If you was to recommend a ‘guard dog’ which breed would it be?

[Chezacheza]

I’m separating from my husband but he isn’t moving out till new year. Me and my two dc under ten will be moving quite rurally and I’m a bit worried about being in my own with the two kids at night.

The dog will be a house dog, we will have lots of space outside. I don’t want it to actually attack people just put people off thinking about breaking in.

Growing up abroad we had pit bulls but I know they are banned here. We never had any issues with them and found them really intelligent, loving funny dogs which I still feel really fondly about.

What dogs have you got that look like they would be a problem but are actually daft idiots

Thanks

Terriers also make good guard dogs as they bite ankles

I have a yorkie. Easy pet, great with kids, loyal little lap dog.

However he is also an excellent alarm. I sleep much better when dh is away as he sleeps on the end of my bed and I know he’ll growl or bark at any sound. Because he’s in my bedroom I wake instantly and can tell by his body language whether he’s seriously worried or just warning.

Plus you’d be surprised how many people are fine with big dogs but are scared of the little ones!

Mind our neighbour got broken into when I was a child, the cat threw itself off the staircase onto the blokes back all claws out, and he dropped everything and bolted.

For actual physical security, i’d get a cat any day!

GSD, always and forever,

although since my two boys died |I am not sure I can bring myself to have another! But I want one...and then start weeping again!

One was the most perfect family dog...slightly favoured dh, but would do as asked by anyone, liked to know where we all were, when the children were small he was never happier than on a winter day with us all in the sitting room, and he'd go lie at the door so no one could move without him knowing.
Once at my mother's we had put the children to bed, and he checked them all, and then went though to the kitchen and flopped on the floor with the biggest " what a day, I am SOOOOOO glad they are in bed" sigh I ever heard and make a big fuss of my mother who pandered to her best doggrandbaby horribly!
Another time at the beach after the summer holidays dh and I were heading to the car and dog shot off...he had forgotten we had not come with the children and was off to find some! Thank goodness his recall was bombproof!

Other boy was much needier, more aloof, definitely a one woman dog, with DD as substitute. Apart from the fact he was scared of stairs and rarely braved them, if indoors he was probably never more than a foot away from me in the house at any time over his whole seven years. He was hugely intelligent but presented as Tim-Nice-But-Dim! :o

If you don't want puppy aggro and are near a GuideDog training centre they rehome GD failures....basically Labs, Goldies, Shepherds and assorted crosses of the above

@AbyssusAbyssumInvocat

I have an Akita. I wouldn't really recommend it as a dog, particularly for first timer. He is the trickiest dog I have ever come across but in time we are bonding and he's becoming a great version of the breed. I'm missing the cuddles that my Rottweiler insisted on.

That being said, he is an excellent guard dog. He watches. Only barks when necessary and could kill ten men I'm sure. They don't trust strangers and are wary of anyone on the property. He also howls like a wolf so that scares people.

Google Belgian mals for the best attack dog but they take some training. I think more than an Akita bit my vet has two and jokes they would never get an Akita.

I've got an akita X Malinois 😍😍 she is far from the perfect guard dog (she's petrified of our postman because she barked at him once and he knocked on the door with a parcel 😂) she has an akita coat,tail and stubbornness but everything else is malinois especially when she streamlines to chase her ball

Used to live overseas where security was a big issue. Security guards recommended a big dog but always a small terrier type too. Big dogs too often sleep through issues, terriers never rest and would bark and get the big dog to do something. They said if it was either or, go for terrier type! 😀

@tillytoodles1 Our Lhasa is a fantastic guard dog too she misses nothing. The barking drives me potty tbh, but she does what her breed was originally bred for. Thankfully though, the neighbour is deaf and assures me she's never heard the dog bark.

Staffies! I've had people cross the road when they see me coming with mine (he's a large one) but he's the daftest thing there is. He hid behind me shaking once when a duck waddled up in the park 🙄😂

@fairydustandpixies

Staffies! I've had people cross the road when they see me coming with mine (he's a large one) but he's the daftest thing there is. He hid behind me shaking once when a duck waddled up in the park 🙄😂

My niece had a staffy, he was a big dog but really friendly. He jumped into the canal one day and was chased by a mummy duck who was swimming with her chicks. He was terrified and never went in again.

