Broadcreek Malinois review: AKC Puppy Mill 37

I spoke with Susan several times prior to purchasing a female Malinois from her two years ago. Our puppy is a healthy, happy, active member of our family. She is friendly with everyone, is well disciplined, very intuitive and very intelligent. After bringing our puppy home, I didn’t hesitate to call Susan with any question I had. She was always available or returned calls promptly. Susan was clear, prior to buying the puppy, that this breed isn’t for everyone and if you don’t have the time and energy to invest in the dog daily, consider another breed.Susan is very direct and in some instances blunt, but she was right. She told me the process for the AKC registration and the time frames to expect the paperwork. We had no problems at all. I would certainly get another Malinois from Broadcreek as well as recommend them.

The good - I received my Malinois from a family that was having family issues. Ruby was 7 months old when I got her. She immediately bonded with my wife, daughter and granddaughter. It took her three days to approach me and she has been my shadow ever since. She is now 5yo and I could not have asked for a better dog. She is medically sound and to AKC standards. She is SAR certified. Has her CGC and CGCA and is great at agility work. Unfortunately I cannot title her because she is not AKC registered.

The bad - When I got Ruby I called Broadcreek to obtain her litter number so I could register her with the AKC. The previous owner did register her but her registration were thrown out and he was unwilling to go through the paperwork necessary to make the ownership transfer. I checked with the AKC and she is registered but they cannot take any action without the prior owner filing the proper paperwork. I spoke with Susan Legg and the conversation went downhill very quickly. She was gruff and I terminated the conversation. After a couple of days I called her again and was able to explain to her the circumstances of how I obtained Ruby and a little about my background with dogs. I am a former K-9 handler. This conversation was more congenial. She explained to me that in their contract the dog was to be returned to them if there were any issues and the dog was not to be bred etc.. She wanted Ruby to be returned needless to say this was not going to happen.

I have not been to either of their facilities, although I intend to do so this spring, therefore I cannot comment on their condition. Within the last three months I have seen three other Malinois purchased from Broadcreek. They are all fantastic dogs well trained and sociable with no signs of of personality issues. I don't know if my experience with Susan is a one off or not but I can understand her position. I can tell you the quality of the dog I have is second to none and if she is the standard to what they are breeding I would not hesitate getting a dog from them.

We purchased a Malinois from Broadcreek in 2015. Before the purchase we were given her birthdate. We had no problems obtaining paperwork or medical records from Broadcreek. If you are having an issue with your Malinois citing such behaviors as aggressiveness, skittishness or anxiety then you probably did not do your homework on this breed. This is the dog of choice for military and police work, thus moving away from the German Shepherd. If you did research then you know that Malinois' do not come into your home with the lazy "family dog" disposition. They require continuous training, love and reward. The wonderful news is they are exceptionally smart and loyal. The problem with most people today is they are not willing to do the work that results in great reward or benefit. Now days people just want the best of the best without ever putting in any effort. If this is your style then get a cheap, small dog from the pound. Where ever I go my Belgin is the talk of the walk. She is awesome, beautiful, smart and a boat load of fun. As I said before, it has taken two years of training, communication and companionship to create this bond. This is a special bond that can only be created with a Malinois. I highly recommend Broadcreek Malinois. If you do decide to go this route be prepared to have your heart stolen. You will know you have succumed to your pet when she/he puts her chin on your knees and gives you "those eyes", those eyes that say "I love you, and thanks for being my master!"

I used to show a dog bred by Susan and Larry. Campaigned the dog for a good friend of mine who purchased her from there. I can honestly say that while Broadcreek produces some really phenomenal LOOKING Belgian Malinois, I had to do SERIOUS socialization on the dog I showed just to make her able to walk through a public setting without crawling on the floor. Her dogs are extremely skittish unless they're the few that she campaigns. She single handedly ripped the dog out from under me after I spent over a year training and campaigning it and made it an outgoing happy dog who was getting group placements and BOB's everywhere she went, before she slyly went about talking my good friend at the time out of letting me show the dog, and shoving her off to another handler because publicity and fame and money is all that matters to Broadcreek. I truly loved the dog and we had a real connection that brought out a wagging tail and even happy barks when I was showing her. Footage of her with the handler just months and even a year later she was cold and distant, never appeared happy to be there. I can tell you from experience the pair of Legg's are completely bonkers and I have yet to see them ever pet their dogs or show any sort of joy or happiness with their dogs. I never went back to showing because of the poor experience I had with Broadcreek. It's such a shame because their dogs are gorgeous. Other people in the Malinois community were so appalled by how I was treated after all my work and success with the dog I had breeders offering me puppies for free, despite the fact that I had been competition for a year! My advice is there are much nicer and better breeders out there like the ones who were so openly friendly to me during and after what happened to me. And per other comments, yes, Mallys are supposed to be reserved, but not fearful peeing themselves if someone looks at them the wrong way and balking at judges. Such a shame. Goes to show it hasn't changed after all these years though.

