Looking to buy a Malinois General Chat

Hello everyone,

I have had dogs my entire life. This will be my third dog. I have always wanted a Malinois... That being said i am weary of where i might buy one from. Can anyone recommend reputable breeders? Also I live in New Jersey... I would prefer to go see the pup in person 1st but not completely necessary. Any feedback would be amazing.. Point me in the right direction!

All I can suggest is do your homework, go to clubs or breeders of Malinois and spend some time with them.
Most mals are a high drive, not suitable as purely pets, if you want a lower drive one look at showlines.

What breeds were your previous dogs? There is a big difference between a companion breed and a high energy working breed.
You really must see the puppy with at least its mother to have any idea of the type and temperament your puppy is likely to inherit. Also check whether the breeder carries out the AKC recommended health tests for this breed. As @GsdSlave says, the show lines tend to be smaller and less of a challenge - at least they are here in the UK. If you are set on this breed, be prepared to do your homework about the type of training that will be required.
I would suggest going to a couple of shows and meeting some breeders, failing that you could ask the breed club for contacts - American Belgian Malinois Society.
www.malinoisclub.com/abmc

Mainly would like to do protection work with him. Also we are a very active house, hiking, biking, surf fishing. We live at the jersey shore so we are always out and about.

I’ve got an expert Mal trainer/Police K9 Handler.
He said not to even get close to protection training. Mals are by nature protective. My trainer says it is an extremely dangerous thing for anyone but an expert military or police trainer to do. Even then, he said it’s not a wise thing to do.