Best guard breed under 50lbs.

My chow is under 50 lbs and would defend me physically if the situation arose.  Also a chow isn't really supposed to be friendly--they could care less about people that aren't their family.

Definitely ACD. "Scrappy" doesn't quite cover some ACDs I've met. They are hardcore little dogs. Although the Mexican ones I met chose to stay in the truck and bark nervously at the rabid bobcat that was prowling around their owner. I have met ACDs that would have been standing in front of the owner hackles up and ready to attack if need be. They were after all bred to be a drover's companion and workmate in the bush. That means fierce loyalty and fierce protection if need be. It's also a matter of bonding with those guys. Some ACDs bond real firm to one person and if you get that going, no one and nothing will do you harm while they're beside you. They take it very seriously.

It can go bad, though. My little brother was bitten by an ACD walking into someone's yard, and my cousin had her hand ripped open by one when she opened the gate of its yard, and I know of one that took one and a half fingers off a little girl that was trailing her fingers along the outside of the fence of its yard.  

Liesje

I've seen some damn scrappy ACDs that I wouldn't mess with! 

I agree. I adore ACDs, they might be my absolute favorite breed, definitely top three, but I wouldn't get one right now because I really want my next dog to be that outgoing-loves-everyone, non-protective type, and from what I understand about ACDs, they're definitely not the best bet for that.

Well, that's not entirely true. ACDs if properly socialised are outgoing and friendly. I've met plenty that are lovely, and they are a very popular family pet in this country. They tend to get very devoted to one person, but as long as they get out enough and have been well socialised they are pretty universally friendly. ACD crosses are typically wonderful, friendly dogs. I know one that left home because he discovered children were the love of his life and there were none where he lived. For a few weeks the owners would drive around to the local park every night and take him home, but eventually one of the families with kids started feeding him and the owners dropped by every few days to take him home and finally gave up. They knew he was being cared for and was much happier than he had been with them. Over the years he was taken in by another family, renamed, desexed and now lives next door to my parents where he keeps the foxes out.

If you pick your breeder and raise the dog with plenty of socialisation, you can totally end up with a dog that loves everyone, is outgoing, and whose protective instincts will only kick in when there is genuine danger. They'll bark everytime someone visits, but then they'll bring their favourite toy over for a game. They are known over here for being nippy and dangerous, but for every dubious ACD there are 10 fantastic family pets, and it's mostly in the way you raise them. An ACD that never leaves its yard will be a menace, but it's not hard to have a friendly and out-going ACD.

corvus

If you pick your breeder and raise the dog with plenty of socialisation, you can totally end up with a dog that loves everyone, is outgoing, and whose protective instincts will only kick in when there is genuine danger.

Oh, sorry, I realize that. What I meant was I don't think an ACD from a shelter would be the best bet for that (though clearly no shelter dog, nor breeder puppy, is guaranteed to have a perfect temperament). I won't say never, but I won't be buying from a breeder any time soon.

I'm pretty sure though that I walked into a shelter and saw an ACD or ACD mix puppy, there would be no chance of me not walking out with it, I'm just not sure I'll seek one out, if that makes any sense... Though maybe I'll learn a bit more about them and change my mind. Ya never know...

We recently had an awesome tempered ACD boy at our shelter...he was such a sweetheart!  A little off from the usual I thought (he was just SO laid back...I'm used to the "wired" working ACDs). 

I was bit in the face by an ACD when I was little (he was eating, and I was petting him and loving on him because I didn't know any better at the time).  In his defense, though, he was a WORKING dog, not a pet, and I'm sure my parents had told me not to love on him, but hey, I was a kid and loved dogs...lol!  I cried and was really angry when they got rid of him for biting me...even at that age I knew it was my fault!

Well that's what I'm trying to say. I know loads of laid back ACDs. You could walk into any shelter in this country and there'd be an ACD mix in there somewhere that would probably make a sweet pet. Or a purebred. But then, they PTS any ACD or mix that comes in and wouldn't make an awesome pet. 

Alot of mixedbreeds make awesome gaurd dogs.

My bull Terrier cross (Frankie) will gladly 'take care of' an intruder who sneaks onto our property and he only weights about 35 lbs.

How about a Canaan Dog?

 Belgian Shepherds, Dutch Shepherd would come to mind. Some Bull Terriers.

