Guard dog?

[aubriee]

I live alone and in about a month I'm moving into a new house. I would like to get a guard dog, but can't seem to decide on a breed. I would like to have one that is easily trained (housetrain as well as to be protective). The house will have a security system, but I'd also like to have a large guard dog inside as protection. I had two Rottweilers for 12 years, so am used to large dogs. I also have a small 13lb schih tzu and a macaw parrot, so would need a puppy that I could raise to not hurt my other babies. I would make sure he was well trained and exercised everyday, but want one that is easily housetrained too. Any suggestions?

 

[NMAmy]

Does it really have to be a "guard dog"? Really, any large dog is a deterrant to intruders. My ex is a K9 cop and used to tell women living alone, "Don't get a gun, get a dog."

If you like Rottweilers and have had them before, why not get another one?

I've had many different breeds of dogs--one was a German Shepherd/Malanois mix. Her father was a police dog. She was a very sweet and loving family dog with a really big bark. We never had any trouble with her and kids or other animals--dd was 2 when we got her as a puppy and used to boss her around no end; we also had a small dog and they were good pals. She was mainly an indoor dog but we had a big back yard that she was able to race around.

 

[SetzKitten]

I have a shepard/husky mix. She's a great guard dog. I had her trained by a woman who trains police dogs in Massachusetts. Sometimes the stubborn Husky part gets the better of her and she doesn't obey without some convincing, but most of the time she's right on the money. She's also very loveable and sweet.

 

[Disney Doll]

My friend had a Rottie who was the sweetest most lovable dog in general, but don't even look like you were going to harm her or one of her family members or that dog would have been standing on your chest looking down at you!!!!

Any decent-sized welll-loved dog will be protective. I have a Springer Spaniel...big ditzy ball of fur. One day I went out, thoguht I forgot to lock the back foor. Went to the back door form outside to check it, and that dog was at that door barking like he was going to come through it!!!! This is the same dog that would let my 9 year old Downs Syndrome nephew Patrick pull his ears, grab a hunk of fur and hold onto it while he napped and that dog would just lie there patiently, someotimes for 2 or 3 hours, until Patrick woke up.

They know who love them, and most dogs will die trying to protect their "people" if necessary.

I am a nurse and have cared for many an inmate in my day. Most of them have said that if they are looking to rob a house, if they hear a dog bark they'll go to the next house because they just don't want to "deal" with the dog. Unless of course, you have something in your house that they really, really want, but most of us don't keep the Hope Diamond lying around!!!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I was going to say a rottie even before reading that you've had them before. I think that a rottie can be ideal because they can be the biggest wusses and people would still be leary of them. I know that some can be very protective, but I think the ideal guard dog is one that looks threatening, but is a big baby. A friend of mine has a rottie that certainly fits that description. The down side is that being such a large dog they don't live a long time.

 

[kilee]

We always joke that if my mom had an intruder her 15# Scottie would make mince meat out of them. While her 110# rottweiler would be hiding under the bed.
I agree that any dog- particulary midsized and up would be fine. I have an adult shih-tzu that is only 8#'s and he's very, very protective of our family. I do know though that 8#'s isn't going to really threaten anyone. It just shows that you'll be able to get any breed/size and they'd most likely be protective.
This is a good case I think for a shelter dog. I'm not always an advocate for every family going this route. However, for a single adult- there are so many larger breed dogs there that don't ever get homes. Might be worth checking out.

 

[ibouncetoo]

Well, the police here told me it's a barking dog that will deter and any size dog will do the trick (terriers tending to be the most agressive barkers). It's the noise that turns away the burgler/junkie, as much as the threat of being attacked. A 'beware of dog' sign on the house/fence/gate is a good idea.

Anyone who is specifically stalking you or casing your particular home will know you have a dog and could just shoot or poision it.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Toby was a German Shepard/Husky mix and was honestly the smartest most easily trainable dog I've had. He was valedictorian of his Obediance class.
And he was also very protective of me.

