26/05/2025
This fabulous girl who was in our rescue for over 10 months is now our dog!š
One of our personal professional goals and a journey weāre on is to qualify as GP security patrol dog handlers, and Xena (previously Phoebe) is full of drive, energy and is right up for the job, we thought āwhy would be waste her potential and have her wait around for a miracle homeā so now sheās joined our team! šš”
You canāt just have any breed as a working security dog, and Xena just happens to be two of the accepted NASDU qualifying breeds or breed mixes to become such a dog. A Dutch shepherd crossed with a Rottweiler, š¦®šāš¦ŗ
now donāt just think āwow, thatās a cool dog Iām going to get oneā She IS FULL of ENERGY and DRIVE!
Drive is a dogās natural motivation and intensity to do things ā like chase, hunt, play, guard, or work. ššØš©
High-drive dogs donāt just enjoy activity, they need it. Theyāre wired to do a job and will struggle without purpose, structure, and regular mental & physical challenges.āļøš§
She needs daily structure, mental stimulation, significant ongoing training. Dutch Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, -Malinois are a lifestyle choice.
The key things to take away from this are;
Dogs like Xena arenāt couch potatoes. Theyāre working minds and without the right outlet, they struggle. Not because theyāre bad, but because theyāre misunderstood.
She was in rescue for over 8 months and thatās a tiny amount of time compared to other dogs in rescue, especially high drive dogs, you donāt want to add to that, right?
We donāt recommend getting a high-drive dog like a Malinois unless you really know what youāre doing. These dogs arenāt just pets ā they need a lot of time, training, and mental work every single day. They need someone with experience who can give them structure, purpose, and challenges. Without that, they can get frustrated, start barking or acting out, and sadly, many end up in rescue. š¾
If you think youāre ready and experienced with working dogs, make sure you do your homework, get advice from professional trainers first who understand these dogs, and know itās a big, serious commitment. Please try to rescue one first, and understand health testing, breed traits and well a lot more! But make sure you do understand the absolute importance of commitment, consistency, money and time it takes to own these breeds of dog. ā ļø