When it comes to choosing a dog that's right for us, there are many things that need to be considered.
Whether it's how much time we can spend with them, the needs of the dog, or their diet, it's not always as easy as picking a four-legged friend that looks cute.
At present there are currently four breeds and types of dogs banned in the UK - a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro.
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However one dog expert now believes there should be another one added to the list after admitting himself he would 'struggle' to look after the dog on his own, despite being a dog trainer, if it wasn't for the help of his team.
Jacob Morgan, founder and trainer of the YorkshireCanineAcademy.co.uk, believes the Belgian Malinois could be added to the red list.
Jacob, who has trained more than 2,500 dogs and owns five himself, explained: “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.”
According to Wales Online, this breed is being sold online for £650 with Google trends showing a 50% increase in online interest over the last 12 months alone.
The expert dog trainer has said he plans to compete in suitable sports with his dog Stark when he’s older with activities that test tracking, obedience and protection skills as well as evaluating if a dog has the appropriate traits and characteristics of a good working dog.
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In addition to being highly intelligent, athletic and energetic, the dogs, which can grow to around 30kg with a life expectancy is 14-16 years, are said to have a high prey drive. Because of this, and without adequate socialisation and training, they will chase small animals, vehicles or children.
Jacob said: “I planned to get a Belgian Malinois puppy for two years. I’d chosen his name before I found the right breeder, as there are so many people breeding for profit over health and the right personality traits. 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 continued: “This breed has strong herding and guarding instincts, and genetics make it need to chase and bite things. If an owner is not providing an outlet like the training shown in our video, the dogs can become anxious and lash out at their owners.”
“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.”
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