02/20/2022
They aren’t called maligators for nothing. Do not get an animal because you saw it in a movie- PLEASE. The movie “Dog” with Channing Tatum is released tomorrow featuring a highly trained Belgian Malinois. We stand firm that most people should not own this type of breed and anyone interested should do an immense amount of research. This movie took THREE different Belgian Malinois and nine months of training for this movie. A highly trained Malinois is a work of art and can be amazing in the right hands- the right professional hands. We fear that we’ll see an influx of them in shelters soon and that will not go well for the breed. Due to the extreme amount of enrichment/exercise/training needed (think mini raptors), Belgian Malinois deteriorate very quickly in a shelter environment.
If you’ve made the decision to get a Belgian Malinois (and cleared your schedule for the next year of training), please remember that pure bred does not equal good breeding. Don’t help a backyard breeder line their pockets. Ethical Belgian Mal breeders won’t advertise on Facebook, road signs, or Craigslist. And they won’t sell their dogs to probably 90% of the population because not everyone is equipped to handle a dog like that.
