recent shots from the park....

[Diesel]

Was out at the park working and thought it was a good chance to take some new pics for 2007, wanted to share them here as well. Here is Diesel my... american bully? staff, bluff, petbull, whatever the kids are calling them these days, LOL. any way here he is these are from yesterday morning and of course we got a very fast 6" of snow overnight... so I guess I kind of jinxed myself.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/TheVILLAIN/DSC00016.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y108/TheVILLAIN/DSC00015.jpg
I dont think I have ever been able him this lean this far into the winter, its been a pretty mild one so far, so I have been able to somewhat keep him active. Should make for a a great spring/summer, he has a solid foundation already; now instead of having to go through the crazy part of trying to get his weight down like every other year. I dont want to bore you with my program....enjoy.:)

[SMOKIN HEMI]

Desiel looks good. But he always looks goodhttp://www.game-dog.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Riptora]

It looks like he wants something!

[MercedesMama]

Quite a handsome fellow.

[NCPatchwork]

Nice collar...he looks happy!

[CB]

Why keep him fat when he stays in the house? And what kinda of conditioning program could have for a 80+ pound blue?(lol)

[Lethalpits]

Why keep him fat when he stays in the house? And what kinda of conditioning program could have for a 80+ pound blue?(lol)
Diesel's owner does a number of things with that dog from schutzhund to springpole from what I've seen on this board. At least it's not sitting around gaining more weight to be the heaviest bully in America.

[Diesel]

thanks everyone. I appreciate the comments.


Why keep him fat when he stays in the house? And what kinda of conditioning program could have for a 80+ pound blue?(lol)
I dont understand what you mean CB? why keep him fat? He eats and does less activity because there are mountains of snow, blustery winds, and iceI dont increase his feed, we just cant work. he eats the same amount year round, I would say I increase his raw during the warmer months to take advantage of the workouts but thats about it. The same rations in the summer coupled with a higher level of activity burns the excess calories and he stays thin.

I am not sure that I could get him under 80 pounds even if i wanted to. the lowest I have ever had him is about 85 pounds and that was when he was younger. since he hit his adult size and filled out low to mid 90's seem to be his "sweet spot".

[Diesel]

It looks like he wants something!
I found a stick and was throwing it all around the park. that right there is his look of focus and I guess the look that everyone tells me is so "scary". I dont see it, but whatever.
He will run himself into the ground once he targets something. he carried that damn thing for most of the 1.2 miles back to the house.

[bestpits]

That’s a good looking dog, good pic's Thx for sharing.<o></o>

[diva]

Why keep him fat when he stays in the house? And what kinda of conditioning program could have for a 80+ pound blue?(lol)I guess some people were never taught if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.


Thanks for sharing pictures of Diesel. He's handsome :)

[mydawgs]

I love this dog, he is always so happy to be doin what he does. One of the reasons they do NOT use APBTs for police work or as military work dogs is because they are too light, easier for a man to pick up.....Am Staffs like D would be perfect for that kind of work, weighing in at what a nicely bred K9 (GSD or nice size Mal) does and I am sure D has the drive and the focus to do police work. I am amazed at the versatility of this dog....I can't imagine why any one would say an unkind thing about him. He works and trains and competes and he is always happy to do it....kudos to you Diesel...on top of just bein damn good lookin ya got talent too!!!!!

[FearlessKnight]

Nice pics....I think he looks great! He looks (for his size) as lean as he's going to get......thanks for sharing. Great pics!

At least the owners are not trying to claim him as a game-bred APBT!
This is a lot more than I can say for some folks.

[Michele]

he's beautiful......all pit bulls are beautiful....i love em all!!

