Working on trying to grab his attention / getting him to listen at a distance. He seems to be catching on pretty well but anything anyone thinks might motivate him being several yards away would be appreciated! (I can’t give him a treat that far away) He is off leash trained and I’m very confident in the trust that’s there, I just would like the commands to be more sharp when he is actively chasing something / something grabs his attention. For safety and just obedience reasons. We are working with a trainer on some other things, I’d just love to hear what Reddit has to say / how you all made things work with your pups.

Hi everyone!

Sorry for a slightly long one folks, just hoping for some tips!

Two weeks ago I finally got my mal puppy. (10 weeks old today)
I have wanted the breed for many years, specifically because I want to do SAR for the volunteer organization in my country. Previously I have owned a Saarloos Wolfhond and Danish-Swedish Farmdog (small breed but fairly high drive, low drive compared to mal I would say🙃).
I have done a lot of research before getting the puppy so I am well aware of having bought what will be a very challenging puppy but also that I eventually will end up with an amazing dog and working partner if I do things right. I wanted to write a post because I am two weeks in and parts of me expected things to go better and parts of me know it's not supposed to be a walk in the park so I'm a little torn, a little tired and I wanted to see if anyone would share their opinions and tips😊
Hera looks to be a very strong girl, she is very eager to train both for treats and for lure toys. We have worked mainly on luring, following the hand and establishing a basis for good training as she gets older. She has a very good handle on sit/lay down/place/contact (nose to my hand), we just introduced the verbal commands and she is doing great. She is also doing quite good with her crate, she occasionally complains with a couple of whines before going to sleep but no dramatic scenes. She gets food, treats, toys and kongs in there. She's slept through the night for 7-8 hours the past five nights.

My issue is that I am struggling to get her to sleep enough, I would say she gets around 16 hours and I can tell she is a bit overtired several times a day, she has a massive thing for our couch which is impossible for us to block off and she quite literally becomes a slippery little leopard seal when she gets in the couch for her 2 minutes of insanity (and I struggle not to pee myself laughing). She was better at settling herself the first week but now she just seems unable to regulate herself at all.

I also feel like she is acting a bit nervous when outside, she is fine in the garden and fine in our arms but when we walk on the street (very calm neighbourhood) or in the woods she gets nervous and the second we turn around she tracks her steps back almost sprinting. Amazing to see her sniff her way back though but I am scared the nervousness will be a struggle to get rid of. I know right noe is a "fright period" and I shouldnt really mind it but it does get me thinking..

Any tips here? I really want her to have the best life and I want us to have a really strong partnership so we can be a strong asset to the SAR team in my country.

TLRD: Got a malinois puppy after dreaming about it for years, want her to become a happy and successful SAR dog, need tips on getting her enough sleep and building her confidence to the max.

Any SAR specific tips are also greatly appreciated if anyone here has SAR experience with their Mal!

Thank you for any tips, and again sorry for lengthy post, just a first-time (exhausted) mal mom who wants to do right by her puppy🥹

So my family adopted this very cute female malinois back in March this year, she's now 8 months but somehow way more troublesome than when she was a small puppy...

For instance, she won't stop jumping at us the second we're back after leaving for a few hours and won't listen to orders like "sit" since she's too excited, she also love to snatch pairs of sneakers and will show teeth when we try to take it back. She will bark a lot at passersby, cats, anything with wheels for some reason or absolutely destroy any package from the delivery guy...

I really need advice on how to train her since she's getting too much of a handful lately. My parents keep on debating on whether they should abandon her to a shelter which truly breaks my heart because I love her very much. Any help is very much appreciated.

PS : I don't support the use of the training collar she has in the attached picture, I unfortunately don't have a say in this.

What do you all for prefer for joint supplements? My boy is 3 years old but I want a preventative to reduce the probability of hip problems. Thank you!

So guys, need ur help. Im somewhere in the world where we do not have dog parks, nowhere smooth enough for the extreme jumping and playing of a malinois. I have no access to lawn, and i usually go with my dogs on a hike on rough rocky mountains. It is fine until my mal wants to play fetch run jump, u know the drill.
In 2 days he hurt his paws in 3 different locations. Im feeling so bad! I tried pavement it is worse, at home on hard floors not ideal and not enough spacious anyway. The one alternative i have is a sandy beach, but can this happen on a daily basis? Im not sure leaving sand and salt water on him is that good neither is bathing him after every outing.. did anyone try boots on a malinois?

She’s about 10 months old. Petite little thing at about 45 lbs but she is big on affection, energy, and just outright fun! Greatest dog we’ve ever had. Here taking a short break at the park in the middle of a 5 mile run (well…jog lol).

My neighbor's dachshund

About 5 hours ago I twisted my ankle and it hurts. I can walk but am kind of choosing to limp because it hurts to bear weight. I’ve never had an injury since getting my mal 2.5 years ago; even when I gave birth I hiked him the next day.
I am looking for advice on what I can do while I keep weight off my ankle if it is this bad tomorrow again. I am not open to hiring a dog walker; I handle my dog and would never trust a dog walker to handle him. So far, my idea is: frisbee. Maybe having his trainer come for an extra session. Throwing a ball in the yard I guess. I’m honestly so upset even typing this out because I hate all of these options and want to be able to get him exercise. How do I do this while basically not moving? Any ideas are appreciated or stories of how you’ve handled an injury.

She got tired of playing ball but sometimes just enjoys making a mess 🤣

Her when she was just a lil "Bear Cub"

My girl at 3 years old, she's now 6. And my adoration for her just keeps growing. My nickname for her is Mama Bear.

Zelda has completed fast charging and is ready for more chaos.

I’m 46 years old and have had dogs my whole life. I have loved all of them with the entirety of my heart. But I’ve never had a dog like Gertrude. She is with me always. She runs with me in the morning, lays at my feet while I work during the day, and packs in tight under my arm to go to sleep at night. I have never had, nor will ever I have a friend like this again.

Nine years old, six of them tripawd! My sweet and salty girl!!!!!

Why wouldn’t someone with a Belgian Malinois have access to a creepy doll for a Halloween picture???

My Girl's Halloween costumes over the years...

Vet says he is the best behaved malinois they see . Even professional dog trainers Malinois don’t behave as well as him . All the training and exposer to different environment has helped.