Dogs, whats your preference?

[BlackFeather]

I know its not quite on topic but ive noticed that alot of peoples door answering involves a canine friend and they are the oldest alarms in history along with the first defense...

What is your preference? Do you want a dog that barks more than its bite or do you want something thats going to sound scary? Is bigger better, or does it have its draw backs? Are meaner bred dogs better than possibly more loyal breeds?

I believe that if a dog is your first defense it should be both ultimately loyal, feirce, yet be bred to fight. Most fear the Pit Bull Terrier due to its reputation but I have only ever seen them bite on their own territory which is what a dog should do. My preference is either a Karelian Bear Dog or a Wolf Hybrid, I have been around both and they are exactly what I would want. They dont like anyone that isnt their family and they are big enough to fight. They also arent lazy so they tend to answer the door first.

My ex has a Wolf, Pit, and a Chihuahua and they answer any sound with the chihuahua barking, the pit growling, and the wolf standing there waiting to get a reply.

[BlackFeather]

Feel free to lock this one up if its too off topic but I find it relevant. I would rather see it moved to a more appropriate section of the forums if at all possible...

[troy_mclure]

ibtl!

i prefer a chow, they are sneaky, dont even see en till they are chomping on ya.

[Rocked]

All I expect a dog to do is obey and alert me. I would like a dog that can hold its own, but I wouldnt expect it to protect me.

With that said, I would have a rottweiler if I could afford to take care of a dog. Smart, loyal, protective and scary.

[Xanatos]

My preference is a well trained German Shepherd. Failing that a large Husky or Alaskan Malamute that's got some aggression (most are fiercely loyal, but lack on the aggression).

[Dannyl]

Hi,
I think that a dog is very relevant, and my choice is a German Shepherd, well trained.
My GS, Jessie,is well trained. she is like a puppy when playing with my kid, but alerts me immediately when anyone is within meters of my perimeter wall.

She does not bark unless she has a reason, so I am not conditioned to ignore any of her barking.

With exception to good friends who visit us frequently, and she recognizes them as " belonging" in our house, no one has ever considered trying to get past her.

On that, a couple of weeks ago the mongrel owned by a elderly lady who is a friend of my wife raised havoc when a burglar was trying to force open a window in her house, as soon as the lights went on he made a quick retreat.

A good alternative is a Rottwheiler.

Brgds,
Danny

[Mastifflover]

Whenever I see people talk about how they want a "mean", "aggressive" dog it kind of irritates me. If you aren't first and foremost getting a dog as a companion you are doing yourself and especially the dog a big disservice. On top of that you open yourself up to a boatload of liability if the dog bites someone because they are not properly trained. This eventually winds up with certain dog breeds being banned in towns just because of the negative press that they have recieved. I actually had to switch companies for my homeowners insurance because they found out that I have a Mastiff. :barf:

Ok rant mode off.;) That being said, I want a dog that alerts me when someone is at the door. If they have a big bark all the better. Knock on my door and you'll hear a 207 pound Mastiff on the other side that sounds like he wants to make you kibble. But here's the best part. If your someone I know I tell Hannibal to sit and I let you in, then the only thing you have to worry about is being kissed and slobbered on to death.:D Training is the key no matter what kind of dog you want to get.

[dabigguns357]

Training is key,but so is being a companion.I have the best/worst of both worlds.I have a shepherd/rott mix that i got from the pound some time back.Poor thing won't bite a flee till you mess with the kids or actually come in the house.

[Dannyl]

+ 1 with all those that emphasize training.

A dog is a great friend ad companion, and with some training they can be an asset to safeguard yo WITHOUT turning them into agressive animals.

Brgds,
Danny

[P97]

I agree that training is everything. Even a companion dog needs to be behavior trained. A well trained dog is a pleasure to have. I have three that are behavior trained, and I feel perfectly safe with them to alert me. Part of their training is to be able to sic them on to somebody, or something and call them off. One is a Mountain Cur/Mountain Fiest cross. Another is a Blue Healer. The third is a Lab./Mutt cross.

