Fat Louie Des Barriques FR III

©2012 Loucyn Belgian Malinois

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I felt the need to make a page for FAQ's about our Malinois and our breeding goals.

1. Do you sell Malinois puppies to pet/companion homes?

No, we do not. Like everything else, there are many reasons for this but the most significant one is that Malinois are a TERRIBLE choice for a family pet/companion dog. Not all Malinois breeders are the same but here at Loucyn, we breed for top working quality dogs that will excel in competitive sports or police/military applications. The same qualities that make our Malinois an excellent choice for a serious working dog also make them a very poor choice for a pet home. True working Malinois carry strong aggression and drives, reactivity, endless energy and in many cases, dominant tendencies and posessiveness. These traits can make them a liability in the wrong hands and a star in the right hands. More recently, the Belgian Malinois has become the 'hot' new dog to have and we do not wish to cater to this trend. Malinois are NOT short haired German Shepherds! While there are other Malinois breeders out there that do often sell to pet homes, those same breeders most likely breed for a much lesser quality working dog that does not have the true working temperament that defines a Malinois. If you are not ready to buy a sturdy outdoor kennel, crate, join a local dog sport club and/or dedicate a good percentage of your time socializing and training, you do not want a Malinois. A good, reputable breeder wont sell a serious working Malinois puppy to a pet/companion home.

2. I want to breed my Malinois. Why don't you sell female Malinois with breeding rights?

Again, many reasons for this but the main reason is that I have worked extremely hard and made many sacrifices to get the quality of Malinois we currently have. We have very strong and driven females that are very hard to come by here in the US and to put it bluntly, do not need others ruining what Jeremy and I have literally put years of blood, sweat and tears into. Its too easy for someone to take a female, lock her up in a kennel and pump puppies out of her just to try to make a quick buck. We care about our puppies and want them to have a good, proper, working life with someone who cares about them. Our bloodlines are very desireable and sought after so we are very particular and careful about who our puppies (females especially) go to in order to preserve the quality of our line. With males it is just different and there is really no way for us to monitor or control the use of a male for breeding. We do our best to pick buyers that will do best by their puppy, not just look to breed right away.

We WILL NOT sell a female puppy to anyone who has plans of breeding her. All female puppy buyers are required to sign a strict contract that prohibits breeding or transfer of ownership. We are doing this to protect the breed that we love. Too many people breeding Malinois should not be in the first place and they breed with their hearts instead of their head.

How come some of your breeding dogs are untitled?

A titled dog does not mean he/she is of breeding quality. While titles are wonderful to have on dogs considered for breeding, they are not required nor do they play a role in the direction of our breeding program. Titles do give you an idea as to the trainability of a specific dog but titles do not get passed down when a dog is bred so therefore, they should not be a deciding factor. There are many dogs that are weak dogs and should not be used for breeding but because of specific titles or accomplishments, the dog is used. Training can hide many serious faults and it takes a very experienced eye to know the difference between a dog worth breeding and a dog that should remain unbred.

Many excellent Malinois that I know have come from untitled parents. The breeder was experienced and understood the lines and which dog(s) would be best to use. Its also important to note that traditionally, experienced breeders rarely titled their breeding bitches as it interfered with their breeding plans. Instead, they would test the female from when she was young to make sure she was of breeding quality and then her focus was to raise puppies from that point on. While we work/train all of our breeding dogs (except the retired ones) we can only title so many at one time.

Some of our breeding dogs are unable to be titled due to having such extreme drive and temperament that it is impossible to safely or reliably prepare that dog for competition. These same dogs are the ones that usually produce the best due to the nature of genentics. Extreme dogs (not to be confused with unstable, nervous or antisocial dogs) are desired for breeding because when bred, dogs tend to reproduce a little less then themselves. If we start with mediocre or good, most of the puppies will be that or less. If we start with more extreme, we will have a better chance at producing better puppies, both for working and breeding. As always, the bloodlines of any breeding dog are of the utmost importance.

We try our best here to title our Malinois but do it more for our own (and the dog's) enjoyment rather than using it as a breeding gauge.

Many of your Malinois are titled in Ringsport, is that what you mainly breed for?

No it is not. Jeremy and I enjoy the challenge of raising and training a dog for Ringsport but it is not our main breeding goal. we both started out learning about Schutzhund/IPO actually and have good knowledge of other dog sports as well as personal protection and dual purpose type work.  The lineage of our dogs is mostly founded on strong old NVBK bloodlines and these lines have proven to excel in many types of work. We breed for Malinois that can excel in either sport, personal protection or police/military applications. Most of our puppies are suitable for both with small differences between them because we look for quality and consistancy when it comes to breeding.

I have heard that Malinois coming from 'ringsport lines' will not do well in IPO or personal protection, is this true?

No it is not true at all. There are many different Malinois bloodlines and therefore, many different types of Malinois out there. The most successful Malinois studs and bitches for many IPO, police and protection dogs came from 'ringsport lines', namely...the NVBK. Most Malinois go back to ringsport dogs in their true pedigrees but there are many different lines of ringsport Malinois so one must understand the traits and tendencies of each to pinpoint what would be best for their purpose.

Can I pick my own puppy and how does the waiting list work?

I RARELY allow anyone to come and pick out their Malinois pup from the litter. I do not believe in '1st pick'. This is a gimmick many breeders use to hike up the price of the 'pick puppy' when in reality, my 1st choice for myself may not be an appropriate puppy for someone else. Another point to consider is that I know the puppies best as I see them everyday and I am the one that makes note of who is who. It's better to trust the breeder to pick out the right puppy for you because if they really care about the puppy and the buyer, they will do their best to make sure the puppy is what the buyer is asking for. I would rather not send someone a pup at that time if one is not suitable for them then send them something they dont want.

I take a limited number of definite reservations (with deposit) for each litter, male and female. After that, there is the waiting list. Being on the waiting list for a litter will put you on my serious call list should a buyer need to drop out of a pup from that litter. It is inevitable and it happens in almost every litter that I get a buyer needing to postpone getting a pup due to life's circumstances so yes, it is worth it to be on the list if you are serious about that litter.

Do you ship puppies?

Yes. I have had very few problems shipping puppies over the years and will also ship out of the US provided the buyer has all the needed import/export requirements ready for me. Any extra charges to fill those requirements are the responsibility of the buyer (microchip, titer etc). However, I cannot hold onto your puppy after 9 weeks of age for any required wait period or quarantine. I STRONGLY recommend using a pet shipping company if you require the pup to be shipped out of the US. I say this because most buyers do not understand all the requirements and rules for international shipment and frequently get the wrong info. This can cause the puppy to be refused entry and sent back to the US. I cannot be responsible for this and prefer to never have that happen.