"If there were more than 5 stars..."

If there were more than 5 stars, Ruidoso Malinois would get them! I am beyond pleased with my decision to purchase a trained dog from Ruidoso Malinois. And my dog—beyond my wildest expectations! He is wonderful, fulfilling his role as protector with absolute confidence, and is incredibly smart. He is a loyal companion and I have not had one moment of regret.

"great Mals"

Before I begin my review of Ruidoso Malinois, I think it appropriate to provide a brief description of myself. I am a 62 year old whom is OCD about my dogs. I am a former police K9 Handler and been exposed to hundreds of police dogs from all over the country. I have attended several formal dog training programs and I am very focused and particular when I select a dog. Before I ended my search for a Malinois puppy, I traveled the country, via automobile, and visited several popular Malinois breeders. Prior to reaching Ruidoso Malinois, I contacted several law-enforcement agencies in the area and completed a brief background investigation of the establishment and its owner. I discovered that both are respected members of the community. After I arrived at Ruidoso Malinois, the owner Irene provided me a tour of the facility. I immediately noticed the approximately 70 dogs/puppies were housed in clean extremely organized kennels. I also observed several older “retired” dogs on the property that were inside a large dog run. Irene told me that the older dogs are living the rest of their lives in luxury. Irene also pointed to an older dog whose breed I cannot remember, that was allowed to run around another large dog run. I do not remember the specifics of the story, but Irene said she adopted the dog and was taking care of it at great expense. It soon became evident Irene is not only a dog breeder, she has compassion for the animals as well. During several lengthy conversations, Irene displayed vast knowledge about Malinois and their care. Everything I observed was far and above things I observed at other kennels I visited. I drove home with a 16 week old Ruidoso Malinois puppy. A few weeks ago after a blood test administered to the puppy indicated health concerns, I contact Irene and she was very responsive and helpful. She told me that she would have her veterinarian examine the test results and get back to me. The following day I took the puppy to a different veterinarian and had another blood sample withdrawn. Thankfully, the results of the second blood test revealed a healthy puppy. Often time when I am observed working my pup, people ask where I got him. My pup recently turned 12 months old and he is smart, balanced and possesses all drives necessary to be a great working dog. I am the weak link in the partnership. I think highly of Irene and the dogs that are produced at her facility.

"Ruidoso Malinois is a great working dog kennel and @Truthseeker882 knows very little truth"

The rating is for Ruidoso Malinois where I have purchased three Malinois over the course of 9 years. I will discuss my experiences via a separate review. However, the following is directed @Truthseeker882 (TS) whose comments about heartworm are baseless. TS apparently does not know much about canine epidemiology, in particular that regarding heartworm, and how to look up, review and understand the heartworm prevalence map of the US. With respect to where I live in Mohave County AZ and the location of Ruidoso Malinois in Lincoln County NM, the incidence rate for heartworm is 0.2% (3 cases in 2019) and 0% (0 cases in 2019) respectively. Since the parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes and is more prevalent in wetter environments, it's statistically reasonable, per the aforementioned map, to state that if you purchased a puppy from Ruidoso Malinois and at an annual wellness check, months after receipt of the puppy, a heartworm infection is detected, don't imply blame to Ruidoso Malinois but check where you live. Also, note in the Ruidoso Malinois purchase agreement there is a specific recommendation to have a wellness check within 30 days of purchase. Therefore, TS, it's one thing to reasonably discuss a potential concern but quite another to spread false information/implications about someone's character and business.

"Got my puppy a few days ago"

Got my puppy a few days ago! He came via American Airlines , he came in a brand new cage that was mine to keep. He was sent with his food and water accessible to him in the cage. He was hyper out of the cage as any pup would be after 2 flights (connecting to Pittsburgh)! We immediately bonded per Irene’s recommendations on our greeting. We’ve bonded approximately 3 days now and he follows me everywhere , doesn’t even need a leash (He hates his leash anyway haha). I must say Irene picked the perfect puppy as a K9 candidate for me and my department. His personality is perfect for an amazing working dog. You can tell she cares about the pups because of his amazing confidence, grooming , and general health upon further observation the last few days. I would highly recommend Irene and company to anyone looking for a good puppy. I can’t speak on the training from experience , but if she runs her training anything like the puppies, I’d trust it! I remember reading several people having issues, but the issues were things that to me appeared people lacked patience. I blew Irene up all the time she probably wanted to throw her phone! Haha, but she didn’t , she responded to me in a timely manner , never blew me off , and just kept me up to date with pictures, information on his well being , and knowledge of how to prepare for him. I hope that Gideon can be a standard and a demonstration for others in my area as a place to take there business when it comes to getting Police K9s, because hands down I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Irene your a cut above the rest. Thank you again

"One week ago we got our Second Malinois…our second Ruidoso Malinois."

