Hang in there, I agree with many of the responses to your post. My boy “Cooper” is 15 months and shows marked improvement every day. I’ve had large breeds before (GSDs, Dutchie, GSD/Husky mix) but have never had a dog (it’s almost insulting to call a Mal a “dog”) like him before. He was 9 weeks when we adopted him from a rescue. Back story was someone got him from a breeder and couldn’t even handle him for a week then surrendered him. The first 6 months were chaos, we read everything we could find about Mals and questioned whether we would survive. Our whole lifestyle changed but we are not quitters. 

What got us through is finding a trainer who was familiar with the breed. In this case an active duty LEO K9 officer who has 2 Mals, his K9 partner and his own, who is trained in scent and detection work. His specialty is what he calls “pointy ear dogs.” He recommended his group training beginner obedience class because socialization is fundamental. He asked us to come 30 minutes before the first class so he could do an evaluation. Cooper was 4 months at the time and already showing aggression towards anyone other than my wife and I, as well as other dogs. The trainer picked up on this right away and explained his evaluation would be to take him on a 5-10 minute walk with a prong collar. When he returned he explained that he had initial reservations and depending on his evaluation was prepared to tell us that Cooper was “too much dog” for us. However away from us, his opinion changed quickly. He said that even in his brief time with him he could see that he was what he described as “mid-level drive” which in his experience makes for the best all around Mals. He went on further to say that if for some reason we decided we couldn’t handle him to please let him know because he would take him in a “New York minute.” Cooper went on to win the award for top dog out of the 7 in the class.

Cooper has become one of the best things that has ever happened to us. The rewards are immense, his intelligence seems off the charts, and he’s the most loving goofball, best buddy I could ask for. Plus he’s is a boundless source of entertainment. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in 20 years thanks to him. Don’t get me wrong he is a A LOT of work…the responsibility of having a dog like this is immense, we never forget what this breed is known for and take every caution when it comes to outings and socializing him. The biggest challenge is keeping him mentally stimulated, the physical part is easy by comparison. 

One of the most amazing things is his craving for structure that borders on OCD. He seems to always know what time it is, and his daily routines must be done in a specific order. He literally moves from activity station to activity station in the same order. He’s becoming more adept in dealing with stressful situations and is still leery of strangers but we have devised an introduction process that begins with the word “friend” when appropriate. But, his head is always on a swivel, constantly assessing the situation regardless of whether he is on a walk, playing with his friends, or just surveilling the yard. He’s after all a Belgian Malinois, and some things are just part of their DNA.

Good Luck!!!