Best guard dog breeds?

[Fucksandflowers]

Hypothetical, I’m unlikely to get another dog.

I just heard a strange noise from upstairs and starting shitting myself imagining all sorts, robbers, being beaten and murdered with the kids here etc, that’s anxiety disorder for you...

Dog is a useless protector!

Three times I asked the lazy bastard to get off the sofa and come upstairs to check out the noise with me.
Then she insisted on walking on behind me up the stairs...

If anyone has a dog that is properly territorial and will genuinely defend you, what do you have?

[BiteyShark]

When my cocker spaniel hears a noise outside his bark and growl sounds really scary as if he is a very BIG dog.

Then when the person enters the house he goes all wiggly and daft and flings himself on his back to expose his belly.

So my dog is a great guard dog as long as you don't enter the house 😆

[Iamblossom]

My Daschund is very territorial and has a much bigger and more aggressive bark than you would imagine a dog of her teeny size and stature could have.

[Wolfiefan]

A territorial dog prepared to “defend” you against random strangers is a liability. A guard dog is not a family pet.

[YolandiFuckinVisser]

Rotty/mastiff/staffy mix. She has a big bark, sounds and looks terrifying when she's shouting. Not at all scary in person but I'm confident her noise would put off any would-be intruders.

[HankyPanky04]

I own a Rottweiler and she's bloody useless! If you show her attention with the odd belly rub you're very welcome to steal anything 🙄

[HarrietSchulenberg]

My lurcher only guards against cats, pigeons and the letterbox. He greets all humans enthusiastically.
If a burglar broke in he'd cheerfully show them round the house and beg them to take him for a walk.

[mintich]

We've had Dobermanns, rottweilers and German shepherds. All great guard dogs and great family pets. Our westie is also an excellent watch dog! Hears all noises first then has the rottie and German shepherd as the muscle! The westie is definitely running the show

[MrsMozartMkII]

Our Shih Tzu will hear a pin drop and roundly and loudly tell it off

We have other dogs. They're not guard dogs per se, but they do let people know they're there and it's very unlikely that anyone would break in.

[Usuallyinthemiddle]

My JR probably wouldn't wake up. Useless but lovely.
I am too soft to put a dog in the firing line.

[CherryPavlova]

Our dally is pretty impressive as a guard dog. He’s a muscular 42kg, fast, strong and very very loud when he barks. I wouldn’t argue with him if he didn’t adore me. He hears everything as we don’t have much movement around here.

[Fucksandflowers]

A territorial dog prepared to “defend” you against random strangers is a liability. A guard dog is not a family pet

Firstly, it’s hypothetical.
I am highly unlikely to get another dog.
But if I did get another dog (which I probably won’t) I would be sure to thoroughly research first and wouldn’t buy a breed I felt I couldn’t control.

Secondly, I think there is a difference between going for a random stranger out and about and going for an uninvited stranger in the dogs own home?
A territorial (socialised and obedience trained) dog that is aggressive to strangers in the home probably wouldn’t be outside of its territory?

And thirdly, as far as I am aware, a lot of police and security dogs live in the home with the handler and their family so they are presumably safe when not working/faced with genuine threat?

[SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc]

My Chihuahua alerts me to anyone walking near the house,hes very good at acting like a guard dog but no strength behind him unfortunately!

[Wolfiefan]

Police dogs are trained by professionals. And many security or police dogs don’t actually live in a family home.
I don’t want a dog that will go for someone who visits my home. I don’t want a dog that’s territorial. Neither would anyone with kids or visitors.
Large dogs may be a deterrent but a decent alarm or CCTV system is far better and safer to live with.
I’m sorry you’re anxious but a dog should be a pet not a scary thing to ward off bad people.

[Wolfiefan]

Meant

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Jack Russell X Dachshund.

Cracking guard dog (I would really prefer he wasn't), with the loud deep bark characteristic of dachshunds. The postie spent ages thinking he was far bigger than he really is. He nearly burst out laughing when he finally saw him

On the downside, it's part of a wider pattern of anxiety. He's reactive towards weird triggers, I couldn't have visitors for 6 months (between a house move and getting a behaviourist in) when he went into guard dog overdrive. He loves playing with other dogs in the park, but will decide that something is his own personal territory very, very quickly and defend it from other dogs - from his corner of the church hall at training classes to a park bench I've been sat on for less than 5 minutes. I was bitten a few days ago when dealing with a scrap because him and the neighbour's dog met at my front door (they get on famously if we bump into them at the park).