[ABK]

One of the reasons they do NOT use APBTs for police work or as military work dogs is because they are too light, easier for a man to pick up.....Am Staffs like D would be perfect for that kind of work, weighing in at what a nicely bred K9 (GSD or nice size Mal) does ...!!!!!I am going to have to respectfully disagree here. The military is phasing out the big GSDs in favor for smaller Mals. Our Mals were about 50 lbs ... 60 tops. Our female Mals were around 45 - 50. We didn't have any 80 - 90lb Mals. Even our Sheps were about 60 - 70 lbs, not 80 - 90.

But we didn't need 80 - 90 lb dogs. Trust me, coming from someone who has caught one, those 45 lb Mals would hit you like a freight train. Some could be picked up & swung around, but that only made them bite harder. There have even been cases of handlers having bruises on their arms from these little Mals biting the sleeve so hard!

And after a few swings, trust me, the decoy was exhausted & ended up stumbling to their knees w/ that 45 lb Mal still on their arm, shaking them to the ground. No one EVER shook one of our Mals off, not even the 45 lb ones.

[mydawgs]

I am going to have to respectfully disagree here. When I was in the military our Mals were about 50 lbs, 60 lbs tops. Our females were around 45. And trust me, coming from someone who has caught them, those 45 lb Mals would hit you like a frieght train. Some could be picked up & swung around, but that only made them bite harder. There have even been cases of handlers having bruises on their arms from these little Mals biting the sleeve so hard. And after a few swings, trust me, the decoy was exhausted & ended up stumbling to their knees w/ that 45lb Mal still on their arm & shaking them to the ground. No one EVER shook one of our Mals off, not even the 45 lb ones.I don't disagree with you, perhaps 80 lbs is out of the box for a Mal, thats why I tried to phrase "nice size". Every dog handler whether police or military have all answered me the same way when I ask, "Why not an APBT?". Perhaps the length of the dog or outward size is bigger...APBTs do seem to be small and compact. I doubt you could shake an APBT off some one either, but this is the standard answer I get when ever I ask.....interesting I think. Regardless can you imagine Diesel comin at ya....I would say he could stand up to a GSD for the job any day....how is D on the bite??????

[ABK]

I don't disagree with you, perhaps 80 lbs is out of the box for a Mal, thats why I tried to phrase "nice size". Every dog handler whether police or military have all answered me the same way when I ask, "Why not an APBT?". Perhaps the length of the dog or outward size is bigger...APBTs do seem to be small and compact. I doubt you could shake an APBT off some one either, but this is the standard answer I get when ever I ask.....interesting I think. Regardless can you imagine Diesel comin at ya....I would say he could stand up to a GSD for the job any day....how is D on the bite??????Ya, GSD & Mals are longer bodied than an APBT. As for D, I think he'd get fanged. Have you seen those lips & flews?

But then again ... some folks use Neos for PP work & they have lips & flews from hell. So if they can do it, D probably could too.

But I'd still keep a de-fanger handy.

[mydawgs]

Ya, GSD & Mals are longer bodied than an APBT. As for D, I think he'd get fanged. Have you seen those lips & flews?

But then again ... some folks use Neos for PP work & they have lips & flews from hell. So if they can do it, D probably could too.

But I'd still keep a de-fanger handy.
Ouch...I never thought of that, those pointy nosed snouts don't leave to much room for lips and flews to jiggle about. I wonder if back in the day...dogs would get fanged during a roll...or do they bear their lips and flews back before a bite. I have seen my female do that but she has that Staff face ...smooth small snout, not like my APBT, square and jowly...LOL

[Diesel]

Thanks a lot to everyone.

okay, let me first answer the questions and then I will post my personal opinion based on what I have learned.

Mydawgs- Diesel is a monster on the sleeve. His bite pressure has been compared to that of dogs MUCH larger then him. he does not let go unless outed. full deep bites everytime so far(fingers crossed). One decoy told me that the hardest bite he ever caught was from a 135 pound Cane Corso, that dog was a seasoned dog and titled, so it knew how to bite. He told me that he was shocked that the first Bite D got on him was not only comparable hard, but that as he shook the sleeve and hit him with the reed, that is just kept getting harder and harder. he said that he dropped the sleeve when he did because the pressure of the bite was starting to get uncomfortable. You can imagine how big my smile was... I think I might ahve blushed, LOL.

