GSD vs Dutch and Malinois

[Marissa]

Not sure if this is the right place for this thread so feel free to move if needed.

Im very interested in learning more about malinois and dutch shepherds. How are they drive wise and temperment compared to a working gsd. Do they have less of an "off" switch?

[GregK]

Originally Posted by Marissa

Not sure if this is the right place for this thread so feel free to move if needed.

Im very interested in learning more about malinois and dutch shepherds. How are they drive wise and temperment compared to a working gsd. Do they have less of an "off" switch?

Dutchies are commonly referred to as Mals with an off switch.

Mals are pretty crazy and yes, less of an off switch. Then again I've come across some pretty crazy German Shepherds that have reminded me of Malinois.

[hunterisgreat]

Originally Posted by GregK

Dutchies are commonly referred to as Mals with an off switch.

Mals are pretty crazy and yes, less of an off switch. Then again I've come across some pretty crazy German Shepherds that have reminded me of Malinois.

I joke that my female is a black mal. Stupid high prey drive. We struggle with the off switch. She's super lean and smallish (~65 lbs) for a GSD.

Someone told me when you have a litter of Mal's/Dutchies, you sell the tan ones as Mal's and the dark brindle coats as dutchies lol... don't know if there is any truth to that.

[FG167]

Originally Posted by Marissa

Im very interested in learning more about malinois and dutch shepherds. How are they drive wise and temperment compared to a working gsd. Do they have less of an "off" switch?

I had a Dutch Shepherd and now have a very nice (in my opinion) working line GSD puppy (8 months) and an adult in my household (2+ years). The drive is the same for the toy, I would say my GSD has better food drive. My GSD is pretty small and he is just as athletic and agile as my DS was. This will depend on lines/size of GSD I think. All the DSs and Mals I've seen are athletic to the extreme. My GSD is the exact same. He leaps, bounds, is wicked fast and athletic - I am having a blast with him. My DS was trained in Flyball and Agility but could never compete because he could not be trusted in the trial atmosphere (he was a nipper when stressed - which was in areas with a lot of people). He was WAY reactive. My GSD is fine in the trial atmosphere and is also excelling in his training for Schutzhund/IPO. I can take him anywhere, he's got very solid nerve and is appropriately aloof yet social. The flash of the DS and the Mals, I find, very attractive and appealing. Now that I've found that in a smaller sized GSD male, I am more than pleased and will never look back. Having said that, my boyfriend (also on this forum), knew the issues with my DS and is still planning on getting a Mal for his next dog. His GSD is a monster and absolutely enormous and would be called "powerful" not athletic or agile! LOL

My GSD has a better off switch by a long ways. He can actually sleep deeply. My DS was NEVER sleeping deeply. He had a "go lay down and act calm" command but he was always twitching at the first noise and barking if it happened again. Always on the alert. ALWAYS. He did lay down and we lived in an apartment and he did ok, so it can work, but the "off" switch is not anywhere near as clear as the GSD. The nerve is the difference. I have yet to meet a Mal or a DS with the nice, solid nerve that a good GSD has. That was the deciding point to me. I adored my DS but I will never, ever get another, or a Malinois because the nerve makes or breaks the dog, in my opinion and in my lifestyle.

Originally Posted by hunterisgreat

Someone told me when you have a litter of Mal's/Dutchies, you sell the tan ones as Mal's and the dark brindle coats as dutchies lol... don't know if there is any truth to that.

In KNPV lines they are often mixed and this is often done.

[lhczth]

I think the best way to get a feel for the different breeds is to spend time around them. Most people are biased for their breeds so what they write may be very different from what "YOU" experience.

[lhczth]

my boyfriend (also on this forum), knew the issues with my DS and is still planning on getting a Mal for his next dog.

NOOOOOOOOO, we can't allow him to go to the dark side.

[BritneyP]

Originally Posted by hunterisgreat

Someone told me when you have a litter of Mal's/Dutchies, you sell the tan ones as Mal's and the dark brindle coats as dutchies lol... don't know if there is any truth to that.

Dealing with this on a daily basis, I can tell you that basically, yes, that is 100% true. There are some people in this country that are determined to "conserve" the DS breed (one of my best friends is one of those people), so they will rarely EVER do Mal/Dutch cross breedings. The problem I have encountered most with this is that these "pure" DS breedings don't produce much of anything but dogs that might make good Agility and Flyball dogs. They seem to struggle to get dogs that really, really have the drive and intensity to do the work, and often have less than stellar nerves. Also more frequent hip/health problems than I have ever known DS and Mals to have.

The lineage of the Malinois and Dutch Shepherd is the same.. I don't know that there is a single DS that doesn't have a Malinois in it's pedigree.

[ladylaw203]

depends on what you want the dog for. I have trained and handled both for many years. My narc dog is a Dutchie from Holland. Rudie Pegge son. VERY high drive. One must be very careful with Mals, and Dutchies too for that matter, with regard to nerve strength. The dogs without an off switch do not have solid nerves. Unable to control that wonderful drive. I reccomend neither to a novice handler.
It has however,much easier to find the retrieve/ball drive in the Mals and Dutchies for police work than it is in GSDs. Many of them working for police and military

[BritneyP]

Originally Posted by FG167

my boyfriend (also on this forum), knew the issues with my DS and is still planning on getting a Mal for his next dog.

WAHOOO!

J/K Falon, I'm a total GSD purist at heart, but my Malinois is pretty perfect!

[Marissa]

I worked with a GSD in USAR that was very much what you described FG167 in your malinois and DS. He would never lay down unless asked to, constantly searching, always in a frenzy. Absolutely NO off switch. Great working dog but very intense. He had Czech lines, very social but very reactive as well. I have been around a couple DS in USAR and I have liked them very much. Malinois I always jokingly would say were GSD on crack . Im not sure if this is just my experience of them or if this is pretty accurate. The only ones I have been around however are k9 units and in the vet clinic where it is a high stress situation. I know that you can get different temperments from every breed based on how you raise them and their lines. DS are a very interesting breed and very flashy. But Im very partial to working lines GSD !!