Kar’Lee T.’s stud, Aeros.
Kar’Lee T., a senior at Cuba High School in Missouri, spends her time breeding and taking care of her Belgian Malinois for her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). These dogs are known for their intelligence, agility and hardiness as well as being highly trainable. Read on to learn about her SAE.
Q: How did you become involved in this industry?
A: My family really became involved after our German Shepherd, Jax, passed away. It really wasn’t intentional. One of my dad’s friends was a breeder, and he knew we were looking for a dog. My family and I discussed how the program could be beneficial for me in terms of helping pay for my college, building a strong SAE for my ag classes and being able to supply Malinois owners with trainable dogs that came from quality genetics.
Q: What were the names of your first Belgian Malinois?
A: The first ones were our breeding stud named Havoc and a female named Athena.
Q: What does the entire breeding process look like?
A: The process is pretty simple. After the female is bred, she will be pregnant for about 63 days. Once she delivers, the pups will stay with her for eight weeks. Once they reach that age, we start advertising them to trainers through the American Kennel Club. Sometimes, trainers will also reach out to us in cases where they are looking for a prospect dog. Once they are sold, the owners pick them up, enroll them in the training facility of their choice, and they begin classes.
Q: What kind of classes do they attend? What skills do they learn?
A: Because Belgians are mostly used by police officers as drug dogs and for herding livestock, the training classes mostly revolve around that. Some trainers like to use them as prospect animals to develop new skills, while others also use them for dog shows.
Q: Are Belgian Malinois often kept as family pets?
A: Some are, but I always make sure to emphasize to our buyers that this breed is definitely not beginner-friendly. They need lots of exercise, space and attention. Yes, they adore their owners, but they always perform their best when they are in a working environment.
Q: What makes you passionate and motivated about this SAE?
A: Personally, it makes me feel proud to know that not only have I built several relationships with customers, but that they have enough trust in me to provide them with dogs they know will work for them. Because of my SAE, I discovered that I want to become a professional dog trainer myself.
