# My Malinuts (and the Felinuts)



## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

Just posting some pictures of the Malinuts. 

Yes, all Malinois are crazy and can't settle 
In the back is Nexxus, Cali and Mac, in the front is Zara









Cali - 9 years old, waiting to open her birthday present









Cali, almost 11 and Nexxus, 3 years old









Kita and her dad Mac









Puppy Extra and Kita









Lilly









Lilly and Extra









Nexxus and Kita









Lola and Mac









Lola and Lala


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## Katja Henriksen (Feb 7, 2011)

LOVE the pictures. I especially like the one of Nexxus and Kita. Funny expression. Your dogs (and cats) look lovely.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

they're beautiful. *gushes*


geez im about to sound like a stalker lol but...one of your boys is like..well...i have a crush on him...have had a crush on him ever since i first stumbled across your website..(someday...now is just not the time)

I <3 Havok. if i remember correctly he doesnt live with you but...peektures? pretty please?


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## Equinox (Nov 11, 2008)

Oh, wow!!! I have always, always been a big fan of your dogs. If I am ever experienced (and crazy) enough to get a Malinois, Dantero would be the first place I'd turn to. They are beautiful, some of the best looking Mals I have seen. 

Please stick around (forever) and share (tons) more pictures!


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

I want. Your Cats. <3 <3 <3


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## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

zimandtakandgrrandmimi said:


> I <3 Havok. if i remember correctly he doesnt live with you but...peektures? pretty please?


Havok lives with a good friend of mine in Oregon now with his half sister and niece.


















Xeph, the cats are both a more recent addition to the household, Lola is almost 2 years old now and Lala is 1. We hadn't had cats for quite a few years, but one day I heard a cat meowing outside, thought it was a neighbors. My son came inside and said a tiny grey kitten was in our driveway and had run up along side the house when he tried to catch it. I was afraid it would get into the backyard and not make it back out again, so we caught her in a crate. Took her to the vet to be deflea'd, checked for feline lukemia, etc then brought her home. Totally feral, about 5-6 weeks old. After about a week she calmed down enough to actually do more than hide in a corner and hiss at us when we came near, and I realized something was wrong with her back leg. Turned out it had broken when she was younger, and healed incorrectly.








It's all healed up now, the thigh bone is shorter on the injured side so she walks with a limp and can't jump as well as Lala, but she gets around just fine and both are indoor only, so it's not like she is scrambling up trees to get away from coyotes or other dangers.
At 8 weeks, after surgery









I think because she only had the dogs for the first year to hang out with, she's really good with dogs. Hates Kita, but otherwise gets along great with everyone else, really likes Mac.









Lala gets along with the dogs, but is really more into playing with Lola than the dogs. Although she will play with the occasional dog.


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## MaloreyAnimal (Feb 7, 2011)

I'm usually not a fan of the breed, but really likes yours, they're stunning!  The cats are beautiful as well.


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## Equinox (Nov 11, 2008)

dantero said:


> Havok lives with a good friend of mine in Oregon now with his half sister and niece.


Oregon, you said??  

Would love to meet these dogs!


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## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

Equinox said:


> Oregon, you said??
> 
> Would love to meet these dogs!


They are in the Portland area. PM me and I'll give you my friends email.


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

Well thank you for saving a kitty xD We did the same thing last summer, and the cat never left! LOL!

I too, usually struggle with the breed. I have great admiration for them, but don't think I could ever own one. Though I frequent your site, as Zim does, as I love all you do with them 

I'm in love with Extra <3


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## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

Xeph said:


> Well thank you for saving a kitty xD We did the same thing last summer, and the cat never left! LOL!


Well, she's lucky she's a girl, as I have never kept a male cat, and would have just rehomed her. The surgery was kind of a blessing in disguise though. All my previous cats have been ferals that we adopted as babies. But for Lala all the back and forth to the vets resulted in great socializing, she's the friendliest cat I've had, doesn't hide when strangers come to the house but walks right up and will check them out, and if she's in the mood hop on their laps for some petting. Lola wasn't a feral, but the result of a friend who rescued a girl kitten, then rescued a boy, didn't alter either ... 



> I too, usually struggle with the breed. I have great admiration for them, but don't think I could ever own one. Though I frequent your site, as Zim does, as I love all you do with them


They are definitely not the breed for everyone, but then again I don't think any breed is for everyone. There are plenty of breeds I might like from a distance, but have no desire to ever own. They are first and foremost a working dog, and I'd like to see them kept that way. Doesn't mean they can't be a good pet though to, mine are pets, when they aren't working  



> I'm in love with Extra <3


Extra is a cutey. She's actually a Tervuren, but out of Malinois parents so she's AKC registered as a Malinois. I happy to like the fluffy ones though, so I picked her from the litter. That and I really liked her personality, structure, drives, etc.


