Guard Dog Opinion

[Victor]

Hi There,

My neighborhood seems to be getting a little too lively for my liking in recent times. As an example last week, a bloke down the street was stabbed in the neck and guts after discovering a thief in his garage at 3:30 in the afternoon.

I have a wife and 5 year old daughter and need an animal that can be both sociable to them and thier little friends whilst posessing the capability to EAT heroin addicts, junkies and hippies that don't belong on our turf at the drop of a command. And yes, I have thought the whole gun thing over - they are illegal here and getting an illegal one from a drug dealer isn't an option. Besides, the wife (for whom this protective device is ultimately for) would never use it anyhow.

So far, I'm thinking German Shepherd. ANy experiences? Opinions?

[nostatic]

I recommend a Boxer. They are great with kids, and will scare the bajezus out of most anyone. Our son was born when our Boxer was about a year old. The dog is now 7, son is 6, and everyone is still happy.

Boxers are "hearing" watchdogs (lousy eyesight), and react to strange sounds with a pretty robust response.

[Moses]

Originally posted by Victor

So far, I'm thinking German Shepherd. ANy experiences? Opinions?

You are on the right track. Extraordinary dogs. Smart, loyal and fiercely protective. A German Shepherd will quickly learn who your friends are. He will know who belongs and who doesn't.

Our Shepherd Otto is enormous. Kids tug at his tail without worry, but God help any stranger who tries to sneak into the house at night. The few times that I heard his threatening growl it sent shivers down my spine. Perfect dog.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by Victor
Hi There,

My neighborhood seems to be getting a little too lively for my liking in recent times. As an example last week, a bloke down the street was stabbed in the neck and guts after discovering a thief in his garage at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Opinions?

Funny how that happens...when government takes gun ownership away from the otherwise honest citizens...the sheep become more so for those wolves who keep their teeth. "hot" crime rate now up in both britland and oz...that is, human predators who crash in, not caring if anyone is home or not. In the USA, those states that have "concealed carry" laws, the rate of such predatory crime has gone down. Predators seem to prefer victims they know won't fight back... All that said, I think a German Shepherd is a good breed choice. I'd suggest buying a pair of litter mates. Loyal to each other, and to you as well..You see, it's relatively easy for an armed thug to take out one dog. But two? That's a real problem to the predator...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

German Shepherd, hands down.

Ours beat the living crap out of a troublesome pitbull mix owned by acquaintences of ours (not what we would've wanted but the pit was asking for it). And yet...

[speeder]

I'm biased towards German Shepards, being the type of extreme animal lover that likes almost every breed of dog, I have had two Shepards in a row. The reason is intelligence and loyalty, combined w/ unique personality of herding breeds that makes them bond very exclusively w/ pet owner or family, yet my dogs are very well-socialised. I never read about German Shepards mauling babies, but plenty of these stories w/ other "guard dog" breeds.

I cannot stress enough the importance of buying the dog from some type of breeder, it is very preferable to see the parents, IMO. You must know what you are looking for, it is intelligence and disposition. WHen you arrive to look at the puppies, the parents (dogs) will bark at you as an intruder/stranger, but should quickly mellow out and be friendly once you are accepted into the home by the people who live there. Think about it, there is nothing worse to mess with than an intelligent tough guy, right?

My dog is very protective while inside of the house or car, but nice to most everyone when out in public space. And he is absolutely flawless in his behavior around children, this is an essential, non-negotiable requirement in a dog for me. He takes an instant dislike to people who act shady in any way. He would probably bite most politicians.

How smart is he? Let's put it this way, he wonders what the hell is so interesting on this computer screen:

[toman]

German Shepards are the coolest dogs out there, imo. Great personality, super smart, and they scare people to death even though I haven't met many that are truly mean... I wouldn't have any other dog, especially if I were concerned about "bad guys" and having the dog around kid both. Although, dobermans can be very good dogs also, but I think they need more training and time.

