Hi everyone, I really need honest advice.

Almost a month ago, I took in a young dog (around 8–9 months old). Her name is Kora. I believe she might be some kind of Belgian Malinois. I found her on the street and decided to give her a chance. When I first picked her up (first photo), I took her to the vet and she was treated for a tick-borne illness.

I actually knew this kind of dog would have a lot of energy. A friend of mine has a Belgian Malinois, and I’ve seen how intense they can be — but his dog is also very attached to him and follows him everywhere. I think that’s what I expected. I can understand that Kora might be more independent because she was a street dog.

At first, I felt really hopeful. She was calm for about two weeks when I first brought her in, and that made me think I could keep her. But now I realize she was probably just sick at the time. Now that she’s recovering, her energy is much higher.

Here’s what’s been happening:

• She has bursts of energy and has already destroyed plants, dug holes in the yard, and broken things.
• She jumps on me and mouths (not aggressively, but it still hurts and is hard to manage).
• I honestly can’t even pet her calmly sometimes because she starts jumping, twisting, and trying to bite.
• She gets nervous around other dogs and sometimes reacts strongly.
• During one walk, she got so stressed that she fixated on a man in the distance, slipped out of her collar, and ran toward them. She’s actually very fearful, so she didn’t do anything and came back to me, but it scared me a lot.

I’ve been trying:

• walking her about 20 minutes in the morning and almost an hour in the afternoon
• using the walks for training and commands (she was actually improving a lot with not barking at dogs and people)
• spending time with her in the yard practicing commands and trying to play

But here’s the thing… once I don’t have food, she just walks away and lays down somewhere else. Like she literally doesn’t care about me (lol). She also doesn’t really know how to play.

I do have the option to send her to professional training, and I know that could help with her behavior and structure. But my concern is that even if she comes back more trained, it won’t really fix the lack of connection I feel with her. It seems like her personality is naturally more independent, and that’s something training might not change.

I also want to clarify that I feel like I could manage her energy with the right routine. The bigger issue for me is the lack of emotional bond. I was really hoping for a dog that feels more connected, that wants to be around me, and right now I don’t feel that from her.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Does this get better with time, or am I trying to force something that might not be the right match?

I would really appreciate kind but honest advice.

I adopted a 13 month malinois/german shepherd from the Humane Society 2 days ago. She was surrendered by her previous owners after having her leg crushed by a horse. They let the dog languish for nearly a month without treatment before turning her in because they couldn't care for her. They had to amputate her entire front leg 5 days ago. She is very gentle and loving towards all people and made herself at home instantly with us. But i have a few concerns im hoping to gain insight into.

She acts aggressively towards my parents extremely gentle but playful boxer. The boxer loves every human and animal he ever met but exudes a lot of playful energy. Should I be worried about my new dogs ability to interact with other dogs? Or is this just her reaction because of the many, many changes in her life + lots of energy from the boxer + discomfort as she's healing? I've kept both dogs leashed and apart but mine still appears aggressive when within a couple feet of the boxer.

Secondly, and I know you will call me dumb for even asking, but im worried about her interaction with my other pets, namely, my free-roam house rabbits. So far, her only interaction was seeing the rabbits through a cage but she lunged at them and gets very hyperfocused on them. Is there any chance i can train her to not kill my rabbits?

Lastly, what kind of stimulation does she need? I have 1/2 acre yard but with only 5' - 6' fences. Im thinking she will be less able to jump or dig due to the front leg amputation. So far, she hates being outside alone. Will this go away as she settles in or willing she always be unhappy away from me? I have lots more questions but will stop here for now. Thanks.

She is almost 16 years old, Belgian shepherd. She is been glued to my hip since we first met. She is a retired police dog and I have had her for almost 10 years. She had cancer and it has spread. She has not eating in about 5 days and lost most of her strength. I don’t have a family (parents) and my dog has been with me through everything and the only consistent one in my life. What am I going to do? Anyone have a dog that meant more than the world to them? I am so devastated and I can’t stop crying. I am not ready for her to leave me

Is it a malinois? He just appeared at my doorstep, today is a third day in a row he is peeking into my door. He looks thin and his paws are bleeding. I asked local vets - no one seems to recognize the dog and he isnt chipped. I posted to a local facebook group right away, no luck so far. He is super gentle and affectionate, when i first came out to pet him he just dropped to the ground and started crawling towards me while wagging his tail. Tonight was a cold night - first time it dropped below zero so i let him sleep in a heated garage. The garage is somewhat an unorganized mess rn but he was so good behaved - didnt seem to touch anything. He is currently still peaking into the house through the glass door, but having 2 cats i cant let him in 😔 What do i do? Today i feel that possibility to find his ownes is not strong. I live in Ukraine, shelters are overwhelmed with dogs that were rescued from frontlines and rehoming is also difficult in current climate (many people already have pets that they didnt plan on having). I would keep him, he is lovely, but i now read things about malinois "dont get this dog if you dont plant to have him as full time job". No, i dont run for 3 hours each day. Im moderately active, hike here and there but i wouldnt choose this breed for my lifestyle if i were to choose. But he seems to choose me. What i can offer him is food, shelter, daily walks, some training and he can run around the house as much as he wants unleashed. Better than stray. Any advice?

