Guard Dogs

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Bulldozer

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Just curious, how many of us own canines? If so, what breed and how well does he/she perform at perimeter defense? family companion?

I'll be relocating to a more rural area shortly and will see the need to get a dog. I am looking for input from you all to narrow the list down.

Thanks.
 
Dobermans are a favorite guard dog breed. They operate better with a human guard, though.

Tibetan Mastifs are ferocious against strangers. Loves little children. Vicious against trespassing dogs.

Japanese Akida is a breed known for their loyalty. They are completely servient to one master. The trick is you won't know how your Akida chooses his master. He could choose the man-owner as readily as the woman-owner. i.e. you might be surprised that your Akida snarls at you for pretending to attack your wife. :)
Of course, the akidas will repel intruders.

hope that helps.
 
My Akita is a very good watchdog, as she is very discerning - she can tell the difference between a minor or non-disturbance and a real threat. She will bark like mad whenever a person or vehicle approaches, but unlike some breeds (e.g. terriers), they don't bark incessantly for any reason (squirrels, neighbor dogs, etc.) or no reason at all. She's perfectly quiet until there is in fact, trouble. HOWEVER, they are NOT a breed for everyone. Given their dominate nature, they must be thoroughly obedience trained and made clear to that they are not the alpha critter in the family during the first 18 months of their lives - nothing is more miserable than a dog that is both big AND dominant. A little dauschund, terrier, poodle, etc. who is dominant is not that big of deal, because of their small size, but if you get an Akita, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, or a few others, they must be trained well when young and know their place as subordinate to you, or all hell will break loose when they cause all kinds of trouble, like killing neighborhood pets (Akitas esp. like to do this, esp. males), attacking guests in your house, etc.

The Dobermann Pinscher was SPECIFICALLY bred/created by Herr Dobermann for the purpose of being the perfect watchdog, and as such, they are very good at what they do - and more managable and obedient naturally than the three breeds mentioned above. The Rotties and German Shepherds are also good watchdogs, as are the Bouvier de Flandres, Belgian Shepherds (Malinois, Groenandeal, Turvuren, and Laienois), Caanan Dogs, Mastiffs, Bullmastiffs, Boxers, and others.
 
I plan to get a Rhodesian Ridgeback, aka. African Lion Hound. They might be what you are looking for if you want a dog which is stable, reserved (but not vicious) around strangers, good family dog ie. kids. They are the only breed that Europeans found that could corner or tree lions w/out getting killed by the prey. They are decendants of the family protection dog of the Hottentot tribe of S. Africa. They are short haired w/a ridge of fur growing the opposite direction up the back. Very unique canine. If you do a search on a couple of search engines, you w/find lots of info. Hope this helps.

robert

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"But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." -Jesus Christ (Luke 22:36, see John 3:15-18)
 
Miniature Dachshunds! Well, OK, they're actually kinda worthless, but they sure are great to have around. One's using me for warm-blooded furniture right now. They do at least bark when someone rings the doorbell...

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"...and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
Luke 22:36
"An armed society is a polite society."
Robert Heinlein
 
Have two labs. One chocolate 5 years old and one yellow 18 months. The chocolate (Zelda) knows the difference between friends and strangers. A stranger trying to get within a 1,000 yards of the house had better watch it. Just ask our UPS man. He will no longer get out of his truck.. :) The only time we know when a friend shows up is she will give a few happy wolfs and run for the gate.

I don't think a lab is the best dog in the world at any one thing, but they are better than most at everything. Good hunters, family dogs and watch dogs.



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Richard

The debate is not about guns,
but rather who has the ultimate power to rule,
the People or Government.
RKBA!
 
One of my favorite subjects, dogs!!!! :)
I have an American Staffordshire Terrier. Many consider him as a Pit Bull. One of the most famous American Staffordshire Terriers was none other than the famous Petey, from the Little Rascals. Even though the American Staffordshire Terriers (Am Staffs)were originally bred from Pit Bulls, they are very different in temperment.

American Staffordshire Terriers are affectionate, reliable, and extremely loyal dogs with fearless personalities. An extremely family oriented dog who does not spook easily, the Am Staff does well with children.

Being of terrier blood, he will have a natural instinct to challenge other dogs. This can become a problem if the animal is not properly trained out of this behavior known as gameness. For the most part even larger 100-150 pound dogs, like the Mastiff and Rottweiler do not stand a chance against a determined Am Staff. The low center of gravity, incredible neck and jaw power, and the tenacity to fight on even when exhausted or badly injured gives these dogs the edge over the larger breeds. So I must be careful whenever walking my dog.