He does have a serious equipment fixation that we are working on breaking. Its just hard because the usually will do a combination of full body suits and hidden sleeve, but they are hesitant to catch him on the less sturdy hidden sleeve. He will alert to a decoy without a sleeve, but once the sleeve is on he is focused on it. If the decoy took off down field and threw the sleeve to the side, D would go after the sleeve instead of the decoy... I dont like that.

As fara s the use of the APBT, the Mal, bandogs, etc. it really depends on the type of work. Mals work great as police dogs because they are working with a handler they are supposed to immobilize not disable. If you are looking at manstoppers, you are looking at dogs that are big enough to start and finish the fight if necessary. Mals cant do this, cant they slow a suspect and allow a cop to put on cuffs, hell yeah. but if the dog was seperated fromis handler and had to go against a decent sized man... I know I could strangle a 50 pound dog, sure I might get bit in the process but I like my odds. Now double that size a dog that cant be lifted is likely to be physicallty stronger then you. that where you can see real effectiveness. thats my opinon.
I think that ABs are more likely to be used the APBTs, because they fall in that 80+ pound category.

Side note: in 3 years of springpole, flirtpole, tug, fetch, catch, and now bitework: stantionary and sends.. diesel has never fanged himself once.

[Diesel]

Ouch...I never thought of that, those pointy nosed snouts don't leave to much room for lips and flews to jiggle about. I wonder if back in the day...dogs would get fanged during a roll...or do they bear their lips and flews back before a bite. I have seen my female do that but she has that Staff face ...smooth small snout, not like my APBT, square and jowly...LOL
dogs got fanged all the time, thats what the ref is for; to stop the roll and let the handlers get in there and pull the teeth out.

[ABK]

I would not say APBTs got fanged "all the time." It did happen, but I'd bet it would happen more often w/ a flewy dog like D more often than it would happen w/ a tight lipped dog.

As for Mals not being man-stoppers, lmao at that. You must not have caught any. My husband has seen a grown 200lb man go screaming to his knees b/c a 50 lb Mal bit him so hard.

Trust, me if Mals couldn't do the job, the military & PDs wouldn't be using them. In fact, some PDs stopped using them b/c Mals can be too intense.

As an APBT fancier you should know it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!

[Diesel]

Fanging was in no way rare.... but I will conceed that it wasn't frequent either. it happens as the APBT is a bull and terrier, depending on the line you are looking at some are mor bull then terrier. the terrier side give the tighter lips, so if they were bred more heavily on the bulldog blood with less terrier used then you got more lips and flews. Dogs getting fanged was no news flash when it happened.

Mals are not manstoppers. Mals being to intense translates to they dont know how to out on command. Mals are a very high energy breed and they need a firm hand. many departments adopt them but have only history with working GSDs and if you try to train a Mal under the identical program you would a GSD you are going to have problems. its not a hype point.

and because one guy got bit by one dog, you think that speaks for the breed as a whole and its ability? There are a million and one vairables that could make that occur. fear of dogs, previous injury to that arm, dog hit a pressure point or anything. In america they always say bigger is better and for teh most part I disagree with that. but when it comes to a real life scenario of the dog having to stop a man on its own.. there isnt an aremed officer running up, bigger is better.

[mydawgs]

Fanging was in no way rare.... but I will conceed that it wasn't frequent either. it happens as the APBT is a bull and terrier, depending on the line you are looking at some are mor bull then terrier. the terrier side give the tighter lips, so if they were bred more heavily on the bulldog blood with less terrier used then you got more lips and flews. Dogs getting fanged was no news flash when it happened.

