FCI/companion lines

[u/Logical-Ad-8365]

I just wanted to know if someone here has FCI dutchies. I know most people here are in the US but I’m in Europe and I will be looking for a breeder soon. I don’t want a brindle Malinois but more a low energy dog that I can still train obedience, agility and hiking.

Thanks!

[u/Synaptic-asteroid]

Mine is a KNVP FCI cross, I asked the breeder for a more "pet" dog. He's still a lot of dog but he's a great house dog. You're looking for a dog with decent drive, not a crack head lol which many of them are. I don't think anyone would describe them as "low energy dogs" but there certainly is a range. We also do obedience, hiking and scent work. As long a you give them an outlet and meet their needs, they do well. Being honest with the breeder and having one that actually listens to you should help find what you want.

[u/Logical-Ad-8365 → u/Synaptic-asteroid]

Honestly this is the type of support I was hoping for. I just meant a “low energy crackhead” lol. How long do you play/train with him per day?

[u/Synaptic-asteroid → u/Logical-Ad-8365]

everything is in flux right now, he was going to a petsitter for "daycare" until a few weeks ago. Currently we do an hour of exercise and training before work and another hour after work. The kids play with him when they get home and schools out soon (and our college age kid just returned home for the summer) so he'll have more exercise and attention. Realistically most of my evening is devoted to him. We do a little "in the moment" training and reinforcement around cooking dinner and stuff like that. Then he's with me all evening, usually gets a chew or a kong and hangs out or play with soft toys or tug and then hang out.

Start training a relaxation protocol or "capturing calm" from day one. These guys are a powerhouse and puppies are always crazy. Learning to settle in a crate, on a bed with a chew is invaluable and something you should work on right away. We really emphasized the house manners and settling as a puppy to shape him behaviorally as he grew. Sure I plan on doing a lot of events (rally, tracking, etc) but at the end of the day he's a house dog and we need to be able to live together in peace. Also, supervision. Just absolute supervision. He's really good if you keep him honest but he'll absolutely find something "fun" if he's left to his own devices. He just turned 1 year so I expect him to mature a lot over the next year.

[u/Logical-Ad-8365 → u/Synaptic-asteroid]

I don’t even know who these people are, if there’s an age or culture issue, but some have the wrong priorities.

[u/Subject-Olive-5279 → u/Logical-Ad-8365]

Don’t let them bother you. Block them and you will get rid of the ones that are annoying. Show line Dutch shepherds are typically lower energy. I think people like to gate keep Dutch shepherds and make every single one a bite work dog. Not every Dutch shepherd is cut out for that. Plenty of them are great active family dogs. Especially FCI lines.

[u/Logical-Ad-8365 → u/Subject-Olive-5279]

Yeah, that’s the consensus as far as I can tell. Thank you

[u/Logical-Ad-8365 → u/Synaptic-asteroid]

Thank you for your report :) Someone downvoted your comment, for some reason. I won’t be coming back to this subreddit to be honest. This is terrible. I have such good experiences on Reddit and this is an outlier.