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

> They are definitely not the breed for everyone, *but then again I don't think any breed is for everyone. *


Ain't that the truth!



> She's actually a Tervuren, but out of Malinois parents so she's AKC registered as a Malinois.


Yeah, I've tried to explain how that works to people that have asked me, but they're always still confused by the time I'm done


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I love love love Malis, and yours are absolutely stunning. The breed is not for me though, I can't handle them! I will admire from afar


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## DrakaBear (Oct 28, 2010)

too cute!!!!


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## Mr Pooch (Jan 28, 2008)

Your dogs are stunners!!! Nice cats too.


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## debpass (Oct 13, 2009)

You have some beautiful dogs!!


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

i want to do bitesports. but...my number one favorite breed is APBT and well..while i know there are APBT in shutzhund and ringsport, i just...i dont think it's the right thing for the breed to be anywhere near something that involves the kind of work that goes on in shutzhund and ringsport. that's not what they're supposed to be and with the political/media climate as is...it's just not a good thing imo to have my beloved Pits associated with anything involving biting.

so i started looking at other breeds. I need a medium sized, short coated EXTREMELY energetic dog. i do not get along well with couch dogs because i am fundamentally a spazz and i go a mile a minute in just about everything i do. more sedentary dogs tend to frustrate me because they dont want to be as active as i am. I also have a slightly rough personality. Im not mean or brutal, just kinda boyish and loud. you know the stereotypical girl who always gets a kick out of playing the boy's games lol. i like challenge.

and that's why i want a Malinois. but that's a ways away. LOVE yours though. <3<3<3<3


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Just wondering Zim, have you considered herders? Like smooth BC? Or is that not your style of dogs? 

I love high energy dogs too but APBTs never clicked with me. Is that similar to you and BCs?


Sorry for the OT. 
Btw, Dantero, how do you keep your dogs so conditioned? Or is it partly in the genes for Malis to look so great (muscle tone/definition)?


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

Michiyo-Fir said:


> Just wondering Zim, have you considered herders? Like smooth BC? Or is that not your style of dogs?
> 
> I love high energy dogs too but APBTs never clicked with me. Is that similar to you and BCs?


i dont really like your general herder. Ive spent quite a bit of time with Borders and Cattle Dogs and Aussie shepherds...and they're really...

dammit..it's like everything i would want to say, someone would take offense(it's not BAD and i dont consider it an insult but..ya know?). so ill leave it at that. plus they have too much hair. the only exceptions im willing to consider on that note are northern/primitives. 

plus...Border Collies doing Ring sports?


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

LOL no BCs don't do ring sports but I always got the feeling that herders aren't your type and I was just trying to confirm. They are highly energetic and some can be smooth coated though. That's all. I'm pretty interested to see what kind of dog you end up with next


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## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

zimandtakandgrrandmimi said:


> i want to do bitesports. but...my number one favorite breed is APBT and well..while i know there are APBT in shutzhund and ringsport, i just...i dont think it's the right thing for the breed to be anywhere near something that involves the kind of work that goes on in shutzhund and ringsport. that's not what they're supposed to be and with the political/media climate as is...it's just not a good thing imo to have my beloved Pits associated with anything involving biting.


We actually have the most successful APBT's in Ring in my French Ring club  And the only FRI titled bandog was in our club, the first FR titled Alapaha to  Actually every time I look around, there are more and more bulldogs in the club LOL But I do understand what you are saying about the political end of things, it's something all the owners keep in mind, and make an effort to counter when possible. Most of the dogs are also certified through TDI, have CGC's, TT's, etc. The ones that aren't, are working towards it.

Something to keep in mind, just because the dog is short/smooth coated, and some Malinois are, doesn't mean no shedding. I find with my Malinois it really depends more on the individual dog then the coat length. Actually the one who leaves the least amount of hair is Extra, who has the longest hair. She does need more grooming to keep tangles out, which is probably why she doesn't "drop" as much hair. But most of the shedding isn't to bad, I do sweep most days but I also have a lot of dogs in the house. The seasonal "blow" is when most of the shedding happens.



Michiyo-Fir said:


> Btw, Dantero, how do you keep your dogs so conditioned? Or is it partly in the genes for Malis to look so great (muscle tone/definition)?


