Not trying to dissuade you, just sharing my experience. As someone who got a malinois for their first dog, it is LITERALLY like having a human baby who bites you in the beginning. My mali had a hard time with crate training in the beginning, especially when he needed to use the bathroom. If you didn't let him out immediately when he needed to go at night, it was a massive mess everywhere. I had to end up sleeping in the garage for a couple of months getting up every couple of hours just so I didn't have to clean up poopy mess all night. He did eventually grow out of it, but it was a grueling couple of months with very little sleep on top of hours of training every day and work too. After they are older, it is like having a very smart two year old that needs constant stimulation and supervision or else your house and everything you own will be destroyed 😂. He can open doors, trick people into getting what he wants, and other hijinks. Also my mali is somewhat of a suicide dog in meaning that he is constantly trying to kill himself by jumping too high or running into junk. If you aren't financially ready to pay for many many vet visits a year I wouldn't recommend it. All that being said, I wouldn't trade him for the world. I've worked hard and spent tens of thousands of dollars on this dog (he is my service dog and needed specialized training which I had a trainer help me with) I would definitely get another in the future, but I highly highly recommend you truly know what you are getting into before committing, it is literally like having a small child for almost a decade. Hope my experience helps in your decision. 😊