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I am just curious,what breed do you think makes the best guard dog? I know just about any dog will alert you to strangers,even a toy breed. I have 2 dogs,a toy rat terrier & a Lab/Poodle/GSD mix. The rattie is a good watch dog,but the other seems very timid,although he is still a pup(4-5 months). A 5lb little guy won't do much in scaring off intruders,however! I was thinking of getting a 3rd dog,as we live way out in the boonies,and have lots of room for a third.I haven't decided whether to wait awhile & see how the lab/poodle/GSD turns out,see if he gets bolder as he grows up.
Your input will be appriciated!
There are tons of dogs that can act as guard dogs (my 43 lb mutt --boxer/lab mix-- acts as a GREAT guard dog...and i definitely never worry about any intruders 'possibly' breaking in). he was also timid when he was 3 and 4 and 5 months old; i think probably by a year old he was a lot more confident and started "guarding" our house more.
I think probably If you work on your dog's confidence she/he might get better about acting like a guard dog. Otherwise I would look at a breed like a German Shepherd, Boxer, etc. maybe even a Belgian Shepherd. All of these dogs are extremely protective of their families and houses.
There are tons of dogs that can act as guard dogs (my 43 lb mutt --boxer/lab mix-- acts as a GREAT guard dog...and i definitely never worry about any intruders 'possibly' breaking in). he was also timid when he was 3 and 4 and 5 months old; i think probably by a year old he was a lot more confident and started "guarding" our house more.
I think probably If you work on your dog's confidence she/he might get better about acting like a guard dog. Otherwise I would look at a breed like a German Shepherd, Boxer, etc. maybe even a Belgian Shepherd. All of these dogs are extremely protective of their families and houses.
Good point. I think I will wait & see how he does. My husband just pointed out how last week we were all at the park in town w/ the kids,& Doodle was on his leash next to me in the grass,laying down asleep. Some people walked by, & he popped up & started barking at them! That was definitely protective behavior. I would like to have a "tough" dog to protect the house out here for when my husband is gone, but I would also worry about it hurting the kids,as I was attacked by our family dog (a GSD) when I was a child & had hundreds of stitches.
Good point. I think I will wait & see how he does. My husband just pointed out how last week we were all at the park in town w/ the kids,& Doodle was on his leash next to me in the grass,laying down asleep. Some people walked by, & he popped up & started barking at them! That was definitely protective behavior. I would like to have a "tough" dog to protect the house out here for when my husband is gone, but I would also worry about it hurting the kids,as I was attacked by our family dog (a GSD) when I was a child & had hundreds of stitches.
Whatever you go for, look up some police training techniques. They should help you to be able to control the dog to bark/attack on cue and give up as soon as you say.
However, bear in mind the training needs to start at a young age in many cases.
IMO a good guard dog and kids don't mix. My Rott is a great guard dog, she has always been fairly good around kids. Dobies are excellent, Neapolitan Mastiff are very protective, Presa Canario is the meanest looking, tougest dog out there.
Whatever kind of dog you decide, keep it highly trained, vigorously exercised and socialize it with as many dogs as you can.
A weimaraner is a great dog for protecting family and kids. They are big and have a deep bark. They are family oriented dogs and don't do well as an outside dog only.
We had one in Central America and if anyone knocked at the door he sounded like he would eat them up. I played to that theory by letting them see him just enough so they knew he was big and would then put him in the bathroom before I would let anyone in the house to work. I was never robbed, which happened a lot there.
They are really good with kids but because they are so big, they could knock one over without intending too.
I wouldn't be thinking of a guard dog period. Sounds like you're thinking in terms of a dog that will attack a stranger or someone the dog perceives as an intruder. This could backfire terribly. A collie is a great family dog but will ward off strangers. Even a pound mutt will defend it's owner when the chips are down. And don't discount your little yapper, sometimes a yapper is all it takes to deter someone intent on prowling around, they know the yapping has alerted you and they don't know if you could have a gun in the house, they usually move on to a quieter house. Install automatic lights and let the yapper do his job, lights are also a great deterrent. With kids you really don't want a dangerous breed around.
My vote would be for any of the mastiffs - English Mastiff, Bull Mastiff, Neopolitan Mastiff, etc.
Mastiffs are excellent around people/kids, but take their guard duty seriously and they can back it up.
No need to get a purebreed though, you can find many Mastiff mixes in the shelters. Most people are just looking for a good house watchdog and a mix will work just fine .
Any dog as long as it barks can be a "guard dog". You want something that is an early warning system and only barks when it hears or sees something unusual. Many small dogs bark at everything so you get desensitzed, plus they are annoying. You don't need an attack dog or something that is over territorial like the herding breeds, such as Shepherds. A Lab or Golden and the like would be fine.
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