***Best choice for a guard dog***

rambojon

Hi folks, ive decided to get a guard dog as ive had a recent robbery from the back of my house..what breed to get ..? ive also got too young children so choice needs to consider that.. any advice much appreciated.....

Sittingpretty

rambojon wrote: »

Hi folks, ive decided to get a guard dog as ive had a recent robbery from the back of my house..what breed to get ..? ive also got too young children so choice needs to consider that.. any advice much appreciated.....

They'll just steal the dog, get yourself a good alarm system and sensor lighting instead.

dodderangler

Depend on what your asking for? A dog that that'll warn you of intruders or one that will attack intruders?
All dogs know when something is wrong and will warn you of it with a bark.
I have an Akita who would do both and a pointer that will bark when something is wrong.

rambojon

dodderangler wrote: »

Depend on what your asking for? A dog that that'll warn you of intruders or one that will attack intruders?
All dogs know when something is wrong and will warn you of it with a bark.
I have an Akita who would do both and a pointer that will bark when something is wrong.

I have an alarm and sensor lighting..these guys stole 40 bags of turf from behind my house.. must have drove right beside gable..but these guys aren't put off by these.. have a feeling they were watching my movements and knew when I wasn't at home.. even though my wife was..i was just hoping a dog might frighten them off... don't want to get a gun which has been suggested to me..

Sittingpretty

rambojon wrote: »

I have an alarm and sensor lighting..these guys stole 40 bags of turf from behind my house.. must have drove right beside gable..but these guys aren't put off by these.. have a feeling they were watching my movements and knew when I wasn't at home.. even though my wife was..i was just hoping a dog might frighten them off... don't want to get a gun which has been suggested to me..

Honestly, they've every trick in the book.

Was talking to a detective at weekend. Latest trick with a house that has a guard dog (usually male dogs)? Bring a bitch in heat. You're wasting your time with a dog esp if you're not there a lot to hear them bark.

40 bags of turf? Christ on a bike that must've taken them ages to load :eek:

hansfrei

Red setter bitch. One of the two dogs I tend to avoid. Ridgebacks are the other. Probably safe enough around the kids too. Probably.

ShaShaBear

No point in getting a dog because they'll either steal it or subdue it if there is something they really want.

Although it's kinda shocking to think they managed to load 40 bags of turf when your wife was home and she didn't notice...

Knine

My parents were broken into a few weeks ago. The presence of a large dog did not deter them. Instead they turned him loose. He could have wandered off or been hit by a car.

He was found hiding behind their cat! Almost 8 stone of him!

borderlinemeath

hansfrei wrote: »

Red setter bitch. One of the two dogs I tend to avoid. Ridgebacks are the other. Probably safe enough around the kids too. Probably.

*sniggers at the thoughts of my setters deterring thieves*

Honestly, my pair would make a great deal of noise, but if somebody broke into the house they would be licked and kissed by my female, and most likely offered the paw by my very polite male setter.

ShaShaBear

The only way my collie would stand up to an intruder is if he came in through the letter box
The man next door, who my dog has never met, walked into our house by mistake a few nights ago, absolutely palatic drunk, and Shadow wagged all the way to the door.
However, when that suspicious sample of nappy cream came through the letterbox, mayhem ensued and there was little other than scraps of brown envelope of that nasty intruder left when I got out to the hall!

Toulouse

Sensor lighting, cctv and a secure turf-shed are a much better deterrents than a dog OP.

It's an easy snap decision but if you sit down and think about it dogs are a lot of work, particularly if you are intent on using one both for security and to have around kids.

aonb

ANY/EVERY dog will bark when there is an intruder on their property.
If you are looking for a dog that will attack/see off intruders, this is a totally different ball game.
you would need to be seriously involved with the dog yourself, for it to be big enough and trained enough to see off/attack an intruder. Im not sure unless you know what you're doing it would be a good idea to have around young children.
Besides, if you were away, your wife and children in the house, dog going nuts in the yard (because there is someone out there) what is she going to do??
The theives will know what they are at, and know how to handle a guard dog.
Much better to store your bags of turf in a shed - out of sight

angeldaisy

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said in previous posts. I have 2 dogs, and both sound extremely ferocious, and whilst that might be useful in putting off a casual burglar, I couldn't see it deterring a career criminal. In fact earlier this year my neighbours farm was targeted to steal oil, they have dogs, our dogs were out, but none of them barked.

