Malinois in a condo

edited June 2009 in Other Breeds
Sittin' down eating lunch at my desk, and I completely forgot about this this morning when I was posting.

Koda and I woke up late, which meant we went on our walk late. I usually walk Koda through my complex into the condos next door. They have a great "dog walking" area that surrounds the complex and all the dogs I have met before in the morning are very well behaved.

Since we were late, we saw a new dog. Barrelling out of what is probably only a 1 to 2 bedroom apartment condo was a Malinois!!! There is a gate that separates the walkway from the condos. I saw a woman coming around the corner with a wierd looking GS, then I realized oh shoot it's a Malinois. He caught site of Koda and started pulling towards us, really hard. I'm surprised the woman could pull him back and I could tell she was using her full weight to do so. She pulled him back through the gate and slammed it. The Mallinois jumped up on it and began barking. Koda looked up and started wanting to walk the other way. He was going to have nothing to do with that dog.

We kept going forward since she was pulling her dog back and the gate was shut. When I got up further, I spotted her pulling her dog (who was still pulling in the other direction and was being slowly dragged backwards) into her apartment.

Now, I'm not thinking that an apartment is a good place for this dog to live. There are lots of dogs there, but the biggest one I have seen is a GR mix who is probably around 13 years old and doesn't need that much exercise.

Just wanted to tell that story. It just shocked me that my first Malinois encounter ever would be one living in a small apartment.

Comments

  • edited June 2009
    Sorry posted on the wrong thread
  • edited November -1
    do shibas do okay in an apartment? no yard to run around in sounds a little sad cause then most exercise would have to be on leash...anyone have personal experience
  • edited November -1
    Katsu does fine in our co-op. She runs the shiba 500 through the living room into the kitchen. We take her to the dog run that our development has and we take her to the dog park alot. She's happy and well behaved, so I'm pretty sure she gets enough exercise. I think having a dog in an apartment just makes it harder for the owner, you really have to put an effort into getting them exercised. From the little I know about Malinois I don't think that they're an ideal apartment dog though.
  • edited November -1
    yea i agree, doesnt seem like an apartment is the ideal situation for a malinois
  • aykayk
    edited November -1
    Could be that person didn't have a choice in their housing?
  • edited November -1
    If she just has the 1 Malinois, I think it's perfectly fine. So long as she takes the Mal out every day for walks and works the dog. As with any other dog, she'll need to housebreak and keep under control. She at least has a patio, right? <--- if the Mal needs to go potty while chill'n at home. It doesn't matter where the dog is housed, so long as the dog's owner has a very active lifestyle.


    I actually have a friend who lives in a condo with 7 dogs! Mostly all Malinois but she has some other breeds & mixes as well. She has a very active lifestyle though and keeps all her dogs under control. As far as I know...she doesn't keep any of them in crates, they have free roam of the place. She's a dog trainer and trains i obedience and sportwork every day. She takes great care of her dogs. When it's time for bed, all the dogs are exhausted and ready to sleep away the night. She takes her dogs out with her for trail rides/hikes and goes to various places (off-leash doggie parks, beaches, etc) so the dogs can just run, run, run and play all day.


    It's TONS of work though...but hey, if the owner is willing and up for the challege. It's really not a big deal with just 1 dog though. So long as one understands all the upkeep and work involved and meets ALL of that dog's needs/requirements.


    Now, if the Mali is left at home all day, all the time and doesn't get out much, then I agree an apartment/condo isn't a suitable place for a Malinois...or for any dog really.
  • edited November -1
    I knew you'd have the answer for this question!
  • edited November -1
    It depends on how dedicated the owner is, imo. I had Tojo in my apartment, and for a month or so, I even had Loki (chow/GSD cross, now deceased) because I had to take him from my parents. I went to the dog park a lot, and got used to carrying the stroller down the stairs while holding onto two leashes. :-) It was a tiny two bedroom apartment, too, and on the second floor. We had a balcony, but that was it.

    Ah, it's so nice to have space now!
  • edited November -1
    Yeah, I completely second Heidi & Corina...the only exception I would make is maybe for LGDs. But really, it's just how dedicated the owners are to ensuring their pup get the proper exercise & energy outlets. :)~
  • edited November -1
    Got the gossip from the nice gentleman with the Maltipoo? that Koda loves. First off, today was hot! Anyone else having 107 F weather? Poor Koda was locked up all day. We didn't get to go outside for a walk until after 8:30pm tonight and at 6am this morning. He would run out, go to the bathroom, begin panting and run back in.

    This woman has two dogs. The Malinois and another "big dog" mix. She can't walk both of them together because they pull her too much. He also said that she only walks one on a certain day, and another on the next.

    I had Bear in an apartment for a month while I transitioned moving after college. He did alright, but I made an extra effort to make sure that he got lots of exercise. He probably got more that month than ever come to think about it. I may have overcompensated for taking his 1/2 acre of running space away.
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