It has been useful on precisely one occasion (an attempted overnight burglary) and it's been a pain in the arse on about 250 occasions. If I was describing my ideal dog, it wouldn't have guarding tendencies.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

My lab absolutely booms his head off at anyone at the door and will launch himself at them if he can. I don’t know whether that makes him a good burglar deterrent or whether he’s advertising that fact that he’s here to be stolen. 🙄

[Fucksandflowers]

Police dogs are trained by professionals. And many security or police dogs don’t actually live in a family home.
I don’t want a dog that will go for someone who visits my home. I don’t want a dog that’s territorial. Neither would anyone with kids or visitors.
Large dogs may be a deterrent but a decent alarm or CCTV system is far better and safer to live with.
I’m sorry you’re anxious but a dog should be a pet not a scary thing to ward off bad people

I understand completely what your saying but I’m not at all likely to get another dog anyway.

The thread was partly lighthearted about what a shitty guard dog/protector mine is.
It’s more of a thread to just discuss stereotypical guarding breeds and dogs with territorial issues really.

To be brutally honest though, if I was to get another dog, which I probably won’t, I would certainly want one that looks intimidating and the idea of a dog that reacts aggressively to intruders in the home, as long as they reliably ignore strangers out and about, doesn’t faze me at all.
I have children of my own but other children virtually never visit and while we get a lot of door callers, we almost never have anyone outside of family actually enter the house.

We already have CCTV, outside and inside the house and I always carry red spray because we have been the victims of crime more than once.

I follow our local news on Facebook and honestly, not a week goes by without a stabbing/assault/some other violent crime.

It’s really scary.

I didn’t buy our current dog as a guard dog, she is very much a family pet but where some family pets are also quite territorial and defensive she really isn’t.
Which is fine.
I wouldn’t ever buy a dog specifically as a guard, nor would I ever specifically train it to guard, only ever as a pet but I would be looking for at least a more intimidating looking breed, if not one that is also known for territorial/guarding ability.

[Kattyy]

Take it from the military: German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Great Schnauzer. You've also got the Rottweiler and Dobermann. Not sure why not so much used as guard dogs. Have also a favourite, that can't have due to living in the city but is an amazing looking beast - the Caucasian shepherd. And all you need is for your dog to glance at the intruder and they will never return...

[Wittsendargh]

I have two Lhasa Aspo's. One mooches about and doesn't really do much. The other one barks at anything and anyone. He hates flies in particular. I know a few minutes before that the post man is about to arrive. He's a great watch dog, but given how my other Lhasa is, I can't recommend the breed as a guard dog as obviously no two are the same!

[marciagetscreamed]

Our soft as anything working spaniel is an absolute angel with our kids and impeccably well behaved.

However, she goes into instant guard mode if anyone other than immediate family approaches the house.

My postman asked me if we had a Rottie, because that's what he thought was coming through the door to get him. He didn't believe it was the same dog when he saw her soppy little face looking out the window.

I don't think it's necessarily the breed but more the disposition of the dog.

[Scattyhattie]

I've a mongrel staffy/mastiff/boxer maybe. He's a good watchdog, I think his bark & appearance would act as a deterrent but he loves people so would likely be excited to see burglar.
I find his reaction (he has different types of bark) sometimes freaks me out more than whatever he's heard would've. Last night he took a dislike to a goat on a TV advert & made me jump.

Its my lurcher that set off the barking at anyone coming into the house but its because she wants to be released (behind baby gate).

[Walney]

We know a Doberman who is very loud and if you heard him you'd have second thoughts about burgling a house. He is however the softest, gentlest, goofiest animal ever. With the proper training and knowledge of the breed they appear to be great. My basset loves the Doberman and they're cute when playing.

[hellsbells99]

German Shepherd - lovely family dog, very calm, soft as a brush ....but excellent bark!

[MrsMozartMkII]

Two Rotties and a GSD here (the Shih Tzu is DDs).

The GSD will bark then hide. The Rotties will investigate intently. They rarely bark but if they do there's no question about what's making the noise. They'd probably only lick someone and demand cuddles, but they do go into guard mode unless the person has been invited in. Not a breed I'd recommend unless you're able and willing to put a lot of time and energy into training and socialising.

I'm not sure what breed I'd go for if I wanted something along the bigger lines and likely to woof as required. It would be fun doing the research though.

[Rubberduckies]

My Springer only protects the garden and back door. If a burglar were to be confident enough to come in via the front door she'd be fine with that....