To want a guard dog

[Wherewhatyouwant]

DH works away a lot and we live in the middle of nowhere. I do often feel quite vulnerable and wondering about getting a dog. I’m guessing a guard dog wouldn’t be a good idea for a first time owner? We have young kids. Is there a good breed that would protect and make an intruder think twice? Don’t really like bull breeds.

Do you already have security cameras and floodlights at the front and rear of your property, and other such deterrents?

We do have camera but not the lights - remember reading once they aren’t advised.

Plenty of breeds would be suitable. If you get one from a reliable breeder and have the commitment to train and exercise it properly you should be fine. Just don't underestimate how big a commitment it is though.

I had German sheperds, even mlwhen my children were little. My dog was my hobby. You'd need to want a dog and all it brings.

I can imagine in many ways it seems madness but I do feel a bit jittery at night.

I sleep soundly with my German shepherd.

Shes the most fantastic family pet too but you would really need to put a lot of time and effort in. Puppies are hard work, GSD even more than standard.

No guard dog is good for a first time owner.

What are you expecting the dog to do? Most will bark and alert you to someone in or around your house - unless they poison meat etc. if you want a dog that will attack, it's unlikely to be a family friendly dog that is happy for friends and family to visit.

Rottweilers are perfect family dogs with a natural guardian instinct but they are not good for first time owners. I have an Akita. They are amazing guardians but also absolute pricks. We have to do over the top hugs and "this person is allowed in - we like them" and he still watches them like a hawk with added judgement.

This has probably peaked now since lockdown, but there was a time that having a dog made you a target for dog theft!

I wouldn't get a guard dog. You'll have to unlock your doors to let it out late in the evening, which is somewhat counter productive. Also, a proper guard dog for a first time owner is a bit like keeping a gun in the house for protection - it's more dangerous in its own right than helpful.

I have a golden retriever. Friendly sociable dog and good with kids. Still understands when to be protective and definitely has made the odd weirdo think twice on occasion.

often dogs are for raising the alarm and just making people think twice and you don’t need a guardian breed to do that. For me many guardian breeds aren’t worth the risk if you are an inexperienced owner and have kids around

Yes, I can definitely see that. I don’t want a dog I’m scared of myself! I suppose I want one that would make any intruder think twice but I think the gun analogy is good.

My dog is a Labrador, has a fabulously loud bark and would be a deterrent , is protective of his home but is calm around children ( as much as you can ever trust a dog around children)
Lots of breeds would be suitable as it is usually the noise and presence of the dog that deters .

A German shepherd is a fantastic family guard dog. We had 3 growing up, all at once and someone did try to break in. I woke up in the morning having not heard a thing to see a broken window and lots of blood on the walls downstairs. Nothing was pinched.

But, they are not for a first time dog owner at all.

I don't think I'd recommend any guarding breed to a novice dog owner.

IMO guard dog breeds would be unsuitable for most first time owners.

I have a small little cavapoo and as pathetic as it sounds, his bark honestly sounds scary and you would have no idea that it was a tiny 8kg dog behind the door - the barking should be enough to deter people from wanting to risk it without seeing the actual dog.

Just picking up in your comment about not liking bully breeds… we’ve got a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and I wouldn’t recommend them as guard dogs anyway, Ours is a lazy docile bugger 😂

I also agree with PP - just to add - the typical ‘guard dog’ breeds are not for first time owners. They often require intensive training - for example, a well trained German shepherd is a fantastic protective family dog, a poorly trained one is usually a reactive chaotic liability especially around children.

Was going to post the same. Ours would roll
over for a belly tickle. Absolutely useless!

A dachshund sounds like a Doberman when they hear someone nearby. Intruders are as likely to be put off by barking as they don't automatically know how big the dog is.

GSD or seems like Belgian Malinois are the new favourite “protection” breed - but definitely not for the faint hearted or the first timer unless you are willing to put a lot of time and money into training

Sorry I’m sure they’re lovely just I am a bit scared of them. And Rottweilers!

I like Labradors.

Guard dogs need training to be guard dogs.

Some breeds that have natural guarding instincts include Akitas, Dobermans, and Rottweillers but they're not really for first-time owners.

The best "guard" dog you can have is one who makes noise. Burglars hate noisy dogs and are much more likely to be wary of a JRT than they are a big, quiet breed or traditional guarding breed, who guard their people, not their property unless they've been trained otherwise.

You don’t need a guard dog breed if you want a dog to alert you to someone on your property. Most dogs will bark if they hear/see someone; we had a small dog - a breed you don’t get in the UK but is related to the Cairn Terrier and he would go ballistic at any sign of someone on our property or knocking at the front door. Virtually everyone would be wary when we opened the front door as they couldn’t tell what size or breed of dog he was (as opposed to some breeds which have a high-pitched yap and are usually small).

I would suggest doing some research on lots of breeds, work out what attributes in a dog would fit into your family life, care and walking needs etc and then see how you feel. But definitely don’t get a large guard dog breed as a first-time owner.

We had a boxer who was soft as a brush but great for putting people off breaking in or anything. Hard work though as a puppy and she was very destructive. We also had a lurcher type. He was also lovely but big enough to put anyone off and his bark and sharp looking teeth would definitely be a deterrent. But only get a dog if you want one and want to put the work in.

Also something to keep in mind is how many children are genuinely scared of dogs. It might put some of your kids friends off. We have shih tzus now and they're tiny and well behaved but still some of our kids friends are nervous around them.

If that was in response to me about the Staffy? No need to sorry, a lot of people are scared of them. They’re a very misunderstood breed. Ours is a big dope 😂

I agree a specific guard dog breed requires a lot of dedication, discipline and time. Some sheep dog breeds make excellent guard dogs but, again, only for an owner who knows what they are dealing with. Especially as they tend to be very large in size.
I had a working labrador once and it was the best guard dog I ever had. Really came through for me when needed, more than once and I did not expect that at all. It was instinctive. So I guess most dogs would protect their owners if need be even if not a specific guard breed. Therefore I'd suggest a labrador size dog as a minimum so you feel safe but of a predictable nature so that it can be trained in the hands of a novice. You really need to put in the time and effort to train and exercise the dog all the time. But when you get to the stage where you both trust each other, you'll actually enjoy it.
I'd go for a Rhodesian Ridgeback in your situation. But I cannot emphasise enough that you will need to invest time and be consistent and also hire a good trainer to bring the dog up as a pet. The instinct will be there, you do not want to train this dog to be a guard dog. It will protect you anyway. You want to raise a well balanced pet in a dog like that.