Workingdoglover
Posted : 6/6/2008 2:46:03 PM
I'd second the Shar-pei definitely. They are generally in the 50lb range and can generally scare anyone away by just being present. My family had one when I was younger, and we took him with us everywhere. He definitely made us feel safe. He was a big sweetheart with us, but with people he didn't know he was very wary and always kept an eye on them. If people came up to talk to us, he would always be inbetween them and us, just watching. Excellent boy, and I miss him, though its hard to find a good shar-pei now...
Standard schnauzers....maybe...lol! Depends on where they come from. A lot of the schnauzers I see (that includes all sizes, even the giants!) seem to have lost their "driviness". I see more and more schnauzers that are very insecure and have come to the point of fearbiting. And that's just the ones that come in the clinic for treatment or boarding. I'm sure there are dogs that are out there that could still do the job, though. I know there are still giants that compete in schutzhund, though they aren't to prevalent.
I'd like a bull terrier if I were looking for something smaller that could provide some security. They will definitely make someone think twice, even if they are smaller. I know they can get over 50 lbs, but even the little mini guys would pack a punch!