Partly genetic, partly just an active lifestyle. I'm cutting back now on the training, just getting burned out, but not to long ago my schedule went something like this. Sunday - flyball, Monday - Schutzhund and Herding, Tuesday - "day off", Wednesday - "day off", Thursday - French Ring, Friday - Schutzhund, Saturday - French Ring 

Now I'm training more like 3 days a week, but the other days we may go hiking, or the dogs just run and play in the yard. I have enough of them it's like having my own private dog park  I can tell the difference between when they are training on a regular basis, and when they are living more of a "pet dog" life, they stay toned but not as toned when working, but they are always in decent shape. Much better than their owner LOL


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

Its the grooming, not the shedding that bugs me. My pit bull sheds and its not much of a big deal, i run a brush on her once a week and maybe wipe her down with a cloth. Baths are only for when we've been romping around the woods or similar. The biggest thing with coat type is that id prefer not to have to worry about things like matting, which the longer the coat, the more that can be an issue. Im just not big on grooming...willing to do it, but the less, the better.(could NEVER handle like...poodle grooming.  )

Ive only met a few Mals in real life. I fostered a pretty little Mali girl for a while and she was awesome. My pit is a bruiser when it comes to other dogs but her and Kali really got along great. The house usually looked like a tornado blew through it after theyd get done wrasslin lol. 

Ive only really run into them through rescue though. And one of the K9 units here has MalxGsd mixes. I feel like i should spend more time with them before i totally commit to getting one though. Im gonna have to pick your brains at some point about how best to make that happen.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Welcome to the forum! You got some great looking dogs! I would have loved to get into Schutzhund with my aussie boy but the only trainer nearby is not someone I'm willing to work with. It's very cool that you do both Schuzhund and herding, some think it can't be done. (that trainer I wont train under told me that I can ONLY do schuzhund with my aussie IF thats what I want to do, if I do anything else with him it'll ruin him, which is one of the reasons I wont train under her. He does a little bit of everything and hasn't been ruined yet thank you very much 

I love your dog's physical condition, makes me wish mine were short coated so I could see their muscle tone also lol.


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## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

Keechak said:


> Welcome to the forum! You got some great looking dogs!


Thanks



Keechak said:


> I would have loved to get into Schutzhund with my aussie boy but the only trainer nearby is not someone I'm willing to work with. It's very cool that you do both Schuzhund and herding, some think it can't be done. (that trainer I wont train under told me that I can ONLY do schuzhund with my aussie IF thats what I want to do, if I do anything else with him it'll ruin him, which is one of the reasons I wont train under her. He does a little bit of everything and hasn't been ruined yet thank you very much


I'll have to introduce him to my girl Cali. She has done French Ring, Mondio Ring, Schutzhund, PSA, Herding, Obedience, Rally, Flyball, Weight Pull, Agility, Tracking and Conformation. Basically whatever we thought looked like fun, we tried. 
I agree with him that if you want to compete at the highest levels, National and International competition, you really do need to focus on one sport for the most part. But then again, if you wanted to compete at that level in Schutzhund you probably wouldn't be doing it with an Aussie.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

dantero said:


> Thanks
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yep and I had no intentions of going big time with him, just wanted to get to know the sport better and maybe get a level one protection title on him. He does Tracking, Agility, Herding, and Obedience currently for performance and companion events. I even told the trainer that I just wanted to get my foot in the door with the sport and then possibly dedicate myself to it once I got a breed more bred for it.


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## twinkle243 (Jan 5, 2011)

I have 2 mals and there is a reason that we call them Maligators. Both of mine are sable and one has a black saddle. Great dogs very loyal.
Twinkle


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

> I'll have to introduce him to my girl Cali.


The TD is a "her" actually. I've tried to work with the same person and felt too uncomfortable to continue.


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

Hey just saw your name on another thread -- another one that recognized the name after having happened across your site a while ago and really liking your dogs (particularly Cali, tbh). 

Anyway, just wanted to say "welcome"!


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Gorgeous dogs! Extra is my favorite, I like a bit of coat on a dog. I've seen your website before too! I've done the focus for heeling protocol and really like the results.



dantero said:


> I agree with him that if you want to compete at the highest levels, National and International competition, you really do need to focus on one sport for the most part. But then again, if you wanted to compete at that level in Schutzhund you probably wouldn't be doing it with an Aussie.


