- Thread starter Acira
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Cute but Fierce to be pups looking for a nice home.
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I find a dog is only ever an extension of it's owners personality. Working dogs are different. Relaxed dogs tend to have relaxed or even lazy owners. Affectionate dogs tend to have very sensitive touchy feely owners. Crazy dogs tend to have loopy or irresponsible owners. etc etc etc.
I would be interested in one since we actually looking for a new dog. But I am not sure we can handle it... We had a Boxer female before and long ago a couple 1/2 Doberman 1/2 Vidalata. No problems ever with them. So a kid (8 yr old boy) would be not in danger, are they really that good with kids? They look great though...
But I am in Punta Cana...
But I am in Punta Cana...
Fascinating story which I can see so clear for my eyes. I have friends in Belgium with Dogo Argentino's and we alway's trained together in protection work. It is NOT easy to train a Dogo in security work but once you get them going, they go for it. Great handler also btw.
This is the grandmother of the pups and her genes are very strong in every sibling that comes from her. The father is a son of her.
In drive to protect
In drive (same drive) to play
Now you tell me, would a Dominican father let his child do this with a dog if he hadn't seen that these dogs are to be trusted with children. Part of that great social feeling of my Belgian Malinois line lays in the lines of which she is bred from. We drove especially to Sweden to buy her because we couldn't find that Belgian Malinois at that time in Belgium anymore being a fierce and very driven dog but still very social. Another part comes from me in socializing the pups in their early weeks with all kinds of things (already started that). The other big part will be up to the new owner in continuing that socializing.
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Acira and I start socialising our dogs, almost from day 1. We raise them in house, exposing them to all noises possible. You say it, we do it... fireworks, thunder, music, trains, planes, babies crying, children playing, etc, and all sounds which are normal around a household. We play with them, we put them on their backs, we hold them down, and yes, even at a very young age, we show them who is boss.
We then put them into the car and take them to the beach, to a busy and noisy parking place, etc...
So that they get accustomed to all those impressions at a very young age, and can handle them.
OK... these are the very, but also very important, basics. Once the dog gets to his new family, the socialisation continues...
A Malinois, like every shepherd, only has one real "boss". The rest of the family belongs to the pack, and the order here has to be decided by the "boss". Let me try to explain. The dog in the pics above is Acira's dog. She obeys me perfectly as well, but if both Acira and myself would give a different command at the same time she would obey Acira. So the education and socialisation of the dog is the responsability of one person, and he or she has to make it clear to the dog what her place in the pack is (the lowest one). Sounds complicated, but it all comes quite natural to the dog. The period of time is about one year, as dogs also go through puberty. Luckily enough not as longs as human kids... lol
For us, socialising a dog also implies we make the dog familiar to, and let it trust a very limited number of people. It trusts the immediate family of course (the pack), and selected people. We learn them to be friendly towards people who visit us, but if those people would try to enter without us being there they would be in deep trouble. They also learn a command to attack if people we thought we could trust would try to attack us.
Education of a dog goes as far as you want it to go. Some of our dogs could pick a flower on command without damaging it, crawl up and down a ladder, cross a 2x4 at 12 feet high, etc...
But here, in the DR, I feel you have to concentrate on the important stuff. Not accepting food from anyone but the pack. Not picking up any food in the garden or on the street, etc...
We then put them into the car and take them to the beach, to a busy and noisy parking place, etc...
So that they get accustomed to all those impressions at a very young age, and can handle them.
OK... these are the very, but also very important, basics. Once the dog gets to his new family, the socialisation continues...
A Malinois, like every shepherd, only has one real "boss". The rest of the family belongs to the pack, and the order here has to be decided by the "boss". Let me try to explain. The dog in the pics above is Acira's dog. She obeys me perfectly as well, but if both Acira and myself would give a different command at the same time she would obey Acira. So the education and socialisation of the dog is the responsability of one person, and he or she has to make it clear to the dog what her place in the pack is (the lowest one). Sounds complicated, but it all comes quite natural to the dog. The period of time is about one year, as dogs also go through puberty. Luckily enough not as longs as human kids... lol
For us, socialising a dog also implies we make the dog familiar to, and let it trust a very limited number of people. It trusts the immediate family of course (the pack), and selected people. We learn them to be friendly towards people who visit us, but if those people would try to enter without us being there they would be in deep trouble. They also learn a command to attack if people we thought we could trust would try to attack us.
Education of a dog goes as far as you want it to go. Some of our dogs could pick a flower on command without damaging it, crawl up and down a ladder, cross a 2x4 at 12 feet high, etc...
But here, in the DR, I feel you have to concentrate on the important stuff. Not accepting food from anyone but the pack. Not picking up any food in the garden or on the street, etc...
"But here, in the DR, I feel you have to concentrate on the important stuff. Not accepting food from anyone but the pack. Not picking up any food in the garden or on the street, etc..."
That is exactly what I was thinking about, to avoid a poisoning. How to show it to the dog? Or does it come with that feature "included"
.
And, you say they get educated to a certain degree by you. I also take it that puppies should stay with their mom up to three month old? So they are two weeks old now and would be available like end of December? So how do you decide who can have one? And when?
That is exactly what I was thinking about, to avoid a poisoning. How to show it to the dog? Or does it come with that feature "included"
. And, you say they get educated to a certain degree by you. I also take it that puppies should stay with their mom up to three month old? So they are two weeks old now and would be available like end of December? So how do you decide who can have one? And when?
Yes, the food acceptance thing is a big issue. Is there any way to train the dog to NOT accept food from strangers?
"But here, in the DR, I feel you have to concentrate on the important stuff. Not accepting food from anyone but the pack. Not picking up any food in the garden or on the street, etc..."
That is exactly what I was thinking about, to avoid a poisoning. How to show it to the dog? Or does it come with that feature "included"
And, you say they get educated to a certain degree by you. I also take it that puppies should stay with their mom up to three month old? So they are two weeks old now and would be available like end of December? So how do you decide who can have one? And when?
1. Some dogs will never accept any food from a stranger instinctively. How to teach the others? The hard way.
2. Pups can stay their whole live with their mom if you want, I have a few here myself but generally they are solid independent when they are six weeks old. Mom doesn't contribute anything to their lives as of that age accept for the occasional 'slap' when they are naughty as every pup can be but that can be taken over by a human, no dog mom needed for that anymore.
3. I do not decide who gets a pup. If anybody is interested in a pup, they have to come and choose themselves or if not possible to get here, trust on my recommendations and observations on which pup would suit the new owner the best. I did it myself with a few dogs flown from the States, hard to just fly over and have your pick so you have to trust the breeder then after a long conversation. Turned out always very good.
Acira and myself combined, have around 40 years of dogtraining experience. Will we give all of our experience away for free? Hell, no.... why should we?
But... anybody interested in, and adopting a puppy will get all the advice and support they need, for free.
Damn... I used to get 150$ an hour for that advice in Belgium...
But... anybody interested in, and adopting a puppy will get all the advice and support they need, for free.
Damn... I used to get 150$ an hour for that advice in Belgium...
Good Morning, Although I have some small differences of opinion regarding the relationship with Malinois I would tell from everything that I have ever read here in DR1 by these folks anyone who wants a dog this is the deal of a lifetime. And yes the $150 an hour quote is the market rate.
Anyone who avails themselves of this opportunity make sure you describe to them how you live. Your daily household members, schedules, physical layout, etc.
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