Dogs

[dshadow]

Hey there.

Been looking for some help and info on the best breed for a "guard" dog. We have 3 young children, and would like to get a puppy who will grow up and help protect our yard and kids.

Any suggestions?

Lee

[nicephotog]

Some idea, as a general rule , "gaurd dogs" as you put it are either alsations of rottweillers, but as an industry standard they generally are an alsation for recognition purposes.

Labradors are often used as attack dogs.
Alsations and a variety of others are used as Patrol dogs.

In law there are three types of dangerous security dogs that require special registration.

Compound gaurding dogs
Attack dogs
Patrol dogs

All three are trained a specific way to meet the usage requirement.

[brandonkuala]

A guard Dog Training not only watches and alerts but also threatens some intruder to the point of retreat. Fila brasileiro is what I am going to suggest to you. It is a massive and powerful dog which are also useful on hunting journeys to track, attack and then hold the prey until the hunter arrived to take over.

[rogueokie]

You know, I just got here and I may be way out of turn here, but as for my kids, Id think twice (and twice more) about getting a huge dog especially one with strong hunting instincts to "guard" small kids.

A guard dog and its handlers need specialized training, as you are here asking about them, I am assuming you have no prior experience.

Guard dogs are different becasue many of the behaviours we discourage in house dogs, terratorialism, possession, and agression toward humans, for starters, are deliberately developed in guard animals. This makes them dangerous, especially for small animals who make squeaky noises, like your four year old.

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

For kids, you a want low to medium energy dog with a lot of tolerance for sudden, high pitched noises and quick movments (definately NOT a guard animal!).

[nippi]

Got to agree with the last poster. The Fila Brasileiro is a terrible choice - for starters - its a restricted breed in Australia and there is virtually no chance you will be allowed to keep one. And youd certainly not want to leave one in the yard with your kids.

Guard dog sometimes gets it wrong and bites their flock.

If you are looking for a "guard" dog I would reconsider and look for an "alert" dog that will bark at danger and alert you. I mean... you aren't planning on leaving your little kids at home in the yard by themselves to be guarded by the dog are you?