I have a Broadcreek Malinois and his temperament from day one was skittish and fearful. He's been fearful of people from the get go, decent with dogs and good environmentally. By the time he was 5 months old he was actively trying to bite people, right around this time separation anxiety set in. Mind you we started with a very experienced Malinois trainer when he was 10 weeks old and even with that getting through his first year was awful! He's now on medication for his separation anxiety, per the board certified veterinary behaviorist, and we continue to have to work to make sure that he does not bite someone. We have tried to find outlets for his drives: agility - but he is scared of the people; protection - he does not possess the nerve to handle the work; obedience - oh wait, he wants to bite people. We tried to contact Broadcreek about this dog and got zero response, zero. I also have two working line Malinois and the difference is night and day. Both working line come from separate kennels, both have strong nerve, people social, dog tolerant, and neutral environmentally. Both come from breeders who care about lines, temperament and drive. Broadcreek cares little about what makes a Malinois great.

I still don't see a list of all the dams and sires on their site, who knows how many they have, and if they do the proper health checks. Save yourself the heartache and liability, go somewhere else.

My male's parents:

Sire: Broadcreek's Twist and Shout
Dam: Broadcreek's Stella

Whelped: 9/26/2014; registered at Broadcreek's Nothing But Trouble - and he has been!

I find it hard to believe that these accusations are true. My name is David Branson Willoughby and I have a Male Malinois named Mac that I got from Broadcreek. He was the litter that was born on 9/15/14. I don't remember if the lady who sold him to me remembers me or not but she said he was supposed to be used to breed but I can't remember the reason she ended up not doing so. Anyways, Mac is a gorgeous dog. He is the tallest of the Male Malinois that go to my particular yet he is the most lean. He is an amazing dog and this is my first time with this breed. Other Malinois owners even recognized that he is nearly flawless. He's actually even more agile than any of the other Malinois dogs I've seen around the DC area. My vet, a reputable one, commented that he is a perfect Malinois and is in excellent health. He was a little skittish at first but is now very confident. The only reason I even came across this post was because I wanted to find out if they were still around in case I wanted to get mac a brother or sister. The lady who sold me Mac is extremely knowledgeable about the dogs. I wondered if she was lying about them Mayne using him to breed but clearly I was wrong. I'm grateful and lucky to have found them. Lastly, I am not close with or friends with the breeder so this post is 100% objective. I hope the lady who breeds them sees this so I can show her some pictures or videos
Mac is great with children and a sweetheart. Best dog I've ever had! My email is branson@willoughbyrealty.com in case the breeder sees this. I say these people accusing her are totally haters and full of ###!

Purchased a Mal from Susan yesterday. Here is what I can say.
1. My puppy is already registered, she gave me the info I needed when I bought my little boy.
2. Smell? Sure, smelled like a puppy.
3. Skittish? Not one bit. Frisky little guy, will be easy to socialize, no obvious fears.
4. I met the entire litter, plus another couple buying a pup, all the puppies were fine to handle, looked great and Susan was informative and great to deal with.

Conclusion, I would recommend Broadcreek Kennels based on my own experience.

Ben McManus

To those looking to purchase a Mallie from Broadcreek, a word to the wise. There is a (bad) gene that shows up in some Mals called the A22 which behaviorally can move them to be suddenly aggressive & to have environmental anxieties; physiologically it can be the cause of seizures (Tbizzle). The University of California Davis Vet School has studied this & offer a dna test for this gene by mail. https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/BelgianMalinois.php and to order the test go to the center of the page. I had my Broadcreek pup tested & unfortunately she came out with a double A22. I informed Susan & she said she knew of this issue & that it was no big deal - that the problem was with me, that I didn't socialize the puppy properly. I think she should test each of her dogs (especially the ones she breeds) & she said she would not.