Mals are not manstoppers. Mals being to intense translates to they dont know how to out on command. Mals are a very high energy breed and they need a firm hand. many departments adopt them but have only history with working GSDs and if you try to train a Mal under the identical program you would a GSD you are going to have problems. its not a hype point.

and because one guy got bit by one dog, you think that speaks for the breed as a whole and its ability? There are a million and one vairables that could make that occur. fear of dogs, previous injury to that arm, dog hit a pressure point or anything. In america they always say bigger is better and for teh most part I disagree with that. but when it comes to a real life scenario of the dog having to stop a man on its own.. there isnt an aremed officer running up, bigger is better.Well I have heard on more than one occasion by more than one trainer that Mals will and can stop a man.....but you are right the Mals are very intense, IMHO this does not translate to obeying the out but drives that are off the chart therefore you must be quite the handler and trainer. I want to compete Shutzhund some day and I love the Mals, but my trainer (just took a first in the nationals with his GSD Branca for tracking) DOES NOT recommend a Mal for a novice handler...so I need some experience because it is a Mal I want!!!!!

Like I need another high drive dog..Lilly wasn't enough LOL

[CB]

I guess some people were never taught if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.


Thanks for sharing pictures of Diesel. He's handsome :)I think Diesel by now knows that i like asking questions about his dog. I never heard of a blue getting worked like diesel's dog does and would like to know how he gets a big dog like that in condition. I say you get your self a game bred dog diesel because if you can do that with a big blue then you could probably do wonders with a working dog.

[Diesel]

They are wild and for most application all the dog you need. You want a lot of dog in not a lot of space... whats your breed. They are obsessive though.
Not really good for me. I am going to selecting a Neopolitan Mastiff as my dedicated yard guard. extreme detterant, big enough to "seal the deal" so to speak, and i really dont worry about having to train him for the work, they are hard wired by blood. its a great breed.
just got to get my mind around the drool.... thats going to be the hard part.

[ABK]

I guess that just shows a lack of knowledge on your part Deisel. MWDs (Military Working Dogs) do work w/ handlers, but they are also expected to be able to stop a man out of the handler's sight as well.

As for the "one man" comment, friend I did a tour in the military & my husband did almost 3 tours. We saw many, many Mals work under many different scenarios & saw many, many, men go down. We also saw the effects of the dogs' work. You I'm willing to bet have seen few to none.

I have also seen the dogs they are phasing out. 110 lb Bouviers. 60 - 70 lb GSDs. All in favor for the smaller Mal. Why? B/c they can do anything the bigger dogs can do, do it just as well & they eat less, poop less, take less to care for, live longer & can work longer.

Now can a big dog bring a man down? Sure. So can a sumo wrestler. But is a sumo wrestler superior to let's say someone like Bruce Lee? No. Far from it, even though the sumo has greater mass, the martial artist can still down a man as well.

Here is some vids I like. You won't get this as your mind is already closed on the matter, but some other ppl reading this thread might like it. It is of a female Mal about 50lbs working.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIEXIDRjALI&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH_G88dErUQ&mode=related&search=

As a side note, I once had 2 Neos yard dogs. Not so good. They were natural guards, but they attracted more riff-raff than they deterred, they were dog-aggressive (remember Neos were bred to fight too) & slept a lot on the job.

The best yard dogs I have ever had thus far were GSDs & Dobies. Ppl know what they are & associate them w/ "attack" dogs. As such, they tend to steer clear of them. Plus, they are energetic, patrol the yard on their own & for the most part will leave your dogs alone.

[Diesel]

I guess that just shows a lack of knowledge on your part Deisel. MWDs (Military Working Dogs) do work w/ handlers, but they are also expected to be able to stop a man out of the handler's sight as well.

As for the "one man" comment, friend I did a tour in the military & my husband did almost 3 tours. We saw many, many Mals work under many different scenarios & saw many, many, men go down. We also saw the effects of the dogs' work. You I'm willing to bet have seen few to none.

