Guard dog?

How many of you have a dog specifically to guard your yard?
Breed? Gender? Does it bother your bulldogs at all? Is there a trick to keeping the guard dog away from the others but still around them so he can do his job?


I have wanted this guy for a long time, regardless of whether or not he'd work out as a guard dog. However, if he could be used as a detterent then all the better!












Wouldn't you be scared of this 90 pounder charging at you?! lol

He is definitely iffy about strangers. He will bite anyone who approaches him that he isn't sure about ...and while I usually don't like that in a dog, he is the biggest baby with me and people he knows. He is just insecure and has learned that barking or growling will scare off people that he is scared of. What are your opinions on this kind of temperament? Obviously in pit bull type dogs, this would be unacceptable but for a guard dog of another breed, what do you think?

Anyway, he is neutered and good with dogs. In fact, his nickname is "Uncle Colby" at the shelter because he does so well with everyone but especially pups. He usually just ignores the other dogs BUT I would think if another dog threatened him, he'd do something about it... he hasn't showed that dominant, "I won't back down" side of him before but then again, I don't think he has ever been challenged by another dog (smart dogs, lol!).

 

I dont know ,I dont think I would own a dog that I really believed would bite someone just because he doesnt know them.Especially a breed such as the rotti,they can be very head strong and stuborn.I do understand wanting a dog to guard your yard though,Thats what My Aussie was supposed to be ,but well..........:rolleyes: I myself am saving to buy a guard dog,I think a rotti though the husband's pushing for a dobbie.I too am hoping that the dog barking and its looks will be enough to deter people.I think that a dog that you know for sure would bite out of fear of strangers is not stable,but thats just me ,I guess if you feel confident that you have the time and ambition to work with the dog you should try.Just as long as you take the proper precautions (which I know I dont have to spell out for you)And realize that the point may come where you have to admitt that the dog is beyond help and stll be able to do what needs to be done ,regardless of the bond you have with the dog.BTW,he's nice looking,Is he purebred ?And i'm assuming that he is a shelter dog,if so ,do you know why he ended up there?

 

I like him , he looks good , and as far as bitting a stranger is concearned , maybee he is just suspicious , I don't think he is afraid , because he is a big boy and I haven't seen many rotties who while bite someone because they are afraid, most of all because they are very protective. Is he yours or a friend of yours ? He could show signs of fear if he was abused. Hope it turns out for you , and you could always take a test to see how he acts, food agression, HA , DA , etc etc etc.. , but from you told us he seems ok for a guard dog on a closed in property.

 

Chloe, I think I made him sound worse than he is. He is only aggressive towards men and iffy about kids he doesn't know (with those he does know he is a complete baby) but I've worked with him and it's managable. That is why I believe he could make an amazing pet, if given the chance. Like I said, he is insecure and that could be fixed easily if he was in the right environment ...and we all know a shelter isn't the right environment, at all. I don't know how he ended up homeless. Before he came to this no-kill shelter, he was at an out-of-home rescue that had to shut down due to noise complaints from neighbors. That was 4 years ago and Colby was only about 16 months old at the time.

Koening, I think he is afraid AND being protective. Sometimes it's more of one than the other though. I do think he was abused. I used a choke on him one time, because I figured with his size I needed it, and if I pulled on it too hard or quickly he became very fearful of me, like I was going to hit him.
I have tested him in different areas, like food. He is food aggressive for sure but I fixed that easily. At the begining I couldn't get my hand too close to his bone without him raising his lips... but in just a minute of correcting him (jerk of the leash, take it and give it back) he would let me stick my hand all the way in his mouth to retrieve it. Everyone around me was freaking out, thinking I'd get bit ....and then grossing out about my hand being covered in slime lol.

Colby is a good boy. I love him and just look at that face! It's too cute ...but I'd think scary to an intruder, no? When I first met him, he was crated (where he becomes somewhat fear aggressive) and I have to admit I was slightly nervous. I have NEVER been scared of a dog in my life. Ever. So that was a big deal to me.

