Trainer predicts next breed to be restricted
Jacob Morgan, founder and trainer of the Leeds-based Yorkshire Canine Academy, believes another breed could soon be added UK’s list of banned dangerous dogs.
Morgan told SurreyLive that the Belgian Malinois is one breed that most people shouldn’t buy, he knows this because he owns one. The breed, which is often confused for a short-haired German Shepherd, is traditionally a herding dog. The breed grows to around 30kg and has a high prey drive.
He said: “Just this week I have seen five Belgian Malinois dogs looking to be re-homed via Facebook. This is frightening to see as it shows people are buying this breed of dog and not being able to care for them.
“My Belgian Malinois puppy, Stark, is 15-weeks-old, and I’m with him most of the day while I train our clients’ dogs. But I also have members of staff who can also make sure Stark is getting stimulated by giving him an activity to do every hour. Even as a dog trainer, if it was just me looking after Stark, I’d struggle.”
Morgan said: “I can confidently say the Belgian Malinois is not a family pet and especially if you have a full-time job, you don’t have time for this breed. It takes thousands of hours of training to make a Belgian Malinois a ‘regular dog’. So many are being bred to have a ‘nervy edge’, which is being mistaken for a willingness to protect.”
He added: “It’s a perfect storm happening right now and I’m sure it won’t be long until the breed is banned altogether. Through no fault of their own, it will be the fault of the thoughtless breeders and those owners who haven’t done their research properly.”