When anybody fires a round from a gun. My dog turns around and stand firm as if to guard me from harm. It 's quite funny to see my dog do this when we go hunting. :)

My dog also is extremely quiet unless a person approaches my house. He doesn't go off on squirrels or passing cars.

By no means is my Am Staff perfect, but he makes one hell of a pet and watch dog. :) Other good breeds are Dobermans, German Sheps, Akitas, American Bulldogs, and Mastiffs. The ultimate guard dog is the Band Dog. It was bred to be a pure killer of any intruder. Too vicious for my taste but nevertheless, the ultimate guard dog.


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Svt
NRA, GOA, VFW
Son's Place

Rangers Lead the Way

[This message has been edited by Svt (edited February 09, 2000).]
 
Also, in my opinion, the best family dogs are Labs and Retrievers.

Just my 2¢


[This message has been edited by Svt (edited February 09, 2000).]
 
I grew up with Labs. I love them. The problem is that they can be a bit too eager to please sometimes, and then they stop being a good deterrent. My personal pick would be to mix (yes, that is blasphemy, but who cares?) a good black lab with a particularly beefy Rotweiller. It may take a few tries, but you should eventually get a stable dog that looks like a Rotty, but acts like a Lab.

Above all: Any dog can be a good companion or a good perimiter defender. It takes an extraordinary dog and trainer to produce one who is both. The point is that breed is only a small part of a dg's behavior. It provides predispositions, not a formula.

Most of a dog's behavior comes from how it is socialized/trained. You can turn a dachshund into a snarling beast if you treat it badly enough. On the other hand, you can turn a Doberman Pitbull cross into a wimpering puddle as well.

Whatever you choose, be sure to decide exactly what role you want the animal to play in your defense plan. If it is to be an actual weapon system, then do not expect it to be good with kids or anyone else. You will have to treat it as a loaded and inteligent (but not very) gun with its own trigger finger. In short, keep it under tight control.

As for my preference, I like my Lab. She's a wimp. She's scared of strangers, and so she lets me know when they're around (looks pretty scary when she does it too). She doesn't take a chunk out of them though. That takes a load off my mind.
 
I realize that hound dogs don't have a reputation for being the best guard dogs.

If you don't think the "African Lion Hound" will do the trick, you might want to look into "Hounds from Hell", or "The Hound of the Baskervilles."

The "Miniature Dachshunds" that MK mentioned sounds like a bizaar attack dog. The strange appearance alone would cause any hardened criminal to turn and run!
Speaking of which, does anyone know what kind of dog that snarled on the 1980s remake of the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? Some kind of Dachshund mix w/a pug, or what?

The Bluetick hound bellow would definitely make an intruder stop and take notice. :D

robert


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"But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." -Jesus Christ (Luke 22:36, see John 3:15-18)
 
What a topic....its like saying whats your favorite gun..lol...

SVT....Petey was a pit, the guy doing the dogs for little rascals was into pits....also the rca dog was a pit.....and orginally american staff's are decended from colbys primo (a pit), he was the foundation dog for most of that early stuff,,,it might have been primo 2.....a lot of the early pits were recorded with ukc etc, as staffs.... but any more the staffs are a different breed although quite similar to pits, the difference lies in quality called gameness....and size....most performance dogs were generally small in stature, the staffs were bred for looks and type and they got it,,,,,
Just as an aside here, anymore I would not have a staff for a protection dog, not because they dont excel at it, cause there very good at it, far better than a pit bull, but their lies the rub, the media and the political climate being what it is you are taking a great risk with that dog as a protection dog,,,,if the unfortunate ever happens and that dog has to defend you and there is even the possibility that the problem was yours, your going to most likely lose the dog (humane socitey of the united states, (hsus), will have him killed and you will in someparts of the country be in for possibly probation/jailtime....large legal bills....
try a catahoula and see what ya think....anything that was used for fighting anywere in the world Id stay away from.....I might consider---now dont laugh----a full size standard poodle, very deceptive, and when you get into ct; with that large poodle in that funny cut they do, the jury wont be thinking "attack dog",,,,,I would also consider the large german snauser(sp),...its a crying shame about the pits and the staffs I dont think a better breed exists...but with the climate the way it is I would not buy one for protection. also those dogs are not for everyone...svt says his dogs wont chase squirrels, well mine will go up a tree after one, or a wall after a cat, but they'll lick a person till they fall down laughing...also its a huge responsibility and liability to have a large aggressive breed that will go after other animals or people (god forbid), and NOT EVERYONE SHOULD OWN ONE...jmo...fubsy.
 