 

Well then , it's seems that he is a smart and easy to train dog. If you think you are up to the challenge , i don't see why you can't rescue him, but be also carefull because he is a big dog and can deliver quite a punch. Best of luck !

 

my grandfather had SCH and PP trained GSD's when i was a small child. different times but guard dogs in the right situations can do well. one dog he had helped keep his building from becoming a crack house. he patrolled, he gaurded, he protected the tenants. he had a rep as a hard ass dog who had bitten many a trespasser as my grandaddy's assistant super. but again diff days. these days you're laible to get sued if it isnt an extreme situation. i like rotti's though. beautiful working dogs in their own right. i can respect that. they are a liability if not trained right or unstalbe from ill breeding or mishandling as posted by others so thats somethign to consider.

 

I've got a Rottweiler (who started Schutzhund training under the police K9 handler that bred her) and a Dogo Argentino.

However, mind you neither of them have had actual Schutzhund training (advanced) or PP training. And both of them have been and are socialized. But seeing as they are guardian breeds by nature, I allow them free reign to work off their instincts within reason.

When outside, there is a chain spot in front of each gate into the back yard (1 is by the front of the house, then other in the far back corner). Annabelle and Butch own those spots. When the dogs are all kenneled inside, Butch is loose in the house and due to some recent events, Annabelle will now be joining him.

IMO having a poorly bred PP dog or some street trained Sch. dog is an enormous liability that will cost you one day.

Ultimately though, I am responsible for all my dogs and their safety.

 

I have Mal's and dutch shepards as personnal protection dogs and let them also run my inclosed yard. My pits only run when everything else is up and then by themselves. I think you can have any combo of dogs you wish as long as you have proper containment for seperation

 

Why would you fool with this dog, obviously poorly bred. This dog has been injured,,,,look's as if the dog had a tplo or some type of surgical proceedure. IMO the dog is ruined and only should be kept as a pet.

As far being a pet,that dog is not pet qaulity from what you describe. He is a liability to you and you parents....He is a liability where ever this dog is housed.


I understand your want to to save the world or the ones you can....You should pass on this one. There are plenty others out there that are suitable for placement.

Good luck

 

Good post, Mia. I find myself saying that a lot

I do not have a guard dog but I have a PP/sport dog in training, my Boxer. As he continues to mature, he will be trained to recognize threat vs non-threat as well as extreme control in ALL situations. Best part of this particular dog, and any GOOD PP dog IMO, is that he is very friendly with people outside of my home and visitors that I personally welcome into my home. He adores children regardless of the situation (at home or away from home) and is very gentle with them, even at a young age.

While the dog you posted would certainly be a visual deterrent, I agree with the others that an insecure, fear aggressive dog is just too much of a liability.

 

I don't have a guard dog but I do have an alarm dog LOL. He's our early warning system if somethings not quite up to par. We adopted him @ 11 months of age when a neighbor told us that his family was going to send him to the SPCA. We were told he was a Husky/Lab, others have said he looks part wolf :rolleyes: (don't all husky types). The owners sent us home with his cable tie out and a half bag of Ol' Roy :eek:

He has great vocal talents that he uses on a regular basis, when a car comes up the road, or when a moose walks out of the bush etc. If Stranger barks, you take a look LOL, but we live in the middle of nowhere on a dead end bush road surrounded by crown land. The only way to get to our property is off the road, unless your a bush man, so our alarm systems works quite well for us.

Then again, he is a large black dog with a large dogs bark, people seem to respect his territory for some reason. It's our little secret that he is a total teddy bear and it's all an act.

 

Shepard / shepard mixes work well. Make sure what ever dog you use, has enough room to "guard", without coming into contact with d/a dogs. Leave him enough space to avoid the d/a dogs , and he probably will.

