Ruidoso MalinoisReviews of ruidosomalinois.com

I was referred to Ruidoso Malinois through a network of marine vets and police departments. As anyone who researches Malinois knows, they have a reputation preceding them of being high energy, agility, aggressive, working dogs. My opinion has been both solidified and changed. As logic would tell it,  dogs have a wide a range of purposes and personalities as humans and to say a single breed is a single type is just wrong. They may have similarities, but they are as unique within those traits as you could imagine. I went into the situation, beginning with a phone call and speaking with Irene. After a LONG call she asked a million questions and said Uto would be the dog I needed based on my energy, lifestyle, and goals for a working dog. All of my friends told me how much of a bad idea it was,  and how crazy these dogs "are" the entire 4 months he was being trained for me. And I'll admit the nerves got to me a bit. Upon arrival in New Mexico, I met Irene, the facility,  Tony (the trainer), and finally Uto. He was standoffish at first,  circled the apartment, wasn't very interested in me, even tried marking my suitcase (we fought). But by day 2, we were friends,  exploring commands along with the mountains and deserts in the area (he loves rock climbing we discovered). By day 3 even Tony was noticing the difference in the bond and we began teaching new tricks at home and becoming more fluid. By the time we started bite work on Wednesday we were comfortable and confident enough with each other and now (2 months later) the bond is still growing daily. (He drops his kong/ball if he thinks I'll give him any affection,  and he'd be willing to destroy you for a ball,  so...) We are fully mobile,  public access, live alerting for type one diabetes (45 minutes ahead of any blood sugar swings) and about 30 minutes ahead of seizures. We work on Thursdays with the Raleigh Police department for bite work,  and I will say,  he isn't bite happy,  he breaks down situations very very well and goes off my vibes and tones to tell him if he should be worked up in live situations. However,  bite suit out,  and there is no greater joy than biting someone. He is energetic,  but behaved. Willing to please with no off switch. Food motivated but not aggressive.  Defensive and alert but not jumpy or insecure. Dog neutral as hell, will look at another dog barking at him and never break a heel or stay. Not the most kids neutral,  loves my daughter (6yo) because he has learned she delivers snuggles without requiring an executed command prior to.  But other kids he is NOT good with. They run, point,  talk loud,  move alot, have balls,  scream,  cry,  he doesn't know what to do with them and requires intense leash control. But its not aggression,  it's uncertainty, curiosity,  and we are working through it slowly. I wouldn't consider it a problem,  just HIS problem. Overall,  I'd give the ruidoso Malinois team a rocking 5/5. Wouldn't trade Uto for the world.  Literally.

Where to begin. The purpose of this review is for those considering ordering a dog to be sent to them to please think again. Please reconsider simply trusting the breeder and relying on pictures. Make sure that you spend time observing and interacting with the dog. We ordered our dog and after she arrived, we took her to a trainer that specialized in her breed. His first question for us after interacting with her was what our warranty policy is on our dog. He relayed that her level of fear causes her to be unsafe. My husband called the trainer, and asked her what to do. She recommended that we buy these training videos for $250. We did, and many of the strategies worked. However, our socialization attempts for her were failing. We were afraid to take her on camping trips, or to dog parks because she would get upset, and bit us. She was still young and pretty oral, so we hoped that behavior would subside as she got older. After a year, her behaviors were not getting better. She could do tricks, and follow commands. She was very sweet, loving to us, but when she was around anyone else she would change and become very upset and would stop listening and obeying commands. We realized, living in a subdivision and having children, that although we were told she was a great family dog, we didn't feel that it was a good place for her. We both worked and felt like she needed someone, maybe a trainer, to adopt her and give her the care she deserved because we just didn't know what to do. We called Irene, the breeder, and asked her to please take her back. We let her know that we didn't want our money back, we just wanted a good home for her. She initially said she would take her. My husband planned to drive to New Mexico to return her. Then Irene didn't return our calls. We called and called and left message after message to no avail. I wish I could say things got better. Her behaviors have worsened. We love her but she can't be around anyone. Its been several years now. We have spoken to trainer after trainer only to be told that there is nothing that can be done for her. We keep her inside, we take her on walks but now she chases cars and barks at them. We never allow her near anyone. We are scared to. We don't want to put her down. It is so hard to know what else to do. I hope this helps someone. I am really unimpressed with the way Irene handled our situation. It was pretty heartless. I obviously don't recommend getting a dog from her. The more important takeaway is this: don't ever get a dog sight unseen. Every trainer we have met with say there is something wrong, broken with her. If we had have seen her, we would have noticed. Also, she is significantly small for her breed. I don't know if she is the runt or if that matters, but again, if we had have met her first we would have seen her anxiety and anti social behavior.

