Need help selecting a good guard dog for my family

A German Shepherd is not a good guard dog.

 
 
This is a joke....right?

A giant requires an incredibly dog savy trainer, will often disregard all other members of the family unless they too have very good dog skills.  They need considerable consistant socialization and exposure beyond puppyhood to be able to develop the discretion necessary in this situation.  They take over whenever they feel the need.  They may require considerable coat care.  They can be very hard headed.  This does not seem to be the dog for this situation.

ORIGINAL: texasppony

A German Shepherd is not a good guard dog.  I have previously owned two of them.  We have a Doberman (who was a rescue) who is the best dog around.  My husband had one as a child.  He is the most protective, loyal and loving dog out of any breeds I know or had experience with.  He is wonderful with kids as well.  Just watch out for the kisses!  Good Luck.

 
Wow, GSDs aren't good guard dogs?  I grew up with two and they must have just been oddballs then.  I found them to be very guardy with the property.  So did the policeman that vaulted into our backyard-and bounced right back out.[] 
 
 

GSD not a good guard dog?  I'm curious what your reasoning is behind that statement?
 
That's like saying  Border Collies are not good herding dogs or Greyhounds are not very fast.  It's their thing!
 
I think a GSD, Boxer or Doberman would be good.  Just make sure you go to a good breeder.

I know the dark dogs may look a little more intimidating, but most people find the scariest in my pack to be the white dog with 2 merle patches on her head.  She has one blue eye and everyone says that she looks psycho.  She is very protective, but is one of the most intelligent dogs I've ever known.
 
 

I watch this so "I Takes A Thief" from time to time.  A "stranger" breaks into your house while you are away.  The owners of the home know it is going to happen they just don't know when.  After the stranger breaks into the house they show you the video of the break-in.  Most people are in tears and (even know they know they will get their stuff back) they feel very violated.  I have watched this show maybe 30 times and I have seen about 10 shows with dogs on them.  Only two of the dogs on the show were even the slightest bit aggressive.  One was a German Shepard and one was an Aussie (might have been a border collie). One ended being locked outside by the thief and the other was given some food out of the fridge.  Neither kept the theif out of the house.  Most of the owners were in awe that their "guard dog" was not a very good guard!

Here is a link to the show:

[linkhttp://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/about/about.html]http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/about/about.html[/link]

There have been many great suggestions and I think there are definitely more than a couple breeds to do the job. I own 2 Dobes and they are wonderful with our children ages 5,4, and a newborn. Both mine are from an excellent breed specific rescue who really suit you with the best possible dog for your specific needs and lifestyle. I have a male and a female. Both of mine are Reds and are Docked but have the natural ears. I definitely feel more comfortable when I leave for a few days knowing that they are there with my wife and kids.
 
 

I have to say that my APBTs are pretty good guard dogs. Bo knows when to be off duty when we are home and he will not bark but if we aren't there he won't let anyone in even if he has met them before. I didn't even think about it when I sent my sister to get my kids off the bus one day. She ended up having to wait for them in her car because Bo wouldn't let her in the house even though he knew her. He growled and barked and was quite threatening. When the kids got home he welcomed her in with open paws. Tyson barks at everyone who comes in or to the door and since he is crated if we are gone or at night you can hear him but not see him. If he could be let loose he would be quite intimidating since he is dark brindle and nearly everyone who sees and hears him is afraid of him until they realize that he is all show and he just wants to see if they have something cool to play with or eat. Sadie is noisy but she is crated and while I am certain Ace will be intimidating when he is bigger but he isn't much of a threat now at 4 months old with his whiny bark and his tail that wags so hard his whole back half is wiggling so much that he can't walk straight. And they would never dream of hurting the kids. Bo and Tyson like to cuddle with the kids. None of them are trained for protection though and I never would. The last thing the breed needs is to bite someone even if they were doing it "on the job" and with just cause.

ORIGINAL: robinkay6573

I watch this so "I Takes A Thief" from time to time.  A "stranger" breaks into your house while you are away.  The owners of the home know it is going to happen they just don't know when.  After the stranger breaks into the house they show you the video of the break-in.  Most people are in tears and (even know they know they will get their stuff back) they feel very violated.  I have watched this show maybe 30 times and I have seen about 10 shows with dogs on them.  Only two of the dogs on the show were even the slightest bit aggressive.  One was a German Shepard and one was an Aussie (might have been a border collie). One ended being locked outside by the thief and the other was given some food out of the fridge.  Neither kept the theif out of the house.  Most of the owners were in awe that their "guard dog" was not a very good guard!