 

You're probably right Simms, but I wanted to get opinions on the temperament and use of guard dogs ...whether or not I should adopt this guy wasn't really what I wanted to know, though I appreciate the opinion. (BTW, my parent wouldn't be liable because this is something I was thinking about after I move out.)

Yes, he has had some health issues (due to poor breeding, not injuries) and needed surgery. I probably won't take him simply because of the fact that he will probably require more (very expensive) surgeries in the future and I don't think I will be able to afford it. That is something of concern to me, unlike his aggression which I can work on.


Anyway, I'd still like to hear what y'all have to say about guard dogs or about the temperament of guarding breeds. I don't know much about any other breed except the APBT, lol.

 

A friend of mine has a Anatolian Shepard Dog gaurding his yard. The dog is huge and his bark can probably be heard for miles. So far no strangers have went on his yard.

 

I have not read any replies, but in regards to the OP.....

I do not think the "Rotti" is in any better shape then the APBT..they both are victims of BSL everyday everywhere....

I guess, in saying thta..there is NEVER anything wrong with that of a gurad dog, but guard dogs do not just bite someone because he dont know them...that to me would be HA....and thinking that he/she is alpha....I would say that is a problem...and not good for the breed, or anybody for that matter!

 

LOL..I know what you mean, got one of those here too..but he is small, (25lbs) but folks are afraid of him...LOL

 

I had a beautiful female GSD who this description reminds me of...sweet angel eyes and the biggest love bug, but her stranger aggression was really scary and it got worse as she got older. She never bit anyone (well- she nipped a friend who reached over our fence once to pet her but it was superficial and we considered that just being "protective"), but by the time she reached the age of 2 1/2 she was exhibiting intense jealously as well as stranger aggression- toward people and our other dogs. As sweet as she was to us -and I can't express how much this sucked- I made the ultimate decision to have her PTS last summer. There's a fine line between harmless quirkiness or being "protective" (I find people use that term WAY too loosely though) in a dog's temperament and instability.

Does this dog seem set in his way or unstable? Do you want a dog who may or may not let someone in to feed him if you can't be there in an emergency? Can you guarantee (100%) that all people/visitors/children at your home would be safe around this dog? These are just a few questions I'd be sure to answer before you commit.

Good luck!

 

English Mastiff. Female.

Plays with the select bulldogs I let her. She was raised with one, and has an identity crisis in that department. She does not know, she is not a 130 lb. APBT. She loves to wrestle and roll with the dogs. If push comes to shove, she might as well be a big, brindle APBT. A lifetime of soft-mouthed play wrestling with an APBT, has ingrained her to hit her marks, hang on and shake. I'm telling you, this bitch works a springpole like nothing you've ever seen, when I had one up. She spent a few months/years watching the bulldogs do their thing, and decided out of the blue she was going to grab the pup playing with it, toss his ass off, and play with it. She did just that, and I snatched the other dog and ran for my life. That damn spring was a foot from the ground, and it was just a matter of time before something broke. She shook, and shook, and pulled, and shook while I stood back in awe, and tried to call her off. Nope. Eventually, I had to get a stick out to get her off. When I did, the spring was stretched out to about 10' length with no resistance. She had all four feet on the ground, imagine if I had it hanging higher! She never did play with it too often, but when she did, oh man those springs didn't last long.

For natural gaurding instincts, I have seen none better. Her judgement, is better than mine. It's tough for humans to distinguish a goodbullshiter from an honest person, she doesn't have that problem. With children or friendly visitors, she is a push-over baby doll with painted fingernails (honestly). Someone intruding, uninvited, or unwelcome, is in serious trouble. She has been socialized from day one, and has never actually put teeth in anyone. I have seen, she is willing, but has not been pushed to that point yet. The few times she's found an intruder, she will back them up, hold them from only a few inches away looking like Cujo, while alerting me to their presence. If they are smart, she will allow them to leave the yard. If they stay, I walk out, and she takes a few steps back to let me handle it. She stands at my side, and is pounced to move if anything goes wrong.

