About Mack

Mack is Back with us and looking for the right home. Experience only we can't stress this enough!!!!!!!!!! Mack is a gorgeous longhaired 60% GSD / 40% Belgian Malinois whom I adopted from Trina & Friends in June of 2020. He will be 3 years old this June. He came from California, and weighed 58lbs when he left the shelter in California. He is currently 85lbs. Mack bonded with me immediately, and at first he was comfortable in our home. As time went by, he became more possessive of me and less tolerant of my wife and 22 yr old twin sons. We began obedience training with a heavy emphasis on positive reinforcement, but not enough emphasis on discipline. He responded well, and began to take commands from everyone in the house. He is extremely smart and he learns quickly. As time went by, he once again became less tolerant of everyone in the house except me. There were little signs - an occasional low growl when told to wait - resource guarding of toys- that should have been dealt with more sternly. Had I been a more experienced handler, particularly with this breed, I might have been able to extinguish these behaviors immediately. Unfortunately, I did not act swiftly, and his behavior escalated to the point where he sought to dominate the entire house. On two occasions he snapped at my wife, and when I intervened he bit me. Mack is a great dog, and under the right conditions he can thrive. He needs someone who has experience with these breeds and is strong and aware enough to extinguish unwanted behaviors immediately. He would probably be best off with a bachelor, though he may thrive in a home with two people. I think that the more people who are around, the less chance he will have to succeed. He is perfectly fine with visitors to the home and people he sees while going on walks. It's living with people who reside permanently in the home with him and his handler that causes the tension / anxiety. He does not get along with other dogs or cats. I had him around children and he was fine, but given what I have said above I would not recommend placing him in a home with children. He is a bundle of energy and will walk, jog, run or play fetch all day long, but he can settle down and relax as well. I hope and pray Mack finds his forever home. He is more of a soldier than a roll-on-the-ground family dog, but in the right situation he will be a loyal, protective companion.

Westchester County
Bedford, New York