Non-GSD - Opinion on Ivan Balabanov's Mals?

[AbbyK9]

AS the title says. Does anyone have an opinion to offer on Ivan Balabanov's Malinois breeding program?

[BlackGSD]

I think it goes without saying that he breeds great dogs. However I think they are Very expensive. (For Mals.)

[holland]

I think I might have seen a mal from his breeding program and it was a good dog-but yes think they are expensive-which isn't really a problem if you don't mind spending the $-I would pick Ivans mals over another well known trainer who breds mals JMHO

[Uniballer]

I have seen a few, but the only two I have actually met are L'Flair and Austin. Both very nice dogs.

[AbbyK9]

Are there any temperament issues in Ivan's dogs? I have heard some unhappy stories about Michael Ellis's breeding program in regards to temperament. Everything I've seen or heard about Ivan's dogs seems to point toward him producing very stable dogs.

Yes, the prices he is charging are high - $2,000 for a puppy, not counting shipping. That's a lot of money for a puppy.

I'm kinda of preliminary-looking for breeders and lines that I like as I'll be purchasing a puppy in the near future (as in, next year-ish). I like the Ot Vitosha dogs but it's a lot of money to spend on a puppy.

[W.Oliver]

I have trained with Ivan and had an opportunity to watch him work a few of his pup's....I was impressed....but I've also trained with Michael, and his Mals seemed equally as impressive. I am simply not a Mal guy and would suggest my impressions are equal to my experience driving a minivan...I always admire the sports cars regardless of the make & model!!!! LOL

[wolfstraum]

I've seen both....guy locally has a mal from ME - it is EXTREME - not social (partially his choice I think) - very very thin nerved and sharp....but extreme in drives....I have never (most of the ones I know are LE K9s....!) with what I think are good rock solid nerves....a LE friend raised one who was pretty good, went to a SAR home, was good with his kid - but would not have done sport....

the breed is just not my cup of tea

[AbbyK9]

This is exactly what I have heard about the Michael Ellis dogs and one of the reasons I would not consider one. It is not what I am looking for. There seem to be a large amount of sport Malinois out there that have a lot of aggression but that comes at the cost of nerve and temperament. Which is exactly what I do not want - and also why I am asking about Ivan's dogs. He also breeds for sport and while I have seen some nice dogs, I don't know whether they are representative of his breeding program or whether they were the odd ones out.

I have a wonderful Mal right now and would love to get another one like her ... very stable temperament, plenty of drive, but wonderful on/off switch and wonderfully social with everyone. That's the kind of dog I want.

I finally did get more information about her lines (I have her pedigree now) and I would love to have a puppy from the same breeder but they are no longer doing Malinois. They are now heavily involved with Bouviers instead.

I had some recommendations from K9 handlers I know who recommended TriState K9 if I wanted a green imported dog or Triple E Kennels in MD if I wanted to get a puppy.

As I'm leaning toward a puppy, I am also looking at Triple E but I have never heard of them before. They have a very nice IPO3 female, however, and have three studs (that they do not own) that they are considering for litters in the near future. Two of those are working police K9's and the third is a sport dog. Out of the two K9's, one has some of the same lines as my current dog, the other has a lot of Ot Vitosha (Ivan's kennel).

It seems to be that if I want a Malinois with solid temperament, I need to be looking toward working police K9's in the pedigree to get that ... it's getting as difficult to find what you want in Mals as it is in GSDs. XD The only Mals I've seen locally (there's only a few) were conformation type and had very poor temperament. Not impressed. I'd rather have fantastic temperament and lower drive than high drive and crap nerves. It shouldn't be too much to ask for to have great temperament and great drive.

< / end rant > LOL

[Castlemaid]

We have a Malinois in our SchH club that comes from Michael Ellis' lines. The dam of the dog is a Loup de Soleil dog, but was acquired, owned, and bred by someone else, the Sire a French Import, I beleive.

I have no prior experience of exposure to mals, so don't really have anything to compare this female to, but this is how I would describe her:

Solidly built and gorgeous, nice dark colouring. Amazing focus and drive for work, obedience, LOVES bitework. Has the legendary Malinois smarts. Learns new stuff lighting fast!!! While I took a whole summer after Gryff did his BH to teach him the blind search, the owner taught her to do it in one session, and the next day the dog was doing blind searches for bites. It was Unbelievable!

Better know what you are doing - this dog learns so fast, you have no chance to correct yourself if you teach something wrong.

STRONG and powerful in bitework. At our club we all do a bit of sleevework so we can help each other out when our main helper isn't there (he works shifts). And we are all taken off guard by how hard she hits and how hard she fights for the sleeve, considering that as a Malinois, she has a smaller and lighter build than the Shepherds in the club.

A bit shy around people, is starting to gain confidence as she gets older ( no shyness whatsoever in bitework though, even if different people she has never seen before work her).

Is never tired and always full-on. The owner works for a forestry company, outdoors, all day in the bush. He takes her with him. They leave at five am, spend the whole day outside, she follows him everywhere, comes to club in the evening, and the dog is loaded and ready to work, and gives her all. I don't know how this dog would do if she had to stay home crated during the day, for example.

Is reactive, and will respond with aggression and will bite her handler for what she feels is a harsh and unfair correction. Owner had to do away with the prong and work her on a flat or fur saver.

From what I see about this dog, if someone knew what they were getting into, I would say she is a nice dog for Schutzhund - but for sure a dog I would recommend only to someone with previous working dog experience.

[bocron]

I've been to a seminar with Ivan. There were a at least 4 dogs in the seminar that were from his breedings. I thought they were all nice dogs, but my experience was watching each work when their turn came up, or playing with a one of the very young ones on the sidelines that was just there to spectate, not as a participant. I liked them overall, but my experience was very structured.