[bored2bhere]

i would seriusly prefer chihauhas cant get the name right theyre small but they raise hell over seing a mouse

[PrivateSnuffy]

A few dogs you will want to investigate, cause i've been doing some research as well (me and my g/f want a dog when we move in a house).

Here are BAD PICKS:
-Pitbull - They are surprisingly too friendly, unless bred to fight. While they are excellent family dogs, they are very social too, making them too friendly towards strangers.
-Bulldog - Too small, doesn't have the weight or power to overcome an intruder
-Labrador Retriever - Too friendly of a dog, despite its reputation as a "sporting dog". However, they make great house pets as well as hunting dogs, and love kids.

A few dogs that WOULD make good guard dogs
-Dobermann Pincher - Loyal and friendly to its owners, very great guard dog, will scare the crap out of an intruder.
-Mastiff - Same as the dobermann, but even calmer and nicer towards kids. a great guardian, plus sized pretty well.
-Rhodesian Ridgeback - they look similar to a lab, but are great guardians. It is extremely loyal to its owners and family, will go out to protect them. This and the dobermann are your best protectors.

Typically, when looking for a good guard dog, the families of dogs you want are : working, sporting, and herding dogs. These dogs usually are bred to fight off dangerous predators or protect their livestock. They make great guardians by nature.

heres a good site to check out, lots of info on dogs by breed.
Animal Planet :: Guides :: Dog Breed Selector

btw, pitbulls are great dogs I think, along with labs. They make great home dogs. Pitbulls just get a bad rep cause losers make them fight each other sometime, they are really a
gentle and loving breed. Pitbull isnt a breed, but a mix. theres a few note worthy ones, American Staffordshire terrier, the bull terrier (or yankee terrier). I'd suggest for the kids a lab or pitbull, just cause of their nature.

[Lng Rng]

I think the best trait that a dog has as protection for your faimily would be it's ability to bark, it is one of the best security devices you can buy.

My female lab is 2.5 years old, and is in great shape, weighs 70 lbs. If some people start wrestling, or even pretend to fight, she will be the first one there to break it up, and has not once growled at me.

Another thing to think about is that if you hunt, a retriever will serve dual purpose.

I have heard that if you get a "dangerous" breed of dog, your home owners insurance will go up. I would have to confirm this, but it may be something to think about. Sounds stupid to me, as a dog is only as dangerous as it's owner trains to be, for the most part.

[PrivateSnuffy]

Quote:       Originally Posted by Lng Rng

I think the best trait that a dog has as protection for your faimily would be it's ability to bark, it is one of the best security devices you can buy. My female lab is 2.5 years old, and is in great shape, weighs 70 lbs. If some people start wrestling, or even pretend to fight, she will be the first one there to break it up, and has not once growled at me. Another thing to think about is that if you hunt, a retriever will serve dual purpose. I have heard that if you get a "dangerous" breed of dog, your home owners insurance will go up. I would have to confirm this, but it may be something to think about. Sounds stupid to me, as a dog is only as dangerous as it's owner trains to be, for the most part.

you are absolutely correct, and their is BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) in certain states that requires special documentation or even prohibits certain breeds of dogs. Pitbulls unfortunately are the target of this, even though when properly raised, they are actually more stable than a german shepherd.
Lab's can be a bad sight for intruders, even though they are gentle in nature, due to their appearance. I think any mean looking or big dog is good.

[tlarkin]

I have to disagree about your stance on bulldogs being too weak to take down a human. My parent's bulldog could take down any grown man with ease. He is very strong and once he locks his jaw you'd have to knock him out or kill him to make him let go. Is has a low center of gravity and is very dense. He takes out people by their legs. He has done it to me all the time while playing with him. I will get him riled up and he will take me out from my legs, and they are fast.

They are however somewhat problematic. Known for allergies and other issues that come with them being inbred, and unfortunately they are a cash cow and some breeders are not responsible. They are in it just for the money.

[single action]

The best all around dog I have ever owned was a brindle black mouth cur. Great with the family, VERY protective of the kid and a good coon and squirrel dog. Funny thing was, I got him from the pound. the old man who owned and hunted him had to move and couldnt have a dog at his new place.

[PrivateSnuffy]

Quote:       Originally Posted by tlarkin

I have to disagree about your stance on bulldogs being too weak to take down a human. My parent's bulldog could take down any grown man with ease. He is very strong and once he locks his jaw you'd have to knock him out or kill him to make him let go. Is has a low center of gravity and is very dense. He takes out people by their legs. He has done it to me all the time while playing with him. I will get him riled up and he will take me out from my legs, and they are fast. They are however somewhat problematic. Known for allergies and other issues that come with them being inbred, and unfortunately they are a cash cow and some breeders are not responsible. They are in it just for the money.

they are pretty intimidating, i know they have issues with nasal problems and you have to keep their face constantly clean.

[Coeloptera]

Oh yes, I forgot to ask. How much experience do you have raising and training dogs? That matters too, of course. Several of us have suggested Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and as I said, they take a bit more experience and specific training than some breeds. What's your time commitment like in the first 6-8 months of ownership?

- Coeloptera

[Apollyon67]

I would like to mention the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. A very decent animal. They are very intelligent, extremely family oriented, though not generally seen as intimidating, they will fight to the death to protect the family. I have seen Chessies keep themselves between an adult and the children in the family. Start with a pup to get the best from your animal. Either a female or a male are compatible. My second choice would be an Australian Shepard for the same reasons. One word of caution with a Chessie, they are VERY family oriented.