I originally got him for much the same reason with you. I took alot of walks around the college neighborhoods at night and DH didn't like me out walking after dark by myself.

 

[LindaR]

We had a german shepherd. It's just me and my daughter. The key is training, training, and retraining! My daughter used to get creeped out by the bug-spray guy. Our shepherd could always tell from tone of voice if this was a friend or stranger. She would always stand in between DD and ANY stranger and those that we did not like (body language and tone of voice), she would raise her hackles (never bared her teeth) and never take her eyes off them. That was enough. We have another dog (big mutt guy) who would run around totally clueless, but our shepherd never left my side or my daughter's side.

She was also trained (here's that important word again) that when we introduced someone to her as a friend, she would allow that person to enter our gate without us being there. Example: we have a lady who comes to clean the dog waste from the yard every two weeks. We introduced her to Carson the first time she came and then after that, she was able to come into the yard by herself without being greeted by barking and teeth showing.

Training.

 

[Crankyshank]

A friend of the family needed a guard dog because the wife was home alone at night a lot. They didn't want to get any breed that would cause issues with insurance, but they also wanted a dog that could be threatening looking but also a great family dog.

They got a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Mattie. This dog is absolutely gorgeous. She's huge and definitely very intimidating looking (Ridgebacks were initially bred to protect homesteads from lions in Africa), easy to train, and just an all around great dog.

http://rrcus.org/assets/html/breedinfo/index_breedinfo.htm

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I think any size dog will do. A barking dog can be a big deterent. If a neighbor has a dog, that can help to. My rotty mix would protect my house and my neighbors. The size of the dog usually doesn't matter. I know a house with a 40 pound border collie that I would rather not go into if the dog doesn't know me. I also know a house with a huge dog, I would say about 120 pounds easily, that is a mush and lets anyone in the house.

I have a Belgian Malanois mix and she is a sweetheart. She loves people. But if I saw her running at me and barking, I'd run the other way. She is 70 pounds and can easily leap 5 feet in the air without a running start. (She even showed me this wonderful ability as I was leaving for work this morning) Her breed is very smart and she learns things really quickly, if she is not being stubborn. I feel pretty well protected in my house. Two german shepherds on one side, my crazy dog, and two ankle biters on the other.

 

[mylilnikita]

Hi.
I have, well my 7DD has a rottie/husky mix, so he is a big boy. Just the appearance of a large dog even though the dog may just be a big "give me love dog", is sometimes a deterrant. He doesn't act aggressive, isn't really a barky dog, but I know if someone tried to harm my DD, that would be it for the guy. They are a month apart. It is DD, DM and myself, so if someone comes to the door, they just see a big dog come to the door and ask that I don't let him out.

My dog previous to Nikita, was a husky/shepard mix and she was very protective, very vocal. She was the smartest dog I have had. She would bark if the phone rang.Once, during summer time, I just had the screen door closed and she saw our neighbor fall across the street and the lady was calling for help and Brina had a Lassie moment and got my DM's attention enough for her to hear the woman call for help. When I had my DD, my dog was 13 and we didn't need a baby monitor, my dog would sleep under her crib, by her playpen,etc. People came to see my DD, Brina would let them hold her, but she would follow them if they walked around with DD.Before my DD came along, I would take Brina for car rides and we would stop at 7-11 and she would sit in the car and if anyone came near the car she would just go crazy. Sadly a couple months after DD was born, Brina was dianosed with cancer and we had to put her down.

My first dog was a sheltie mix, she was just too lovable. She even let a burglar come into our house, but it was always belived that whoever it was knew her.

My ex-husband is thinking about giving DD and myself another dog, it will be another german shepard. I totally agree with the previous poster about training. Also, dogs are pack animals and they need to know who the alpha dog is. My next door neighbor has a doberman and a mini doberman, and the mini is more protective than the big doberman. A couple years ago, Hurricane Isabel rearranged part of my house and our shared section of fence was torn down and we had to put our dogs on leads because the workers had to remove the tree and work on the house,etc. they were not crazy about 2 big "guard" dogs and one fiesty min pin near where they were.
Even if the dog you get isn't "a barky or growly type dog' just the size and if someone asks if they will bite, say yes. More than likely they aren't going to want to find out if the dog really bites or not.
Good luck with whatever breed you decide.

