Dogs during a rare Dallas Snow:
Dog & cat:
NSW Cat:
A note & question on dogs.
My dogs are Spanish Alanos, a rare hunting breed from Spain.
They are supposed to need a lot of exercize but get by okay with a walk before I go to work and getting let out in the 10 foot x 35 foot fenced in back yard to do their business when I am home.
I have a neighbor who wants to buy a Belgian Malinois with the same home setup as me and wants to keep it the same way I keep my dogs. From everything I have heard about the breed, this does not strike me as a wise idea. Any comments from Malinois owners?
No, no, no, and more no.
Especially as a puppy, a short walk a day isn't going to cut it. Even at 1yr old, we try to get our Mal at least an hour exercise every day plus a couple of short (10-20min) walks. On top of that she spends at least one full day at daycare every week, burning energy for 7-10 hours.
There is a huge difference between hunting breeds and working breeds. A working dog needs to be worked and challenged constantly. We keep bringing Freyja back to obedience classes she's already taken for no other reason than to expose her to new people, new dogs, and new ways of doing the same old thing.
Mals are awesome. Mals are not easy.
Thanks, Todd. I basically said that I didn't think it would work because different breeds have different characteristics and from everything I've heard Malinois are *very* high energy dogs.
My dogs are kind of a small Mastiff breed (65-85 lbish). They are used for catching boars for hunting and catching cattle on ranches, so they are a kind of a working dog. When they were puppies they were either in the back yard or crated when I was at work--until I knew I could trust them alone in the house. I did the same when I had a Rottweiler--took him for a walk before work then mostly relied on the fenced yard afterwards whenever he needed to go to the bathroom.
But from what I understand it goes beyond the working dog thing with the Malinois in that they are just very high energy and if not engaged will find other things to do. It seems like the neighbors picked an unsuitable breed for their lifestyle. It would be like a relatively new shooter showing up at AFHF with a Colt Delta Elite with hot 10mm loads.
My labradoodle...he hasn't had his hair cut in a few months now..he's starting to look like a dirty homeless man LOL
Chemist.
What Todd said on Mals. You do not want a bored Mal in a small yard and the neighbor has NO idea how much these dogs need. Mals thrive on mental stimulation, not just being "let out."
I sincerely hope Mals do not become popular as most of the American public is not equipped to deal with them.
#RESIST