I need a watch dog

lol thats why i like my bullies, they're designed not to give in to pressure, but to push back.. rather.. a well bred AB is designed that way. the gene pool has been diluted a bit lately with people breeding them for "pet quality" ... boo! go get an english bulldog if you want a pet!

Hey guys, Well I went back to the shelter today to look around. There was a massive rednosed female Pit. She was very nice towards my dog but I knew that if she ever became angry that one bite would finish him. I really liked her but she just wasn't the one. Then there was a really nice looking German Shepherd but she was totally wild. Finally I was also interested in another dog (I forgot the name of the breed ) but I'm sure you guys/gals know. Like the dog from turner & hootch. It's a french dog. Anyways he was the wildest dog that I ever saw! What a shame too because he was so cute.
 
As we were leaving one of the employees asked me if I have seen Tony? I said I'm not sure. We walked over to see him, He was a Rott,Pit & probally Shepherd mix. He was a male so I wasn't too sure if they would get along. We took them to the fenced in area and let them go. They played great for about 15 minutes or so. No aggressive behaivor at all. My wife really liked him so we sat with him for a while and he was great. He is getting neutered today and we will be picking him up tomorrow. I'm not sure if he will be a good gaurd dog or not? He is part Rott though and very handsome. We will just have to see. My Lucky will have a freind though and that's good. I will post a pic when I get him home![]
 
 
BTW, No Dobbies at the shelter. Once again 90% pits or pit mixes.

Then there was a really nice looking German Shepherd but she was totally wild

 
Well they're not couch potatoes :-p
 
And the mastiff you're talking about, is called a Dogue de Bordeaux...but they're not a very well known/popular breed.  Was it really a Bordeaux?

Dogue de Bordeaux, Yep that's it! He was very good looking but he was so wild it was unreal. The shelter employee couldn't handle him and he got lose from the leash. He went running up and down the kennel and finally we got him back in his cage. I also noticed that he had several scars all over his snout/muzzle. He must have gotten in a lot of fights or abused? Anyhow, that's why I couldn't get him. He has been there for quite a while and his time is running out. Hopefully someone will take such an entergrtic and wild dog home. He really was very cute.

I have a question and I am sorry if this is me being extra specially nosy - just tell me to butt out if you want.
 
What will you do if the new shelter dog is also a friendly non barker?
 
It's very common for dogs to display different behaviours in the stressful kennel environment than they do in a home.  And it's also very common for them to not show their "true selves" for the first weeks or even months afteryou get them home.  How long have you had your current dog?  It sounds like not very long in which case I wouldn't even consider a 2nd yet... partly because Lucky may yet show some of the qualities you were hoping for and partly because I don't think it's fair on Lucky.  Also - they may get along NOW - but what about when Lucky's true personality starts to shine through.... will it be the same then? 
 
I would also consider the effects of neutering on any potential "guard dog"....?
 
 

Neutering, guard dog,,, I need to introduce you to Murdock.  He is a neutered malinois who works for a local police department near me.  I have been with Murdock on training exercises on two different occassions now.  There is no difference between him and the intact dogs.  As to neutered or spayed dobermans, lived with 3, all were very good watch dogs.  One would have sliced you up, one would have let you in but you would have never left whatever corner he put you in, one would alert the world.

When you bring your dog home, do not allow them to be in the yard unsupervised.  I would even consider a drag line incase you need to deal with some tussles.  Make sure you start practicing behaviors (sit, down, stay, come) as soon as you leave the shelter. INTRODUCE THEM ON NEUTRAL TERRITORY AND SPEND UP TO AN HOUR OR MORE  Local pet supply stores can be good neutral places if they are not really busy.  Since they are air conditioned, you can spend extended time.   Keep the dogs seperate at home when you are gone.  Watch carefully for displaced aggression which occurs when the dogs are on alert in defense drive.  When they can not get to the object that triggered their alerts and will take it out on each other. 

[link>http://forum.dog.com/asp/showProfile.asp?memid=11941]mrv[/link], Thanks for the good advice, As far as the previous comment about my new dog also being a non barker? OH well I guess. If he barks then great! If not then I guess you can't have everything that you want. He will have a good home and that's all that matters. If for some reason there are any problems between the two I have a separete front and back fenced yard. There is no reason for me to tell you to but out as this is a public forum and everyone is entitled to their oppinions. Some of which may actually help others. That's what these forums are all about.

Update.  I have had the new dog "Hercules" home now for a couple of days. He has to have light exercise due to being fixed plus he has a cone around his head for the next 8 days. Now they both bark! Not excesivly but when Hercules hears something he will bark and Lucky follows. Hercules is a very strong pooch and when he runs into your legs with that cone thingy on it hurts your legs. Their seems to be no jealousy and they really like each other.

i figured that might happen. two dogs seem to ... encourage each other to bark lol
my inlaws were complaining up a storm because of their neighbours. they already had a labrador, very sweet and quiet, never knew she was there. this one week they were dog sitting their son's dog, a shepherd. the whole time he was there he would bark at any thing, and got even worse if there were people outside. my mother inlaw actually yelled at my husband when he went outside to smoke and alarmed the dog accidentally.. bark bark bark.. then she started griping because the lab was now barking along with him. she kept saying over and over that she hoped this bad behaviour wouldnt stick with the dog next door after the other left. i wonder what she would have done if it did? ask them to get rid of their dog?
...she is that type. she had one lady afraid to use her fire place during winter because the smoke aggrivated her coughing and allergies lol