Are these breeds really that hard to keep as pets? I have been doing some research on them and a lot of trainers say that if they aren’t going to be working dogs or competition dogs, don’t get one. Is this good advice?

I’ve trained a few retrievers. And trained a bunch of dogs in obedience. Some were mine and some weren’t. But I’ve been thinking about getting one and doing some obedience competitions. But the dog would probably be more of a pet than anything. What are y’all’s thoughts?

Mals and Dutchies aren't really dogs.More like a semi-tame Velociraptor on crack. They Can be pets but IF you get the right dog. I have one female Mal that is mostly laid back and easy going. The other three I have are Velociraptors that require near constant supervision. They are very , very smart. Smarter than you, or me. They can be taught ANYTHING.
A bored Mal is a bomb waiting to go off, they need something to do. My advise is don't get either one as just a pet.

Enough said. I better wait awhile before I attempt that one then

I have 2 German Shepherd/Malinois mix males and this is pretty spot on. ^^^^^^^^

not much tougher on yer patience than an 18 month old Mal.....

I have 3 Mals. One will be 6 in May (Axel) one will be a year old in March (Kai) and a puppy (Scar) that turned 9 weeks old yesterday.

Axel, 6 years old, mature, laid back FOR A MAL. Very athletic, very loyal, very obedient, scary looking.

Kai. 11 months old. Acts like a 3 year-old child that just had a Hershey bar and a Red Bull and having a temper tantrum. He only acts this way when he’s awake.

Scar, 9 weeks old, learning new things everyday, thinks her name is NO!

Thanks for the input guys. Lonster do you train with them everyday?

I train at least twice a week, some every day, tea rein
cgood habits.

funny thing about Mals. Once they are trained when they screw up...they KNOW they screwed up...an they have a knowledge of what they think the punishment ought to be. If you exceed that level they will bite hell out of you.

another thing, their auto move is to BITE something, someone. Not hard but nipping, all the time until they are 20-24 months old. EVERY shirt I owned when my first Mal was teenaged had a torn sleeve. EVERY DAMN ONE.

That’s great information Fred. Very interesting. Thanks

I train the 9 week old EVERY day.

The 11 month old gets a few times per week.

I move all of mine from outside kennels to inside the house and reverse every day. Each move gives me a short 5-10min training/reeducation moment. I never use long hour long sessions.