a good guard dog?

[Steve]

Get one young enough (3-4 months old) and it will grow up thinking the OTHER dog is boss (unless you tell it different )

 

[Suprtek]

There's a lot to be said for certain breeds having a built in temperament or instinct for protection. However, my experience has been that with proper training and care nearly any breed of sufficient size can be an excellent protector. The best dogs I've ever had have been just plain mutts.

 

[Bflo]

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are great dogs. They are very loyal and protective. They are also brave - they used to be used to hunt lions. Just make sure you train them properly.

 

[pirate]

How are GSD's with small Dogs? I have a dachshund and i'm not getting rid of her. Just thinking of getting a third dog in the future and a GSD is on the list.

Depends on the quality of GSD line you get and its temperament. But a lot can be said for training. GSD's are good dogs for teaching them not to do something once and they don't keep trying when your not looking.

However, if you don't train them and just throw them in with a smaller breed dog, depending on their herding/prey drive, they may put the smaller dog in its place every time it moves somewhere it doesn't want it to.

Can't say it enough with a GSD, training, training, training. They love to work, learn, and make you happy.

 

[Yukon227]

Rottweiler... its all about training.

And if all else fails do like my grandpa used to say (jokingly) " feed em gunpowder and beat em with a shovel an' nobody will mess with ya"

 

[XDinmyXJ]

Depends on the quality of GSD line you get and its temperament. But a lot can be said for training. GSD's are good dogs for teaching them not to do something once and they don't keep trying when your not looking.

However, if you don't train them and just throw them in with a smaller breed dog, depending on their herding/prey drive, they may put the smaller dog in its place every time it moves somewhere it doesn't want it to.

Can't say it enough with a GSD, training, training, training. They love to work, learn, and make you happy.

Our Lab mix is well trained. The Dachsund is 8 months old and she can run with the big dogs but man is she hard to train. I have always liked GSD's but when I was looking for a dog I lived in an apartment and they wouldn't allow "dangerous breeds"

 

[.452browning]

GSD. We have 5 dogs (4 mutts, 1 GSD named Emma)...the 4 mutts don't even bark when a car pulls up. they just lift their heads and then wag tail a little then back to their nap. Emma will bark at any vehicle in our driveway (if we are outside with her, she goes into crisis lockdown mode). she also spends the nights inside the house. she literally will not let someone in the house unless we calm her down and tell her its okay. she will continue to watch you for quite sometime until she can determine if you are friend or foe. she is great with all the other dogs and our 2 cats. she thinks our new kitten is her baby. she is terrific with kids as my 2 year old niece visits often and Emma will follow her anywhere she goes keeping her out of trouble.

she was trained, but by us at home and not at a school. she obeys commands diligantly. i even trained her to know commands in german (just for the fun of it)...but she actually seems to respond quicker when i speak the commands in german...i must sound like an angry Frau

 

[Lead Head]

A "guard dog" in the sense of a domestic animal with children involved, including visitors is not to be taken lightly. If an attack occurs on a non-family member, kiss your financial future goodbye. If death occurs, someone just may do time.

There are dangerous breeds and proven breeds. You decide.

A little yipey ass dog will alert you when things go bump in the night but they won't tear out the neighbor kids throat.

German Shepherds are proven over time, are loyal and do not suffer from anxiety in most cases. I had a female GS years ago. She was a good dog.

Just a reminder. Puppies take a huge amount of time to raise and may not learn to bark (for the right reasons) until after age one.

 

[Dwight D]

Meet Petey, the newest addition to our family. Pete is a registered German Shepard. He is now 11 weeks old, in this pic about 7 weeks, . He comes from East German working dog lines. I bought him from a trainer, not a breeder. All his family that are grown are working K9 units. Petey is part of our overall security plan. Right now he is learning basic obedience, and he is very smart. But he is also plainly very strong willed. It is taking some time every day to train him, and if we are successful, when he is a year old he will go through protection dog training. It is a commitment, but I can honestly say this little guy is all ready family.

 

[warhawk77]

German Shepard is a good choice, my 2nd choice would be Austrian shepherd. We really love ours, she is vocal when people come near the house and very protective of the family.