Here is a link to the show:

[linkhttp://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/about/about.html]http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/ittakesathief/about/about.html[/link]

i always miss the good episodes!!
anyone remember the cartoon "Family Dog"? where the thieves break in but the dog keeps failing to run them off so the family sends him to attack dog school... he ends up being so good at his job that he ends up latched on to the bad guys arm... then he ends up working for them in helping intimidate people... i dont think its too far from reality to be honest.
we had a dog as kids, a springer spanial, that would sleep under the doorsteps while people came and went. we had a prowler one night, my older brother got home just in time to see the guy was walking out the back door - nothing was stolen, but our trusty watch dog was snoozing away.... he was a different dog if the family was home and a stranger came up. he almost got maced by the meter man!!
i dont know... i think it applies to each individual but it SEEMS that shepherds and sheepdog types are better suited for guarding live things, the "flock".. aka the family... to a shepherd they dont give a flip about stuff... but they DO give a flip about their family, pack, or flock. Bulldog types are a different story. they are guardians of the estate and property as well as of people. the words "Ban Dog" come from rich land owners owning huge mastiff type dogs that they kept tied with large bands around their necks, then releasing the dogs at night to patrol the property. That is not the case with shepherds. i saw a show on Myth Busters where they tried to do all kinds of things to trick a guard dog.. everything from dousing themselves in wolf pee, bitch in heat pee, giving treats, making decoys.. one person even made a giant hamster ball wrapped in mesh and selephane...... everyone has their price... and this dog seemed more intrigued with the bitch in heat and the snacks i believe....

it  can be like any kind of dog cause some are nice and some arent and each breed has nice and mean ones but i woud  pick a bigger kind like a Border Collie 

A Border Collie would be a very poor choice. One that is wary of strangers would be just nasty to have around in general, while the ones that love everyone wouldn't be effective - my Ben would be too busy bringing the thief the ball to throw, to notice anything was amiss.

A good family watchdog is one that puts up a good show when the territory is breached, without much followthrough. The livestock guardian breeds, and many of the "farm dog" breeds, are good examples. As are the property guarding breeds like most of the Mastiffs and bulldogs.

If I had a need for a family watchdog, I'd look for an English shepherd, a Spanish Water Dog, a Skipperke (sp?), or a Leonberger, depending on my ability to provide the environment the dog needs. I might also consider my beloved Maremma sheepdog, if I could provide the excercise such a dog needs. All of these are pretty much unspoiled by overbreeding, still retain a good balance of even temperament and guarding instincts, and I could probably find a rescue that is evaluated for appropriateness in my home with small children.

As it is, my pound mutt special, a Finnish spitz mix, is the best watch and guard dog my kids could need. She's actually driven off percieved threats to the kids at least three times that I've seen - once a child kidnapper/molester that was in our area and later that week succeeded in attacking a small child. He was parked outside our fenced yard with the door of his car open, while I was busy inside. Maggie was going nuts, practically trying to climb the gate to get him. I heard the ruckus and ran to the second story window just in time to see him shut the door of his car, give the kids one last stare, and drive off. I learned later that week that it was the same guy whose description I'd shared with the police.

The other two times were when she put herself between the kids and strange dogs that were acting slightly aggressive.

So I'm actually not sure whether it's the breed or whether maybe any mature dog who feels that their family is their pack, might make a pretty decent watchdog when push comes to shove. There's probably a big difference between protecting property, and standing up to a threat to the living members of the family - which is all I really care about in the end.

Get a dog for your family first. You said it was going to be a family dog, so get a family dog. If you want a breed that is both protective and a great family pet then you have many, many options available. More important is what characteristics you need to fit your particular situation, (size,coat,indoor,etc. etc.). **Content Removed** As for the bullmastiff idea, they definently would fit the bill but remember that you want a family dog. Too many people think that their pup is not protective enough when it's young so they try to make it more so. When the pup grows up they learn that these kinds of dogs are naturally protective and were just going through their time when you are supposed to watch out for and protect them- not the other way around, they can easily wind up with a overly aggessive dog. Also because of their size kids must learn rules about interacting with dogs. Other than that the mastiff bunch is a great one for families.

Only half an hour of exercise per day rules out most breeds. Your GSD or dobe would go nuts.  Some type of mastiff might be ok and might manage to
"guard" without any training, but you'd have to careful the mastiff didn't decide to "protect' one of HIS kids from the kid's friends.
Probably better off getting an adult black lab from a rescue.

Well the dude that asked hasn`t been back since the first page. What is the definition of a guard dog or is he referring to a personal protection dog. If he can`t define exactly what he wants and is limited to 30 minutes exercise a day he should consider either the breed ADT or the rare Sloman Shield.

ORIGINAL: hdkutz

consider either the breed ADT or the rare Sloman Shield.

 
[sm=funnypost.gif]  LMFAO.... absolutely genius!!