10/03/2025
When choosing a Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd breeder, common mistakes can lead to health, temperament, or working ability issues.
These breeds require careful selection to ensure you get a well-bred, stable, and suitable dog. Here are key mistakes to avoid:
**1. Choosing Based on Looks Alone**
- Many people are drawn to the sleek, athletic look of these breeds without considering temperament or drive.
- **Mistake**: Selecting a breeder who prioritises coat colour, size, or aesthetics over working ability and temperament.
- **Solution**: Choose a breeder who focuses on health, structure, and working capability.
**2. Ignoring the Breed’s Purpose**
- Malinois and Dutch Shepherds are primarily **working dogs** bred for military, police, and protection work.
- **Mistake**: Choosing a high-drive working-line dog for a pet home without understanding the exercise and training demands.
- **Solution**: Be honest about your lifestyle and experience. Consider a breeder who produces stable, well-balanced dogs for the role you need.
**3. Not Researching the Breeder’s Reputation**
- **Mistake**: Buying from a breeder with no proven experience in producing stable, well-socialised, and trainable dogs.
- **Solution**: Look for breeders with a **track record in working dog sports (IGP, PSA, Mondioring, etc.), police/military work, or well-socialized companions**. Ask for references.
**4. Skipping Health Testing**
- **Mistake**: Assuming all breeders test for **hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, DM (degenerative myelopathy), and other genetic conditions**.
- **Solution**: Ask for **OFA or FCI health test results**. Good breeders should provide proof of health clearances.
**5. Overlooking Temperament Testing**
- **Mistake**: Thinking all Malinois or Dutch Shepherds have the same temperament.
- **Solution**: Good breeders evaluate puppies for **nervousness, reactivity, prey drive,
sociability, and environmental stability** to match them to the right home.
**6. Buying From Backyard Breeders or Puppy Mills**
- **Mistake**: Choosing a breeder with **no titled dogs, no working history, or who breeds purely for profit**.
- **Solution**: Ethical breeders prioritise **health, working ability, and temperament over quantity**.
**7. Failing to See the Parents in Action**
- **Mistake**: Not evaluating the **dam (mother) and sire (father)** in person or via video.
- **Solution**: Insist on seeing the parents' **workability, confidence, and stability in different environments**.
**8. Rushing Into a Purchase**
- **Mistake**: Choosing a breeder because they have puppies available immediately.
- **Solution**: Quality breeders **don’t mass-produce litters**. Be patient and find a reputable one.
**9. Not Understanding Early Socialisation Needs**
- **Mistake**: Getting a pup from a breeder who **keeps puppies in a kennel with little human interaction**.
- **Solution**: The breeder should introduce puppies to **various people, surfaces, sounds, and environments** before 8 weeks.
**10. Underestimating the Commitment**
- **Mistake**: Thinking these breeds are just like other dogs but more active.
- **Solution**: Malinois and Dutch Shepherds need **structured training, daily mental stimulation, and clear leadership**. Be prepared to invest time and effort.