My Labrador barks his head off if someone approaches the house. He has a very loud, booming bark. He is the gentlest dog ever though.

Ridgebacks are great guard dogs but you really need to be strict and consistent on the training as they can go overboard with the protective stuff. I’m not sure I’d trust them around the children.

I’m really laughing at ‘sabre toothed powder puff’, @Molecule

I have a little terrier and no fox will ever get into my house. One comes into the back garden and she hurls herself at the back door and hurtles down the garden after it. It's much bigger but scarpers every time! But a burglar? A tickle on the head and no problem.

If a terrier likes people then it's not a guard dog unless it's been trained that different people mean different things. I can train her to stay but guard dog training is not quite in her scope.
That's why the protective breeds are so good. Terriers are hunting dogs and a different mindset.

But a dog friendly dog is crucial. Several of the breeds mentioned here can be dangerous to other dogs and I don't get why a dog lover would want a dog that will and can hurt someone else's beloved dog. I don't care if it's a 'softie' with your kids. If it hurts my dog I will have it put down.

So far she has been attacked by a rescue staffie (muzzled thank Christ) a German shepherd mix (very weird owner and so very poorly brought up dog) and we have had a few snarling drooling staffie/pit bull types on leads desperately trying to get at her.

So a GSD if it's well trained and socialised and you have lots of time for it. A staffie is probably too good with people to be a great guard dog. Akita's are gorgeous but on the dangerous dog list for a reason. I do love them but not sure how good they are with other dogs. Labs are the best family dogs ever but I can see a burglar armed with roast chicken could get past one.

I would go for one of the guarding/shepherding breeds and socialise and train the hell out of it. The police will only give/sell their dogs to family homes - not as guard dogs. So really you are looking for a family pet that can also guard the house and children. But a dog like that needs time, attention, training, & socialisation. Smart dogs are hard work!

A little JRT could be a great wee friend for it too! Extra barkiness! But be prepared to watch as the little JRT bosses the big dog around. And if one goes on the sofa they both have to - the cute factor of a Jack means that they often get nippy etc because they can be a bit spoilt.

Surely you don’t want a ‘guard’ dog just a deterrent if anyone was to come near your home? Start with an alarm? We had a big retriever so not very threatening but he had some bark and sounded aggressive when the door went it would put people off if they heard him but he was a big soft lump really. You really want a dog who is good with your kids and something you feel safe with.

A failed police dog failed for a reason and I absolutely wouldn’t take one on, you just never know what they have been trained to do/couldn’t do and I wouldn’t want to take that risk near my kids. Our dog was a failed guide dog, however he was bred for temperament and brains he ended up very rural to begin with and his puppy walker became very ill so didn’t get exposure to traffic and noise - he was very frightened of loud buses/lorries etc when I took him on however there wasn’t enough time to get him over that before he was assessed and he failed to make it so I was allowed to keep him which is sad as it costs guide dogs ££ to train feed them etc for that first year. He would’ve made a lovely guide as was v calm and a lovely boy. But you want a dog you train from scratch we are due to get a pup soon so will be training him from the start making sure he has gentle exposure to as much as possible from a young age.
Hope you find your perfect companion, it’ll be your guard too as you build a bond. Our boy died in may and he’s talked about every day at home my boys and I adored him

I think Ridgebacks come under the ‘not great with other dogs’ banner, too, @Vodkacranberryplease. They have to be exceptionally well socialised and even then, I’m very wary. We’ve had a lot of run ins.

Same with the big shepherd breeds, Malinois, gsd & Dutch.

The worst bite my big lab has had was from a JRT, though, feisty little git chased mine the length of the field and had a pop!

