Flyball Malinois- miniature?

[wildo]

Thanks for chiming in Lisa! Really like to hear your opinion on this! Yes, I most definitely will have to wait for the right GSD to come along if that's the route I take. Happen to have any pics/video of Elena's half sister? She sounds amazing! Sounds exactly what I'd be looking for! Awesome!!

And for the record, I definitely want a female. Smaller size. And I just like female dogs. But if I were to get a second dog, I'd have to be VERY careful to study up on potential same-sex aggression in the lines, because I'd probably have some border line tendencies in Pimg. And to be clear- she works next to female dogs all the time without issue. I'm talking specifically about LIVING with another female.

It's funny though because after all that's been said in this thread, I'd still take Pan in a heartbeat. Geez I love that dog! Beautiful and FAST! But so big... He's a pretty amazing dog. Thanks Lies...

[Liesje]

Just checked PetFinder and the only dog within an hour of me that meets my criteria is one I already inquired about.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Liesje - go visit the shelters, go with people in the rescue who have shelter relationships and can ask to see the dogs that might be rescue only. My foster was going to be PTS/not allowed on the adoption floor. Yes you will see a ton of pits, they are unavoidable, you can't move your arm without pointing at one here, too, but the dogs you are looking for may not be listed on Petfinder/available for a typical adopter. They are intense, bothersome dogs to most people. Even the little local shelters where I am have probably 1 sport dog prospect every couple of months. I just can't foster dogs that no one can handle/don't want to adopt now.

[Liesje]

But Jean I'm not looking for that kind of dog. If the dog is not suitable to be listed for adoption then changes are, it's not going to work for me. I'm not looking for over the top intensity, drive, or energy. I'm looking for a well adjusted family dog not a top sport prospect. Either way, I'm no longer actively looking since I am hopefully getting a puppy this summer and would like to save a spot in my house for fostering once my DH is done with his evening commitment. I like the mixes I like because of how they act OUTside of the sport ring. I mean, we could look at *any* breed of dog and ask for a high drive, high energy one and turn it into a great flyball dog, that is not really a problem, but 90% of the dog's life involves *not* working/training so that is where I place the most importance when picking a dog.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

The line in a shelter on adoptability, depending on how many dogs are in intake, differs. So there are many nice dogs who are viewed as too much/too intense in their evals, who do make really nice dogs, but are just too difficult to place. The shelter can more easily place a waggy pitbull, or a sleepy hound, than a dog who, given some exercise is great, but is bounding up on their cage door when people look at them. If there is room, that dog might make it on the floor. If there is not, they don't. For my foster, at Christmastime, there was no room. So she was marked rescue only.

I just want people reading to know that there are a ton of variables, and ways to get a great sport (and home) dog from shelter or rescue if you want to. If you don't, you don't have to at all - and I mean that, but it is possible!

[KristiM]

Originally Posted by Liesje

Yes, Border Collie x Staffy, not Border Terrier.

They come in a range of size. One of my favorites is Hazzard and he's on the bigger size but still can do disc and jump into his owner's arms, tricks like that. My other favorite is Sober and he's on the small end. Here is Pan racing Sober so you can compare size (Pan 70lbs)
Pan RPM Singles Race1 - YouTube

All the ones I've seen have short, tight coats like the Staffy. They are usually black and white but range from being mostly white with black patches to all black with a white stripe. Some also have brown or brindle. Most of the ones I see and train with look more like a Staffy and some I would have thought were straight Staffy (though these could be Staffy x Border Staffy so 3/4 Staffy).

Here is one from our team (hopefully it shows up). The handler is young and small.
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...55841617_n.jpg

Thanks! Man those two are fun to watch!!! How you describe the staffy/border is pretty much exactly what I want in my next dog. I LOVE my GSDs but the size is an issue (for all the mountain stuff I do and agility) plus the health issues gsds often have are pretty daunting. I have several years to research, I will definitely be looking into them

[Caja's Mom]

Most of the small mali's in flyball all have pretty close pedigrees. It is easily found out by looking up the LDS dogs and the NAFTA data base. I think you have seen Vixen, Jean, she has been to Boomtowne both this and last year.

[Liesje]

Originally Posted by KristiM

Thanks! Man those two are fun to watch!!! How you describe the staffy/border is pretty much exactly what I want in my next dog. I LOVE my GSDs but the size is an issue (for all the mountain stuff I do and agility) plus the health issues gsds often have are pretty daunting. I have several years to research, I will definitely be looking into them

They are really neat dogs! I have them on the back burner, assuming one day my future child asks for a dog of their own and wants to be involved in dog sports. There is a young girl on our flyball team (I think she's about 14 now but has been on the team for years) and she is awesome with her Border Staffy.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by wildo

I'm also curious about these crosses. I love the GSD! And I love agility. I'm trying to find some common ground, but this thread may also be me just poking the bubble a little to see what else is out there that is definitely more suited to the sport I'm into... That Scrabble dog looks amazing!

Lisa came to flyball practice a couple of times and I got some good pics of Scrabble but I can't find them in my photobucket album, so I may just have put them on FB. I'll look for them later, when I'm at home.

In the meantime, in this pic we have Andrew's Mal Fusel (on the ground, far left) - Scrabble's sire, Cuvee (on the ground, to the right of Halo) - Scrabble's littermate, and on the bench, right to left is Haiku, (a Denise Fenzi Terv), Scrabble, Gooey, and Gooey's sire Cosmo (Border Terrier). On the other side of Halo is Lisa's dog Feist, an LDS Mal.

[wildo]

Wow- what a pic!