Just stumbled on this website. After the loss of our beloved rottie we researched a Mal. I got Susan's phone number on the AKC website. She was at the Philadelphia dog show and she told me about her Mals. Everything she told me was exactly what I wanted to hear. My husband and I drove to her place to meet Larry and look at their dogs. We were there for at least 4 hours. We saw the kennels in the woods. Dogs in the house. Puppies sires and ### in the house with us and EVERY single one of them absolutely obedient. I don't think I've ever been that impressed with the overall demeanor of a dog in my life and I'm 56 grew up on a farm and own and have owned many dogs in my life. Needless to say we are the proud owner of Jack, our new Mal pup. Larry was extremely patient with us and showed us everything we asked to see. We had no issues with paperwork or written guarentees. Our puppy smelled but he's a puppy living outside in a kennel. Larry bathed him for us and clipped his nails made sure he was up to date with shots and worming. As far as not caring about their dogs I didn't see any evidence of it and I looked. I saw more than a few dogs that the Leggs' took back because if circumstances. I have had a past bad experience with a bad breeder so believe me my eyes were wide open. I'm not saying you didn't have a bad experience just that I saw no evidence of what you experienced.

We got our Mal in 2010 from Broadcreek and both Susan and Larry were only concerned with placing their dogs in the most appropriate homes. We had several interviews and visited the property twice. We had nothing but an absolutely wonderful experience with the Legg's. We received AKC paperwork within 2 weeks. Our Mal is now 4 and one of the most obedient dogs we've owned period. There's always those that will go out of their way to bash a breeder behind a computer keyboard. Before you pass judgement go visit the property, form your own opinion and make an informed decision.

I just stumbled across this site... I am outraged about this.. I have known Susan for over 27years. I found her back in the 80"s. She was breeding Rotties at the time. There was a segment on wboc about her kennel I was 17 at the time, My boyfriend at the time which is now my husband went and meant them. We were interviewed several times and got the opportunity to purchase a puppy from them. As time went buy they were always helpful and help my husband and I training, We only showed our male 3 times he won a four point major after that I told Susan we weren"t gonna show him anymore, Susan was NEVER MAD OR NASTY about our decision.. We then rescued a female that Susan had sold to a couple that was having a nasty divorce, she told us about her, So to say Susan doesn"t care about her dogs that is false, She help us the whole way.. When we brought her home she was in heat and our male and her got together .. Susan was upset .. so to say SHE doesn"t care again is a LIE, She knew my husband and I had not a clue about having puppies.. Susan was with us the whole time she came over in the night when our female was in labor did all the work and never ask for a dime... It"S sad to say after having my babies for 10 and 12 years they passed.. I called her and she was so sad for our lose she offered a Mal puppy to us for free. We declined for many reasons .. Then when we were looking again about 4 years ago.. I called her not for a puppy but just to go visit.. We were at her house.. She showed us all her dogs puppies etc.. They were all beautiful not dirty etc.. We ended up with a AWESOME puppy which he is show quality but we aren"t in to showing for this same reason .. You guys are horrible to each other, We told Susan we didn"t want to show she was never mad At us, As a matter of fact we purchased a female 2 years ago, We got pick of the litter, Have never shown her and ended up fixing both of our dogs.. THey are the best dogs to have as far as them being flighty...Please read the AKC Breed for These dogs. Its goes as stated...Intelligent and trainable, the Belgian Malinois possesses a strong
desire to work and is happiest with regular activity and a job to do. A
relatively easy keeper due to their medium size and short coat, this
confident breed loves their families, but may be somewhat reserved with
strangers. They are naturally protective of their owners without being
overly aggressive.This is not something Susan or anyone else can make them be .. IT IS THE DOGS NATURE TO BE RESERVED TO STRANGERS.. All I can say is please do your homework on getting any dog . I can"t believe this page is even on here. IT is your right to feel the way you do.. but the facts should be known.. Not just hurtful words from people, because maybe Susan didn"t return your call asap or etc, but I can guarantee one thing ever get in a jam or your dog gets sick etc.. I can tell you SUSAN WILL BE THE FIRST THERE GIVEN YOU ANY HELP THAT SHE CAN... PLease do not resond I could care LESS what you think..

I dont like to show my mal but just love him. Look at how aggressive broadcreek was threatening a lawsuit for slander! I dont know anything about any of this but aggressive show dog breeders are most definetly a turnoff. If it was false it seems there would be no need for threats and for them to have 10 other people obviously commment in retailation. They have an immaculate house? excuse me? my mals have always been a part of my "pack family" and are the most beautiful part of the experience of owning one. And yes the house gets cleaned but most definetly has a few stray hairs around- that im proud of. the fact that they dont take dogs back seems really concerning-if its true they should have their akc stuff pulled-? and if its true can a petition be started online? what dogs have they rehomed and how much money have they donated to the hard working rescue groups? sorry, but akc "champion" or not the overseas breeders have much better looking dogs.

