A Visitor asked the following question on 1/18/2006
I want to thank Robert for his opinion & reply to my question about Malinois & floppy ears. Our one & a half year old rescued dog does not have AKC papers. Three different Vets have told us that's the breed they believe him to be. We only wish to be as sure as we possibly can be, so we can provide him with the proper nutrition, environment & activity for his breed. He's a family pet & usually lives in our home, He has access to our large backyard, gets twice daily 1 mile walks, lots of play interaction with us & occasionally with other dogs. He gets daily grooming attention to his coat & teeth here as well. However, sometimes he goes back to college with our 2 sons, who he adores, but there he lives in their apartment for short periods of time, where he gets a daily run when they come home from class, has a Golden Lab friend to play with outside & sees many people each day ... so he gets lots of attention there, but not as outdoor exercise. Still, he's a gentle, well mannered dog who seems to adapt to the surroundings he's in & does well when left alone for a few hours. But he has a very sensitive stomach & our Vet put him on a dry (rather then raw) food diet which seems to help. As a breeder, do you feel we're doing what the breed would require? When he's at college with the boys, he has to go down & up a flight of concrete stairs to enter & leave the apartment. I have read about hip problems in that breed & I just wonder if there are things we should do, or if we're doing things we should not do.We love him so much & want him to live a very long life. Thank you again.
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1/24/06
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Sounds like you are on the right path with your Malinois. Most Malinois have solid hips, not nearly as bad as German Shepherds are known to have. Malinois should be agile and able to turn on a dime. If you are worried about the dogs hips , have your vet check them out. They will be able to tell you their opinion about how tight they are into the socket. I wouldnt really worry about it unless you see problems with the dogs behavior.
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Robert
WONDERDOG MALINOIS
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