[Maromero]

Geese are better than dogs in alerting a homeowner. Dashounds are pretty asome as alarm dogs and companions.

[domininance]

for a companion/protection animal I vote for any of a number of Shepard breeds. German Shepard, Dutch Shepard, Belgian Malinois. BTW those are all common police dogs as well.

For police dog's/professional security dog's companionship is crucial, but typically they want the dog to retain some edge, so careful supervision is typically required when the dog is interacting with others. For a home protection pet much of the same training and skills police dogs have can and should be taught, but it is important that the dog can interact with others mostly unsupervised, and companionship is similarly crucial.

I'm not sure about the rest of the country but here in CA dogs really effect home owners insurance, so you need to choose breeds wisely. I love pits but many HOI's here wont even allow them, or charge crazy premiums.

I have a home protection cat.

[jhenry]

I have had Boxers for years, great family dogs who will be good with children. Athletic, alert and naturally protective of their families. My last one had to be put down due to terminal cancer. I now have an American Bulldog, Scott type, which was a rescue from the Humane Society. This dog may have changed my mind as to my favorite dog. It may just be this particular one, I will have to have some interactions with others, but this is the best all around dog I have ever had. Except for the part where he likes to roll in horse poop.

[AirForceShooter]

I want and have had big goofy Labs.
All I want the dog to do is alert.

AFS

[Dwight55]

I would love to have an all white GS, one that has the longer coat.

My uncle had one, and she was as loyal, intelligent, and protective as any dog I've ever seen.

I cannot think of a better alarm system than a dog that has been trained to alert on intruders, . . . just wish I could convince my wife of it too.

Good alarm systems and good firearms make for peaceful sleeping.

May God bless,
Dwight

[Fremmer]

We have 2 boxers. Goofy, sensitive, crave attention (I'm talking about the dogs, not myself). Excessive drool and boxer slop. They bark very well, and look/sound mean, but....they just aren't fighters, they don't have the fighting spirit. Which is fine, because we don't want to have dogs that we'd have to worry about (for example) possibly biting some little kids who visit, or who are down the street in the event they get out of the fenced yard somehow.

Any medium sized or large breed of dog that'll bark will work, and you won't have to worry as much about liability issues. If you get an aggressive breed, you'd better train it well and realize that if it bites someone it's not supposed to bite, you're gonna get sued. Deservedly, I might add. Sorry, not a big pit bull fan, they run around neighborhoods and tear up little kids. And yeah, I know, your pit has never done that, he's wonderful with kids, etc...... That's what every pit owner says after the pit has ripped a little kids body up, usually followed by, "he's never done anything like that before!"....... :rolleyes:

[45Gunner]

I've had German Shepherds all my life. They are very smart, fiercely loyal, great family dogs, and natural watch dogs. After I had to put my last dog down, I said no more dogs.

Five years ago, I was severely injured and was bed bound for what was to be nearly three years. I told my wife not to worry about me, go to work and try to conduct a normal life but I found that I was lonely during the day. We went to the local humane society and rescued an eight week old puppy that came from a Black Lab mother. As we discovered later, the rest of the mix is Border Collie and Australian Shepherd. I had the time to train a puppy and the dog would not have to suffer from separation anxiety as I would always be home with her.

This dog has turned out to be, without a doubt, the smartest dog I have ever had and the rest of my dogs were not dummies. She is very mellow, a constant companion, has a sixth sense as to what is going to happen next, and greets our friends with a wagging tail yet puts on the watch dog bark when a stranger approaches the house. With no formal training, she will walk by my side without a leash, never straying to chase a cat or other animal. She will not go on furniture except the bed and only if we are on it. She travels with us when we are in our motorhome and is a great traveler...better than any of our kids when they were young.

On a few occasions, she has woken us up in the middle of the night with a bark that is an obvious intruder alert. I grabbed my 1911 in search of unwanted company. As soon as the dog realized I was "on station", she stopped barking and fell back behind me. After a recon, no one was there. My guess is that someone was snooping around and her barking scared them off.

Just a little P.S. to this story....I have highly visible signs on the entrance gate that says Beware of Watch Dog with a picture of a German Shepherd on it. Not too many people want to mix it up with one of those.