"Et tu Brute" would be a reference to Broadcreek's Marcus Junis Brutus. He is the dog that Broadcreek is breeding the hell out of because he is a GCH, and putting him so deep into the show Mal gene pool that its likely to create a bottleneck in a few years. The Leggs talk a good game about their dogs and then stab you in the back if you become inconvenient. That is the reference, but I suppose that was too much of an intellectual leap for a regular malinois owner to make.

Breeders SHOULD be in the business of customer service. They should ALWAYS be available to call (and PLEASANT) to speak to if there is a dog issue. And ALWAYS take them back if you can't keep them, and rehome them themselves to ensure they don't end up in a shelter. Breeders are creating a life that they should take responsibility for ensuring is a good one. Broadcreek is known among the rescue groups for not asking questions, not taking dogs back, and selling to anyone that has the cash. My own experience is once they have the cash they care little what you think or need. I am sure that some people have had a good experience. But obviously some people have not. A breeder should be concerned about their reputation and how they are perceived, not just the "breeder of merit" badge from the AKC. Since Broadcreek has this particular badge, "breeder of merit" means nothing to me. I wish Broadcreek would use their influence with Malinois and GSD to improve the breed, but I just don't see it. It makes very sad.
Larry Legg commented recently on a FB board that their dogs have good muscle tone because they chase each other in paddocks. This is probably partially accurate, the dogs are pairs outside. The other half they don't tell you if they don't interact with the dogs, and don't allow perspective owners to interact with the dogs. GCH Broadcreek's M J Brutus was downright mean, and you couldn't go near him or, as they said, "he would bite." They initially sold me a puppy that was missing a toe, but were unaware of the deformity because they had not handled the puppy. So I return us to the original point of the complaints board, to state an opinion about a poor business experience.
We need more ETHICAL breeders, not just breeders. I encourage people with an actual experience to comment, but if you are just trying to undermine other people's name tags you should just go walk your dog.

When I got my pup from Broadcreek, he was extremely skiddish, he smelled bad, had parasites, and, environment issues. If they cared for their pups/ dogs, then I believe that they would keep in touch, but I haven't heard a word from them. Everything is brutally true about how they live, an where they kept. They are kept in small pens ; in the woods; with no overhead protection from the weather; but only a small dog house. The house is in immaculate condition, because the dogs don't live with them. There were no scratches on the floor etc. There is NO LOVE just love for MONEY. And I NEVER got my registration papers.

You might consider how seriously to take the comments of someone who would characterize themselves as EtTuBrute. Does this person have delusions of grandeur (do you think yourself comparable to Cesar)? Or are you simply paranoid (do you think everyone is out to get you "Et tu Brute?" purportedly being Julius Cesar's last words before being killed by one of his closest confidantes)?

Breeders are not in business of customer service. If you are not committed to getting a Malinois, it's beyond me that you would get one. Shepherds, in general, are high energy, intelligent dogs that need training. Frankly, all dogs need training, proper training, but Shepherds really need someone who knows how to handle dogs.
Whythelongfaces comment is appropriate as well. You can hardly expect a good breeder to hand over a dog just because you have money and want to get a dog the moment you decide you want one. They try and place their dogs with people they feel can understand and handle their dogs.

I don't really know the Leggs and haven't been to the kennel. We purchased a Malinois puppy from Broadcreek a few years ago. I'd consider myself a neutral party.
The bad news: The puppy did smell pretty bad, we had to give her a bath immediately. She was very skittish at first. She was comfortable being handled, but balked at things like going through a doorway. It did take months and several phone calls to get her papers. The litter was co-owned, don't know if this complicated the issue or not, but I was disappointed in how long it took to register the dog.
The good news: Susan brought several puppies to a show, and allowed us to choose ours. She seemed to know each one. We did receive her health records when we picked her up. The dog is still a little skittish, but she's a Mal. She's is also very affectionate and generally friendly. She's had no health problems. She is very smart and very trainable. Great pet.
My conclusion: If we were to buy another Malinois, it would probably be from Broadcreek, mainly because we are so pleased with the dog. I would also be more assertive in insisting on verifying the papers before I purchased the dog.

