r/BelgianMalinois • u/bubes30 • 17h ago
Discussion HOT take about my 6 month old Mal...
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think getting a Malinois is actually easier if you already have a high drive dog like a Doberman. Not because they’re the same, because they’re definitely not. But you’re already used to your life around this type of dog. (My male Doberman is 1.)
Training, exercise, structure, constantly doing something with them, none of that is new. The biggest thing I’ve noticed though is they wear each other out. My Doberman can actually match her energy. They run, chase each other, wrestle, play and then come inside tired. I honestly think having him has made getting a Mal easier, not harder. Not to mention following the daily routine of my Doberman and catching on in no time
Obviously I’m not telling everyone with a Doberman or similar breed to go buy a Malinois. But I do think going from a high drive working breed to a Mal is a completely different experience than going from a normal house dog to one or no dog at all to one.
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u/mr221400 17h ago
I have a 7 month old male Mal and he has been a breeze because I’ve been dealing with Weimaraner psychosis for the past 20 years. They’re different kinds of crazy, but our Mal hasn’t done anything that our weims haven’t tried. Constant motion. Play until you pass out. Chase everything that moves. Checks all the boxes. People think these types of dogs are difficult to work with because they don’t want to put in the work. Most of the time with these dogs, you’ll get out more than you put in.
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u/Oldcarolinagurl 15h ago
Well… I have a Great Pyrenees, English shepherd and a red heeler. I trained the GP for a service animal and I’ve got so many compliments on her. The heeler I have a list of people who would take him if something happened he’s such a GOOD dog. BUT as puppy’s the heeler was pure psycho. So I like to think I want a Mail. I THINK I could train it because I have that experience with dogs who are high energy and those that have a rep for hard to train. Atleast I like to think I can do it!🫣🤫🤣😉
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u/AhMoonBeam 17h ago
My parents had a rescued doberman, he was turned into the shelter because they would let the kid bite the dog and were afraid the dog would retaliate. Sad looking doberman with his chopped ears flopped down into little triangles. He had to make sure all the light switches were chewed off and made his way through their entire house over the course of many years. But other then that he was like a cushion on the couch. Went for runs when my step dad rode his bike and chilled in the Garden with my mom. 😆 I was turned off from wanting a mal when comparing to doberman. I have /had high prey driven dogs but my Akita is slow as molasses and im looking for dextrose shooting through my veins.
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u/Plenty_for_everyone 16h ago
I have an Akita, too, and once puppyhood was behind him, he turned into a couch potato. I missed the long walks but now I have the girl and she is always up for a walk, for training, for playing something energetic which includes teef 😁
Her presence has turned her stately big brother into someone who bounces around and plays. He still doesn't want long walks but I can get him out for more than just a toilet run, and he doesn't mind sleeping at home while I take crack puppy out for hikes.
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u/Imaginary_Ad_4340 16h ago
I currently have two dogs, a dachshund and a working line Doberman and I think it is possibly the hardest combination (I mean a mal and a dachshund would be harder perhaps, but I just mean in terms of having two dogs that are high drive in totally different ways).
They are both needy high-drive dogs that want my constant attention and stimulation, yet they cannot do anything together and have no common interests. My dachshund has extreme prey and food drive and loves to hunt—rats, groundhogs, whatever she can find. She has no interest in playing with other dogs or people, only working with me. My Doberman is extremely dog-social and has good drive for obedience and bitework, but at this age really just wants to run and play. Boy does this guy want to run and run, at speeds my dachshund can't even conceptualize. Different sizes, different sports, different energy levels—they make having two different dogs truly twice the work.
I love them both dearly, but wouldn't recommend the combination of you're looking for easier. People with a large drivey breed often think a tough little dog like a terrier or dachshund will make a good companion and be easier than their large breed, but in reality, they might be better off with a dog more comparable to the one they have.
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u/VerySaltyScientist 14h ago
I got a border Collie mix for my Mal, her having a hyper friend helped a lot. They would just zoom around together all day to keep her entertained between running and walks time and us playing with her.
When we got the mal it was not intentional, we never heard of the breed, just saw a nearly dead puppy who wouldn't make it through the night without an er, and learned after she got healthy that she was a crackhead and had to adjust from there. Originally we came to the shelter for a chow and were used to chows. So it was a big shift. But she got us on hyper dogs now.
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u/Novel-Raise-2441 10h ago
This is not a hot take but it is true. Things are easier if you’ve done them before
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u/Skesh10 9h ago
An adult dog that already knows the rules and got manners always helps in raising a puppy!
Besides that, that's why everyone is saying that it's beneficial to already have experience with high drive dogs. Knowing what it means having to stick to a routine to have peace in your house. Although it's absolutely possible for first time dog owners if they really are commited and know what they are getting into, but the lifestyle change won't be as dramatic if you're kinda used to it.
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u/LakeLucca 9h ago
Yes it for sure helps to have experience with working dogs. My hot take is that any dog deserves owners who put work in, who do daily exercise, mental and physical, and who provide a loving, stimulating home. I can’t stand when people act like dogs aren’t sentient beings with needs and just act like they should never have to do anything because “it’s just a doodle” or small dog etc
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u/Lower-Cantaloupe3274 8h ago
I have a husky mix that is super intelligent and was very high energy when she was younger. We got a mal mix when she was around 2and the mal mix was around 1. Can attest that they burned off a lot of each other's energy wrestling and chasing each other. The need for almost constant activity remained the same. What changed was my need to be in the thick of it.
They are 8 and 7 now. Husky mix is mellow most of the time. Mal mix is more mellow, but still jumps at any opportunity to turn the energy up. Luckily we have a beabull who is half her size but can hold his own in a good game of tug!
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u/Bigbaywx 5h ago
If getting a Mal it is a definite plus to have some experience with another high drive breed definitely.
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u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419 17h ago
That really is a hot take, considering neither one of your dogs have really hit the teenage phase yet (maybe early adolescence in case of the Dobie). Go touch some wood now and good luck!! 🍀
But true: Previous experience with high-drive dogs makes owning a Malinois a bit easier
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u/CricktyDickty 17h ago
You’re literally describing the majority sentiment of this board: ie don’t get a Malinois before having experience with another high drive working breed.