BCMixs

 I think alot of the terrier breeds might fit the bill, but I don't  know how much serious protection a dog under 50 lbs would provide.  The protection competitions I've seen on tv seem to require a dog to bite and hold or at least provide a physical presence that could deter a large male person.  I think that would require some weight behind the bite.  Who knows. 

My airedale was about 60 lbs once he was grown and he was an excellent "watch dog" if you will.  He'd patrol the house if he heard any noises and would bark but was still friendly with strangers and children.  I don't doubt if someone attacked me when we were out, he'd defend me.  

I think with the right training, like schutzhund, any dog can be a good defender.  But, it's that training that is key, alot of training and alot of reinforcement and repetition would be necessary to keep the dog from becoming a menace in the wrong hands. 

 

 

my only gripe with a terrier for protection - and i am excluding Sch. trained dogs because, lets face it, the average person is not going to have one.... - is a terrier is a destroyer. yeah he'll guard you with his life, but unlike a shepherd/collie/ACD a warning bite is not enough. a terrier (bull and terrier's specifically) mean to remove that threat once and for all so he doesnt have to deal with it ever again. which is great if you're hunting, removing pest animals like rats in a barn, or coyotes that get too bold.
thats the job of a terrier. the last thing you want is to turn your terrier loose outside, have him discover a trespassing homeless man looking for a hand out, and be on the 6:00 news because your dog mauled him. in the terrier's mind he is removing that threat once and for all. They dont usually give many warnings signs before attacking. notice i said many. if you live with them, you know the signs.... a person who does NOT live with a terrier or bulldog only sees and excited wagging tail and alert face. these dogs are used to fight their quarry, not just chase it and run it to ground and wait for the hunter to come along and do the rest. There's a good reason people use bulldog types as "catch" dogs for hogs. a hog FIGHTS. a trespasser is just looking for an easy target and probably wont put up much of a fight unless he's doped up on something.
but if that happens... then... thats just fate. the odds are pretty slim depending where you live.

I have American Bulldogs because we're in the middle of 300 acres of wilderness with LARGE predators, AND there is a mental ward in town. so yeah.... i am doing the over-kill thing because my risk factors are higher than, say, someone in the burbs.. AND my bulldogs arent terriers. they still have the destroyer gene but they also have the same thought process of a shepherd.. that is to say.. they calculate the level of threat AND pay attention to me when there is  stranger about. plus the look of them is enough to convince people to not come any closer. they dont wag their tails, smile, and lunge. they let you know from the start what they'll do if you come closer. you'd have to be insane to ignore that lol and since there ARE insane people close by... thats why i have these dogs.

 

So..... thats my opinion. yeah with the right training course with the right instructor i think its beyond possible. it has been several times. i have seen a lot of PP pit bulls and terriers (i even saw an english bulldog do PP, and a dalmation, and a collie) but for the average person wanting a dog to scare the bad guys, patrol the property and keep HUMAN trespassers away should probably stick with a shepherd of some sort. they have the will to drive away a threat, but they wont always pursue it to death.  sure theres an exception to every rule.... i just think the liability is a bit lesser when you exclude terrier types.

 

 

also with the 50 lb dog... thats still a lot of punch! with teeth! again, come off the training course and into reality. how many bad guys are GIANT and well muscled AND wearing padded bite suits and face guards? a small dog the size of a jack russell hurts bad enough when play biting.... i think if a 50lb dog came at you with ill intentions you'd find somewhere else to be. and even if you are 200lbs, your arm is now hamburger and you'll probably not be thinking of causing any harm for the time being.

just a thought though....  

 

 

 The last thing I'm worried about is my dogs mauling some homeless person. An American Pit Bull Terrier is to friendly to be protective and see a human as a threat that needs to be removed. My dogs would be more likely to leave with someone who was trespassing rather then attack them. If you don't have your APBT trained in SCH then you don't have a dog that is even going to go through the motions, even a Pit trained in SCH is likely to only work in prey drive mode and see it as a game. They wouldn't bite a human without seeing a sleeve. If you can get one to engage a human in true PP then you could have a protection trained APBT that will out on command. If people don't want to train their APBT, AST, ect for it then they really don't have a protection/guard dog and are better off getting a breed that is actually protective.

