Thinking about getting a guard dog that could also hunt

[outofbattery]

Anyone here have a dog that's cute, reasonably friendly, wary of strangers & doesn't chew up things? Please post a pic.

Well, cute is in the eye of the beholder,he's friendly to anyone he's introduced to but you need my permission to come in the house and he doesn't chew on anything I haven't given him.He's not people aggressive in the least,but he likes to be between me and anybody new-all that it takes for him to change his demeanor is if I speak to them but if you come to my house,you're going to get an interrogation at the door.I don't think he'd chomp anyone just for coming in without permission if I wasn't here but it'd take a special kind of idiot to push their luck that far if you'd ever hear how much fury 185lbs of dog can put in his bark when he's not too sure you need to be here!

 

[AKAMac]

Bavarian Shepherd

They are expensive but do meet your criteria.
Here is Molly #1 at Ft. Hunter Ligget. Those are quail at the base of the shotgun. She also pushed a group of hogs to Brian on the same trip. Duck hunting was ok but long swims were not a good idea for her, had to chase her out into the Columbia river as she went after a winged Tiel. She got water-logged quickly.
She also was the best pheasant dog I have ever had.
If you have the ability to train to hand signals, this breed works very well.
Mac

 

[V4Vendetta]

AKAMAC, your dog is cute. I think I could get along with a dog like that. It reminds me of a Collie I had once.

outofbattery, Your dog looks like a Cujo dog from the bowels of hell. While I feel he's intimidating, I'd prefer a dog that I can pick up. I like medium size dogs that I can lift. I despise toy dogs however.

 

[telomerase]

Poodles are very suspicious of all strangers and bark their heads off. And even if a poodle does bite the wrong person they'll be too embarassed to sue you. Get a full-size or miniature, not a toy, the toys can't see very well.

The wolf I had was great, but poodles are more what today's American needs. Make sure you have it groomed and dyed pink for maximum deterrent value. And slap on a spiked collar for tacticality.

 

[V4Vendetta]

A wolf sounds nice. I'd settle for a part Chow mix. My last dog like that was a good friend & watchdog.

 

[gunsmith]

sparky the wonder dog

I took my ex's little rat terrier with me on a trip
thru the desert, great company, it growls at
strangers and doesn't give
away your position.
Also you can get a pack of chihuahua's
they have demonstrated their
ability at taking on police officers
in Fremont ,CA

 

[telomerase]

Outofbattery... what is that thing?

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Outofbattery... what is that thing?

Looks to me like a Bull Mastiff, though I've seen some English Mastiffs that look like that too.

 

[outofbattery]

Yep,he's an English Mastiff,most of them are fawn colored and he was solid black as a pup but his brindling is becoming more pronounced as he gets older;he's 4 now.He's not all that tall compared to Wolfhounds and the like but he's fairly beefy(for being a vegetarian that is!). For scale-his mom's 6'-and doesn't cooperate for photos much either.Really,he's a sweet,well mannered and socialized dog - he plays well with others and gets along great with anyone he's introduced to.He takes up a lot of space,needs an extraordinary amount of attention,is expensive to keep-especially feed,drools and snores at epic proportions but he's a great dog in general.Definately not a breed for everyone but we love him.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

I like Mastiffs, but they do drool and do cost a lot to feed, which is why I love American Pitbull Terriers. They eat about a third as much as a Mastiff, yet if you like Mastiffs, you will also like Pitbulls. They are the same type of dog in many ways, but more compact. Another advantage that both Pitbulls and Mastiffs enjoy is that you don't much have to worry about another dog doing a number on them. In both cases, 99% of all other dogs you are likely to come into contact with would not be able to quickly kill one, and would likely be beaten up pretty bad themselves if the fight were not broken up quickly.

 

[dfaugh]

Only one answer...

German Shepherd Dog...

Naturally protective, but most not over agressive (buy from reputable breeder, if possible European line dogs, and see the parents to judge temperament)

Can be trained to do ANYTHING...The most intelligent (as a breed, a very few individuals as exceptions) breed you'll see.

My .02 with 15+ years of owning/breeding/training GSDs

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

German Shepherd Dog...

Naturally protective, but most not over agressive (buy from reputable breeder, if possible European line dogs, and see the parents to judge temperament)

Can be trained to do ANYTHING...The most intelligent (as a breed, a very few individuals as exceptions) breed you'll see.

My .02 with 15+ years of owning/breeding/training GSDs

I had German Shepherds nonstop from 1967 through 1993. I love the breed too. Both of mine, though, were suspicious of strangers in the extreme. Not that they'd ever bitten anyone. But they would bark at any new person that came in the house for hours on end, no matter how friendly they were behaving and no matter how welcomed we made them, and no matter how friendly we were to them. My Doberman, however, was suspicious of strangers, and would attack on command, but once I said ok, that was it. He then wanted to be friendly to whomever was coming in the house. As for Pitbulls, unless they get some very serious vibes from you that someone is not welcomed, they immediately want to be friendly to whomever comes over. Being aggressive towards people is the last thing that would ever occur to a Pitbull (I'm on my second, and I've known and come into contact with dozens of others). I am speaking, of course, of Pitbulls raised by normal people in a home setting, not the poor animals that are kept permanently on a chain in the backyard and only get company when it's time to be fed. Any dog raised like that is not going to be trustworthy around anyone they don't know very well, no matter what breed they are.