I have also seen the dogs they are phasing out. 110 lb Bouviers. 60 - 70 lb GSDs. All in favor for the smaller Mal. Why? B/c they can do anything the bigger dogs can do, do it just as well & they eat less, poop less, take less to care for, live longer & can work longer.

Now can a big dog bring a man down? Sure. So can a sumo wrestler. But is a sumo wrestler superior to let's say someone like Bruce Lee? No. Far from it, even though the sumo has greater mass, the martial artist can still down a man as well.

Here is some vids I like. You won't get this as your mind is already closed on the matter, but some other ppl reading this thread might like it. It is of a female Mal about 50lbs working.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIEXIDRjALI&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH_G88dErUQ&mode=related&search=

As a side note, I once had 2 Neos yard dogs. Not so good. They attracted more riff-raff than they deterred, they were dog-aggressive (remember Neos were bred to fight too) & slept a lot on the job.

The best yard dogs i have ever had thus far were GSDs & Dobies. Ppl know what they are & associate them w/ "attack" dogs. They are energetic, patrol the yard on their own & for the most part will leave your dogs alone.
Two things.. first, my mind is never closed. No matter how much information I attain that says one thing I am always open to discuss the other side. Which is why I am still on this board with the dog that I have. Being told he is one thing and then simply listening and understanding the information I found here.
Second I have seen more then a handful of Mals working. Not more then 20 but more then 10. I have seen various scenarios and I havent seen a situation that the Mal didnt perform splendidly. you will never hear me talk badly about the breed, simply I dont feel that they are the best. Now when youa re talking about police, military, and such agencies, there is a way that I feel they go about looking for the breeds they use. First they all used DObies and GSDs... that was all you saw. a rottier here or there, bouviers, and giant schnauzers were also used but very sparsely. I think they are all adopting the Mal as the new GSD for a few reasons, the way the dogs are bred for one. People forget that seeing these dogs perform these jobs makes everyone think they are the best, and when joe blow starts tryingt o be a breeder breeds suffer. Dobies fell from glory by large because of the horrid temperments that because prevalent in the breed; Same can be said for the rottie. The GSD has been standing rather well but there has been a lot of problems finding and brining in the right specimens without having to spend huge amounts of money.
The Mal is the dog of the hour for the very reasons you said. an almost APBT temperment in a P.C. suit. they dont look 'scary" to the public, they are hard and train well under the right instructors. Its not that I don't like Mals. I do. I just like other breeds more when it comes to stopping a man.

I think that, having been bit by a dog before, that i would be able to stop a mal. now I by no stretch think I am superman, i am very intouch with my mortality. But based on the size of the dog in question... I truely think that if the person has a knowledge of dogs and keeps a level head at 50 pounds the dog is outmatched. a lot of people are scared of dogs so that give the dog a mental edge right away... thats not always the case.

[diva]

I think Diesel by now knows that i like asking questions about his dog. I never heard of a blue getting worked like diesel's dog does and would like to know how he gets a big dog like that in condition. I say you get your self a game bred dog diesel because if you can do that with a big blue then you could probably do wonders with a working dog.

Gotcha , My apologies to you for misunderstanding. ;)

[Diesel]

I am kinda the opposite of Mydawgs- I do not want another high end dog. Diesel is good because he has an off switch. He is on the extremly high end of the scale outside, but in the hoouse he is the extreme other end. I sometimes lose him because he will lay down and not move for exteneded amounts of time.
thats how I like it, when it calls for it, act. but when things are calm settle down. thats the one thing I did not like about my Dobies. they were alwasy on. they were continually pacing the house or running the yard. they would get desctructive if they werent worn out a few times a day they had this store of energy that was nearly impossible to deplete.... just like the bourdeaux female that I had. she was always moving. I want a laid back dog. I think thats why I am leaning toward the Neo. Diesel is my alarm, but he is way too friendly to actually do anything if we are not in the house too. I have absolutely zero worry about something happening to my family but if someone came and we were out, we would get robbed and they would likely steal my dog.
His new job will be to wake up the Neo and stay our of the way, LOL.

