Mals vs. GSDs

[Vicky]

Before you shoot me for another one of these threads, I am not truly looking for the differences. I have finally met both breeds and I have read more than a handful of information about how they are two completely different breeds.

I have found though that people who have Malis are biased against GSDs and vice versa. Why is this? Why can't people like them both for what they are? Why are certain people more willing to admit that a Mali CAN live in the house? I think too many people equate VERY high drive with VERY high energy. Yes, a Mali can be both, but that doesn't mean they are impossible to live with. Obviously everyone has a different tolerance.

Guess I'm just looking for some opinions as I know some of you will agree with me and some will disagree. I LOVE the Mali before AND after I met three of them with different personalities. BUT, I also love the GSD. I am still on the fence with which breed I want. I thought the decision would get easier, but it got harder. -_____-

[msvette2u]

I think it's because people are always comparing the two.

You don't see Pomeranian owners competing with GSD owners over which breed is the toughest or best protection.
But it happens with those breeds because they are often used similarly (police or bite work) so always get compared to one other.

[Mrs.K]

I like them both. I wished I could have a Hollandse Herder on top of it but I can't possibly take onto another dog.

[Vicky]

Agreed for both of your comments. I would love a GSD, a Mali, and a DS. I would love to get the chance to work all three of them personally.

[Rerun]

I guess I'm a little confused, because you are making statements about living with a mal when you don't actually own a mal.

I personally can't stand when people compare the two. They are two completely different breeds. Certainly, comparisons and contrasts can be made, but the same could be said for comparing my three GSD's as opposed to comparing any of them to my mal. And if you compared my mal to another mal, there would likely be just as many differences. As someone else pointed out, it's like comparing a pomeranian to a border collie. Sure it can be done, but why? For what purpose? They aren't the same breed.

I think the #1 problem people have with a mal living in the house is a LACK of exercise, training, mental stimulation, and they try to crate it all the time. I would say the same for many GSD's and other breeds as well though. So that's JMHO

There are also a ton of misconceptions out there, IE: "A Malinois is a GSD on crack."

[BrianB]

Why wouldnt you like when people compare Mals and Shepherds? They are similar dogs, ie both herding and used for police, sch, tracking etc. It is not like comparing a shepherd to a pointer.

I think alot depends on the breeder but I did examine getting a Mal because they are smaller and shed less but have similar characteristics to a GSD as far as trainability and working. But, I spoke with the local training facility that trains police dogs (and they do not breed or sell dogs so i think pretty independant) and they said the GSD are more forgiving and are easier to handle. Obviously alot depends on the traits and temperment of the parents/lines. Alot of Mal guys would say the GSD is overbred and so at least with a Mal you know what you are getting. So it can go either way......

[robk]

I love mals. I have never seen one that I didn't like. German shepherds are my breed and I've seen a ton of them that I did not like. I guess because I cosider german shepherds my breed I am way more critical of them. How ever I have also heard a ton of critisim of german shepherds from the mal crowd.

[Vicky]

I apologize Rerun for making such statements, but I am going off of the information I have learned thus far from reading information on here to asking people who actually LIVE with Mals in their home. I know it can be done, some people just don't seem to want it to be done or don't want to and would rather have a kennel dog.

I like Brian's point. I like comparing the two breeds, just not when it's a bunch of breed bashing and "my breed is tougher than your breed" type stuff. They are similar breeds because they are both from the same group and have similar purposes. A majority of sport owners have one or the other or have had both.

[martemchik]

A friend of mine has a mal, he's 11 now so not nearly as drivey and dominant as he used to be but its just not a "pet dog." Because the breed is so new in the United States it hasn't been bred for pet homes yet. My friends that got one, got it because they wanted a GSD that shed less, they went to a breeder who gave them the "least drivey" dog he had. The siblings all did some sort of police/sar work and this one was placed in a pet home where it was excersised regularly but nothing like it needed. He was trained more than the average dog but still not enough for the kind of dog he was. We went to the park a few weeks ago with this dog, and he still tried to submit/attack my 16 month GSD. He didn't care that he was slower/less powerful/older and could've seriously been hurt, he was just that kind of dog.

To this day my friends will admit that they made a mistake, but they managed to get by with him. So that's really the biggest difference I see, with a mal you pretty much have to do work, schutzhund/hardcore obedience/tracking/ANYTHING, where as you can easily find a GSD today that will be perfectly fine as a couch potato or just need a lot less stimulation than a full working GSD.

[Whiteshepherds]

Originally Posted by Vicky

I have found though that people who have Malis are biased against GSDs and vice versa. Why is this? Why can't people like them both for what they are?

Because some people think that any breed other than the one they own couldn't possibly be as good, and some people have ego's so large there's no room for admitting that the dog next door is better than their own.

I can understand why people compare them, they are similar in many ways but yep, two different breeds. The traits of a Mal aren't diminished by the accomplishments of a GSD and vice versa.