[fisherman66]

I want a family friendly dog first and foremost.

We have a 15 lb. Beagle/Terrier mix that will sound the alarm and gnaw on a toe and an English Setter that will hide under the covers. Both are enough to let me know something is amiss.

[earlthegoat2]

Whenever there is anyone at the door my little puggle barks a few times. Unfortunately that really is not very loud to say wake me up in the night but it is still a great watch dog feature. Luckily the puggle is backed up by a Pembroke Corgi that will raise a ruckus until she is pet by someone.

Corgis make awesome watch dogs and are excellent with family, take to training well, and are smart.

[peetzakilla]

My preference is a cat.

[fisherman66]

I had a Siamese that was one bitchin attack cat. We couldn't keep her once we had our kiddo. That was the meanest, most fearless cat. I was the only one she'd cotton to.

[Rattlehead]

From what I've seen, almost every dog has an innate ability to become aggressive when threatened - no training needed.

My personal preference? If I can pick it up with one hand, I'm not interested. Past that, more brains = better.

[hogdogs]

ANY THAT LOVES YOU!!!
Brent

[taz1]

several mutts over the years and mastiffs.
all were part of the family.
come to the door--fine
beat on the door or try to go around house were kids are ---big trouble
mastiffs are the gentilest ones with the kids. any stray kid is welcomed, any adult not known will NOT come close to any of their kiddies.
they will also enlighten any new dog as to how the kids will be treated. way more dilligent than me.
as for bg, i doubt a cannon would be more effective. i have my guns and will respond to any threat but by the time i get there i doubt there will be any need for a gun.:D

peetza---ltl bit ( 238 lb ) prefers cats too, but they give him gas. :p

[Hornett]

I have the perfect dog. IMHO
She is a Black Lab German Shepherd mix.
She will bark ANYTIME someone comes up the drive that is not us.
I once borrowed a friends car and was very surprised at the difference in her behavior when I came home.
Til she saw it was me she was very much on the defensive.
She is all black with BIG teeth and evry scary looking.
OTOH, I do not believe that she would bite anyone.
The UPS man can walk right onto the porch and open the screen door to leave something and she just wags her tail.
I get alerted and I don't have to worry about any innocent people getting bitten.
Dogs, however is another story.
She will chase off any other dog that comes in our yard.

See? Perfect:cool:

[Parapliers]

German Shepherd fits my lifestyle best. Bucky is always available to accompany me or my wife and he is happy to stay home and watch the homestead. The only training he gets is citizenship and obedience. I never feel the need to investigate any sounds inside or out at night unless I am alerted by Bucky. He can distinguish and analyze sounds I can't even hear and he sleeps with both ears and one eye open. I sleep like a baby with the big guy on duty.
When Bucky was young he needed about two hours a day of exercise usually in two one hour sessions. I was sometimes able to recruit neighborhood kids and friends to help. Sometimes the kids would come and ask if he could go out to play with them. When his time comes, I intend to adopt an older dog so that I can keep up with him. Would never want to not have a dog friend.

[Yankee Traveler]

As someone pointed out, all dogs have a sense of what is right and wrong. Even the smallest act as alarms, and that will to a certian level disuade an intruder as they know they have just lost the element of suprise. That said...


A dog that is good with kids.
A dog that loves my kids.
A dog that I can bring in public without hesitation.
A dog that makes me laugh.
A dog that herds the cats.
A dog that can tell friend from foe.
A dog that growls at any foe that moves along the perimeter.
A dog that barks to me at any friend or foe that did crosses that perimeter.
A dog that will defend my family.
A dog that will be my best friend.

That said...
German Shepherd Dog. Large, athletic, loyal, personable, alert, intellegent, proven history of all the things I value in a dog. Plus they are very handsome (subjective) and are difficult to see in the dark. They have a medium to long coat which helps with winters (I am a Vermonter still at heart...) and they generally don't like water, wich helps them to not stink.


Ever notice that there are not any wild canines with floppy ears?

