As a counterpoint, Labs, Goldens, chessies, rotts, dobies, etc are all subject to a metric shitload of genetically passed on bad traits.

If you find a golden for 300.00, it most likely won't have OFA hips etc. So about 4 or 5 years into the dogs life, the hips or elbows go to [Bleeeeep!] and now you either have to put the dog down or spend thousands to fix them.

Buying a dog with good blood lines, proven genetics, and clear parents is way cheaper in the long run than a dog with a genetic defect.

Or get a mutt from the shelter . Smarter, healthier and a hell of a lot cheaper.

"I've come to believe a dog is what you make it."

Exactly why you should get it at 7 weeks plus or so.

Mutts are definitely "in the mix." Our last two dogs have been of the "free mutt" variety (which explains why I know so little about the process of finding a dog).

Not ". . . 7 weeks plus or so." Exactly 49 days (7 weeks). I swear it makes a difference in training. Obviously a biased Wolters training method fan here.

Good dogs find you , you don't make a good dog.

Dog Rap

Love it Salmo.
I was going to say 49 days but I chose not to even though I've done it 3 pups in a row.

"WATER DOG" all the way!!

I read his book and cherry picked the lessons that might apply to the mutt I'd committed to already. She has her weak points, but I'd like to see how his methods work starting from day 49.

Got my new pup at 9 weeks exactly but that was unplanned. I would have like to have started with him at 7 - 8 weeks, but it is what it is. He's 12 weeks now and is the fastest learning pup I've ever been around. Sit, stay, down, place, kennel, come, heal, fetch, shake, roll over and others are now almost automatic. He pretty much potty trained himself on day one. It only took me a couple treats to teach the little bastard to shake. Now he thinks he's playing a human slot machine and all he has to do is paw at the handle and out comes a snack.

Bought a baby pool this week, so today we are gonna learn about this thing called "water". He's a lab, so I'm going to be screwed after today. OMG WATER! MUST GET IN IT NOW!!!!!

Snotty nose tear jerker:

http://vimeo.com/122375452

Now, Go hug a dog...

Meet Clover.


She's a 4 month-old Malinois "mix." God only knows the other breed(s). Quite a process to adopt her, but she was worth the wait. Thanks to all for their advice and well wishes.

Malinois

Dog Breed



The Malinois is a medium breed of dog, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, rather than as a separate breed. The Malinois is recognized in the United States under the name Belgian Malinois. Wikipedia




Hypoallergenic: No



Lifespan: 12 – 14 y



Mass: 64 – 75 lbs (Adult, Male)



Height: 2 – 2.2 ft. (Adult, Male, At the withers)



Origin: Belgium



Temperament: Watchful, Protective, Alert, Friendly, Hard-working, Confident, Stubborn, Active

Congrats! Cute puppy! And a great breed.

Flea - Congrats to you and family on your new best friend....and thank you for selecting a shelter dog. Wonderful decision. She looks awfully mischievous behind those puppy dogs eyes. I'm sure she's already training you well.

good on ya flea.

You know, Nick, it's pretty crazy, especially considering the Malinois reputation for being "stubborn," but she arrived house trained, walks great on a leash, and sits patiently when asked.

I think something that really helped her early development was that she's spent the last 3 weeks (at the shelter) under the tutelage of a senior dog who is a permanent resident. The older dog seemed to be teaching the pups how to behave, both around other dogs and around people, and I think it made a difference. Like I said, the process of adopting her was a bit heavy-handed, but now that we have her, I'm grateful for the process the shelter uses to make sure adopters are committed and worthy. Kind of neat. Also, the adoption fee ($300), seems like peanuts, based on how well she's adjusting to our family, largely thanks to the ladies at the shelter doing the right things for the right reasons.

But yeah. Happy guy, at least so far.

Congrats.

There is a reason that a dog of that breed was the first to jump out of a plane during the OBL raid. They are a super smart and loyal breed. They are also a very healthy breed which is why they are almost exclusively used by the military now.

You may enjoy the book "Dogs of War." A really good book and Belgian Malinois are the stars.

Cool. Thanks, BroodBuster. That book definitely belongs on our shelf. We can pull it down once in a while to read Clover a bedtime story.

Thanks again to all.