I prefer this, to a dog who will simply bite strangers, as she has ran-up a few people that were in the wrong, but did not deserve to be bitten. What I mean, is meter men who instead of coming in the drive from the front, will park at the neighbors, and hop the fence at 5 a.m. to our meter, walk through the backyard without our knowledge, and leave the same way. That, and similar scenarios is what I mean by "in the wrong, but not really deserving to be bitten". A dog putting teeth in a person is a huge deal. It's traumatic to be bitten by an animal, it's dangerous to have your dog bite someone, and it's dangerous to the dogs welfare. You need a dog who will excersise good judgement, and not bite unprovoked.

 

i've owned several rotts throughout 15+ years that i kept as guard dogs. each dog's temprment was obviously different~different dogs, different temperments , but only one ever bit someone=a guy who went within his chain capacity=not sure why=he's 130 pounds and my dog had never seen him before, as it was this guy's first time over. (it ended up working itself out ok, tho). i don't think a rott is a good dog for the beginner, but i do think they are a great breed, yes to guard, protect, watch over~however you want to term it, due to their instincitive nature. they're quick to learn, don't bark much (keeps the neighbors happy ) and yeah "intimidating"=if that's the look you're hoping for. they're great with kids=i owned my first before either of my kids were born, and when i brought each baby home from the hospital, all the dogs were great with them from day one. they are a breed that's typically very self assured, but again, imo, not for the novice and yeah, sadly today, they're another breed that gets a bad rap.
i'm kinda biased towards this breed and i can't say enuff good about them. but the one you're picturing, due to what you've described, honestly, he sounds like an accident waiting to happen. i owned only one that sounds like him, and let me tell you, it was NOT easy owning a dog like that. NO one could watch him, walk him or feed him, and we basically took our vacations revolving around the one person that, outside of our family, could actually manage to get near him, without him becoming aggressive=not fun.
save yourself the headaches and find one that has a stable temperment. NOT one you're constantly going to have to worry/wonder about. They're a VERY strong breed, but if you're up to the task, they are a delight, as well.
good luck!

 

14ROCK and Suki hit it on the head. I beleive a good protection/guard dog is a dog that does not look for trouble, but has the confidence and ability to deal with trouble should it come to him. And it is much easier to make a cool-headed dog protective than it is to try and tone down an already nutty dog. You want a dog that can look at a situation and make decisions and think, not a dog that reacts to every situation with extremes (from fear to outright unecessary aggression).
I have always had German Shepherd Dogs. None of my dogs ever actually bit anyone, none of them ever had to. They are perimeter dogs, and take their job seriously. They would get to an intruder before the person could enter, and nobody ever pushed it. There were a few situations where someone would try to come at us, for whatever reason, while I was walking. The most either dog had ever had to do was a loud bark and charge, pushing the person back. Once they were a certain distance, the dogs just stood their ground. If you pushed it, they'd charge again. But never bite. Like Rock said, not everyone deserves to be bitten. If I am at a barbq or something and someones had a few too many and gets loud, I don't want the dog to attack.
It is much nicer to have a well behaved, cool headed dog that you know will protect should a situation arises, that is socialized, friendly, a dog you can' take places with you and be able to protect you.
What good is a protection dog if it has to be locked up all the time?
I had a dog similar to Suki's, if you were not one of 4 people that the dog liked, you did not go near the dog. Period. It is not enjoyable having a dog like that, you are always worried. I had him pts in december, it was very hard. But there are so, so, so many good dogs out there needing homes than to spend so much time and enegry on a dog that will never be stable.
Please look at your options. If you think that you can give this dog a home that will 100% keep him safe and you will 100% keep others safe from him, are prepared to deal with his behavioural issues and are aware that you may very well deal with a very serious incident one day, then adopt the dog. I would not use a dog such as this for protection/guard work though. It is not fair to the dog to expect that from him, he's insecure and fearful as it is. He needs leadership and guidance, not be put into the situation to be the leader.