[ABK]

Two things.. first, my mind is never closed. No matter how much information I attain that says one thing I am always open to discuss the other side. Which is why I am still on this board with the dog that I have. Being told he is one thing and then simply listening and understanding the information I found here.
Second I have seen more then a handful of Mals working. Not more then 20 but more then 10. I have seen various scenarios and I havent seen a situation that the Mal didnt perform splendidly. you will never hear me talk badly about the breed, simply I dont feel that they are the best. Now when youa re talking about police, military, and such agencies, there is a way that I feel they go about looking for the breeds they use. First they all used DObies and GSDs... that was all you saw. a rottier here or there, bouviers, and giant schnauzers were also used but very sparsely. I think they are all adopting the Mal as the new GSD for a few reasons, the way the dogs are bred for one. People forget that seeing these dogs perform these jobs makes everyone think they are the best, and when joe blow starts tryingt o be a breeder breeds suffer. Dobies fell from glory by large because of the horrid temperments that because prevalent in the breed; Same can be said for the rottie. The GSD has been standing rather well but there has been a lot of problems finding and brining in the right specimens without having to spend huge amounts of money.
The Mal is the dog of the hour for the very reasons you said. an almost APBT temperment in a P.C. suit. they dont look 'scary" to the public, they are hard and train well under the right instructors. Its not that I don't like Mals. I do. I just like other breeds more when it comes to stopping a man.

I think that, having been bit by a dog before, that i would be able to stop a mal. now I by no stretch think I am superman, i am very intouch with my mortality. But based on the size of the dog in question... I truely think that if the person has a knowledge of dogs and keeps a level head at 50 pounds the dog is outmatched. a lot of people are scared of dogs so that give the dog a mental edge right away... thats not always the case.Good post here Diesel.

I myself do not like Mals & would disagree that they have an almost APBT-like temprament. Every Mal I met was so sharp if you are not careful they will bite a handler as quick as they will bite a perp. Our Mals were so bad to snap that our handlers had to announce when they entered or exited a room just so we could get out of the way to avoid being bitten! That is NOT an almost APBT-like temp to me! But when it comes to man-work the Mal can get it done & get it done right.

I don't know about other places, but when I was in I know the military bought their dogs from Europe at about $1500 a pop. And these were green dogs.

As for stopping a dog, you are right, if you keep your wits about you, you may be able to stop the dog. But you can stop ANY dog. Any dog can be have it's eyes gouged out by car keys, be stabbed, shot or choked to death regardless of it's size. If the assalant keeps calm & thinks through the situation, your 90+ Diesel can be just as easily defeated as a little Mal.

lmao about you losing Diesel in the house. I know my bulldogs sleep next to me & my Dobies do too. But if you put the Dobies outside they will patrol almost all day & you can walk them for miles & they won't get tired. I guess I got lucky w/ my Dobies b/c when they come inside they want to sleep.

[Diesel]

Good post here Deisel. I myself do not like Mals & would most certainly not agree that they have an APBT-like temprament. Every Mal I met was so sharp if you are not careful they will bite a handler as quick as they will bite a perp. Our Mals were so bad to snap that our handlers had to annouce when they entered or exited a room just so we could get out of the way to avoid being bitten! That is NOT an APBT-like temp to me! But when it comes to man-work the Mal can get it done & does it well.

I don't know about other places, but when I was in I know the military bought their dogs from Europe at about $1500 a pop. And these were green dogs.

