Protection/family dog

[SouthpawShootr]

With the Bulldog, you'd really have to examine the disposition of the parents. If those dogs are even tempered and good with kids, then a Bulldog pup wouldn't be a bad choice. I've known several who had boxers and they are excellent dogs. Very good looking too. They don't make much noise in my experience.

My personal favorite are Shelties or shetland sheepdogs (think a quarter size collie). I have 5 of these and they are excellent family dogs. Prolific barkers. My oldest Shelties was the only one around around when when my niece spent her toddler years with us. Some of the things she did to that dog! But the dog never so much as growled at her. Once, I walked into the room and she was sitting with the dog and yanking the tail as hard as she could. The dog just looked at me and sort of sighed and went back to looking bored (of course, my niece got a nice stern warning not to do stuff like that, but the point is, the dog tolerated it exceedingly well). This dog is now 13 years old and still the sweetest you'd ever want to meet. She will take a chunk out of you if you threaten someone in "her" family, though. All of ours are somewhat reserved when they first meet new people, but once they get used to the new person, they're ok.

 

[aufevermike]

let's not forget the Labrador. Loyal, obedient, and protective. Not to mention great hunting dogs.

 

[Vic303]

Rhodesian Ridgeback. Our two are of 'uncertain' parentage (hahaha) but are Ridgies, heart 'n soul!

 

[LeonCarr]

Another vote for the Belgian Malinois. Next best thing would be a German Shepherd from the pound. Do you homework before adopting or buying a dog. I found that about 20% of GSDs given up for adoption are pruebred dogs. Those Ridgebacks are great dogs also, and you see a lot of them up for adoption at petfinder.org.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[roscoe]

Get a mutt - they are free, and since they do not suffer from inbreeding, they are much less likely to have health problems. If you get a 1-year old mutt, you can get a sense if it good with kids and whether it would be a decent home protector, since by 1 year their personalities are largely established.

 

[Ellie]

The bully breeds are often great with kids because, due to their breeding for fighting, they feel no pain - poke 'em in the eyes, pull their tail, they smile and wiggle. (I do have to add though I know none of you are this stupid: of course only an idiot would leave a dog alone with a small child)

They aren't dogs to be left out back though. They get lonely. Gawd, people talk about dogs needing space. I don't know about what other breeds are like, but what bullies need is exercise. Space is useless to a bully dog without something to do. And when they aren't exercising, they'd just just as happy if the whole house were 4 x 4 x 4 - easier to defend, closer snuggling.

ArmedBear already wrote about our dog being a good watch dog, and a dubious guard dog. I've never been in a situation with her where I needed protecting, except once when another dog growled ever so slightly at me - and she was right there in that dog's face ready to defend me. And she growls at hiding people (or, more commonly, people she thinks are hiding but are actually just behind something - though she did give away a kid's hide and seek location once). I sincerely doubt that anybody would break into our house unless they were after something specific or knew Raisy already. Too big a bark otherwise.

Mine's curled up on bed #4 right now. Spoiled baby girl.

 

[doc jake]

I grew up on a farm. Dad was a shepered so we always had dogs ranging from pups to retired around the house. Those were border collies. When I did a “real job” I was a dog handler for the Government, working GSD and a rotty. These days I have a GSD type bitch, her grandmother played around.

I got bite more than a few times growing up. Dad used to wallop my backside for annoying the dog. I would get a young mutt, preferable a bitch. Lot less trouble than pure breeds, and if it grows up as part of the family will be very protective to wards what she sees as the packs pups.

 

[RS3RS]

Not much of an attack dog, but if you like small dogs (which I do), or can't have a big one due to size limitations, Pomeranians make great watch dogs. They obviously can't do much damage to a person, but they're very protective, fearless, and will do a great job of patrolling the house at night and will definitely let you know if a person is in the house that isn't supposed to be there.

