Guard dog?

[aubriee]

But back to the original question - I agree that any large, barking dog would be good. But as somebody mention, with a bird, I would rule out any of the hunting bird dogs or sight hounds.

Thanks for all the replies!

We had the two rotties before we got my macaw (Jonah) a few years ago. We bought the macaw the day he hatched from the egg and brought him home when he was 4 1/2 months old (as soon as the breeder would release him). We kept him in his cage for a couple of days to test the rottweilers out, but they never offered to bother him. The day we put him on his perch for the first time, my male rottie (Tai) walked over to investigate. The macaw spread his wings wide and let out a screech loud enough to be heard for several blocks. Tai almost tore the door off whimpering and trying to get away from him, while the female rottie ran to the back of the house and hid. My female rottie was a big ***** cat, but my male is the terror of the neighborhood. No one will come anywhere near our house if we are not there, because of him. However to this day (almost four years later) Tai will make a wide berth to walk around Jonah even if Jonah is just waddling across the floor from his perch to his cage. When I move, my ex wants me to take the macaw, but due to Tai's age we don't feel it would be wise to uproot him. (He is around 12 years old and the female died a couple of months ago when she was around 11 or 12 years old).

Saying all of this, I think I would still feel safer getting a puppy I could raise with my existing shih tzu and macaw. My boss has offered me a 2 year old female Dalmation, but I'm a little leary of her because I don't how she would react to my macaw. I was thinking about either another Rottie, a Great Dane, Akita, white German Shepard, or a Saint Benard. Which one would be the easiest to housebreak, train, and would shed the least? Any ideas? Thanks!

By the way goofy, how do you groom that komondore and would they handle the Texas heat? He'd be inside of course, but I do walk my shih tzu everyday, so would be walking the other dog at the same time.

 

[nomie74]

I have had Rotties, and now have a 11yr old rott-shepherd mix and a 3yr old pure german shepherd. They are both very protective but also great with my 3 cats and my young nieces. The shepherds shed a bit more due to the longer hair, but were so easy to train. Zane (Shepherd in my sig) seems to know what i'm thinking and is never more than 5 ft away from me. He can really sense when someone comes to the door if they are a "stranger" or someone I know. Its also to take him places because he's not overly friendly to other people, like at the park he won't go running up to anyone and is so focused on me that I don't even need a leash.

 

[Marseeya]

When I move, my ex wants me to take the macaw, but due to Tai's age we don't feel it would be wise to uproot him. (He is around 12 years old and the female died a couple of months ago when she was around 11 or 12 years old).

What kind of macaw is he? A healthy macaw's lifespan in captivity is between 50-80 years, so 12 isnt really that old for them.

 

[DawnCt1]

I feel very safe with my standard poodle. She has a big voice, she's protective but is not aggressive. The purpose of a "guard dog" in a home is to warn you of an intruder, frighten the intruder and give you time to call the police. You would not want a dog that would bite an unsuspected, friendly visitor that you know.
To have an aggressive dog, is inviting a law suit, IMO.

 

[Marseeya]

I feel very safe with my standard poodle. She has a big voice, she's protective but is not aggressive. The purpose of a "guard dog" in a home is to warn you of an intruder, frighten the intruder and give you time to call the police. You would not want a dog that would bite an unsuspected, friendly visitor that you know.
To have an aggressive dog, is inviting a law suit, IMO.

For that matter, wouldn't the bird be enough of a warning?

I just have a little cockatiel, but every time someone walks through the door, she lets out a distinctive shriek. I can hear her when I'm upstairs with the doors closed, so I'd imagine a macaw would be much, much louder. (although I guess the birds wouldn't frighten off a stranger, but it would at least warn the owner)

 

[ibouncetoo]

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".

It must be a, "Help, someone's at the door, save me!" bark.

 

[aubriee]

What kind of macaw is he? A healthy macaw's lifespan in captivity is between 50-80 years, so 12 isnt really that old for them.

Sorry, I didn't express myself very well. My Harlequin macaw Jonah (a cross between a blue & gold macaw and a green wing macaw) is about four years old. You're right that's not very old. In fact the breeder wouldn't let us buy him until we had someone to leave him to, as he will outlive both me and my ex. Our Rottweiler (Tai) is 12 years old, which is old for a large dog like him and it's him that we feel shouldn't be uprooted as he has lived his whole life in that one house.

 

[monsterkitty]

I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Chow mix. She is the sweetest dog in the world. However, her bark is fierce and it will scare you. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are very loyal family dogs, meaning they will love the family and those you allow in, but strangers are not their friends.

My dog is very gentle with other dogs as well as my cats. My Monsterkitty would give my dog a bath. My dog plays with my cat Buddy and has even gently carried him in her mouth.

I got my puppy at the pound. At the time I was single and living in a house in a not so great part of Denver. My house and car were the only ones not burglarized in the three years I lived there. My puppy is 12 and still going strong. She will not be my last Ridgeback.

 

[KimOhio]

get a Rott they are awesome

 

[Rozzie]

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.

:

very wise advice! I so agree. Protective breeds are very loyal, but do require the extra time. Our dobie, rest his soul, Rocky, had "man issues" (he was a rescue, his former scum drowned to drown him because he didn't want to deal with him anymore) and even the Pest control guy became a liabillty. He was perfect around children, women, and my DH.

Good luck with your decision. DH travels quite a bit, and all my "pups" make me feel very safe. Just their barking is enough ward off a full frontal attack!

 

[PrincessKitty]

white German Shepard,

Research carefully if you want a white German Shepherd. I have heard that the white color is genetically linked with difficult behaviors. My ex-husbnad and also an ex-roommate are the only people I've known who had them, and my ex-husband's white shepherd was unpredictably vicious. My ex-roommate's white shepherd was actually a littermate to my shepherd--my dog was a great dog, hers was a nervous wreck who could never be trained out of nervous piddling in the house.

I love mixed breed dogs now, and would never adopt from anywhere except the pound or pet rescue. I have had two more wonderful mixed breed dogs, one a shepherd mix and one a pitbull mix.

 

[Marseeya]

Sorry, I didn't express myself very well. My Harlequin macaw Jonah (a cross between a blue & gold macaw and a green wing macaw) is about four years old. You're right that's not very old. In fact the breeder wouldn't let us buy him until we had someone to leave him to, as he will outlive both me and my ex. Our Rottweiler (Tai) is 12 years old, which is old for a large dog like him and it's him that we feel shouldn't be uprooted as he has lived his whole life in that one house.

I went back and re-read your post and you expressed yourself just fine. I just skimmed by so fast that I got the pets' names mixed up and thought Tai was the birdy.

Do you have any pictures of Jonah? I bet he's a beauty!

 

[Marseeya]

For those who have the Ridgebacks, what is that on their backs? Fur that's standing up, or is it bony like a spine?