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You have great ideas for activities for a new dog.. SAR alone is very overwhelming Time, travel, all out of your own pocket to get your training in. More then one person that I have known that has driven over a hundred miles to get to training and driven back the same day. Wanting to do SAR I would find your local chapter and ask them what is the process like, how supported they are for training how much time, travel , they do for training. That even if they are taking on new members.

Your going to college and having the idea of leaving your dog with family that is another issue you really need to think about... You may want a high power dog, a dog that is a high liability and have the ability to take the responsibility owning one.. Then you have to consider if your family is able or wants to take that responsibilities with the same understanding, if they have time to continue your training and the activities, and manage them in a productive environment..

you say you want a fresh puppy that you can train from the start, but know your going to be absent, or partially absent within 2 years of getting your pup... ????

agree with the others getting a mix is a crap shoot ....of what you end up with in traits and instincts... Mals are well known as land sharks very fast pace pups and adults.... lots of dedication to bring out the best in them for 13 years.
 
So, "wolfdogs" don't get dumped at shelters. A very small percentage of dogs advertised as "wolfdogs" actually have "wolf" in them. IF a shelter thinks a dog is part wolf, it will be euthanized or adopted to a sanctuary. There are too many legal issues in adopting out such an unpredictable animal to a regular civilian. And owning a "wolfdog" has nothing to do with having a lot of property, as you could never just let one 'roam free'. It sounds like you've researched some aspects of wolf hybrids, but not others, especially the legal aspect. Not sure what state you live in, but here:

Laws of owning wild and wild hybrid animals by state

That being said - it sounds like you'd be able to provide a very good home to most dogs and mixes. Malinois are even more intense than BCs, in general, which is what you asked in your original post. As others have said, unless your life is going to be totally about your dog, please do NOT get a Mal or a Mal mix. It would be unfair to the dog.

ETA:



It's beginning to sound like you're mostly unwilling to listen to our advice about a Mal, and like you've already made up your mind. Maybe you missed my question - have you ever actually been around an adult Mal? It's amazing how many times I've read on this forum 'yeah, I wanted a Mal, but then I spent some time with one and I realized I would never get one'.
Please dont get a wolf hybrid, I personally wish they would ban any kind of hybrid cross, as well as owning wild animals privately, and I wish people wouldnt keep this kind of breeding going :/

Okay, thanks for the input! I definitely haven't done the legal side of researching wolfdogs.
I know the size of your property doesn't determine the size of the dog, but since wolfdogs are wild so to speak, if I got one I would want to be able to provide a more natural habitat for it where it would be safe from hunters and strangers :) that being said its not that it would roam free but it would have the space to do that once trained. Of course I still need to research a lot more if I ever adopted one.
I had one dog that was mine growing up, we had various family dogs when I was a kid that I helped care for and worked with, but my first REAL dog that was "mine" I got the summer before I turned 17. BUT ... I showed that dog and cared for him myself, and we still have that dog today, he is enjoying retirement at my folk's ranch (they wanted him, they asked LOL). All the dogs I got after him I paid for and trained myself, if you arent ready, able or willing to do that, then I dont think this is the right time for you. Also you mentioned you are going off to college, where you will be super busy, will you have time for a dog, especially one like a malinois?

I know how hard it can be to wait, but good things come to those who do.

You have great ideas for activities for a new dog.. SAR alone is very overwhelming Time, travel, all out of your own pocket to get your training in. More then one person that I have known that has driven over a hundred miles to get to training and driven back the same day. Wanting to do SAR I would find your local chapter and ask them what is the process like, how supported they are for training how much time, travel , they do for training. That even if they are taking on new members.

