Cry Havoc, and let slip the dogs of war

Havoc is a Belgian Malinois puppy. That explains his name, Havoc, and it also explains why most of my pictures of him are blurry. He's a temporary foster for Green Dogs Unleashed because his foster home went out of town (to escape Havoc?) and we are going out of town in a week ourselves.

Havoc (center) meeting Trooper (rear) and Axel.

He's absolutely gorgeous, and absolute puppy. All I can say is thank Dog for Axel, who is still puppy enough himself to entertain and cope with Havoc and mature enough to play the role of puppy sitter. Axel's stock jumped several points again this week hitting an all time high. Axel's stock has risen steadily since the first time I met him and it has never dipped. We are meeting a potential Axel adopter on Sunday.

But back to the new guy Havoc. He apparently flunked out of some kind of Malinois training school because he didn't have the level of drive they were looking for. That may be, but he still has far more drive than most people are looking for so he's not an easy placement in spite of his looks.

I'm going to say right here that I'm not in favor of using dogs for military or police work other than search and rescue that relies on their superior sense of smell and tracking ability. As a species, humans fight with one another and can't get along. I see no justification for dragging another species into our conflicts and putting them in harm's way in order to save our own asses. Dogs are willing to do it and some of them, such as the Belgian Malinois are particularly useful, mostly because we've bred those qualities into them for our own purposes.

Aside from my philosophical opposition to using dogs in dangerous situations, the fact of the matter is that we've created a demand for them that has generated an artificially high level of supply. They don't all make it as police dogs or military dogs. Those that don't often end up dumped into the world of shelters and rescues, where they are difficult to place in the right homes. Although Havoc and others who have washed out of the working dog system might not have all the qualities they were looking for as a working dog, they still have levels of energy and drive that may make them poor choices for people looking for a family dog. Their look and the allure of the working dog makes them popular, but few people are willing or able to commit the time and energy they require for training and exercise.

Everything that makes German Shepherds difficult applies even more Malinois. About 10 times more. Havoc is no monster in the making; he's cute, he's sweet, he's a puppy. But he will require an adopter who is knowledgeable and prepared to take on the challenge that is Havoc.

The evening I came home with Havoc, he and Axel
played in the kitchen, nonstop, until I needed to go to bed.

Rugger is a bit jealous because Axel had been
his playmate until Havoc came along. I'm
making sure that they still have time together.

Rugger has been fine with Havoc, but he isn't
so inclined to engage in hardcore puppy play.

A rare moment of a still Havoc. He's beautiful with a reddish
coat with jet back muzzle and lower legs. Looks like a fox.

Axel is the only dog around here capable of
taking on the role of puppy sitter with Havoc.

He has a nice "sit."

Outdoor kennel time during the day makes them both
ready for crate rest indoors at night. So glad it's spring.

Yesterday afternoon I looked out the window and Havoc was sitting
in the water tank to the left.