So you think you want a Malinois...
- Thread starter stafinois
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Consider yourself lucky. 
With both mine, I had horror stories from day one.
With both mine, I had horror stories from day one.
Be careful! We had some dogs that we had to do surgery on due to being obstructed from eating rocks.
Mine is obsessed with spatulas. Not the rubber kind, but the kind that you flip your food with. If he was just grabbing dirty ones with food on them it would make sense, but he will raid the clean ones, too. He doesn't grab any other utensils, even if they do have food on them. We find spatulas stashed on the landing between the first and second floor, an area he typically sleeps, on a regular basis. Sometimes I step on ones that he drops in the hallway in the middle of the night
Never a dull moment with a Malinois around...
What have your Malinois destroyed?
One of Harry's finer moments was when he chewed through the passenger side seatbelt in my car in a matter of seconds. Those are expensive to replace!!!
The other thing is that he had beat up a ton of crates. With the plastic ones, he just grabs the door with his teeth and sucks it inward. He just dismantles the wire ones from the inside. I had to buy this one to keep him contained. So far he's not gotten out, but a few screws have popped out and had to be replaced.
One of Harry's finer moments was when he chewed through the passenger side seatbelt in my car in a matter of seconds. Those are expensive to replace!!!
The other thing is that he had beat up a ton of crates. With the plastic ones, he just grabs the door with his teeth and sucks it inward. He just dismantles the wire ones from the inside. I had to buy this one to keep him contained. So far he's not gotten out, but a few screws have popped out and had to be replaced.
Tyr destroyed several crates - the first one was similar to this, and he just chewed through the side plastic where the holes are.
The next couple of them were more like this one with the metal on the sides. He broke the metal where it clamped onto the crate and pushed it out, then ate the plastic until there was enough of a hole for him to be able to escape.
He's now in this one and it's holding him just fine.
He also has destroyed several of my shirts by jumping on me from behind and grabbing the shirt and ripping a huge hole down them.
And he destroyed two of his teeth - broke one canine tooth on a chain link fence, broke another canine tooth on a pin I was wearing on my hat.
The only thing Nyx destroyed was my charger for my laptop.
The next couple of them were more like this one with the metal on the sides. He broke the metal where it clamped onto the crate and pushed it out, then ate the plastic until there was enough of a hole for him to be able to escape.
He's now in this one and it's holding him just fine.
He also has destroyed several of my shirts by jumping on me from behind and grabbing the shirt and ripping a huge hole down them.
And he destroyed two of his teeth - broke one canine tooth on a chain link fence, broke another canine tooth on a pin I was wearing on my hat.
The only thing Nyx destroyed was my charger for my laptop.
Wow... This is the one we keep Riley in... he got used to it after a week or two and hasn't ever chewed on any part of it or tried to get out since then.
The only thing he has destroyed are numerous toys. Not buying him any more of those despite how durable they claim to be lol Now I just give him nylabones and kongs.
Random question: what food do you feed your Mals?
The only thing he has destroyed are numerous toys. Not buying him any more of those despite how durable they claim to be lol Now I just give him nylabones and kongs.
Random question: what food do you feed your Mals?
IIRC, shippind weight was 70 pounds, which given my back problems is a ton.
Getting it from the end of my driveway where UPS left the box to the house wasn't fun. I opened the box halfway down the driveway and carried the pieces to the house separately.
It's on wheels though, so it's pretty easy to move around the house or take to the front porch for hosing down. But yea, far from portable.
I also don't like that the floor isn't solid. He has gotten his foot caught in the floor a couple times. I'm now putting a blanket in there when I'm home to supervise. I don't trust him yet with a blanket when he's home alone.
As for biting the bars? He hasn't been bad about it. He learned quite quickly that those bars aren't gonna yield to his teeth. But then again, he never escaped from anything more difficult than cheap plastic, so when it wasn't easy he quit trying.
Getting it from the end of my driveway where UPS left the box to the house wasn't fun. I opened the box halfway down the driveway and carried the pieces to the house separately.
It's on wheels though, so it's pretty easy to move around the house or take to the front porch for hosing down. But yea, far from portable.
I also don't like that the floor isn't solid. He has gotten his foot caught in the floor a couple times. I'm now putting a blanket in there when I'm home to supervise. I don't trust him yet with a blanket when he's home alone.
As for biting the bars? He hasn't been bad about it. He learned quite quickly that those bars aren't gonna yield to his teeth. But then again, he never escaped from anything more difficult than cheap plastic, so when it wasn't easy he quit trying.
That was my other worry. At the time that I bought mine, I was living in a basement apartment. I moved around a lot when buildings sold or I found a better place, so I needed something easier to travel with. I also had to take it to the vet clinic once when we had to board the dogs in an emergency situation over a holiday and their kennel was full. Your crate wouldn't have been as easy transport. I can pick up the Ray Allen crate easily by myself, but it's awkward to carry.
When I bought it, it was advertised as "Malinois Proof." I see that isn't listed anymore. One probably managed to get out :rofl1:
Nylabones and Kongs are the only toys we allow. When it comes to toys, the AmStaf is even worse than the Malinois. Fortunately, he has never felt the need to attempt escape.
Of all things, the only food that we have found to work for Harry is the Iams Lamb and Rice. I've tried tons of different foods, from Diamond to TWolf Organics and Innova to Raw. I was feeding raw when I started having pregnancy complications, and knew I had to feed something easy and readily accessible for if I ended up in a hospital 100 miles from home (and I did). I nearly cried when I decided that the Iams L&R was the least offensive of the local feed store and grocery foods. And wouldn't you know it, his stools firmed up and he gained weight for the first time in his life. Go figure!
:rofl1::rofl1:
The type you have always worry me too - if they manage to chew some of it, would there be sharp metal edges?
Some of them ~ like the one you have ~ don't look well ventilated, and the way Tyr stresses, would he overheat?
Also the price on the petedge crate was a huge deciding factor.
The type you have always worry me too - if they manage to chew some of it, would there be sharp metal edges?
Some of them ~ like the one you have ~ don't look well ventilated, and the way Tyr stresses, would he overheat?
Also the price on the petedge crate was a huge deciding factor.
It has good ventilation, but I'd be wary of it in really hot climates. We have AC so I'm not worried. The construction is good. I don't think that a dog could chew out unless they were Robo Dog. There just isn't anywhere for them to grab hold to start with the way the edges and the door fit together.
And yes, it set me back a pretty penny. I recall a lot of boxed mac & cheese for a while.
1 patent leather shoe when she was like 4 months old and a roll of paper towels once not long before that shoe.. I just bought those shoes too and didn't put them away right quick after a friends funeral. My fault.
I decided to use the other one as a flower pot !! I didn't wanna throw it away.
Other than that she's not distructive at all.
She's very active around here, always running or on the move outside. The only time she stops is when I tell her too and that's only when I want a picture. Doesn't last long though.
I decided to use the other one as a flower pot !! I didn't wanna throw it away.
Other than that she's not distructive at all.
She's very active around here, always running or on the move outside. The only time she stops is when I tell her too and that's only when I want a picture.
Doesn't last long though.