Anyone have recommendations for what breed for “guard “ dog

[HemlockKing]

I'm looking into getting a dog for a I suppose pal to keep me company but mostly as a alarm for intruders, I'm thinking the best dog for me would be a layed  back smaller-mid dog that has good temperament and isn't crazy hyper. I had in mind a beagle, but I'm not sure if there was a better breed? I don't need a jacked pitbull or super mean dog, just a loud one! 

[Southside]

Beagles are very sweet, loyal, dogs, we have fostered a number of them, and yes they are LOUD.  

[doc henderson]

We love our German shepherd.  She is not mean, because she was raised well socialized.  no one can drive in the front, without a slow steady bark from her.  i can tell if she is excited or just letting us know.  she is 4 years old, has never even threatened to bite.  if a stranger under my guidance makes friends with her, she cowers a bit, so so she not the alpha.  if a strange animal is on the back porch at night, she goes more crazy, as this messes with her animal world more.  she is fine with kids, although I train the kid not to hug her around the neck as she is not used to this, and not a good habit for any child to do to a dog.  My dog knows I am the boss.  i can call her back in even if someone is walking a dog in front of our house.  we have the radio fence to keep our dogs inside the 3 acres we own.  If I go to the neighbors, Libby will cross it to be where I am.  As I walk home I tell her to "go home" and she does.  If I am chatting and she being a nuisance, I tell her to "go play" and she runs off a ways and leaves us alone.  I am verbally strict, but not physically, other that to restrain her on the floor when she was a puppy when she got out of hand, so my word is it.  She is trained not to run though an open door until told "ok".  if she is about to make a mistake, I make a little grunt sound, and she stops what she is doing and backs up.  We got a blue healer once, cause my wife wanted "one of those dogs who does whatever you tell it, and rides in the back of a pickup".  told her that is most any dog that spends all its time around the owner like a farmer rancher.  Scout was a good dog too, but more of a one person dog.  made my wife mad cause Scout considered me to be the boss.  use one and two word command sentences.  at night I can whisper "bed" to Libby and she quietly goes to her bed.  does not wake up my wife.

[Sedgehammer]

i wood get the ugliest, meanest looking dog breed you can find where as the dog is the sweetest, nicest dog you can own. Most people are visual when it comes to dogs. if it looks like it could be a mean dog, they stay far away. with that said, depends on what you want to be guarded from

[HemlockKing]

i wood get the ugliest, meanest looking dog breed you can find where as the dog is the sweetest, nicest dog you can own. Most people are visual when it comes to dogs. if it looks like it could be a mean dog, they stay far away. with that said, depends on what you want to be guarded from

I just need the alarm! Afterwards dealing with intruders would be my job  ;D I'm not looking for a intimidating dog per day just one that will let me know something isn't right

[HemlockKing]

We love our German shepherd.  She is not mean, because she was raised well socialized.  no one can drive in the front, without a slow steady bark from her.  i can tell if she is excited or just letting us know.  she is 4 years old, has never even threatened to bite.  if a stranger under my guidance makes friends with her, she cowers a bit, so so she not the alpha.  if a strange animal is on the back porch at night, she goes more crazy, as this messes with her animal world more.  she is fine with kids, although I train the kid not to hug her around the neck as she is not used to this, and not a good habit for any child to do to a dog.  My dog knows I am the boss.  i can call her back in even if someone is walking a dog in front of our house.  we have the radio fence to keep our dogs inside the 3 acres we own.  If I go to the neighbors, Libby will cross it to be where I am.  As I walk home I tell her to "go home" and she does.  If I am chatting and she being a nuisance, I tell her to "go play" and she runs off a ways and leaves us alone.  I am verbally strict, but not physically, other that to restrain her on the floor when she was a puppy when she got out of hand, so my word is it.  She is trained not to run though an open door until told "ok".  if she is about to make a mistake, I make a little grunt sound, and she stops what she is doing and backs up.  We got a blue healer once, cause my wife wanted "one of those dogs who does whatever you tell it, and rides in the back of a pickup".  told her that is most any dog that spends all its time around the owner like a farmer rancher.  Scout was a good dog too, but more of a one person dog.  made my wife mad cause Scout considered me to be the boss.  use one and two word command sentences.  at night I can whisper "bed" to Libby and she quietly goes to her bed.  does not wake up my wife.

Thanks for the reply doc, I've been around Shepard's and I really enjoy them, whenever I have been around any they have been quiet and well behaved. That said how's the cost on feeding a bigger dog? I'm just curious I've never actually assumed full responsibility of a dog, I'm not well off money wise, so this is something also to take into consideration for me. 

[sawguy21]

We had a collie cross when I was a kid, one of the best guard dogs I have ever seen. He kicked up a fuss when anybody came in the yard but was harmless to those he knew. To my knowledge he only nipped twice, one was a lady peddling something. She smacked him in the nose with her purse and he retaliated, she called the police. He came but knew her as well as us and the dog, agreed with mom she had it coming and nothing more was said. The other time a little girl tried to take his food dish after being told to leave him alone. I was asked after he passed what happened to that mean dog, that is the kind you want. ;D

[HemlockKing]

Beagles are very sweet, loyal, dogs, we have fostered a number of them, and yes they are LOUD.  