 

[gunsmith]

my current fave dog

is my ex GF's rat terrier/ chiuahua/ pit mix.
super friendly, not afraid of any person or animal no matter what size.
great judge of people.

very tactical, when I took it camping in the desert it would use a low growl at night thus not giving away my position yet, in the house it barks an alarm

 

[V4Vendetta]

Me & my mom used to clean the house of a lady who owned a Sheltie named Sammy. When ever we got there he barked like crazy until we fed him a treat but he never bit us or even growled at us. I liked him a lot. Made me want my own Collie. Then one day we went to the local pound* and there he was. A big Collie who I named Sisco after the cooking oil. He was wonderful. At the time we had him, we also had chickens & pigs. When the pigs would get loose every other day, Sisco would help round them up. Then one day I went outside & found him shot . He healed up but then a week later he got hit by a truck.


*That's where we get animals.

 

[CalamityJane]

"If you get to thinking that you're a person of some influence, try ordering someone else's dog around."---Will Rogers

"My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am."---author unknown

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."--Roger Caras

Our little dachsie is a great WATCH dog; barks easily at anything, and I do mean anything, that passes through his line of vision that is different. Sometimes, I think he might actually take off a kneecap if he could just get loose. But mostly, he makes me laugh, every day, and that's enough for me.

 

[TX35]

Think about an Akita. I have 2. Male-105 lbs, Female-95 lbs. Absolutely great with kids. They do not bark, unless there is something serious to bark at!!! I've watched them with people approaching my house, you can se them analyzing & assessing the person from a distance, very intelligent too!! They absolutely LOVE my 9 yr. old daughter. Food for thought: Whenever I come home only one dog greets me at the door. There is always one that stays behind with my wife & daughter, between the entrance way & wherever they are. It's not until they hear my voice does the other one come away from them. They have my utmost love & respect, & I cannot say enough about them!!!

 

[roo_ster]

WRT ABs, this is my first exposure to the breed. They sure are awesome-looking creatures. When our male goes to the Big Bird Hunt in the Sky (German Shorthaired Pointer Heaven), I'll give serious thought to an AB.

The thing about kids & dogs is that you have to train BOTH to play nice with the other.

We made a serious effort at that. Our dogs were full-grown when our boy came home from the hospital, 18 months ago. He has grown to love our dogs & our dogs have grown to love him.

We had to train our dogs: You can leave/run, but you can not growl or nip. Use as much persuasion as you need to make sure the dogs know that they rank lower than the kids in the pack.


We had to train our boy: You can pet "nice & gentle," but no poking or pulling.

They have become buds.

Never leave a kid alone with a dog, though, especially inside the house.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Gunsmith

The very best watchdog I have ever had was our long haired chihuahua "Margaret". I swear she has a sixth sense. She could hear people coming way before they entered our yard and was always ready to sound the alarm by the time they crossed onto our property. If someone entered the yard and we were upstairs or in the basement she would run to wear we are spin in a circle and howl and bark. She would aslo know when we were coming home before our cars even reached the house. She could hear them a block away. Not to mention that she was the sweetest dog I have ever known.

They are too small to be around children though. She was only like 12oz. when we first picked her out and roughly the size of a small hamster. She grew to be about 3.5lbs most of her life.

Regreatably she had to be put down a few months ago at the young age of 13 due to a sudden heart condition.

 

[ArmedBear]

Pomeranians are great watchdogs, but only if they ever shut up long enough so you can tell why they're barking.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

I really dont think a pomeranian is the right dog for us; I just dont think it, or a chihuaha would be the best playmate for my son.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I still think the idea of a bully breed is the best.
In fact you could go with a Staffordshire Bull Terrier as they are one of only two UKC breeds to be noted for their suitability with children. They are the only UKC breed to have the words totally reliable in their description.

Tough and smart and like most dogs, totally loyal to their owners.

