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Enter the Phantom....
Continuing in our naming protocols of there being a military air or sea craft and an element of their personality, "Phantom" came about as something we never saw coming and is a force to be reckoned with as is this McDonnell Douglas fighter jet, the F-4 Phantom II. She can be as silent as a ninja or ghost where she can suddenly be in front of you and spook you. At the time we named her, we had carpeting and couldn't hear her. Now with laminate flooring, she can only sit there silently, staring at you and you can feel you're being judged.
      "Honey" came along in our last week of being in the DFW area of north of Dallas, Texas. was at the local city shelter in Lewisville, Texas. Her name was quickly changed. Phantom is an adult Belgian Malinois guestimated at 5 years. She conceals her deviance as a good dog and for the most part — she is a good dog. She is pretty well-trained and while eager to learn, she's clearly deciding what training aspects she'll humor us with. Grooming — even brushing — isn't easy, even with the bait — treats — she's proven to like. I'll have to time this out close to meals and see if that gets her attention. It was clear from the start she is a road dog. She handles vehicle rides wonderfully. We adopted her less than a week prior to moving almost 500 miles away from her "get out of jail" release.
     We also went from a VW Jetta to a VW Touareg SUV so there were all kinds of adjustments to be had... including a 45lbs dog taking up two thirds of the backseat most of the way from DFW area Texas to the White River area of Arkansas! Despite being a seat hog, she made a great traveling companion and did well overnight in a hotel.

    Where she reminds me of Sirius in her adoration of her dog dad, Phantom goes far and beyond Sirius's commitment to dad. While awaiting his return in a parking lot, Phantom stares off towards the entrance of Walmart or wherever else like this. Endlessly....

     As is documented in Malinois lore, it's very true that they devote themselves exclusively to one human above all others. HOWEVER... being the MomDawg who feeds her exclusively and pays attention to her needs for water or to go outside... or needing something to eat, she will acknowledge me even when dad is around in the house. And she will curl up with me on the couch. So she does defy some of the Malinois legend. More on this later....

     However... MomDawg still needed a buddy as it was clear our Sirius 2.0 also needed a Brimstone 2.0. Enter BlackJack. They are the Yin and Yang of each other. They are also the Yippy to the other's Yappy and that will be addressed on their Training Days page.