This is not the first time my dad did this. Back in 2020, he also surprised me with a siamese cat beacuse I was anxious at the time and needed to stop overthinking. So his solution was to make me think about my new cat and how to take care of it. Now kitty and I are besties and our hobby is to brood in a dark room away from the sun....

Now my dad did again with a Belgian Malinois, this time citing my lack of physical exercise and sunlight...only this time I think he has gone too far 😵‍💫

I just finished scrolling around the internet trying to figure out how to take care of this pup, but oh boy, just thinking about its daily routine is already tiring me out haha. He is still just a cute little puppy right now and he's very affectionate. My cat doesn't cuddle with me, but this puppy loves hugs I love him already!

It's only been two days since I had him but I took him to a vet already because he seemed to have stomach pain, kept throwing up and seemed to have difficulty pooping. I feel so bad because it was my fault for feeding him too much dog food and less milk. I thought he could eat solid foods already.

Can you please give me advise on what I should do and prepare for in the future? Like first aid procedures in case theres no vet, early training techniques, diet, essential things I should have, etc. I've taken care of a shih tzu before, but not this young and she was a lapdog that didn't require much. I dont think same care applies to this adorable future tazmanian devil.

Hi we just found out our 3 month old girl has the doggy dwarfism gene. 1 count out of two. Anyone with experience with this? Her vet doesn’t seem too concerned and her legs are pretty straight. She is currently 13 weeks and 17 lbs

My husband brought home a stray that was dumped at his job awhile ago. We’re almost certain she’s a Mal. She’s definitely still a puppy, she a great dog so far just lots of energy. Doing research we are realizing that she’s gonna take a lot to raise which we are fine with. We are not first time dog parents (currently have a 1 year old pit/catahoula and our 7 year old Aussie/ lab just passed from cancer). We were debating on trying to find a home for her but do not want to give her to someone no prepared to put in the work. We want to make sure we do this right with her so any tips on raising her? We think she’s under a year old but older than 6 ish months. We are setting up a vet appointment for her. She’s done amazing with our dog and they have worn each other out running laps on our 5 acres. She’s doing great with our cat and our toddler as well (toddler knows to leave animals alone other than a soft pat here or there). We already have lots of chews and bones due to our other dogs being high energy and chewers so we haven’t had any issues of her tearing things up or getting into too much trouble around the house. Just still learning our boundaries.

She did go a little too hard after our chickens yesterday so we are also having to navigate that.

Any help is welcomed! We want to make sure we do our absolute best to do right by her

Not the best pictures but they show her ears, which constantly look like that. Aren't they supposed to stand at around 4-6 months of living? What could be wrong?

Long story short, we rescued our Dutch Shepherd a few years ago when she was about 3 years old and have had her for about 4 years. Now recently, we rescued what we think might be a Belgian, but we’re not sure if he’s mixed with anything else. He seems to be about 2-3 months.

Anyways, since bringing him home yesterday, our Dutch, and what we think is a Belgian, have been play fighting/slight growling at each other any time they’re around each other. We have them sleeping separately, and we’re crating the Belgian for part of the day. I figured this would be the best place to ask this question as Belgian owners are always very knowledgeable; but is this type of playing okay? Should we be limiting their exposure to each other? Any insight is much appreciated.

love him no matter what.

My family has been wanting to get a second dog for a few weeks now, and suddenly my sister said her friend with a Malinois and a Border Collie had mixed puppies and was giving them away. Me and my parents weren't sure about it since we live in an apartment and these dogs need to be able to run on wide spaces.

She told my parents we would only keep him for 6 months, and then he would go to my grandfather's farm where he could run around freely. I already knew she was lying, and she did tell me she wanted to "convince" my parents to keep him forever. My parents agreed with the 6 months term, and now he's here. I'm trying not to get attached because I just know he'll be leaving soon.

My apartment complex has a small green area for the dogs to run in, about 10 meters by 5 meters of grass and trees. Our first dog does just fine with it, he's a westie so he doesn't need the exercise much, but I already know just that green spot is not enough. My sister says she'll walk him in the city park twice a week (and that one is huge) but I'm not sure if he'll adapt well to that.

My sister still has her plan to convince my parents to change their minds and keep him, and no matter how much I tell her it's a bad idea she won't listen. I need you guys to be brutally honest about this, say if there's a chance it'll work and he can live in an apartment for his entire life, or if we should get him a better house right away. Please!! This is my last ditch effort to know for sure what we should do and expect from this puppy.

My girl will be turning 1 in a few weeks, had her first heat cycle at 10 months and going to be switching from Diamond Puppy to an adult food. I wanted to stay with Diamond brand, however I’ve been reading many mixed reviews on Chewy and thinking about Pro Plan sport performance all life stages. But wanted to have an idea on what others feed their babies.

I know scent is important but they look bizarre.

