A) You enjoy the company of a loyal obedient physically and mentally capable dog. (I will help and advise with the training). This is the most important requirement and is enough on its own- if you want a loyal obedient companion.

B) You are prepared to build a dog run of about 3 meters by 3 meters, with a concrete floor and a portion roofed over to give protection from rain and sun. (A smaller run is also acceptable but not as suited to longer periods of containment.)

The advantages of having a run are as follows-

For the owner-

1) The dog can be put in the run if it is becoming a nuisance, asking for games, digging up the garden, barking after it has been told to stop, begging for food (it should only be fed during training, and in the dog run from its bowl.) The dog will realize that it can stay out of the run by controlling its own behaviour. So it has long term training benefits too.

2) The owner has a duty to keep the dog safe out of harms way. A dog can eat rubbish eg chicken bones, maize cobs or poison (Pesticide etc- this could even be deliberately done by a thief before his thieving). Also being run over (If your entrance gate has to left open for an extended period etc). These are deadly hazards to a dog and the run will keep the dog safe.

3) You have visitors that don’t like dogs.

4) You want the dog to rest during the day so it can watch your property better at night.

5) You are having a party, and want to relax- not have to keep an eye on your dog with your guests.

6) You want to go away for a few days- you can have someone else feed and clean the dog while you are away. They can then do this without actually coming in contact with the dog.

7) The dog can still watch your property from the dog run. (If it is in the house it can not)..

1) It is kept safe.

2) It safe from harassment. (young children may do this- they can not see the situation from the dogs view point). Passing people may harass your dog for their own entertainment. If you are there you can call your dog away. If you are not, then you can protect you dog by putting it in the run. If the dog is controlled by hitting it (or threatening to) it will be ruined as an effective security dog. If the dog is seen as a nuisance, it is far better to put it in the run, than control it in this way. (This is the local way of controlling a dog’s behaviour.)

C) You have an enclosed garden/compound.

MY DOGS ARE PARTICULARLY FOR YOU........ if you intend to use them for security patrol work or search and rescue work. MY DOGS ARE PARTICULARLY FOR YOU........ if you live in an isolated or remote place, where the police are not expected to at a moments notice. Expected, that is, both by you and those who intend harm. In this case I recommend that your Malinois be taught the following........ 1) to attack and hold on command. 2) to release on command. 3) to go in the dog-run on command.

My dogs are not for you if –

A) You do not have time for a dog. (IE are not interested in training it/ playing ball games with it etc for a rew minutes each day).

B) You want a dog to deter an intruder by its appearance alone with no training. (My dogs are about 30Kg and don’t look frightening, while resting. My dog’s behaviour will impress a prospective intruder. They are athletic and will get excited by the appearance of a stranger. They will perform impressively in front of a stranger even if they are outside your fence.)

C) You want intruders (/visitors!) torn to shreds without you commanding such action. There are lots of breeds that will do this (Pitbull, Anatolian Shepherd, etc), they are not bred to take instructions from a handler/owner. Some may be serious theat to you or your family. They have to be physically restrained (Chain or dog-run). My dogs can be trained to do this, but they can be trained to do much more (like release the intuder and return to you). It is a waste of most of the dog’s trainability to simply train it to attack.