Belgian Malinois owners...please step in I have some questions.

[Casual Friday]

We live in a rural area, and our little neighborhood area has had a lot of break ins and property crime since January. I've decided to get a dog as a first line of defense. My wife and I aren't pet people, my wife had pets growing up but I've never owned anything but Gold Fish so this will be totally uncharted territory for me. I think I've decided on a Belgian Malinois. I've heard they are very loyal, kid friendly dogs and good protectors.

My question is to people here that own them or have in the past, how are they with kids? I'm not just worried about my own, but we have other kids at our house pretty regularly. Are they comfortable around adult "strangers" that come over to visit once they see their owners are comfortable with them being there? I've known people who had dogs that were constantly on edge with anyone around who isn't the immediate family and I want to avoid that. I don't want friends and family to avoid coming over because of a dog they are unsure of, and I don't want to kennel one up every time we have guests, but I do want it to be a protector. Are my wants and desires in a dog incompatible? I hope these don't seem like stupid noob questions but I really have no experience with dogs of any kind other than other peoples pets. Thanks.

[Peally]

While certain breeds have certain dispositions, attitudes, and actions towards all other living things is really up to the individual dog and the socialization it got while it was young.

I highly recommend grabbing Barron's Dog Training Bible from a local Barne's and Noble or Amazon, when first getting into understanding dogs I found it extremely helpful to get a foundation in the basics. If you're starting from scratch the dog will basically be a direct representation of the time you put into it, but keep in mind that all herding dog breeds (the Malinois, Aussie Cattle dog, German Shepherd, etc) are all naturally inclined to be defensive of their territory to some degree. That being said you can find a highly trained and proper German Shepherd, a violent neurotic one, and a giant cuddle machine all depending on the individual's personality and upbringing.

I really hate to say "it depends" but I hope that helps give a little general direction.

[Shellback]

Sample of one, but as a current owner of a Mal, I would say that our dog encompasses everything you want. Fiercely loyal, extremely protective, very affectionate with known family & friends. He's often used as a punching bag, a horse, a wrestling partner, etc. and is extremely patient with our crazy boys. He does very well with friends and family, after being introduced, and reacts to other children the same way as ours.

[LittleLebowski]

Patient and protective. Chance of being overprotective with other dogs and people. Irish and I have tons of pics if you need those posted

[Casual Friday]

I would love a bunch of pics posted in this thread. Did you guys get puppies or ones that were a little older? Since we have never had a dog, I'm thinking a puppy would be a good way to break the ice with my two daughters, who are a bit apprehensive around dogs. That way they can get used to it when it's small and as it grows bigger.

[Nephrology]

Patient and protective. Chance of being overprotective with other dogs and people. Irish and I have tons of pics if you need those posted

um...obviously we need more pics posted.

[Coyotesfan97]

Here's a video of a high drive Belgian Malinois pup named Endy. You'll see he a ball of fire who is full of energy. You might want to consider adopting an older Mal or going with a German Shepherd. If you get a Mal pup get the exercise pen.

http://youtu.be/yXqNl5bTCMU

[Surf]

I have had hunting and protection dogs all of my life. My Mal is now 9 years old. Extremely smart, intense drive, insanely loyal. Loves my family, but when dad is around, he really wants to direct his attention towards me. Hands down the best protection / family oriented dog I have ever had. He is more than just a family pet as he has a definite job and his training revolves around that. He understands his role and he does it extremely well and it also makes him happy. He is a family pet, but I do incorporate much of a working dog vibe into his everyday lifestyle.

As mentioned by Peally dogs are often more of a product of their upbringing or socialization. Having said that, I generally don't suggest a Malinois as a family pet, or as a first dog for a new owner. It can work, but they need a very Alpha owner and they need to work. The owners need to be able to spend a lot of time with the dog and give them things to do, as in training. They learn fast and thrive when given tasks. If they are not challenged and exercised they can get naughty, disobedient and can nip.

The personality and drive of a mal generally lends to them not as readily accepting of an Alpha. You must make that clear quickly, which is easy enough but you must also train the dog to accept your kids and family as an extension of you, the alpha. This is often hard to do with an intensely driven Malinois as they will want to come into the hierarchy of the family right after the alpha as the #2 and often look at the family as subordinates. This can lead to nipping in the dog world, especially in regards to children. This must be shut down immediately if the dog shows these tendencies.

Again, I know a lot of people that own mals as pets and I don't mean to make it sound like a tough task, just trying to be informative and up front about the breed. It is the drive in the individual dog and how the dog is socialized but they can be a challenging breed, but when raised right they are great dogs obviously as a working animal, but as a family pet also.

Here is a couple pics of my Mal and a video. He was imported and I got him when he was about 20 months old. He is a family pet, but is protection trained and does article search work. His training is ongoing and he is extremely smart. Show him something once or twice, drill it a few times and he does it like he has been doing it for years. He is my front line of defense at home. We have been through some scrapes together and he has not let me down. Saved my ass once and I returned the favor. Love this dog to death.

8 years old in this picture


2.5 years in this video. Early years of training. Obedience and protection top notch at this point and search training ongoing. He will now find just about anything.

[23JAZ]

Here's a video of a high drive Belgian Malinois pup named Endy. You'll see he a ball of fire who is full of energy. You might want to consider adopting an older Mal or going with a German Shepherd. If you get a Mal pup get the exercise pen.

http://youtu.be/yXqNl5bTCMU

I've never seen anyone enjoy twisted tea so much!

[Peally]

This thread needs more pics and videos

As Surf mentioned, don't underestimate the amount of time you'll need to put into the pup, think of it as bringing in a hyper child since that's basically what you're doing. A rescue dog that fits your criteria may be beneficial, coyotesfan's video is a pretty good example of the energy bombs puppies constantly tend to be.

Great dog by the way Surf. Where's the park? Those mountains are absolutely gorgeous