Belgian Malinois Puppy
When it comes to choosing an 8 week old Belgian Malinois puppy for a job when he is an adult it becomes a very hard task. How can we possibly know what kind of personality and brain power a dog will have when he is 2 years old? The reality is that experience in the right areas is about all you can go on. Seeing thousands of puppies over many years can be the thing that separates a professional from a novice. The issue we see the most that can cause a buyer to fail when selecting a puppy is letting their heart over rule common sense. In other words they have their heart set on a particular color instead of a puppy who sho shows traits that could make him a winner when he is an adult.
The reason we do not allow clients to choose a Belgian Malinois puppy is to help them avoid pitfalls they don’t even know about. Sure, we let them pick the sex of the puppy and we take color choice under consideration. But in the end we are going to place a puppy with them that has what it takes to meet their needs as long as they train the dog properly. I tell people on a regular basis that nobody could pick the puppy they need for them better than we can. Why? Because we have over 30 years experience with the breed and we see these puppies from birth until they grow to 8 weeks and leave. Who better to know the little things about each one that can make a difference?
Many people simply say they must have a high drive puppy who can be a great personal protection dog. Others want a dog to compete with in dog sports like Schutzhund, IPO, agility and ring sports. These are different areas and require a dog with unique qualifications in each. Most clients who say they want a “high drive” puppy don’t realize that drive and focus are things you build as you train the dog. Yes, some puppies are geared differently and appear more active in the kennel setting however this can change like night and day once you get them home.
Ultimately, you must trust the knowledge and advice given to you by the breeder and therein lies a problem with so many people. In reality very few people know the breed well enough to match a puppy to a client. And again, in reality so many “breeders” are simply trying to push out litter after litter and sell inferior pups at $500.
Th conclusion in this short post which could be a whole book is that there is a method to avoid having one of those hyper dogs you hear about. The one who is always causing trouble in some way and driving you insane. The method is simple, buy your dog from someone who is honest and knows the Belgian Malinois breed.
