just lay about the house all day.
My middle brother used to own a dog very much like a Belgian, and owning a dog like this requires strict adherence to daily training routines, and major doses of vigorous exercise, plus a lot of individual attention AND socialization both. The last thing you want is a dog that is so focused on only you that even other family members have a tough time.

You need to live near advanced veterinarian services too because these breeds WILL drink deep of the outdoors and pick up all kinds of pests, infections and parasites.
They are more wolf than dog at a genetic level.
To borrow from one publication, this may be a "superhero" that you don't want confined to your home.

They absolutely need a job to do all day, every day.
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What you have written bothers me. Working dogs are often still family members. It is true that some are left outside to do their jobs. My best friend bought a Great Pyrenees dog from a family that used them only to guard their sheep. These same dogs and most working dogs can also be bred to be members of the family. I am not minimiizing the physical needs of active breeds to get exercise, but the "jobs" they do need not be traditional jobs like hauling fish nets or pulling sleds. They can usually be happy with jobs that fit in with a family, providing that the family is aware that they need exercise and play that appears to be work. I have posted videos of Newfoundlands working to help in the house when they or the owner becomes disabled. They can be trained to do many things.
 
NewfieMom said:
What you have written bothers me. Working dogs are often still family members. It is true that some are left outside to do their jobs. My best friend bought a Great Pyrenees dog from a family that used them only to guard their sheep. These same dogs and most working dogs can also be bred to be members of the family. I am not minimiizing the physical needs of active breeds to get exercise, but the "jobs" they do need not be traditional jobs like hauling fish nets or pulling sleds. They can usually be happy with jobs that fit in with a family, providing that the family is aware that they need exercise and play that appears to be work. I have posted videos of Newfoundlands working to help in the house when they or the owner becomes disabled. They can be trained to do many things.
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I didn't mean they can't be in your home, I meant they can't be couch potato doggies.
 
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