[270wsm]

I have a black lab female who actually minds me better than my children!
She is wonderful around children and other dogs(as long as they have been invited)I couldn't ask for a better one.
My advice is to get a puppy,that way you can train it the way you want to.

[Brother Bob]

What you wnt is a dog that will slow down a perp and give you time to respond in kind. Common sense will tell you the bigger and meaner, the better. Rott, shepherd, pit bull, doby, ......you get the picture.

[nathangdad]

We have two Yorkshire terriers (regular - not teacup). They are just incredibly keen to what goes on outside the house. We can tell from their actions and bark if it is family, a stranger, the mailman, or the neighbor
coming onto the property.

Also, they are really affectionate and it does not cost much to keep them in food.

[Todd Bayliss]

My personal preference would be a Rott. I house sat for our preacher a while back and they had one that their 2yr old son would ride like a horse. She also loved to play fetch with her favorite tree limb (she could carry it a lot easier than I could throw it). Anyway, one night there was a knock on the door. I opened the front door but left the storm/security door closed, and the greasiest excuse for a human being was standing there. Pretty much your prototypical serial killer, but I was willing to keep an open mind. He asked if the preacher was home, I said "No, he's out of town." "Well, can I come in?" We both looked down at Rosie who had pushed her way between me and the door and was semi-crouched in a ready stance. No growling, just a single "buff". I said "I don't think that would be a good idea." "Me either," he said as he left. As far as early warning, we had been laying in bed when Rosie suddenly jumped up and looked "through" the exterior wall, and apparently tracked the guy all the way around the house. She was at the front door before he rang the bell. Creepy. My impression of a Rott as a watch dog, is that they won't scare away the bad guys, they'll just bring you the remains as a present in the morning. Great, loving dogs toward members of the family; not so much toward those who would do the family harm.

[.22hustler]

I have three "watchdogs". A big black male lab, a female miniature schnauzer, and a chihuahua. For the lab, you won't get on the property without him growling. the schnauzer,she see's/hears ALL, the chi stands on the chair looking out with my lab, and wags her tail. The best dog I had for watching, protection was a mix breed, a lab/shepard. On three separate occasions, she protected and stood her ground while watching my two kids when they were very young. A wonderful dog!!

[.22hustler]

sorry, can't get the pix to load.

[RomeoDelight]

Hi, new to the forum but saw this interesting thread.

Not to discount anyone's interactions with a Chow, but I must play devil's advocate.

I have a 4 year old female, quite large at 65 lbs. She defended my house at 6 months old from 2 intruders. Scared the p*ss out of them actually.
There was no need AT ALL to train this dog to guard. The onus is on the owner to train the dog what normal humans act like. Show them "normal" and they will be fine.

Also, know that when you get a Chow Chow, you have an extra responsibility to raise this dog to be a good citizen. Provided you do that, they are exceedingly smart (I'll touch on this in a minute), exceedingly clean, VERY quiet unless there's a reason not to be. Yes, they shed a lot, and yes you need to groom them more than most dogs. But...for those who are the right fit, the temperment of these dogs is awesome, very sweet, very loyal, and very much a guard dog.

As for the "dumb" Chow, I'll use this example: If you take two humans, and one does everything you ask it to do without question, and one that challenges you, who is smarter? Many would argue that the "difficult" human is smarter. Why is it different with dogs? My Chow knows all the tricks, she will do them for me, but she's not dying to do them. She'll do it once, then she's done. Kind of like a human would do.

Please, just know that chow chows are difficult to raise, and as such there are many badly raised chow chows. The dog, all breeds, was designed by humans to do a job. The chow's job was to work in a variety of ways, to be food for humans, etc. They were not bred to be friendly to every person they came across. And THAT's why they are amongst the best guard dogs in my opinion.

Have a new Akita puppy also now. A male. They are great guard dogs also and very similar to the Chow. Any of the northern breeds are going to be aloof, stubborn, strong willed etc. Some make great guard dogs (Chow, Akita) while others not so much (husky, malamute)

[FS00008]

I say Standard Poodle. I love mine.

[CrazyIvan]

A Chow? I'm sure yours is great, but....

[cremley]

I had a dog that was a Great Dane and Black Lab mix. That was the best dog that I have ever known. I almost cried when he died last November. he was always playful and never barked at or tore up the veterinarian either. He would bark at anyone that he didn't know but would become friends with them if I was there. when I was younger, 10 years ago maybe, I was at a neighbors house and we were jumping on the trampoline. my neighbor pushed me as we were horsing around and my dog didn't like what he saw and he actually jumped onto the trampoline and was about to tear my neighbor to shreds but I just had to tell him no and he halted. I don't know if you can find a dog like that, but if i was going to get another, it would be the same mix breed. I also heard and know that German Shepard's are great guard dogs but I am not sure how they are around kids.

Good luck with what you choose!

also, I almost forgot to mention, I had a chow and collie mix and that dog wouldn't listen for anything. my neighbor also had a full chow that he had to put down because it went insane one day and tried to kill his other two dogs. I personally hate that breed.

[tlarkin]

One of my very good long time friends, his father is a veterinarian, and he refuses service to chows and would never own a chow. I have had bad experiences with a few of them myself, and a few chow mixes.