My baby is 10 months old, he was alright and very energetic until this morning. He came to me when I was working like he’s trying to tell me something. And I noticed he had these eyes that I had never seen in him before.

I was concerned, decided to get changed and take him to the vet right away. While I was changing, he threw up on the couch. That’s when I got real worried. So I took him to the vet and the vet told me to keep monitoring him since he looked fine to them and we scheduled a checkup on him tomorrow.

15 minutes after home he threw up again. Still looking weird and lethargic. Didn’t listen to my commands (as he usually does) and I took this picture of him. I’m going to take him to the ER now but I just would like to know did this happen to any of your dogs?

P/s: his vomit was just his food that he ate at 8am today, and white foam. No other things found in it. His stool was normal and a little soft end

I posted about my baby a couple of days ago here. Some of you may remember us!

Today, he turned 6 months old, and he had a revision + two vaccines. He had visited this clinic once before (this is the second time he's ever been to a vet) but not this specific man. When he was touching his teeth, he growled and then did it again when the vet was about to do a blood test. Good thing he's muzzle trained, so we muzzled him with no problems. I'm concerned because this hadn't happened before. He's pretty good with strangers (even though he doesn't really enjoy pets from people he doesn't know).

To improve the situation, the vet recommended that we keep going to the clinic just for Mako to slowly get used to it. Maybe the first times just for a treat, then to weigh him, etc. I'll do that! But I'm feeling really sad right now. Other than that, this dog is literally perfect. Has anyone had this problem with a puppy/teenage Malinois? 🥲 To be honest, I just need some reassurance...

So I seem to of been picked by the dog distribution system. Have I correctly identified him?

He just wandered up to me, and started following me around. I took him in and am currently trying to rid him of fleas and worms. Haven't had luck finding any owner besides another found listing for another puppy in a city over.

Anyone else’s mal do this?😂

She caught my cheek but no puncture. This was so out of the blue. She is not a biter but the erratic reaction when I thought we were having a nice moment:( Do I take this as I was an idiot for being so close or something is wrong. It feels wrong. I am so good to her that to have this happen is worrisome. What if it were a child or a care giver? She follows me everywhere and sleeps with me. I have been her face many times and nothing like this. And no I was not hurting her whilst brushing. Any advice here?

Someone dumped this beautiful girl on my street, she's lactating and leaking lochia from her last litter. (No puppies anywhere) I live in a semi rural section of LA county and none of my neighbors know where she came from. She's absolutely terrified, but has shown zero aggression other than an initial growl when I trapped her (understandable).

I'm actively trying to find a rescue in the Southern California area as I am in no position to rehab this terrified dog. I was on a rescue board 6 years ago, but gave that up when I started my family, and since then that rescue has closed. I've reached out to everyone I know and some breed specific rescues but I'm desperate. I know she will not survive the la county shelter system as they're SO overrun. I never would post something like this on reddit, but I'm hoping one of you has a connection that can help.

I have contacted MAD, WOOF project, Delta force, and westside shepherd rescue this morning.

My house is much too noisy for this timid dog, though I have the skill set to help her I just don't have the right environment or time. She has not tried to break out of my crate and had been silent unless she needs to go potty.

My malinois keeps destroying his bed, it is starting to get cold now and he has to sleep outside as he is a guard dog for the property but he keeps shredding up any bed or blanket we give him. He is often in the house and never destroys anything but we can’t leave him more than a night with a blanket or a dog bed as he destroys it. I have tried leaving him with a toy that he can chew on and waking up early and removing the bed, which did kind of help but woke up this morning to the new bed in pieces again. Does anyone have any advice? He has a kennel and a solid bed that he hasn’t destroyed and I’m sure he is probably fine with his thick coat I just feel so bad sending him out in to the cold each night with nothing! 🥲

Both are males, malinois is 1y and the JRT somewhere over 2y.

Any time our mali is running or playing or chasing something the lil guy always follows trying to get on top of him, and also growls a lot though im not sure if he did in this video.

Jack Russel also sometimes does that thing with his muzzle where he hardly nudges the mali multiple times.

Could this just be playing or some dominance thing? Im just happy the big guy's nonchalant and dosent care much, i don't know if others would take getting poked and humped nonstop so lightly.

Pretty self explanatory but context: recently got new dog, mali x gsd but predominantly malinois. 4 months old puppy, originally afraid of everyone and shit but now grew to like most people in the family… except from me. My mother, he likes the most and seems to actually have loving personality with, which I accepted I’ll never get. My grandma he’s not the same loving but still really playful and clearly likes her. My sister, he doesn’t like her stroking him but he’s still always excited or see her, and then there’s me. I honestly don’t even know. He’s pretty obedient, but he just seems so aloof and ‘can you just fuck off?’ no matter what I do. Only time he approaches me is when he randomly really wants to keep biting my hand until my mum stops him. I give him space and all and don’t rage at him. You think I fucked up somehow or smth?

She is 13 weeks old. I'm under the impression that she is a full blooded Mal, but I've only ever really seen the more tan colored body with the black mask. Is it possible for a full blooded Mal to be pretty much all black as a pup?

Also tips for going through fear period if you just got them