Your going to college and having the idea of leaving your dog with family that is another issue you really need to think about... You may want a high power dog, a dog that is a high liability and have the ability to take the responsibility owning one.. Then you have to consider if your family is able or wants to take that responsibilities with the same understanding, if they have time to continue your training and the activities, and manage them in a productive environment..

you say you want a fresh puppy that you can train from the start, but know your going to be absent, or partially absent within 2 years of getting your pup... ????

agree with the others getting a mix is a crap shoot ....of what you end up with in traits and instincts... Mals are well known as land sharks very fast pace pups and adults.... lots of dedication to bring out the best in them for 13 years.
Also yes, get yourself out there, BEFORE you get a dog, because I know people who have told me that the nosework and SAR cliques are hard to break into. Find trials in your area, go and meet people, you might even see a few mals work.
 
The primary consideration here is that you are going to undergo a metric ton of lifestyle changes over the next couple years. It is not a great time to get a dog, but if you do decide to get a dog, the most sensible option is to get one that a)is of a breed and size commonly allowed in affordable rentals and b)has an adaptable temperament and can cope with less exercise and less attention as needed.

If you're not willing to get a dog that fits these parameters, be realistic: you're almost certainly getting your parents (or a shelter or a rehoming) a dog, because it's not coming with you when you move out and begin full time+ school and work. So get a dog your parents like and want, then.

Many universities require first year students to live in the dorms if they're not living at home, and almost no dorms accept pets. So that's something you'll want to think hard about, too. Committing to keeping the dog means limiting your school choices.
 
Dog Mammal Vertebrate Dog breed Canidae
Dog Mammal Vertebrate Dog breed Canidae
You said "Possibly yelling at you" about the Malinois you have. We have had what we think is a Malinois/Collie mix for about 4 months . She is 5 years old, adopted from the local SPCA. Occasionally when I go to touch her, like checking her paws, she screams like I'm really hurting her, just holding her paw up. Is this a Malinois trait, to scream? She has never tried to nip me, though.
 
View attachment 213337 View attachment 213337 You said "Possibly yelling at you" about the Malinois you have. We have had what we think is a Malinois/Collie mix for about 4 months . She is 5 years old, adopted from the local SPCA. Occasionally when I go to touch her, like checking her paws, she screams like I'm really hurting her, just holding her paw up. Is this a Malinois trait, to scream? She has never tried to nip me, though.
Does it seem like it causes her pain or that she doesn't want to be handled and so she's vocalizing that?
 
No. She will let me touch the same paw when she's lying down,relaxed, with no problem. She does a lot of running and jumping up to catch balls, with no problem. Sometimes she will scream when I try to move her, too.
 
Some people call them malinoise. :p So yes, they scream. German Shepherds are known for being vocal, too. It's probably more likely that your dog is collie/GSD than collie/malinois just based on how much more common GSDs are. She's really adorable either way. :)
 
Quill is highly vocal...not too surprised since he is a mixture of Malamute, GSD, and Elkhound, but when I first found out how chatty he is it caught me off guard. He likes to scream about his excitement of me coming home and letting him out of his crate (as in, perfectly quiet IN his crate, but the moment I'm holding him to take him outside he is letting me know how happy he is) and scream in excitement when he meets new people. He also is a grumbler.

I am going to second everyone else on being 100% sure about the timing. I have always loved animals, but I can't even begin to imagine getting a dog right before college. Especially a puppy, now that I know what its like. I spend SO much time with Quill...time I would NEVER have had if I was in school. And even if the dog is one by the time you start school, he is still going to need a lot of work. You may have that time right now, but will you have it in a year or two?

College is a huge time commitment. Work is a huge time commitment. A puppy is a huge time commitment. Together, I don't know where you'll find the time in the day. I spent 15-20 hours working a week, probably anywhere from 12-18 hours in class, and another 1-5 hours on homework a day. I only got a puppy now because I graduated last spring and have the ability to work at home/take puppy to work with me, so its extremely flexible and allows a lot of training and exercising time. And I know that once I start graduate school, he can come to the office with me and my schedule will be extremely flexible.

I think everyone has offered great advice, so that is really my only input. Just be sure you aren't overwhelming yourself.
 
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