Hi
I'm Joi and I have a 9 month old Belgian Malinois named Finn. Finn is an amazing dog but, as Malinois tend to be, a handful and a half. This is complicated by some unknown damage he must have experienced before I got him. I was told he was kept "crated" and not properly socialized - which is a problem with any dog but especially so so a 75-pound puppy. My biggest problem with him is that he's VERY skittish- of pretty much everything. He will NOT get into the car (I have to use Acepromazine to sedate him for vet visits and this rules out us being able to do fun stuff like camping and hiking) and he's scared of just about everything: trash cans, plastic bags, potted plants, the kitchen (who knows?) and the list goes on. I've been working with him slowly since I got him two months ago and now he's NOT terrified of the TV or of me turning on the shower (both activities used to have him running for his crate) but we have a long way to go. Before I can do much more with training I feel like I need to get him over some of these issues. I look forward to using the Brain Training program - he's scary smart - but wonder if there are any words of wisdom for the owner of a dog like him.
Appreciate any helpful comments.
Joi & Finn
PS: Finn is my first Malinois so I'm a novice with the breed. My previous dogs have been German Shepherds, Labs and mutts.
