A guard dog can help you save a lot of money from property damage and can even save your life. A guard dog can either be a protection or security dog and in many cases, he can also be a hero. When choosing a guard dog, you will have several breeds to choose from that each has its own personality and behaviors. It’s important to remember that the purpose of a guard dog is to protect your family and your property from harm.
How to Choose a Guard Dog
When choosing a good security dog for your family or your business, you need to consider two things:
• You need a dog that is able to guard what you need to be guarded.
• Be aware of your limitations and recognize the amount of training that you will need to make sure that your guard dog will be able to do the job right.
Types of Guard Dogs
Since every dog is born with the natural instinct and has the ability to guard something, how they are able to do the job really separates the breed from one another. Dogs that have that special ability to guard really separate themselves from the other breeds. There are six different categories for guard dogs:
• Livestock or sentry dogs
• Personal property dogs
• Military dogs
• Home security dogs
• Commercial property protection dogs
• Attack dog
Here are four of the best guard dog breeds that you can choose from:
Rottweiler
One of the oldest guard dogs, the Rottweiler is intimidating and large. Featuring a watchful instinct and a naturally protective personality, this breed originated in ancient Rome somewhere around 74 AD. The Rottweiler traveled with Roman soldiers when they were at war and used to herd cattle that was used for the soldier’s food. After Rome was defeated, the dogs were not needed, so their numbers dwindled.
During WWI, Rottweilers were used as police dogs, which was a role that helped to bring their numbers back up. By 1990, the Rottweiler had become the most registered breed of the AKC. Today, this breed is used for search and rescue dogs as well as police dogs, guard dogs, military dogs, and guide dogs for the blind. This powerful, strong, and fearless breed can weigh up to 125 pounds, plus this highly intelligent dog can learn fast and easily retains his obedience training.
This is a calm breed that is also good-natured and placid in its disposition. Eager to work, devoted, biddable, and obedient, this is also a courageous and confident breed that is fearless, self-assured, and steady that reacts to his surroundings with steady alertness.
If a Rottweiler has not been properly socialized or trained well, he can be aggressive to other dogs. So, it is important that this breed is watched closely to make sure he doesn’t injure other dogs as a result of the breed’s size and strength. Considered low-maintenance dogs, the Rottweiler does shed, so he will need weekly brushings, and it is common practice in the U.S. to dock their tails.
German Shepherd
Originally used to her sheep, a German Shepherd makes an excellent guard dog. Naturally protective, this breed is fast and strong as well as very intelligent making it easy to train for any type of guard job. The German Shepherd is also the preferred breed for many types of work including military and police jobs as well as search-and-rescue.
In the U.S., the German Shepherd is a very safe dog when well socialized and well trained, but when they are not, they can be prone to attack or bite people or small dogs. However, when they receive proper obedience training, the German Shepherd can be excessively protective.
Doberman Pinscher
The most common of the guard dog breeds, the Doberman protection dogs for sale is an excellent family protector. Loyal, intelligent, and alert, this breed easily scares away intruders and is often used as police and guard dogs. This family dog can weigh up to 90 pounds and is easy to train, so it gets along well with other pets and children. The Doberman is well-suited as an indoor dog thanks to its gentle disposition and short hair.
Requiring daily exercise, the Doberman is an active dog, but he will need a lot of obedience training to make him into a good guard dog. But, once trained, he will retain his training and be very obedient all his days.
Bull Mastiff
Powerful and very large, the Bull mastiff can weigh up to 130 pounds. Featuring a very sensitive personality, the Bull Mastiff has bloodlines that are drawn from the Old English Bulldog and English Mastiff. Rarely barking too much, this quiet dog is very laid-back, unless he senses danger, plus this confident dog does not need a lot of exercise.
An integral part of any family, the Bull Mastiff loves attention and is faithful and loyal when guarding his family, treating them like they were members of his own pack. This breed is a natural guardian of his family and home and does not require special training as a guard dog since he will react appropriately when his family is in danger. However, he will need consistency for him to become a well-behaved member of the family.
A Bull mastiff can also be stubborn and tends to slobber excessively. When he is not trained properly, this breed can be aggressive toward other dogs, so you will need to socialize and train them at a young age. It’s also important to remember that this breed will become easily bored when he has to repeat the same acts over and over again, which is important to remember during his training.
Any of these guard dog breeds will make an excellent guard dog. All of these breeds are highly intelligent, however, pretty much all guard dogs need some training. At the very least, these breeds will need a basic obedience training course and can benefit from an advanced training course as well. Remember that the more a dog is trained, the better the guard dog he will be.
The more the dog training, the better the dog. Remember to socialize and train your dog properly to make him a good companion and excellent protector of your property and family throughout his life making your life safer.
