Nervous Malinois Questions

*I keep saying "solution" and I know I will get my head chewed off. Should have said "tool" lol.

I'm no expert on them, only had one who was mix of show/working lines. I think if you have behaviorist and trainers at your aid then keep doing what they suggest and hopefully in time he will get somewhat better. Some dogs are only going to get to a certain point though, no matter how much you work and how right you do everything.

Not sure if you checked with your vet but you might want to also. Health issues and endocrine problems can cause a dog behavior issues which means they can exacerbate issues he already has. Like anxiety, stress, nervousness.

I wouldn't recommend neutering, I see nothing against it but I'm saying to fix his issues as it probably isn't going to help. If you wish to neuter that's great, just don't expect improvement. He clearly has some ingrained issues, while hormones can play a part in behavior, neutering isn't going to be a miracle cure. You've done right by him from the sounds of it but he seems to have genetic anxiety and nervousness. Which is unfortunate.

Eliminating testosterone won't fix this. Nor will it improve his recall. This isn't a dog looking for a mate and wanting to roam, his recall suffers under stress. I've years of owning intact males but they don't act like this and it doesn't give them anxiety to listen to me for recall or anything else just because they have a sex drive. While this dog might have one none of the things mention is indicating he is showing behaviors related to sex drive.

You're quite correct, neutering a male dog is illegal in Norway and can only be performed if a dog has a proven medical problem. Until I think, in the 80's when the law was changed, it was also banned in Denmark. Here in Hungary, male dogs are left intact ... I think my vet would throw his hands up in horror if I suggested neutering Gwylim! As for female dogs, it's considered the owner's responsibility to ensure they don't get pregnant, but most of the female dogs I know have been spayed, although much at a later age than in the US or UK. Georgina, for example was only spayed at 13 months old which is considered young, but in her case my vet thought it advisable as she'd had two "split" seasons.

That's so interesting how it's handled differently in different countries. It's to the opposite extreme here, the animals are sometimes spayed or neutered at far too young an age as shelters try to "stop the bleeding", or when some vets push owners to have it done too soon (many seem to disagree on timing!), but that ill-timedness has been linked to health or behavior issues itself.

I entirely agree with Ezee's post. A dog which is under stress is not listening for commands or guidance - he is on high alert, and is too absorbed in trying to scan his environment for possible dangers. I would try to practice the recall in an enclosed area, - if you can find one, - using really high rewards. Outdoors, I would work on carefully controlled exposure to perceived threats, frequently diverting his attention from them to yourself, in the hope that he learns to bolster his confidence by looking to you for leadership. I think he will improve, but it will take time.
@Pork1epe1 Thanks for your post. I learn something new all the time on here!

I've just started reading what looks like an extremely interesting and informative book called ... "Stress in Dogs" by Martina Scholz and Clarissa von Reinhardt, who both run dog training schools in Germany.

Learn how you can help your dog

* There are more than 30 signs of stress in dogs - learn how to spot them
* Male and female dogs have different stressors - learn how to avoid them
* You may be overdoing it with too many outing or too much stimulation
* Develop your own "anti stress" programme that is logical and simple to implement
* Follow real life cases where behavioural problems are solved by reducing tress levels

As the owner of a dog who suffered from acute stress for many months I'd like to know what I did or didn't do right!

@Pork1epe1 I had a look at the review for this book and, yes, it does sound rather interesting. I've ordered a copy, so thanks for mentioning it.

I have a "nervous mali" and reading you say it was as if your dog had claustraphobia, made me smile in recognition.
No, this is not what i paid for. No, this is not what was indicated by the blood lines. But she is what i got. They say you dont always get the dog you want, you get the dog you need. Well that's my girl.

Maybe you too?