As for stopping a dog, you are right, if you keep your wits about you, you may be able to stop the dog. But you can stop ANY dog. Any dog can be choked out or have it's eyes gouged out by car keys, regardless of it's size.

lmao about you losing Deisel in the house. I know my bulldogs sleep next to me & my Dobies do too. But if you put the Dobies outside they will patrol almost all day & you can walk them for miles & they won't get tired. I guess I got lucky w/ my Dobies b/c when they come inside they want to sleep.
Point of clarty.. I in no way mean in general, that APBT and Mals are alike... outside of having four legs and a tail I dont thik they are. I am speaking strictly in the working aspect. I do think that are like an APBT in that they go for thier bite, and they hold it through whatever. you can hit them you can kick them and they will not break. a lot of lesser dog take a swift kick to the mid section and release a hold. I have witnessed a Mal get tangled and hit hard enough to hear it go "oof" and still not break a hold. THAT impressed me.
I like a breed that can truely bite and hold and the mentality and focus that the mals I have seen displays puts them into the same league as the APBTs I have seen worked. I hope that makes more sense.

Speaking of Mals biting handlers.. that is another point that I hate about high-end dogs. they will start nipping and biting you if they cant get to whatever is getting them worked up. I have watched that happen more then a handful of times too.
YOu must have gotten lucky... my dobies, when they were in the house they went from window to window all night long all you can hear is thier nails on the hard wood and they would bark at evey noise or leaf rustle. Diesel surpasses them by far because when he hears a noise he goes to where he heard it and waits to hear it again before he alerts. I love it because he will hear something and then he will go to it and just sit there perfectly quiet and almost hold his breath as he listens for it again. My dobies lacked the ability to assess situations, is that something i could have trained in, I dont know.

[bam-bam's mom]

there is my boy!! this is one of my favorite dogs to see pictures of... he is sooo handsome.. he looks awsome diesel!! thanks for some updated pics..

[Diesel]

there is my boy!! this is one of my favorite dogs to see pictures of... he is sooo handsome.. he looks awsome diesel!! thanks for some updated pics..
Thank you for the comments.
we both apprecaite you.

[ABK]

Point of clarty.. I in no way mean in general, that APBT and Mals are alike... outside of having four legs and a tail I dont thik they are. I am speaking strictly in the working aspect. I do think that are like an APBT in that they go for thier bite, and they hold it through whatever. you can hit them you can kick them and they will not break. a lot of lesser dog take a swift kick to the mid section and release a hold. I have witnessed a Mal get tangled and hit hard enough to hear it go "oof" and still not break a hold. THAT impressed me.
I like a breed that can truely bite and hold and the mentality and focus that the mals I have seen displays puts them into the same league as the APBTs I have seen worked. I hope that makes more sense.

Speaking of Mals biting handlers.. that is another point that I hate about high-end dogs. they will start nipping and biting you if they cant get to whatever is getting them worked up. I have watched that happen more then a handful of times too.
YOu must have gotten lucky... my dobies, when they were in the house they went from window to window all night long all you can hear is thier nails on the hard wood and they would bark at evey noise or leaf rustle. Diesel surpasses them by far because when he hears a noise he goes to where he heard it and waits to hear it again before he alerts. I love it because he will hear something and then he will go to it and just sit there perfectly quiet and almost hold his breath as he listens for it again. My dobies lacked the ability to assess situations, is that something i could have trained in, I dont know.I'm sorry I misunderstood you when you comapred APBTs & Mals. I thought you meant overall temp.

Yeah, a Mal is excellent when they're in that protection mode. They love their work, that is for sure.

I have seen pit bulls who were nippy as well. I had a male that if you broke him off another critter he would nip your pants leg if you didn't let him go. I had to use a long leash to get him back in his kennel. I guess that goes back to the similarities of Mals & APBTs when in the work mode.

As for my Dobie, if she hears something, she too will go from window to window. But if she doesn't hear anything, she is fast asleep at my feet, usually laying smack on the air vent soaking up all the heat from the heater!

lol.

BTW, while he is not my style, those were some nice pics of your dog. He didn't look mean, I thought he looked kinda cute. If you don't mind me asking, who bred Diesel & what does his ped look like? You can PM me if you don't wish to respond here.