 As for the other terrier breeds (not the bull and terriers) they are tenacious but most are small and can easily be escaped from. I've been attacked by a Yorkie with little harm, the dog didn't want to let go of my pant leg but as you imagine not much damage it could really do. I think many are more about bark and don't go straight to attack a human trespasser/intruder. I think they will if they have to because they are fearless little dogs, but a lot of time you get a good warning sign, like loud barking and them lunging forward at you. 

Spicy_Bulldog

I think many are more about bark and don't go straight to attack a human trespasser/intruder.

 

Absolutely. You WANT a protection dog to bark...and IMO a barking dog is much less a threat to harm you bodliy that a stealthy no advertsiing breed like a Chow or Akita which actually get QUIET and STALK...LOL. Now THAT could turn out badly for the meterman. But if a Kerry Blue is barking fit to break windows...and YOU climb over the fence anyhow...oh well.

Spicy_Bulldog

An American Pit Bull Terrier is to friendly to be protective and see a human as a threat that needs to be removed. My dogs would be more likely to leave with someone who was trespassing rather then attack them.

 

i agree, and again a good reason why pits arent considered good PP/guards by people who deal with them 24/7. in a pits natural setting he loves people and hates what ever target you train him to destroy. be it dog/hog/person or ball. if you say get it he will stop at nothing to please you.

 

If you don't have your APBT trained in SCH then you don't have a dog that is even going to go through the motions,

not true.

even a Pit trained in SCH is likely to only work in prey drive mode and see it as a game.

exactly, the prey thing is what makes me nervous about using a bull and terrier, or even a terrier type. they arent protecting you. they're hunting for you.

 

If you can get one to engage a human in true PP then you could have a protection trained APBT that will out on command.

but when they hit that frenzy - i dont know your experience just that you own them, but dont know if youve ever had one go into the mad frenzy when they get into a fight or excited over something - where nothing you say or do will penetrate their heads... i've seen it with pits, amstaffs AND american bulldogs. its horrible and scary and death often occurs whether that was your intention or not. Its the struggle that causes the frenzy to rip the prey apart. if some nutty homeless guy comes at you demanding something and your Sch. trained pit bull does his job properly then he's going to make the guy back off. if it results in the dog biting the man then obviously the man is going to freak out and try to get away or fight back. THAT is when the pit bull gets the reputation of locking jaws. I'm sure most of them out on command, but its not a risk i would ever be willing to take with a bull and terrier.

this also reminds me, years and years ago there was a show on tv - like americas most wanted i think - this woman was mauled by her own dog, a pit bull. she and her husband had this dog since it was a pup. for some reason her husband decided he wanted to kill his wife and let the reputation of  "mad pit bulls" take the heat.... he secretly trained this dog to attack on command. apparently he did it rather professionally and used a sleeve and other training implements. since it was so long ago that i saw this i dont remember all the details but pretty much he left the house (alibi) and came back to police cars and dead wife and bloodied dog. i dont know how he managed that...

there was some sort of clue or tip off that lead the police to test the dog... because to look at him he was friendly, loving, and happy to be around people...... until he saw the sleeve and heard the command. then he was a killer. as a result he had to be put down. i wish i could find that article...

 

If people don't want to train their APBT, AST, ect for it then they really don't have a protection/guard dog and are better off getting a breed that is actually protective.

thats where a lot of people argue about their pits and amstaffs as protection dogs. they think because the dog wont let a stranger in the yard, or within leash length then the dog is protective. many people encourage that and they feel safe with a dog like that. the problem i see is...... they havent got a clue what that dog is really capable of.

so in short, trained or not, i'd never feel 100% with a bull and terrier as a protection dog. i feel like they'll either fail to protect and do the happy dance for the bad guy, or go overboard and shred someone just because they invaded my personal space. 

rwbeagles

Spicy_Bulldog

I think many are more about bark and don't go straight to attack a human trespasser/intruder.

 

Absolutely. You WANT a protection dog to bark...and IMO a barking dog is much less a threat to harm you bodliy that a stealthy no advertsiing breed like a Chow or Akita which actually get QUIET and STALK...LOL. Now THAT could turn out badly for the meterman. But if a Kerry Blue is barking fit to break windows...and YOU climb over the fence anyhow...oh well.

 

that hasnt been my experience! lol  i guess its likely if you know the dog's body language you can tell if its bluffing, barking and retreating, or has its ears back and is looking around nervously.... and i know my bull dogs arent terriers, but if they bark at you, you'd be advised not to call their bluff.

still, not something i would want to risk.