Zara Belgian Shepherd / Malinois Vancouver, WA

Zara is a 1.5 year old, spayed Belgian Malinois. She weighs about 53 pounds and is 24" at shoulder. She is crate and kennel trained.

Zara loves to chase, wrestle and play bitey face with her foster’s resident Malinios. She gets along well with both male and female dogs as long as they don’t try to dominate her. She will not put up with excessive pushiness. Zara enjoys being a member of a pack and would do best with another, easy dog to play with. She is low-medium drive Malinois, meaning she is not destructive but likes to do things. Zara needs mental stimulation. She is a cuddle bug and will gladly show you her affectionate side.

Zara has a generally pleasant disposition and is confident with going to new places. She enjoys car rides, trips to the park and was non-reactive to the sounds of fireworks this past Fourth of July. Zara walks very nicely on leash, bonds quickly to her people and will warm up to visitors. When Zara was first brought into rescue, she would bark and lunge at people who approached her. Because of this, foster mom has worked diligently to counter condition this response. Strangers aren’t allowed to reach out to Zara. Rather, Zara is allowed to go towards people on her own, if she wants to, and there have been zero issues.

Zara has a very strong prey drive and will chase everything. Her prey drive does include live animals so for this reason we suggest no cats in the household. Her prey drive will need to be managed by her adoptive family. However, this prey drive may make her an excellent candidate for coursing, barn hunts, herding or other activities that require a chase. Zara is athletic and agile. Although she has not been formally introduced to agility equipment, we feel that she would be a strong candidate as an agility dog. She does not shy away from new things and is game to try something new.

Zara is food motivated and is very easy to correct with a leash. She wants to please her people and loves to be told she's a good girl. Foster has been using this to her advantage. The unwanted behaviors from early on have been worked and Zara is now showing her true colors- sweet, loving, fun, playful Malinois. She may try to revert to old ways with a handler who doesn’t set firm but fair boundaries. Typical for Malinois, if you show you are the leader, Zara will respond to that and respect you for it.

Zara does not like to have her toe nails trimmed. Again, foster has been working on this with positive results. Zara does want to please her people. Once structure and trust have been established, Zara is inclined to be more agreeable. Her foster mom has played with her a lot and trust has been built. However, foster mom was hoisting Zara into a tractor and Zara did not like that. She will nip to "get away" if she feels manhandled. Luring her works well. Physically moving her, not so much.

Zara has been introduced to dock diving and has shown a love for water. She has a nice off switch and will settle in the house, provided she has received an appropriate amount of exercise and mental stimulation. Her favorite spots are her dog bed or the couch. Zara sleeps in her crate but could easily transition to a dog bed in her forever home.

Zara would make an excellent companion for someone who wants a energetic, lively, social dog. She needs an owner who is firm enough to set the ground rules and stick to them. Zara will repay you with the love and devotion, in a way that only a Malinois can give.

PREVIOUS MALINOIS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
WEST COAST ADOPTIONS ONLY
Contact us through www.woofproject.org
Our adoption process includes- completion of an application, followed by a telephone interview. If that goes well, we will arrange for a home visit.
Adoption Fee: $325.00. Transport along Interstate 5 is available but cost not included in adoption fee.