[Milu]

Regardless of breed, invest by buying from a respected breeder.
Avoid at all costs mature dogs that have been "Attack trained", attack trained dogs can be a bit of a loose cannon, especially with small children who may accidentently trigger an attack with their body language. Also to avoid unless you have a lot of experience with the type are German Shepherd and wolf crosses, sometimes a bit unpredictable.

[Nader]

Best dogs in the world! Intuitively protective, loyal, smart, and fearsome.

[Victor]

Thanks for the responses everyone! The kids (Cat, Wife and little girl) really appreciated the photos which is helping me "seal the deal" no end. Keep it up.

A friend also commented that German Shepherds are the "Porsche of dogs".

[Nader]

Looking for any excuse to post pics of my best buddy Grendel. Here he is as a 100 lb. lap dog:


And here he is taking a flying leap off a dock after a stick. They say German Shepherds aren't strong swimmers, but Grendel never took heed of that:

[tabs]

Long before the German Shepard was the Guard Dog of choich the Airdale was fulfilling that role, in Europe, North America and Asia. Airdales have been used as Wardogs during the Great War of 1914 to 1918 as well as hunting for Dangerous Game on 3 continents. Lions in Africa, Tigers in India, and Bear in North America.

Airdales are intelligent, loyal, couragous showing No Fear, tenacious...are Great with Children and want nothing better than to be part of the family...I can speak that they are very easy to keep in the house (they don't shed), and are friendly to people

I have a pair of Airdales along with a cat, which they get along with perfectly. My female is an excellent rodent catcher, and I have even seen my cat and female Airdale hunt together.

The lady I bought my female from told me that as a child she had an Airdale, one day her father wanted to spank her for something she did, as he was taking off his belt the Airdale knocked him down and held him until her mother could come. Thats basically how protective an Airdale can be towards a child. If U asked me there is nothing better than a pair of Airdales to dissuade anybody from messing with U.

[pwd72s]

The "lap dog" pics remind me of a "family circus" cartoon I saw years ago. THe little girl, cat on her lap, saying: "Kitties are smarter than dogs, because they stay lap sized."

[Bob's Flat-Six]

Only get the breed pictured below ( Beagles) if you want to take no prisoners or the preditor is a rabbit, preferably stuffed
They go into attack mode whenever a doorbell on TV is sounded and their not sleeping.

Being serious, A move to a safer city when you can sounds like a plan and a Good Sherperd until then sounds in order. Ask a police officer where a good safer area would be?

Cheers and be safe.

[speeder]

Hmmmm......., "Porsche of dogs". He likes that.


I very much like the other breeds mentioned as well, Beagles and Airdales, the truth of the matter is that most good dogs will bark and raise hell at an intruder, and that is all you need. I got my dog because he is a great dog, he is a good sentry but I do not need him to bite anyone. Dogs that bite readily are a nightmare and a lawsuit, (at least in this country), what you want is a good pet and companion for your family. I still think that a Shepard is a great family pet, but SEE THE PARENTS and know the personality! Just like people, it is at least half genetic.

[speeder]

Oops, here is the picture:

[Ronbo]

Can't go wrong with a German Shepard. Don't overlook the Great Dane, however. Gentle, not very active, but very protective. Their size and bark will deter most.

[tabs]

Yeah but who is going to protect YOU from the Great Dane...when he says sit...YOU SIT....When he says I'm hungry....You Say what would you like.... When he looks at you when your sitting on the sofa...You move to the floor........and let him take his nap...

[Tinton]

I have a German Shepherd long hair. I would recommend them for your situation. But always remember, each dog is unique. When I was researching dogs, the only drawback for the breed seemed to be the tendency to overgaurd. There have been quite a few instances of this for me, although he doesn't have a complete mind of his own like some pit bulls. My dog only guards when he is in his area at home and out in public he is great, even with attention from all the old ladies in the area. He doesn't like children, but every dog is unique. I would never trust a dog being alone with children, supervision is essential.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Excellent point; our girl was a therapy dog at children's hospitals for a while. Even so, she stays supervised with kids.