Member Susanna
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Definitely true! My husband and I had a dog that I had adopted in high school and we definitely didn’t take into account how much she improved our lives. When Sam passed away at the end of 2019 we could barely comprehend getting another dog. We spent about 10 months without and then we finally decided we were ready for a new dog. I had gained weight (thanks pandemic and making excuses for not exercising) and just generally felt like the house was empty. We had everything could possibly need (food, water, housing, etc.) but there was something missing. When we adopted our Malinois Lily we had to start walking 3-4 miles a day, doing training sessions with her, and playing with her to meet her needs. I started to lose some of the weight I had gained but more importantly, I just generally felt better with more motivation. It was nice to have a bigger motivation than ‘I should just do it because it’s good for me’. She makes us happy and we love doing things that help keep her happy too.
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Our girl is good at being goofy, most of the situations are too quick to get on camera but we always get this face and an exposed belly when she is feeling neglected 😂
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Hey! That’s actually a great question, I went from a GSD mix that I adopted as a puppy and after we lost her right before Christmas ‘19 to cancer we adopted a 2 y.o. lower (for the breed) energy Mal October ‘20 from American Belgian Malinois Rescue.
I would say that a GSD is a good stepping stone for a Malinois if you’re ready for the commitment of a second dog. They generally require more input, our GSD was content with as many walks as we would take her on but she wouldn’t really get rowdy if we didn’t meet a set number of walks. Our Mali Lily get a little sassy if she doesn’t get her walks but has learned to settle if we just need to wait a little longer. We’ve established she doesn’t run the house but we also know she needs the energy release so we don’t punish her for letting us know it’s time to go.
They are known for having a much higher prey drive so generally kids or small dogs are a no go but there are dogs I’ve seen on the ABMR site that have been tested with both and do well so it’s certainly not out of the question, in case that’s a concern for you. I would also recommend them because they aren’t afraid to be honest about the dogs that have. They foster & vet each dog so they really get to know them in a home setting. Based on their description of Lily we felt like we knew what we were getting into and basically picked the quirks we were willing to put up with and ‘filter out’ the ones we didn’t feel prepared to handle. A lot of them can be described as ‘Velcro pups’ and our girl certainly fits that description. So if you don’t want a dog that would just as soon crawl into your skin to get close to you, they may not be the breed for you 😂 I like Robert’s description when he says they’re really more people dogs than dog dogs, they’d much rather be with you than hanging out with other dogs. Although that’s not to say they don’t play well with others, they’re certainly capable of that.
I hope that wasn’t too long winded but I’m happy to answer any questions you might have on our experience. We would 10/10 recommend adopting an older dog from AMBR and I could explain their adoption process a little more if you’re interested.
Attached is a picture of how content Lily is each night after her walk/play quota has been met 😂
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I tear up a little when I look through pictures but we took this picture about a week before we lost her on Christmas Eve 2019. Samantha was with me during high school, though college, and the first few years of my marriage. So she was my pet through some pretty big stages in my life and I couldn’t have asked for a better dog during those times.
When I first saw her we were at a mobile clinic out vet was hosting to give yearly vaccines at a local pet supply store. They have a place for puppies from the Humane Society. I was 16 and BEGGED my dad to let me adopt her with my first paycheck. He told me to let him think for a week and if she was still there we could get her. She was gone but the next week but the following Sunday we went to lunch with some family friends and the kids would always wander down to the pet supply store (same chain, different location) to play with the puppies. And wouldn’t you know it, there was baby Sam (Peaches at the time) sitting in the little puppy play pen! My dad couldn’t say no then, it was meant to be 😂 and the rest is history! I loved every minute of her puppy stages, even when she slept in the bathroom but would whine until I stuck my fingers under the door and she’d lick me with that tiny little tongue and sleep on my fingers. Her decline at the end was rather quick and I wish I had had more time but a million days would have never been enough and I’m thankful for every day we had. Dogs are the best and they definitely make life better. The joy in the time we have is definitely worth the heartbreak they cause when they leave us.
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Definitely this stretchy legged bear. Lily isn’t much of a chewer but she loves fetch and playing tug. She has sensitive teeth so this has just enough substance so she can’t destroy but not so hard it bothers her teeth.
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That’s amazing 😂 my dog basically did that when she saw my horse for the first time
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Must be waiting for something tasty! 😂
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I think as far as protection work goes some people have/will used them as working dogs but I do think that a lot of that depends on the level at which they’re expecting them to work. If I remember correctly though, ABMR prohibits using their adopted dogs for protection or bite work. This probably has a lot to do with what you’re referring to. It takes a LOT of work to do well and it takes continual training to keep that in check.
I’d say their shedding would be no different or less than what you’re used to with a GSD. You’re more likely to get a running buddy out of a Mal, our girl loves to run with us and has no problem keeping up. I even see a lot of people who hook their Mals up to their bike and exercise them that way.
Are you a member of the ABMR Facebook group? That might give you some insight into what people do with them after they’re adopted. People like to post updates of them doing various activities.