I agree with @Vodkacranberryplease. If the dog is being walked or taken to areas where it will meet other dogs, it needs to be dog friendly or at the very least safe around other dogs. If it isn’t reliable then you need to muzzle and lead at all times in public. Too many people don’t.

a terrier likes people then it's not a guard dog unless it's been trained that different people mean different things. I can train her to stay but guard dog training is not quite in her scope.
That's why the protective breeds are so good. Terriers are hunting dogs and a different mindset

I wouldn’t want a dog which is physically prepared to attack people. For a start i would worry about how they differentiate between visitors and burglars. Also that the dog would get hurt.

A terrier works perfectly. Will growl and bark, which alerts me in plenty of time to call police, or answer the door- as someone with a hearing problem the dog has been invaluable running to the door when there’s parcels etc. But should someone actually enter, he will greet them cautiously if i’m there, hide if i’m not.

It’s more the reassurance, knowing I can sleep soundly and the dog would wake me if any issues.

My terrier wouldnt even bark or growl! A lot won't with people. A well trained dog knows anyone in the house that is not the family or with the family especially when the family is out or asleep is an intruder. I don't see police dogs as dangerous as they will contain a person but not attack unless necessary.

You definitely don't want an attack dog! Ideally it never has to bite anyone. But I'd like a guard dog to keep intruders out:away. Not just be a furry burglar alarm that might not work and isn't connected to the police.

I can imagine if you have a hearing problem a little barker would be perfect though. Mines a bit laid back but some are very good at making a fuss when anyone is at the door.

@Morgzmum firstly, are you actually morgzmum? Secondly, can we see a picture??? Your dog sounds amazing 😍😍😍

@AbyssusAbyssumInvocat I was I was 'that' morgz mum 😂 a lot of teenage girls on Instagram think I am too even though my bio says I'm not the boy from youtube.

Here she is in all her fluffy gingerness

Spoilt too! Absolutely beautiful!!!! @Morgzmum

@AbyssusAbyssumInvocat extra spoilt these past few days as we've stayed up all night listening to a dog crying/howling all night trying to figure out which house it's coming from 😭

@Morgzmum looks a bit like my eldest Akita only he has a heavier build.

Ridgeback - mine looks the part has the best big dog bark ever. Barks at anyone coming near the house. Very protective of me especially she doesn’t like strange men getting too close to me on walks, kids and women are fine!!

but she’s actually scared of her own shadow and thinks if she barks and looks scary no one will come near her. She will get to about 6 feet of someone bark and stop. Wary of other dogs until she knows they won’t hurt her. She got bitten badly by a border terrier when young. Very food orientated so easy to train. Short easy maintained coat.

Personally I wouldn’t get a guard dog per se get a dog to be a good family pet and if it barks it’s a bonus.

French mastiffs better known as Hooch - from Turner & Hooch
I used to have one very loud bark and naturally protective of their home

Things to consider do you want to take dog away with you in future as some breed banned in places
Planning to use dog walker ,day care of kennels occasional ?
Walking how much

I have a lab and he is a big boy with a loud bark and I do know that he will get between me and someone (Drunk idiot came out bushes grabbed my wheelchair I screamed and dog became 37kg of barking and growling dog did not bite but he soon made it clear to move away from me fast
10.mins later he was placid as normal

Should add any one rings the bell at door he sounds 10 times bigger and very fierce

I do think he also protect if anyone tried to break in .But I can have people in
Males coming in I do put him on lead till they are in and he seen I am relaxed

What do you want the dog to do -

• bark and warn you

or

• attack potential intruders?

Lots of dog breeds are great dogs for warning you, but an "attack" dog requires a lot of training and owner viligancy to make sure that someone doesn't unintentionally get hurt or worse.

Also, bear in mind, if a burglar/intruder really wants to get in, a dog is not going to stop them, and there are plenty of stories of dogs being poisoned by intruders.

A proper alarm system and a dog chosen to fit with the other aspects of your life would be a way better idea I think.

*@Ariela *

Not all collies have high energy and require a lot of stimulation. Rough collies are generally happy to lie around the house or garden all day with a couple of walks after the age of about 8 months. Mine stopped nipping the children a few months ago (grew out of it and trained him not to). They will follow you from room to room though, as they are nosy and love company and have a tendency to sleep in door ways as though they are a big fluffy draft excluder.