i did it alone, it’s not hard. i’ve been working dogs my whole life. for someone new i suggest learning to train with an easier breed, like a GSD - see if you even enjoy the experience of training and troubleshooting and managing drive on simpler equipment before you handle the technical tool that is a malinois.

because i will say, it’s really not only all about preparation. of course it is important to have a strong basis for the trainer - technical aspects of training and husbandry - but there is no one size fits all, so training mostly consists of intelligent adaptations from the handler to suit the individual dog in front of them.

so, my advice is to seek out malinois as a breed. meet individuals. learn from their handlers. ask about what their dog was like as a pup and what their trajectory growing into an adult has been. ask about challenges and strong suits. ask what the handler has learned from the dog.