One week ago we got our Second Malinois from Irene. After having our first Ruidoso Malinois for two years and continuing a relationship which started three months before getting him, we trusted Irene to pick out our puppy. We knew she would get us our perfect puppy and she did!! Another beautiful, solid temperament and smart as a whip Malinois! We are having so much fun with her and look forward to training in obedience, nose work, bite work and agility.
These dogs can do it all!
Ruidoso Malinois is an impressive working Malinois kennel. If you are looking for a dog with superior breeding you will find it at Ruidoso Malinois. Thank you Irene!

"Best puppies available"

Met Irene 4 yrs ago when I decided to buy a mal puppy.She picked out pup for me and I went to New mexico to pick her up.Very nice lady she told me the do's and don't s with a new pup.Never imaged how loyal the pup was She went every where with me .About 3 months ago w lost Ida . We were heart broken. Called Irene and she remembered me and Ida. Told her what happened with Ida .She was heartbroken too.Told Irene we needed another pup.She picked out another pup for us and we picked her up on June 1 2019. If you are wanting a top of the line pup or fully trained dog I would call Irene. She knows her dogs and she gets to know who is buying dog.This is the second pup w have bought from her and I would not hesitate to buy another dog from Irene. Thanks again for wonderful pup Irene.

"Our Two Cents Worth ..."

We are among those Belgian Shepard dog owners who think Irene chooses the right dog for each perspective owner. While we haven't met Irene in person yet, she has been helpful considering her very busy schedule. And she has staff members who are knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you, Irene and staff.

There is one thing that we didn't expect -- our Malinois pup apparently carries recessive genes that have resulted in a Belgian Shepard with long, relatively thin hair. Also, much of his coat is darkening to sable or black, but his hindquarters remain fawn. No one we have met so far thinks he is Malinois, which can be irritating.

Appearance aside, the dog we bought from Ruidoso Malinois is intelligent, protective, curious and he learns commands easily. Again, thank you, Irene.

Oh, another aside, when we went to pick up our puppy, the all of the outdoor puppy pens were spotless and there were no flies or other insects to be found. Caring for so many animals is hard, sometimes thankless work and so another thank you.

Best,
Robert C Brown and Barbara Staley Brown

"Best decision we have made in a very long time!"

We purchased a 2-year-old female dog from Ruidoso almost three months ago, and we could not be more thrilled with our new life. Our family of four traveled to New Mexico and were trained on property, two sessions per day for our five-day handlers training. Many different options for skills were presented. We were able to discuss and select the skills important to our family, and she was trained for around 10 weeks on only those commands we agreed upon. That is the business side of things.
It has been surprising to me how attached our family has gotten to our dog. She has brought our family a ton of joy, as well as security. She is wicked smart – I swear she has telepathy.
That being said, Ruidoso Malinois not only perfectly found the right dog for our circumstance, but they also delivered upon their promise to train and provide an extremely well-trained dog. Irene and her staff truly love the breed. They made us feel safe and welcome, considering the stress of training to handle and maintain a protective canine.
We have owned many different breeds of dogs – English Mastiff, Labrador, Weimaraner, Beagle, Pug, and Dachshaund. There are only two things to say about Ruidoso Malinois. I will never purchase any other breed of dog other than a Belgium Malinois. I will never purchase another Belgium Malinois from anyone but the best . . . and the best is Ruidoso.
Our family gives Ruidoso a ten out of ten stars.

"5 STARS!"

Our entire experience, from meeting Irene Howcroft, visiting her Ruidoso Malinois kennel, and purchasing our Tara, was exceptional! First, Irene and I spoke multiple times before we decided to travel out to meet her and Tara. We wanted a trained dog and luckily Irene had a perfect two year old for us. I had done a lot of research, and Irene’s knowledge of the breed was outstanding... it totally set her apart! We were so impressed with the kennels, staff, and facilities at Ruidoso Malinois! Irene took time to throughly describe the background of the breed and explained in detail the requirements that owning a Belgian Malinois would entail. Irene invests her heart and soul in her dogs and she wants them all to have the very best life. My daughter instantly fell in love with Tara and the feeling was mutual! We returned six weeks later for training and Tara has been a wonderful addition to our family ever since! Honestly, we have never seen a dog bond with a person as quickly as Tara did with my daughter! From day one she was her girl! Irene and I have kept in touch and she is truly one of the most kind hearted dog lovers I have ever met! If I could... I would give Irene a million stars! Irene Howcroft is an expert and we would highly recommend anyone considering adding a Belgian Malinois to their family to contact Irene and visit her kennel! We could not be happier with our entire experience with Irene and our Tara is everything we hoped for and more!

"not to good"

i have poor time with this woman for a dog. she was bad and never good when we want dog much rude