I would spend the time and money in securing your property rather than investing in a dog just as a guard dog. I really can't see it working to your benefit and I know that I would feel more secure knowing that my property was properly secured and monitored (alarms, gates, cctv) than relying on a dog to do it for me.

I have heard of people having their pitbull robbed during a robbery. A dog is not an answer .
You could get a barky dog though, it might alert you or somebody else of people at your premises .

Cuddlesworth

You could train a dog to attack intruders. Just don't expect delivery men, salesmen and any other variety of intruders to be happy about it.

Bullseye1

hansfrei wrote: »

Red setter bitch. One of the two dogs I tend to avoid. Ridgebacks are the other. Probably safe enough around the kids too. Probably.

I wouldn't recommend Ridgebacks as a guard dog. They were not breed for that purpose. A Bullmastiff or Mastiff were specifically breed as guard dogs.

Though I do agree that a more efficient alarm system with CCTV would be more appropriate. If they go to the bother of robbing 40bags of turf god knows what lengths they would go to including killing the dog.

Whispered

I know one dog dog in my area whom was attacked in his home and knocked out with a blunt instrument so the house he protected could be robbed. I looked after him both before and after the incident and he was a different dog after, I would nearly go so far as to say a danger after it happened.

I have heard of numerous cases of dogs being taken or killed so the house/yard they protect could be robbed.

I would also agree that better security would be your best bet. I totally get why a dog seems like a good idea, but it might be less of a good idea when you think about it.

kylith

I know of a rottie who was badly beaten by thieves without trying to defend himself. A dog is no deterrent to a determined thief, they'll have no problem with it at all.

That said, a brace of terrier bitches is a fine alarm system, but I would never depend on a dog to do anything other than raise the alarm.

DBB

kylith wrote: »

I know of a rottie who was badly beaten by thieves without trying to defend himself. A dog is no deterrent to a determined thief, they'll have no problem with it at all.

I know a GSD who was savagely beaten with an iron bar by burglars. She was no physical threat to them as she was tied up at the time, but they needed to silence her barking.
She survived the attack but bears the physical and mental scars still.
I think we've reached a stage where career criminals have evolved their techniques so that they can overcome the problems often caused by dogs. Whilst dogs were super anti-theft measures at one stage, I'm not so sure they are any more.
That said, a barking dog must surely put the owner on the alert earlier, so that the alarm might be raised in time, but the dog could pay a very high price for it if kept outdoors.

BillyMitchel

My Dogo would do the trick, come near my house you better be robbing me with an AK-47 if not you arent getting out alive! If you got one as a pup it would be way too long before anything would work for you though.

OP I'm assuming you are responsible and all the rest. So I'm just giving you an example - I was talking to a breeder/trainer the other day from a well known worldwide kennel. Specialise mainly, Mals, Dutch Sheps, Rotts and German Sheps. Sells them 100% trained and id take his word for it that they are reliable. His hounds costs thousands and thousands to buy. Ive seen some go for over 10k!! Just because you get a breed with a reputation it doesn't mean anything so much effort and work has to go into the dogs to get them to that level and thats why they cost so much.

Id tend to agree though a well breed Rottie would do the trick but once again it would take time.

No trying to be smart here but could you not build a re-enforced shed with steel doors or something?