 

[Kestrel]

MAX and MOLLY are my dobermans Max weighs 121 and Molly is 110lbs

Shooting Time,

I didn't think Dobermans got that large. I thought they were in the 90 pound range. Are yours larger than the norm?

I've been considering a Doberman, myself. It's funny - a buddy of mine is convinced that only "gangsta" hip-hopsters have Dobermans.

Are they considered "bully" breeds?

 

[jd25q]

Consider this:

Consider that most of the bulldog breeds suffer many health problems due to poor breeding. Just because the parents don't display the characteristics doesn't mean the puppies wont. This breed is likely to cost you a bundle. I wouldn't buy any breed, much less one of these unless the parent's hips and elbows were OFA certified. My brother wound up with a $4000.00 lab by the time it was a year old.

The second part deals with a dog such as this around children. Aggressive behavior can also be hereditary. Perhaps you do everything right and the dog just goes south one day. Perhaps you don't do everything right. I wouldn't take a risk with such a powerful dog with my kids. It's just not worth it.

Pay attention to the posts in this thread. About how the dogs are lovable and harmless. Then notice they warn not to leave children alone with them. Also consider with any highly protective breed that while they may be the absolute best dog with your kids, how will they react when friends come over and start playing rough?

To sum up my thoughts, you can't get inside a dog's head. You can't know that they wont turn on you some day. With a child it only takes one time. A friend of ours had a beagle that lived indoors. They had it for two years without a problem. One day it literally attacked their 7 year old son. It started biting him in the face without provocation and wouldn't stop until they pulled it off of him. If that had been a more powerful dog the boy would be dead. It's just too big a risk to have such dogs around small children.

 

[Kestrel]

gmarshall - very good advice.

 

[orangeninja]

Whatever dog you get, the dog is likely to take on your temperment, so train it well.

That being said, the most imposing dog in the world is an English Mastiff, and it just so happens that they are great with little kids. They don't need a lot of space despite their size, they are not easily excited, I've never hear of biting family members and generally kids can pull on their ears, ride their backs, yank their tails, etc. but because this is 150-200lb dog, it's likely not to hurt it.

I grew up with them, if I have a little one anytime soon, he/she will be paired with a mastiff.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

I've been considering a Doberman, myself. It's funny - a buddy of mine is convinced that only "gangsta" hip-hopsters have Dobermans.

Are they considered "bully" breeds?
--------------------------------------------------------------

No. It was designed by a German tax collector by cross-breeding rotwieller's , greyhound's and other large dogs to come up with a fast gaurd dog.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/doberman.htm


ETA: Alduro, I actually considered the English Mastiff and the BullMastiff , but to me they just seem prone to health issues. But everything I read did indicate that in general they were very gentle dogs with children.

 

[roo_ster]

Then notice they warn not to leave children alone with them.

I don't own any sort of bulldog breed, just bird dogs. Even so, I would not leave a child alone with them. It nothing more than common sense not to leave a child alone with ANY animal, even one as small as a 1lb ferret.

 

[mustangdan1963]

You'll never go wrong with the American Bulldog. Mine is now almost 4 years old, and I've never had a better dog. He is also a Johnson line AB, right about 125 lbs, and the most even tempered dog I've ever seen. He love all kids, and couldn't be more gentle. He'll wrestle with kids all day, and love every minute of it. It's all in how you socialize a dog as a pup. An American is a strong willed critter, and you need to spend the time and effort in training one, but that is the same with any breed. Sorry for the long post, but it's a great breed of dog, and if you get one, you'll never be sorry.

 

[mustangdan1963]

I had to double post here....again sorry. Too many people confuse American Bulldogs with Pitbulls. They are NOT the same breed, and the Americans are not agressive by nature, nor are they bred to be "fighting dogs". The were bred to be working dogs in the mountain country of Georgia. They are cattle dogs. Like any dog, before you bring one home you should test their temperment. My rule is, I won't have a dog that I can't come up on while eating and mess with...if they growl or snap, they don't have the temperment to be a family dog.