I'm inclined to believe that's more an issue of time than anything. And some cross trianing is always good, from the mental break to the chance to use different muscles in different ways (like protection sport dogs aren't muscular ). But if you want to be competitive against the highest level of people who ARE focusing on one thing, you're going to be at a disadvantage if you're doing something else half the time. Goes for anything, really, but probably more noticable in bite sports because they're so intensive and inclusive.


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## Tavi (May 21, 2010)

Hi again! Hehe Such great photos and stunning dogs! But I have to admit my fave photos are the ones with the kitties playing with the dogs! Especially the one with the little puppy! So cute!! And such a busy lifestyle for you and the dogs...I think I'd collapse trying to keep that up! Hehehe

EDIT - Just to note I after looking over your website I have the overwhelming urge to come and kidnap Valko...is that wrong of me? LoL


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## Bones (Sep 11, 2009)

So is a terv just a long haired malinois?


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

It gets kinda complicated, actually, and I'm hoping Dantero will be explaining it for us better than I could.

My basic understanding is that a Terv is a longhaired mal and a Groenendael is a black Terv or a longhaired black Mal, LOL


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

from what i understand and please correct me if im wrong

but they're all Belgian Shepherds. there's 4 varieties. One registry registers them as separate breeds and another as four varieties of the same breed so it kinda depends on who you talk to.


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## dantero (Feb 2, 2011)

Bones said:


> So is a terv just a long haired malinois?


LOL The Belgian Question 

In Europe, including the country of origin, there is one breed. The Belgian Shepherd. With 4 varieties. The long haired black dogs are the Groenendael, the long haired fawn/grey dogs with a black mask are the Tervuren, the short haired fawn dogs with a black mask are Malinois, the wire coated fawn/black mask dogs are the Laekenois. It's kind of like saying I have a yellow Lab, or a black Lab, but with fancier names for the colors and coats. Other colors/coats are geneticially possible, such as a short haired all black dog, or a wire coated all black dog, but these don't have a specific variety name and wouldn't be acceptable in the show ring.

Genetically the wire hair is the most dominant, then the short hair, and the long hair is a simple recessive. I say "most dominant" because if you breed a Laekenois to a Malinois, the offspring aren't really Laeken or Malinois, they have kind of a funky, semi-wired coat, but not as wired as desired. Black can be a dominant color, but there are also recessive genes that cause a solid black dog.

Because some breedings can produce disallowed coats/colors, in some European countries what they call "intervariety" breeding isn't allowed. Or is allowed, but under some control of the registries. Most of the countries do "register as they drop". So if you breed 2 Malinois, that both carry the long haired gene, and you get a long haired puppy, it would be registered as Belgian Shepherd - Tervuren, while it's short coated littermates would be registered as Belgian Shepherd - Malinois. Like if I breed 2 black Dobermanns I might get some pups who were black, and some who were brown.

In the United States/AKC originally the breed was the Belgian Shepherd. And most of the dogs here were Groens. However then people started to import Tervs, and Malinois. And the Tervs were doing better in the show ring because they were flashier with their multiple colors. So the Groen people went to AKC and said they wanted the varieties separated into different breeds. AKC said "it's your breed, we'll do what you want" and waved their magic wand. 

But that doesn't change the genetics of the dogs, you can still breed 2 Tervs and get Groen pups, or 2 Groens and get Terv pups, or 2 Malinois and get Terv pups. However in AKC's eyes one breed can't produce pups of another breed. You can't breed 2 Dobes and get Rott pups, so you can't breed 2 Malinois and get a Terv pup. So a dog like Extra, who is genetically a Tervuren, is considered a "long haired Malinois" by AKC. If I exported her to Europe though she would magically become a Tervuren. 

It gets really funky at times, like when someone imports a pup from Europe that is a Tervuren. And then a few years later someone else imports that pups sibling, or one of it's parents, who is a Malinois. And then AKC has littermates registered as different breeds. And how that is handled seems to be on a case by case basis. 

I can also cause problems for breeders, for example the Terv and Groen breeders here in the US who are working to maintain the dogs working ability. They can't tap into the gene pool of "long haired Malinois", because it's another "breed". So instead of being able to use the dog down the road who has all the qualities they are looking for, they have to go to other countries to import dogs or semen instead, so they can get the paperwork filed the right way.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Holy cow! Thanks for the clear explanation. I've been confused by this a lot.

You have such beautiful dogs. Plse post lots of working pics!


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

I have a friend with two malinois, she had another one but he had some really bad medical condition crop up and had to be put down, she was devastated. Another friend has the litter brother to her youngest. She mainly does conformation, but will probably do high levels of obedience once she can get him fully trained. 

Your dogs are gorgeous btw.


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