Stay away from Boxers. I love mine to death he just doesn't know a stranger, came home one day with teenage boys in the back yard rubbing his belly one day. Not long after that we got the Aussie

 

[straittactical]

DOBERMAN i have one now he is very protective over the kid. and he dont like fighting

 

[45fan]

Our current dogs are a Rottweiler and a Cane Corso. The dog that we had before these was an American Bulldog. I highly recommend the Rottie, and the American Bull dog. Both of these breeds are excellent with kids, big enough to be a visual deterrent, and both are very dutiful when it comes to protecting the home.
The Cane corso is also a good guard dog, but his nature leads him to bark at almost anything that moves.

 

[Car Ramrod]

Consider a Rat Terrier instead of a large dog. Easy to feed and transport if needed, makes plenty of noise in the guard dog role.

I have a Rat Terrier, and he hears just about everything. This may also be due to his humongous ears...

I also have a Pit Bull. She is very well mannered and friendly. She is my second line of defense as she doesn't bark a whole lot, but when she does I know to keep an eye out.

I would love to see the look on an intruder's face when they hear my Rat Terrier bark, but come through the window and be face-to-face with the Pit Bull.

In the even that either of the dogs passes, my next family member will be a GSD, along the same lines as Dwight D's post.


This is Steve, my Rat Terrier.

 

[ggglobert9]

Wiener Dog...Attack Trained...best defensive/offensive animal alive! Will defend to the death for a cheeseburger and will offend you with the flatulence once its digested? Heart of a lion!

 

[GARANDGUY]

Ive got some nice AKC GSDs if youre still looking. Pics are in my ad in the classifieds. Theyre 9 weeks old now.

 

[fennsta_78]

Im a fan of Airedales. They have been used to kill black bear, wild hogs and used for coons locally. They are fearless and will fight to the death if provoked. They are wonderful family companions and are very energetic. They can range in size from 45-110 lbs. We have a 55 lb.'er and she's plenty big at 24' inches at the shoulder. She is formidable with a loud bark. It was a very popular dog 70 years ago and has been replaced by GSD's and Rottweilers. This dog has lots of personality if you want something out of the ordinary. Oh, and they dont shed either!

“The Airedale” declared Teddy Roosevelt, “can do anything any other dog can do, then lick the other dog, if he has to.”

 

[Kitty]

Depends on how much grooming and "hair" you want around the house.

Any Shepard (German and Belgian are the most common in the US) is great - usually quite trainable, can be family orientated if socialized young, and very alert but you are going to need to brush out the undercoat and lots of noticeable shedding.

Pits and Rots are great family dogs if you train them EARLY. Young is best with these breeds but as far as I'm concerned there is nothing more loyal to a family than a Pit, followed very closely by the Rottie. They still shed but it is short hair and doesn't tend to "clump". Older Rotties can be hard to re-train but if they were socialized correctly there won't be a problem. Pits usually need to "grow-up" with other dogs/animals, but there are exceptions.

Most mutts can be trained to be watch dogs, and a mix with any of the above should insure a very loyal dog. I'm a mutt girl myself, both lab mixes. Big girl is lab and dane - she'll show you to the silver for a milkbone. Puppy (almost 2 but MY puppy) is lab and pit - she would give her life for our family no questions and she's good with people she is introduced to. If either of my dogs don't like you - you don't get in my house. End of statement.

 

[Armed-N-Ready]

Gotta vote for the GSD.

I have two and they may render my firearms useless during a break-in. I Will advise against letting them near your beer though, they are lightweights, one beer and out they go.

 

[Car Ramrod]

Pits and Rots are great family dogs if you train them EARLY. Young is best with these breeds but as far as I'm concerned there is nothing more loyal to a family than a Pit, followed very closely by the Rottie.

I am not positive of this, but with the way my Pit acted when I took her in, it was as if she had been abused/neglected. She was very hand shy and timid. However, she came around and is one of the best dogs I have ever had. She is the anti-stereotype of the breed.

 

[ruger1800]

If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer with your dog dont get a rott they cant handle the heat, you may want to consider the belgain malinois knpv lines, german sheperd cz straze or jinipo lines.