Carrie R., Arizona March 28, 2021 I did as much research as possible prior to speaking with the owners of multiple training facilities/breeders of protection dogs in the country. From my first phone call with Irene Howcroft at Ruidoso Malinois, I knew she was more interested in matching me with the right dog for my needs and lifestyle than any other trainer/owner. Irene interviewed me and I continually interviewed her over the next two months. We need a dog that I can take hiking/camping and who is also well-mannered in public. Our son is a highly competitive athlete so our dog would also need to able to sit through sporting events with lots of people. I spoke with previous clients, both civilian and LEOs, to see how their dogs were performing and if they transitioned well into the families they went to. Everyone was honest and felt their dog was a great match for them. In December 2020 we committed to purchasing a trained dog from Irene. We met Hokey on February 22, 2021, a month ago. My first impression was two-fold. After the initial demonstration, I was confident that he was well trained for bite work and that he would not hesitate to protect his handler. On the other hand, the first night we had him, we were unsure of his “domestic” training and possible health issues. The next day we insisted that the trainers and Irene go into extreme detail with us about his training. We explained our observations/concerns then they calmly and professionally addressed every single one of them. Irene even made a vet appointment for us before leaving New Mexico. (Turned out to simply be allergies as it was quite dusty and pollen was starting to drop when we got him. The vet had nothing but good things to say about Hokey’s health and behavior. He even let us muzzle him with no problems.) With every training session Hokey became more confident in us and us in him. The handler’s course was fun and enlightening. Our trainers, Hans, Matt, and Tony, are absolutely amazing! They were very patient with us without sacrificing the intensity needed for proper handling of our new protector. Hans was able to answer all of our questions about situations we may find ourselves in with training tips and real-life scenarios he has dealt with. Due to COVID-19, it was challenging to provide opportunities for the trainers to expose a dog to the scenarios we expect him to be in, i.e. sporting events, but the training we received while at Ruidoso Malinois has proved invaluable in making sure we expose him correctly. Hokey has no issues with public access, is crisp on command, and has already learned a few more commands than he left New Mexico with. He knows his place in our “pack” and is a confident member! I cannot express how happy we are that we stuck with the training after our initial impression. Hokey is a confident, intelligent, loving gentleman! Irene provided me with exactly what I asked for and needed! As a first time owner of a service/protection dog and Maliniois, I can confidently recommend Ruidoso Malinois to potential clients.

I met Irene Howcroft of Ruidoso Malinois at a Police Canine Conference where she was one of the conference speakers. I found her to be one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable presenters. Its not very often you come across someone who is extremely intuitive about the breed she trains and the methods she uses. Wanting to know everything about training a protection dog l sat up and listened. When you need help you remember those who made an undeniably lasting impression. I contacted Irene. She listened carefully to my story and said, " Anna, I have the right dog for you". Irene was right. Aisha is a female Malinois that is extremely vigilant in her protection ability. She is very obedient and lovingly affectionate. Irene and her loyal team are at the forefront of excellence in training both dog and handler. My whole experience with Ruidoso Malinois was wonderful from start to finish. I want to also thank Tony and Matt for the amazing training sessions. The handler direction was excellent and customized to my situation ( we had a few good laughs too ). Aisha and I have a special bond that will continue to grow in the coming years as well as my friendship and appreciation for Irene and her staff.

I picked up my puppy a little over two years ago, he's now a full on partner with me in life and i wouldn't trade him for two times his weight in gold. I have had a few outstanding dogs over my life and This Ruidoso boy is by far the best dog i have ever had. Irene put my through the wringer before she allowed me to buy him which as a past breeder of top field trial whippets I truly appreciated, the wrong dog with the wrong person is always a disaster waiting to happen and the right dog with the right person enhances the lives of both When I need advise on training directions, do's and don'ts Irene has always been prompt and helpful in her responses to me. My Malinois has changed my life in so many positive ways and while for me function is always more important then form he is a stunning dog to see which is something I did not expect. He exudes power and carries himself like a prince. He is always a good ambassador for the breed no matter where i go. When i drove to the Ruidoso Malinois facility i found it to be well kept and clean, the dogs in good flesh and in good sized enclosures, all pluses in my book which speak highly about the owner.