[grymster2007]

We had a German Shepard and considered her about as good a dog as there can be. She was loving, extremely loyal and protective. We were often amazed at how she would just kinda figure out what we expected of her, then act accordingly. She never barked without a good reason and if she did alert, I learned very quickly that I needed to pay attention.

She never did bite anyone, but I was very amused when the daughter was a young teen and a boy came over the house to visit her. As the lad started to approach her room, the dog just clamped on his sleeve and held him there in the hallway. I walked by and watched for minute, then told him that the dog insisted he visit my daughter in the family room. After a squeaky "Yes Sir!:eek:" from the boy and a "leave it!" command from me, the kids had a nice little visit.... in the family room. :)

[Delaware_Dan]

Are meaner bred dogs better than possibly more loyal breeds?


There is no such thing as a mean breed of dog. A dog is only as good/bad as his trainer.

[Willie Lowman]

American pit bull, English bull terrier, Jack Russel. Not real smart dogs except the Jack Russel. The bulls will love you unconditionally and the females are great with children. Mine were anyway.

Pits have a terrible reputation but it isn't the fault of the breed that some of their owners are idiots.

One of my friends lives in Columbus has a pit. He says everyone in the neighborhood is scared of the dog . He jokes that he gets more reaction from his dog than if he walked down the street with a shotgun. The scariness of a dog factor?

FWIW I hate chows.

[davebig]

There is no such thing as a mean breed of dog. A dog is only as good/bad as his trainer.

True story. Treat any dog inhumanely and watch it bite everything that's taller than it. Training my dog was the best decision, I didn't have the right techniques on my own.

[Trigger Finger]

There is nothing like a good Rotweiller to discourage unwanted and uninvited guests! I like a dog that can take care of the small stuff on the Ranch when I am not around!

[ranburr]

I have had Rotts in the past. I currently have a Boerboel. Both breeds are Johnny on the spot when it comes to defending their masters and home turf.

[sakeneko]

Whenever I see people talk about how they want a "mean", "aggressive" dog it kind of irritates me. If you aren't first and foremost getting a dog as a companion you are doing yourself and especially the dog a big disservice. On top of that you open yourself up to a boatload of liability if the dog bites someone because they are not properly trained.

What Mastifflover said, in spades. Guard dogs are first and foremost companions just as any other dog is. He needs to spend time with you and any other people in your family, and get the same love and companionship from humans that any pet would get. He needs to be socialized properly around other people. He needs to be trained, and *you* need to be trained to handle him properly.

If you don't treat a guard dog properly, or if you mistreat a dog of a strongly territorial or aggressive breed, you won't get a guard dog. Instead, you'll get a mean dog. Mean dogs are difficult to control and inevitably bite the *wrong* people. When that happens, your dog gets killed for your mistake (which is utterly unjust), and you end up with bills to pay, a lawsuit, and often a criminal case on your hands. In worst case scenarios, a person or some people will die because of your mistake,

A properly trained guard dog is not a mean dog. He'll warn people who are encroaching on his territory. He'll attack people who continue to come despite warnings, or who sneak into places that the dog knows he is supposed to guard. However, such a dog is *under control*. When called off by the owner or anybody that the dog has been trained to listen to, he will quit attacking immediately. I've watched dog trainers and guard dog owners with their trained guard dogs, and the degree of control the owner or trainer has over the dog is breathtaking. That's the result of a dog who loves and trusts his owner. You don't get that any other way.

Knock on my door and you'll hear a 207 pound Mastiff on the other side that sounds like he wants to make you kibble. But here's the best part. If your someone I know I tell Hannibal to sit and I let you in, then the only thing you have to worry about is being kissed and slobbered on to death. Training is the key no matter what kind of dog you want to get.

I'd love to meet your mastiff. A well-trained, happy mastiff is a wonderful sight. :-) Of course, I happen to think a well-trained, happy *dog* of any breed is a wonderful sight -- I like all dogs better than I do most people and I'm not a people hater by any means. ;-)

[Rattlehead]

ANY THAT LOVES YOU!!!
Brent

Well said!

[Bud Helms]

I know its not quite on topic ...

Yeeeup.

Closed.