I, too, have been to Broadcreek Kennel, the smell is awful and the puppies and adult dogs have a horrendous odor. One of the GS dogs is kept in a dog run surrounded by shrubs with no view of it's surroundings. Susan Legg states that she has eleven acres, maybe she does, but the dogs are all kenneled on a 1/4 acre. One of the dogs is kept in a crate in her garage. The kennels I saw were filthy, I have also spent time with some of Broadcreek's dogs: they are skittish due to lack of socialization and human contact. Susan Legg is an intellectually stunted bully and her husband Larry is a lech. I am also familiar with some of the individuals who have commented in support of the Leggs and their mental stability may also be in question. Anyone with any moral standards and ethics would not waste their time on people like the Leggs.

I bought my dog from this breeder ten years and I have had the best dog anyone could ever have. They were truthfully about my dogs temperament and his health. I would purchase another dog from them again at anytime.

I have 2 Broadcreek Malinois and never have a had an issue receiving their paperwork. Furthermore, the Leggs have always been supportive. There are many people who have gotten puppies from the Leggs and have returned for another. My dogs are by no means "skittish". Visit with us sometime at a show and we would gladly introduce you to our Malinois.
Lynne Boyle

To EtTu Brute and Lakota42: It is hypocritical for you both to make such slanderous and defaming statements without signing your name to back your words. My name is Nina Schlack and I own 2 Broadcreek Malinois and 2 non-Broadcreek Malinois. I have my Broadcreek Mals paperwork and celebrate their separate birthdays every year. In fact, I usually post their birthdays on Facebook! One of my Broadcreek dogs I co-own with Susan and actively show in Conformation and performance (Partner). The other (Bam) was given to me as a retired show dog. Bam was a year and a half when he came to me but did not like the Conformation ring so as RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS, Susan and Larry Legg added me on as a co-owner gave me free reign to find a venue of which would make Bam happy! Bam is training in obedience, nosework and tracking, but is most happy sitting on my sofa chomping on meaty bones. In addition, I have been to the Leggs home many times. As for dogs not living in their house, I think Bandit would disagree with you! Their dogs are outsdide during the day getting plenty of fresh air and exercise as required by the Maryland dog laws. The Leggs maintain a Maryland kennel license and abide by the regulations set by the state. Every year when the officers come unannounced to make sure everything is compliant, Broadcreek always passes! As for the Leggs not caring about the dogs they sell... I just spent the last 5 days with Susan at the Celtic Cluster in York. I set up and reserved space on Tuesday and came fully prepared to take care of my own dog. Even though I am fully capable of preparing my dog to show, Susan insisted on grooming Partner for me. In addition, she showed me how to properly care for my puppy's coat (a non-Broadcreek dog) as she has collics/waves in her coat and my boys do not - so this is new to me. She also spent the week helping me to socialize my non Broadcreek puppy. Did she have to - absolutely not. Why did she - because that is what she does. We are already coordinating shows with a variety of Malinois owners (Broadcreek and non) so we can get ALL of our dogs finished (Broadcreek and non)- including a new friend we both made this weekend from Ohio. Can Susan piss people off, yes she can! She will voice her opinion bluntly which does not always go over very well! She knows this and everyone who knows her knows this. Lastly, I am positive I know the person who make the complaint and it was not valid. If anyone would like to have a more detailed conversation with me, friend me on Facebook. You can also email me privately at grayfarm@yahoo.com.

We produced the first Grand Champion in the country in Malinois. Our German Shepherd was the 8th Shepherd to get his championship. Mira and Kayla have their grandchampionship and Partner and Hunter only need a few more points to get their grand championship. It is sad that people stoop so low to lie about reputable breeders like us to try to get people from buying dogs from us so they think people will go to them instead. If we were a puppy mill we would not go to the large expense to show dogs. I have only had 2 litters of German Shepherds in 4 years. My Malinois only have a litter every 2 years. People should not be able to lie about people on the internet. We have worked very hard to improve the breed and have made a lot of people very happy that is why when they want another dog they come back to us.

I can give numerous references of people that have bought dogs from us. We have people come back to us for more than 1 dog. It is sad that people are this hateful to make false statement's about a breeder like myself. We drive hundreds of miles every weekend to show our dogs. We are known for having the best Malinois in the country. Debbie Keith has bought more than 1 Malinois from us her dog Hunter is a champion and has more than 30 working titles. Michael Lewin has 2 of our Malinois and are 2 of the top rated agility Malinois in the world. People should not be allowed to go on the internet and post false crap about people that have worked as hard as us to improve the breed. I loose at least $20, 000 per year because we spend so much money showing dogs. I have only had 2 German Shepherd litters in 4 years.