I will look into fostering a adult one, I'd like to skip the nuisance puppy phase, I'm really busy as it is altough I wouldn't mind training one as a puppy if necessary. How are they for exercise? Do they like to run wild or will they "hang out"

[Sedgehammer]

Beagles are very sweet, loyal, dogs, we have fostered a number of them, and yes they are LOUD.  

I will look into fostering a adult one, I'd like to skip the nuisance puppy phase, I'm really busy as it is altough I wouldn't mind training one as a puppy if necessary. How are they for exercise? Do they like to run wild or will they "hang out"

They are a hound. they do hound stuff even if they are a small hound

[Sedgehammer]

@doc henderson is yours the typical brown and black or the black coated? neighbor growing up always had the black coated ones. they pretty. his was very big from what i can recall. yours sounds like a very good dog indeed

[Sedgehammer]

our house dog is a toy american shepherd. blue merle, but i'd call her a white merle. excellent, excellent house guard type dog. nobody and nothing get's by her. she is very protective of her 'pack'. when she is gone, i'd not hesitate to get another

[doc henderson]

ours is a black with a longer coat.  she is confident, but does not try to rule the house.  much like raising a child.  i think going to the pound a finding a healthy dog, fairly young, if not a puppy.  We have fed science diet and iams from walmart.  the bigger younger dogs eat more.  good food makes less poop.  Libby is a 70 pound female.  a male dog is a little more aggressive and bigger.  i would go to the pound.  you do not want the dog barking and jumping on the door.  You can select and train how you want, but dogs also have personalities.  i think it is the timid dog you have to worry about biting when you do not expect it.  I think Libby would bite if someone grabbed my daughter.  I hope.  the trouble is the interpretation by the dog.  could be someone goofing off, but i really do not blame the dog.  It is cute, that we have a find you family app (life 360)  and there is a tone on the phone when someone arrives home (1 block radius)  an Libby understands this means a family member is about to be home.  she goes to the door and starts to whine.  Other dogs in the yard, Libby does not fight, but bumps them with her chest to push them out.  she has a few dog friends, those they take turns chasing each other around the yard.  a tiny dog like a Chihuahua or even a Spaniel, are yippie hyper dogs usually.  good luck.  we never feed our dogs from the table.  food is a common reason fro dog misbehavior.  if we give it o them, we are away from the table and it ideally goes in their bowl.  we think of our dogs as like children to us, but when friend and neighbors are here, it can make them uncomfortable.  my wife does commands in long paragraphs.  should be 1 or 2 word commands, and repeated more sternly until compliant.  My BIL/SIL have two huge dogs, and they think you cannot should not dominate them.  i do not want my family in their house.  The dogs have clamped down on friends, and they tell the friend to hold very still..?

[Corley5]

Beagles are good dogs but can be hard to keep around.  They're hunters and their noses get the best of them.

[Southside]

Did someone say SQUIRREL?  ;D

[Chuck White]

If all you want is an alarm, get something like a Jack Russell terrier,  they bark even if they know who's coming in, and they're quick!

If you want ugly, that's another story!

[Sedgehammer]

If all you want is an alarm, get something like a Jack Russell terrier,  they bark even if they know who's coming in, and they're quick!

If you want ugly, that's another story!

Jack Russell's aren't for the faint of heart. They need an experienced dog owner who won't let the dog be the alpha, cuz if you isn't, they will be. had a jack that killed a rattler that was in the yard when my 3 eldest were playin there at times. rattler died on the spot. jack died the next day

[Sedgehammer]

Did someone say SQUIRREL?  ;D

loud and proud. rabbits get them runnin though and then if they see a deer. oops. they'll be back, just might be tomorrow. leastwise squirrels are territorial and stick to one area

[Roxie]

I had a beagle that wouldn't bark at anything ever except the lawn mower. 

The best "Amish doorbells" are poodles, small or big ones. They raise the roof consistently every time. 

[btulloh]

Do you favor large, medium, or small dogs?  Looks like some useful info posted here already. Kinda depends on what size dog you favor, but I'd stay away from nose dogs like beagles and bird dogs unless you're going to give them regular work hunting rabbits, or birds, or deer.  Need to be fair to their instincts plus makes for a well-adjusted dog. 

Shepherds are great dogs and their job is to guard their territory and pack. Most I've known weren't real noisy, but that varies i suppose. Mini-pincers are good alarm dogs if you favor ankle biters. They're pretty good at taking care of themselves too, especially for their size. My cousin's daughter has a hybrid min-pin/dachshund (unplanned marriage I'm sure) that's an excellent alarm dog. He barks even when he knows you, but settles down quickly and is a real nice dog. I'm a lab guy myself but I don't think they're the best alarm dog around. Maybe a mastiff would be good. The one I knew wasn't a real barker, but when he did bark (or just show up) he would command someone's full attention seeing that he weighed about 150 and his head was higher than my waist.  This one was a real nice dog, although I don't know what he might've done if someone was threatening his family or territory. 

