Good Dogs?

[naledge]

I don't really know too much about breeds of dogs, all the purebred junk never really mattered to me.

But hopefully soon I'll be looking at getting another dog and I'm having trouble deciding.

I want a largish dog, that's a good guard dog but not aggressive like a pitbull or rottweiler (sorry for all the pitbull or rott lovers, but their reputations kind of puts me off)

Akita's look absolutely gorgeous, but they also look extremely expensive.

So does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Dipcdame]

Border Collies are pretty good, not overly large, great companions, love to be with people, great guard dogs, good all round dogs, but then I'm biased, the two BEST dogs we ever had were borders!!

 

[Kitah]

I'm pretty sure you can get some issues with Akita's due to them becoming excessively 'possive' and protective of certain family members. I know it happened with my grandparents dog- their akita was extremely protective of my brother when we were kids, and would not let ANYONE touch him at all- she would get extremely aggressive, to the extreme that they had to rehome her.

Having said that, all dogs are different, and the way they are raised significantly affects their behavior, BUT there is still a strong genetic component, regardless of what anyone says.

If you have a lot of time to put into training, environmental enrichment and exercising a dog, maybe consider a working breed, e.g. kelpie or border collie- they're active, intelligent, usually seem pretty good at 'defending' their territory (i.e. barking at strangers when they approach).

I know everyone suggests it, but check out your local animal shelters- you can see if any of the dogs in there appeal to you, and if so- you're giving them a new chance at life Many dogs will be fairly good guard dogs- that is, give a fierce type of bark when someone approaches, but not actually bite in most cases. Again, it depends on the individual animal; I've seen german shepherds that are the worst guard dogs I've seen!!

I probably didn't help you much... but goodluck

 

[Snakeluvver2]

shar pei's are pretty good cute as a button as well.
Can find some stunner's for a good price if you look.
Short hair dosnt really require to be brushed.
Bought one for my girlfriend the other day seeing as she wasnt allowed a snake
Very loyal to their owners, standoffish to strangers (good guard dog)
Not really large but medium sized

Rott's are aggressive ????:S

 

[Jungletrans]

Do the right thing and checkout the local animal shelter before you decide . There are often some really good dogs that need a home .

 

[naledge]

Do the right thing and checkout the local animal shelter before you decide . There are often some really good dogs that need a home .

Yeah that's what I'm going to do. I have to make sure I pick out what I want before I go there though, it'd break my heart to not be able to take them all home haha.

shar pei's are pretty good cute as a button as well.
Can find some stunner's for a good price if you look.
Short hair dosnt really require to be brushed.
Bought one for my girlfriend the other day seeing as she wasnt allowed a snake
Very loyal to their owners, standoffish to strangers (good guard dog)
Not really large but medium sized

Rott's are aggressive ????:S

Yeah they look pretty cool, I'll check that out. Well the only Rotts I've seen have been, but then again, I've only seen three.

I'm pretty sure you can get some issues with Akita's due to them becoming excessively 'possive' and protective of certain family members. I know it happened with my grandparents dog- their akita was extremely protective of my brother when we were kids, and would not let ANYONE touch him at all- she would get extremely aggressive, to the extreme that they had to rehome her.

Having said that, all dogs are different, and the way they are raised significantly affects their behavior, BUT there is still a strong genetic component, regardless of what anyone says.

If you have a lot of time to put into training, environmental enrichment and exercising a dog, maybe consider a working breed, e.g. kelpie or border collie- they're active, intelligent, usually seem pretty good at 'defending' their territory (i.e. barking at strangers when they approach).

I know everyone suggests it, but check out your local animal shelters- you can see if any of the dogs in there appeal to you, and if so- you're giving them a new chance at life Many dogs will be fairly good guard dogs- that is, give a fierce type of bark when someone approaches, but not actually bite in most cases. Again, it depends on the individual animal; I've seen german shepherds that are the worst guard dogs I've seen!!

I probably didn't help you much... but goodluck

Yeah I was thinking they might be a bit of a handful, especially since they traditionally used to be bear-hunting dogs. But they look so great.

I'd love a Kelpie, they seem very loyal and just about the perfect size. I checked on our local shelter's website, there's a beautiful, young Kelpie cross. I doubt my parents would let me get it though, I have to wait until I move out to get more pets haha.

Border Collies are pretty good, not overly large, great companions, love to be with people, great guard dogs, good all round dogs, but then I'm biased, the two BEST dogs we ever had were borders!!

As I said I don't know much about dog breeds, but are their short-haired border collies?

