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Dead set on getting a Belgian Malinois?

Here are 4 things I wish I did before picking up my last Belgian Malinois.

Weekly Bite

Every year, hundreds of Mals are surrendered. Not because they're bad dogs. Because the steps that matter most get skipped before the dog even comes home.

1️⃣ Study the theory first

If I could start over, I'd spend a weekend inside Pat Stuart's free training portal before doing anything else.

Pat is a former Special Forces soldier turned PSA-certified decoy who's trained thousands of working dogs.

His free training system gives you the foundation that took me years to piece together.

2️⃣ Know where to rescue one

I rescued my first Malinois, Lexi, from a local pound. She waited over a month for someone to adopt her.

Here are the rescues and resources I'd start with:

• Malinois Rescue League

• MAD Rescue

• WoofProject

• ABMR

• Midwest Working Dog Rescue

• Saving Paws

• Malinois Ranch Rescue

• Texas Malinois Alliance

• Workdogrescue

• Rescue Me Belgian Malinois

• Rescue Me Dutch Shepherds

• Belgian Shepherds Rescue of Canada

• Belgian Malinois In Need of Adoption

3️⃣ Screen your source

Whether it's a breeder or a rescue, do your homework.

I wish I had gotten a puppy with a workability/performance guarantee, but hindsight is always 20/20. What I can tell you is that the red flags are the same everywhere: no health testing, no transparency about the parents, pressure to decide quickly, and zero follow-up after the sale.

For breeders, I built a full screening checklist:

🔑 How To Avoid Backyard Breeders

🔑 How To Spot Red Flags At A Breeder's Facility

This applies to rescues too, just with more leniency since they're dealing with limited resources. But transparency about the dog's history, behavior assessment, and known health issues should still be non-negotiable.

4️⃣ Socialize between 8-16 weeks

This is the one that cost me the most.

I listened to my vet and kept Aki isolated until fully vaccinated.

That cost me the critical 8-16 week socialization window.

Now I'm running a desensitization protocol for things he probably wouldn't react to with proper early exposure.

Here's what proper socialization actually looks like:

✅ Controlled exposure to new people, dogs, surfaces, and sounds before 16 weeks
✅ Box feeding in different environments to build confidence around novel stimuli
✅ Kiddie pools, different floor textures, car rides, vet office visits
✅ Puppy classes that double as socialization AND distraction-proofing practice

The key word is "controlled." You're not throwing your puppy into a dog park. You're engineering positive experiences with new stimuli at a pace your puppy can handle.

Tail End

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Until next Thursday, ✌️

Sam