1. Genetics have a massive say. I don’t care how much you socialize, if your Mal is genetically suspicious, it’s proper for a herding breed, and won’t become Labrador like. 2. Positive reinforcement is great for teaching behaviors, negative reinforcement makes them reliable. And it is absolutely acceptable to punish unwanted and bad behavior. Try to teach a Mal that chases cats not to do that through “positive reinforcement” and set yourself up for 95% failure. 3. Mals move faster than they think. Paired with super prey drive and cat like athleticism, they are gonna out maneuver your timing. Thats why Mals are NOT a dog that should be owned by the general public. It’s like going from a Mustang into an Indy car. You aren’t gonna handle that raw power without experience. And you’re not gonna get that owning a Mal except the hard way. I own 5, 2 of which are rescues. Both failed in other homes because people think they’re like other dogs. You don’t really want a Mal. You want a carpet that looks like a Mal so you can tell your friends you own a Mal. Go get a collie.
1. Genetics have a massive say. I don’t care how much you socialize, if your Mal is genetically suspicious, it’s proper for a herding breed, and won’t become Labrador like.
2. Positive reinforcement is great for teaching behaviors, negative reinforcement makes them reliable. And it is absolutely acceptable to punish unwanted and bad behavior. Try to teach a Mal that chases cats not to do that through “positive reinforcement” and set yourself up for 95% failure.
3. Mals move faster than they think. Paired with super prey drive and cat like athleticism, they are gonna out maneuver your timing. Thats why Mals are NOT a dog that should be owned by the general public. It’s like going from a Mustang into an Indy car. You aren’t gonna handle that raw power without experience. And you’re not gonna get that owning a Mal except the hard way.
I own 5, 2 of which are rescues. Both failed in other homes because people think they’re like other dogs. You don’t really want a Mal. You want a carpet that looks like a Mal so you can tell your friends you own a Mal. Go get a collie.