**** that your lively-hood is getting stolen and I genunielly feel for you but if it comes to getting a serious guard dog its all going to be how much time, effort and money you want to put into it.

ryaner2k14

I work for a well known security company in Ireland. i am a dog handler and patrol driver for them.
We have 8 dogs that are on patrol with us every day. My Dog Ben is a German shepherd and he is the most amazing dog I've ever had the pleasure of owning/working with. now he was.fairly expensive to buy but my god what an investment i no the scenario is different but jesus the amount of burglars and scumbags he has frightened away by just his bark alone. now Ben is.a trained attack dog but will only attack on command or if he feels threatened. he lives with me when we are on dutie and by god i couldn't ask for better he is amazing with the kids and the misses. when he is at home he is like a big baby. but when dutie calls like last Friday night i had put Ben out in the back to run about and.what not before i locked him in the run for the night and i was i the kitchen making Cup of tea when suddenly i heard him barking as if someone was there so looked out the window and here wasn't a little <snip> climbing over my wall trying to get into the neighbours who where on holidays but Ben soon fixed that he held him by barking at him until i came out and called him off but in the same breath warning the little <snip> not to move or he will be bitten... long winded i no but if you put in the time and money you will get the results your looking for. Ben is near retirement now and will be joining the family permanently. and i will hopefully be getting a new GSD. hope this helps.

Mod edit: calm down with the bad language please

boomerang

The only way to have a half effective "guard dog" is to completely blaggard it - not socialise it at all and leave it to its own devices outside for most of its life so it's bored silly and gets into the habit of barking at anything that moves. Completely different to the trained attack dogs in the Gardai, prison service etc., which is probably what you're thinking of.

Your plan isn't compatible with small kids and not compatible with good animal welfare.

ryaner2k14

If you mean by my plan as in keeping Ben at home when he retires.
i have had a dog before Ben and he wasn't retired due to age more so his injury he got while working and he got on great with my kids and his welfare was always better then my own at times.
as I've mentioned these dogs that the company use are highly trained and retrained every 6 months.

muddypaws

ryaner2k14 wrote: »

but when dutie calls like last Friday night i had put Ben out in the back to run about and.what not before i locked him in the run for the night

If he's locked in a run, how can he protect your home and family? Obviously barking can alert you to someone's presence, but if the dog is locked away from you, he won't be able to do anything else surely?

wazky

muddypaws wrote: »

If he's locked in a run, how can he protect your home and family? Obviously barking can alert you to someone's presence, but if the dog is locked away from you, he won't be able to do anything else surely?

Ben has his own key for the door of the run, obviously.

tk123

ryaner2k14 wrote: »

I work for a well known security company in Ireland. i am a dog handler and patrol driver for them.
We have 8 dogs that are on patrol with us every day. My Dog Ben is a German shepherd and he is the most amazing dog I've ever had the pleasure of owning/working with. now he was.fairly expensive to buy but my god what an investment i no the scenario is different but jesus the amount of burglars and scumbags he has frightened away by just his bark alone. now Ben is.a trained attack dog but will only attack on command or if he feels threatened. he lives with me when we are on dutie and by god i couldn't ask for better he is amazing with the kids and the misses. when he is at home he is like a big baby. but when dutie calls like last Friday night i had put Ben out in the back to run about and.what not before i locked him in the run for the night and i was i the kitchen making Cup of tea when suddenly i heard him barking as if someone was there so looked out the window and here wasn't a little <snip> climbing over my wall trying to get into the neighbours who where on holidays but Ben soon fixed that he held him by barking at him until i came out and called him off but in the same breath warning the little <snip> not to move or he will be bitten... long winded i no but if you put in the time and money you will get the results your looking for. Ben is near retirement now and will be joining the family permanently. and i will hopefully be getting a new GSD. hope this helps.

Mod edit: calm down with the bad language please

I don't work for a well known security company...(well actually I do but it's a different kind of security ), I haven't put and time and effort into training my dog to be guard dog but he like I'd guestimate 99.99% of other poster's dogs here would bark if somebody climbed over their fence. Which at the end of the day is the scenario the OP was asking about 8 months ago when they started the thread.

DBB

And I think, on that note, that this thread has run its course
Thanks,
DBB