 

[mrsv98]

I agree that is doesn't have to be a "guard" dog per se. We have two labs, both 75lbs. Sammy is black and has a huge bark. She has scared more than one delivery guy away and would protect us if need be.

Our other lab is a goof ball but very protective of DD. At the dog park, she routinely puts herself between DD and other dogs that are overly friendly.

Any large-ish dog that is well trained would be a good "guard" dog. I too have seen people on Oprah etc, saying that they will bypass a house with a dog simply because it is too much of a hassle. There are plenty of unoccupied houses for them to choose from so they will skip a Dog house.

 

[icebrat001]

Well, the police here told me it's a barking dog that will deter and any size dog will do the trick (terriers tending to be the most agressive barkers). It's the noise that turns away the burgler/junkie, as much as the threat of being attacked. A 'beware of dog' sign on the house/fence/gate is a good idea.

Anyone who is specifically stalking you or casing your particular home will know you have a dog and could just shoot or poision it.

Yeah, my dog barks 5 times and the second the door opens she hides in her crate and doesn't come out until you say, "it's okay sophie".

 

[punkin]

My St. Bernard was a wonderful guard dog. She almost never barked and if she was the only one in the house, I think she would let anyone in, but once when I was home alone with her and she hears a strage noise, she stood over me (I was on the couch) and made loud and threatening growling noises. She looked so scary, I wanted to run from her.

The only other time she went aggressive was right after I brought my DD home from the hospital and we had "it's a girl" ballons in front of the house. The balloons bobbing like little heads (from the dog's angle) and a new baby to protect deove her crazy. She barked and growled and lunged at the windows untill I took the balloons down.

She was also fully house trained at 6 months, amazing my vet in the process. She was the best dog in the world. I don't know if all Saints are like her, but if you have the room and don't mind hair everywhere and sloober in unexpected places...get a Saint.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think you have to balance your desire for protection with the realization that owning a dangerous dog is potentially hazardous. I agree with others that most dogs will be protective of their "pack", i.e. family, instinctively. If you get one of the protective breeds, make sure you train and socialize properly.

I've had 6 German Shepherds over the course of my lifetime and I would never be without one. But it takes a lot of work and time on my part to make sure they're safe around others. The early dogs of my youth were hazards, LOL. Now I know better. My last three have been sweethearts, in large part because I chose them from parents I was sure had good temperaments, and spent literally hundreds if not thousands of hours training and socializing them. I would be devastated if one of my dogs harmed anyone or anything so I am always cautious even though I am relatively sure they will act safely. I think given the right circumstances any dog may bite.

Good luck in your decision making!!

 

[Planogirl]

I can tell you from personal experience that Collies bark quite well and have a good deep bark. They're gentle and protective dogs from my experience.

 

[Marseeya]

Even though I absolutely love retrievers, I'd be careful of getting one around the bird. I mean, hey, what are they bred to do???

My lab would love nothing more than to retrieve my bird and I can't let her out of the cage without locking the dog up first. So if your macaw is used to a lot of freedom, you might want to consider that.

I could be wrong, though. We already had our dog when we got the bird, so it may be different bringing a puppy into an already established home.

 

[Disney Doll]

I had a friend who worked at a newsstand. Half of the store was regular newsstand stufff...magazines, candy, whatnot. The other half of the store was "adult" entertainment items & magazines. The owner had a Doberman that he had never clipped the ears or tail. If the owner thought that soemone was spending too much time in the "adult" side of the store "browsing" he would send the dog over to stand next to the person. The dog would just stand there. He wouldn't growl, wouldn't bark, would just stand right next to the person. If the person moved, the dog moved so that he was always right next to the person. It would unnerve the person so much that they'd buy something just to be able to leave.

It was actually pretty entertaining to watch.

 

[goofy!]

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