The best team I ever had the priveledge to own consisted of a male sable collie and brutish healer mix. These were picked up on the interstate in NM. At the farm they became fantastic cow hands with little discipline or training.
Once a feral pack of about 11 animals arrived at the edge of a pasture looking for trouble near some calves. The packs alpha male challenged the boys. The ensuing tactical effort still inspires my memory. The boys won, prancing back quite bloodied, not desiring any praise and high on adrenaline and primordial instinct. I still miss em.
Point being: it isn't always in the pure breed. It is always in the pure heart of the animal. Good luck in your choice.
 
I love the sight hounds. Whippets, greyhounds, salukis. Whippets make the best house dogs because of thier smaller size. They don't bark a lot, but are always watchful.
They are usually very intelligent, very courageous and incredible athletes.
You didn't say how big your perimeter was. Whippets will cover a mile in about two minutes, checking it all out and warning you if anything dangerous is out there.
 
Ah.

"It ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

I forget who said that.

I have always been partial to mutts, however, of the three dogs currently using up oxygen in my home, only one is a mutt.

Khan is the first Bullmastiff I've ever had, and so far I'm quite impressed. 'Course, haveing said that, I must mention that he is the only dog I've ever met who has completely forgotten his K9 training. Sigh.

Meghan is a 22-year-old Shetland Sheepdog who is pretty sure that she does, indeed, Rule The World.

Moira is a Shetland/coyote/something cross who is the only street-smart one of the bunch. Damn fine herding dog. Also very protective.

LawDog
 
We are in a completely rural area here, some ten acres in the mountains - no power lines, remote telephone (& internet link) - no '911' or its local equivalent. An 'inner compound' - the garden, about two acres is fenced in.

The fences are kept by two German Sheps - Mick and Khori. Utterly loyal, stick with the Missus when I'm out and highly respected by vistors.

Somewhere along the line a "sortof-pointer" joined the team (Camba) supposed to have been my gun dawg but turned out he's a pacifist and anti-gun... can't win em all I guess. The Sheps beat him up every now and then but otherwise its quite a happy family :)

Peter Knight
 
http://home.sol.no/~molossus/

Has a huge index on guarding/fighting breeds from around the world. The old standards (Shep/Dobie/Rott) are fine, but if you want a top of the line guard dog, I suggest you look into an American Bulldog, Fila, Dogo Argentino, or Pero de Presa. My preference is for the American Bulldog. Originally bred on plantations in the South, it looks like a pitbull on steroids, is great with kids and makes a good family dog. Good luck and don't forget to talk to as many breeders as you can !

As to your original question :

You mentioned you are moving to a rural area; What's the climate like ? Are you keeping the dog inside or outside ? Do you hunt (birds, large game, varmints) ? How much time are you willing to spend working with the animal (i.e. is this dog to be more of a companion or working dog ?)? You mentioned perimeter defense, do you want a dog with a high defense drive or prey drive bias ? ect. ect. ect....

There are a LOT of choices out there and a lot of questions to be answered. While I still recommend an American Bulldog based on the limited info you gave us, I would also suggest you look into a Fila Brasileiro. This dog has become very popular with Texas Ranchers and is simply put, an amazing dog

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[This message has been edited by MusclesMcGee (edited February 09, 2000).]
 
fubsy,
I totally agree that the Am Staff/Pit Bull are not for everybody. I fell in love with the breed while in the army. I saw one in Germany and was in total awe at the build of the dog. The define muscles and obedience of the dog was amazing!

I did a ton of research about the breed once I got out of the army. The more and more I read and mingled, the more I realized the beauty of the breed but also the dangers of the breed. Nonetheless, I bought my beautiful Am Staff from an excellent breeder in Texas. My "pit" (as people refer to him) was $1100.00 The cost was not a factor as I was willing to pay top dollar for a finely bred dog.

Fritz (my Am Staff) is now two years old. While I know the consequences of having Fritz as a protector, I already have him and he'll act as a guardian whether I like it or not. When I walk him, I am EXTREMELY careful. While I know his temperment, others do not. Ignorance leads to fear. I treat Fritz like a loaded gun.

A Giant Poodle would make a great guardian! Others would laugh at you, but who'd laugh when the pooch is in attack mode?

I'm waiting for this batch of Staffordshire Bull Terriers to reach maturity from this breeder in PA. I can't wait to get the pup!
 
Marley is my 85 lbs lab. He is almost perfect he likes people alittle to much. Not always a bad thing because people have to put their hands on him. The ones who don't I'll worry about. I have seen a lab-rottie mix good dog. Ridgeback are really pricy, but they are great. Thinking about an Airdale. Any opinions whould be helpful.
 
Currently the perimiter is watched over by a 175# Rott, and a 75# black Chow.
If I was an intruder, I'd pray the Rott got to me first........
That Chow is like a buzzsaw...only drawback is getting him groomed...most groomers wince whenever you say the word "Chow"......
 
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