Where do i start? This place is simply amazing Irene and her staff not only met but exceeded our expectations. We purchased Scotch a male Belgian Malinois trained at her facility. We fell in love with scotch the first day. His bite skills and energy and stamina is mind blowing. Tony his trainer and Matt worked the bite suit put on nothing short of amazing skills and training with this beautiful dog. We spent one full week twice a day training and getting to know our dog. From building searching to daily visits to the store and park just on leash walking and obedience training he performed flawlessly. I would recommend Irene and her staff to any one looking for great training and a friendly atmosphere and clean kennels. Oh and a little inside joke for Tony hope JERRY is doing ok in the local police department.

Coming from a science background I use facts, evidence, and common sense to make decisions and come to conclusions. As such, when my mom and I decided we wanted to get a protection dog, I did my due diligence looking at many facilities and trainers. However, I was most impressed with Irene and Ruidoso Malinois. Of course, I was dazzled by her dogs, the training videos, her philosophy, and all of the glowing reviews. Nonetheless, what struck me as a true testament to Irene’s character was the fact that she posted a copy of a lawsuit that had been filed against her previously on her site. The charges were determined to be unfounded and the suit was dropped. Additionally, Irene won a countersuit. Most proprietors only want to advertise the positive aspects of their business, but Irene was willing to put this information out there in order to let her clients know that she is on the level and has nothing to hide. I found this type of honesty refreshing. Moreover, it was remarkable the way she would respond to those who had left negative feedback, not with harsh words, anger, and emotion; but with facts, logic, documentation and/or their lack of documentation. In doing so, it demonstrated to me that her reputation truly matters to her, which is hard to come by these days. With all the research behind me, I contacted Irene. We discussed why I felt we needed a protection dog, our home and family situation, as well as our lifestyle. It was evident to Irene that we required one of her dogs, but because my mom has Parkinsons, in addition to a host of other medical issues, it was imperative that we have the right dog. Luckily, Irene prides herself on carefully matching her clients and dogs. Irene assured me that she actually already had the perfect dog, Ardy. She described him to be mild mannered and very loving, yet still incredibly fierce when necessary. Furthermore, Irene informed me that due to my mom’s condition, Ardy could even be trained to be a service dog. I was overjoyed! This was going to change our lives! Irene and I spoke several more times as we worked out all of the details regarding training, payment, documents needed, etc. She was incredibly patient and helpful, always taking the time to answer my questions or address any concerns. I found her to be very thorough and completely professional. In fact, there was a hold up at the bank with part of my payment. When I called Irene, I was very frustrated and upset, yet Irene was nothing but kind and understanding. Throughout the training process, Irene regularly updated us as to how Ardy was progressing. When my mom and I arrived the first morning for "handler school", we were filled with anticipation and a bit of nervousness, not knowing exactly what to expect. Irene greeted us warmly, but was concerned that my mom was much frailer than she expected. She did not think it was a good idea to have her handling the dog, so she wanted to make me the primary handler. She was exactly right! While some people may have been angered by this, I work especially hard to keep my mom healthy and safe, so I was greatly appreciative for her honesty. Again, this served to demonstrate her integrity and desire to keep both her clients and dogs protected. Although my mom was not actively participating in all of the training, Irene and her team consistently made sure she was involved. My mom felt like she was just as much a part of the training as I was. It was an outstanding effort, which made the experience all the more fulfilling. As for me, the trainers made sure that I was not only comfortable, but confident when handling Ardy. It was an extraordinary experience! To conclude, I simply want to say that if you want a phenomenal dog trained by somebody who has a passion for what she does, her clients, her dogs, and surrounds herself with outstanding people, then you won’t go wrong with Irene Howcroft and Ruidoso Malinois!

Our experience with Ruidoso Malinois was exemplary. Irene asked a lot of questions during her screening process. Irene has a serious nature and seems very passionate about her work. My brother is disabled. Irene took the time to ensure she matched up the dog with his needs and abilities. Irene is overly cautious in the safety department. Irene made special accommodations so that we could stay as long as needed to become confident handlers. Her staff were all very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. We were especially impressed with how well the grounds where the dogs are housed and trained were kept. The kennels were clean and disinfected. Dogs have clean water and food daily on a schedule. Ayko has become a very important part of our daily lives and family. We are so grateful for him. He is highly intelligent and well trained. Thank you Irene for the love and passion you have for your work. The Elledge family