[Corley5]

The bigger the dog the shorter its life span :'( :'(  The barkiest dog we've ever had/have is a pug/dash hound mix  ;D ;D  Never shuts up and barks if the wind blows too hard.  We've also got a Jack Russel/Beagle mix.  Nothing gets by him.

[nybhh]

Black dogs have a bit of a stigma and non-dog people tend to be more afraid of them regardless of their friendliness or demeanor.

My former dog was a doberman and although she was super sweet and loving with our friends and family, she didn't mess around with strangers and didn't care much for other dogs either.  She was a house/fenced yard dog but we never felt comfortable with her off-lead.  She wasn't really a barker as her growl was generally enough to send strangers packing.

Our current dog is a female black labrador retriever and despite being great with other dogs and super friendly with pretty much everyone, she is actually more of a barker when people (deliveries usually) come on the property but not in an annoying nuisance way.  She only barks when strangers (or bears) come on the property.  We are way more comfortable with her off-lead and she never wonders off.  She's not all aggressive but does have an intimidating bark and growl but her barking is a way to alert us to deal with the situation while the doberman was plenty comfortable dealing with it herself, and perhaps not always in the way we (or our insurance agent) would have liked 🤣.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Black dogs have a bit of a stigma and non-dog people tend to be more afraid of them regardless of their friendliness or demeanor.

My former dog was a doberman and although she was super sweet and loving with our friends and family, she didn't mess around with strangers and didn't care much for other dogs either.  She was a house/fenced yard dog but we never felt comfortable with her off-lead.  She wasn't really a barker as her growl was generally enough to send strangers packing.

Our current dog is a female black labrador retriever and despite being great with other dogs and super friendly with pretty much everyone, she is actually more of a barker when people (deliveries usually) come on the property but not in an annoying nuisance way.  She only barks when strangers (or bears) come on the property.  We are way more comfortable with her off-lead and she never wonders off.  She's not all aggressive but does have an intimidating bark and growl but her barking is a way to alert us to deal with the situation while the doberman was plenty comfortable dealing with it herself, and perhaps not always in the way we (or our insurance agent) would have liked 🤣.  

That your dog is sweet, loveable, protective, playful, and smart is of no doubt. However she is a hat thief. You should have a warning sign about that. Getting one's hat back can be quite the chore. :D :D :D ;D

[Jeff]

 

 

[Larry]

I've been fortunate to coexist with a bunch of really good dogs.  Two of the best were rescue Dobermans.  They were about as perfect as a dog can get.


Both are in dog heaven and I miss em.  I had a German Shepard that was also good, but I like short hair dogs better.

My present pardner is Hank, the poodle.  Smartest and most devoted dog I've had.  Perfect watch dog as he only barks when needed.

Needs lots of play time, has to go to his hair dresser every 6 weeks ($$$), and can find every cockle bur on my place.  Never more than 50 feet away.  Sawed cedar most of the day today and he was a big help!

[mike_belben]

I am for pitbulls, these are my 3rd and 4th and i have dealt with many.




In my experience it takes a real bad owner to make a bad pitbull.  Politics dictates that a pitbull is put to sleep for what an anklebiter gets away with every week so in my opinion, the bloodline has had the looneys sifted out pretty thoroughly and youve got a stable breed unless a complete tool raises it.

They dont have the coats for year round outdoors up north, or for unfenced yards thanks to lawsuits.  They dont tend to bark all day at nothing but when they bark bad guys listen. And theyre fearless. Theyre a snuggly, cuddly lover of a dog that follows you everywhere you go, but has a silhoutte that strikes fear in others for sure.  


Each one is different too.  Ive had a sister be high energy and aloof and a brother be lazy but super lovey.  Ive had one that would coexist with cats and 3 that will shred any other animal, depends how strong the terrier in them is. They all lust to be lapdogs,  and they all have a fight instinct you cant really get out of them.  If an adult pitbull will go crazy for a tennis ball or stick it will probably also chew up furniture, cushions and sheetrock when cooped indoors all day alone due to high energy level.

 If youve got kids they will want to curl up in bed with them.  No one is gonna mess with that kid.


Now.. You have to be a natural alpha for any dog or someone is gonna get bit.  If you speak to your dog in paragraphs and tell people its jealous or angry of micro agressions or whatever.. Well.  Dont be a dog owner. They are simple creatures and need strong simple commands with a simple and clear reward/punishment system.  Consistency is critical if you want a consistent, stable dog.  

I think all bird dogs are just too hyper for anything but bird dog stuff. Only seen it from afar and have no use for that circus.


Shepherds are very capable of excellence in the right hands.. Theyve got a strong guard the fence programming.. but i hate the 2 next door.  Theres 5 or 6 pack pitbulls that roam the street and i trust them not to bite me far more than the shepherds ive known for years right next door.