 

[Paulie]

yes, there are short haired border collies..
try lab x staffy if possible would make an awesome dog.
or anything with staffy in it for the stocky build factor

 

[Snakeluvver2]

Ummm I've had a few. It's the only dog we've kept (family tradition) bred them trained them, watch two of my best friends die of old age
Wouldn't say they're aggressive just awesome guard dogs. Would guard you family till they turn to bone.

but hey looks like im being bias
I find little dogs more aggressive:S

 

[Dragon_Lover_85]

Any of the Border collie, kelpie, cattle breeds will do the job you are after and even moreso if they are a mix of 2 or all these breeds. You will end up with a faithful, protective companion for life and yes they all have short haired varieties.
Definately go the animal shelters though as you'll find a dog you 'save' will be all the more faithful.

 

[Snakeluvver2]

just dont buy from a pet store.

 

[Wally]

I have an American Staffy ( currently asleep on my bed snoring his head off ). By far the most enjoyable dog I have owned. Intelligent and obedient through much training I really can't fault him.

 

[amy5189]

definitely consider a Kelpie or cattle dog. I have two kelpies and they are fantastic dogs. My 4 year old won't let other dogs near me. she'll put herself across in front of me and just stand there. she's quite a small kelpie though.
but my 6 month old is already 20kg and SUPER protective. she saw someone in the shadows the other night, and put herself between me and the person, hackles up growling like you wouldn't believe.
kelpies and cattle dogs and stumpy tails i find are more protective than border collies, i am around a lot of working dogs all the time, and they are all fantastic dogs.
my dad went out into his yard one time at night and his stumpy tails tried to take his arm off! she didn't realise it was him. lol
you will also find that a lot of dogs in shelters are probably kelpies, cattle dogs and border collies, because these are the breeds that people get and go 'OMG! you are so CUTE!' then they grow up and people are like 'OMG why are you DIGGING and BARKING!' BECAUSE YOUR DOG IS BORED!!!
these dogs need to be kept active. my 4 year old does flyball (google if you don't know) and my young girl is starting sheep trialling next week. things like fetch and taking them for walks is awesome too.
too bad you weren't cloes by to me. my dad is rehoming his stumpy tail female and border collie x mastiff. both of which would be excellent guard dogs and great companions.
good luck with whatever you decide

 

[Khagan]

Also remember when looking at the working dog breeds, they have a lot of energy to burn and need stimulation or they get bored and can turn destructive lol. So it's something else to factor in, making sure you have the time to give them a decent run pretty much each day.

Edit: Damn it, Amy beat me to it while typing lol.

 

[Choco]

Bull Arab, Bull Mastiff, Ridgeback or crosses of these. I have 2 Bull Arab X Mastiffs and they are fantastic. Excellent guard dogs, extremely intelligent, fantastic family dogs. Swear by them. They're always making new friends/fans when people meet them and are surprised by their nature.

Cheers,
Allan

 

[hallet]

good dog vs guard dog

im glad you said good dog over guard dog as they are completely different requirements, and you pre apologised to pitty and rotty owners so i forgive you
i have worked with dogs for approx 12 years as groomer and trainer so i hope this may help
if you want a good dog get a golden retriever if you want a guard dog get a bull mastiff if you want a protector options endless.
as a rottweiller and bullmastiff owner i would have a rotti b4 a mastiff as mastiff are very protective of property and owners and they can go beyond guard dog they will defend owners to the end of the earth, not a dog for the faint hearted owner

also 4 consideration pittys are in the pipeline of being taken of the dangerous breeds list and maltese (little dogs) being put on as they have been biting more people of late than other dogs.

rotties are known 4 being dangerous due to the 80's producing such hype about them and having bad ownership, but to own a rottweiller or similar breed the main requirement is being a strong owner with strong authority over your dog if you are a gentler person with your dog YOU ARE CORRECT THIS IS NOT THE DOG FOR YOU . but at least you are truthful to admit this, that is the best step you could make .

as said earlier in this thread i do not recomend akita either they have aggresion issues,as can shar pei they are a fighting dog from past.

any of these large breeds can be dangerous as the saying goes its the individual dog and how it is raised.

suggestions for large dogs for you with protective outlook anatolian shephard
rhodesian ridgeback
husky
german shephard
newfoundland
st bernard
bouvier des flanders
boxer
blue heeler

if you are not a strong dominant dog owner and as you said wanting another dog do you already have another dog as this also can affect your decision of choice but i recomend if you want a friendly dog but a dog that will defend you and your property maybe try boxer, blue heeler or ridgeback all controllable dogs with correct training but will defend property and your reptiles of course.....

hope this helps from a rottti lover

 

[AMY22]

If you go to an animal shelter they will be able to tell you the right animal to suit what you are looking for.

A few large dogs you can look at-
Labrador
Boxer
Samoyed
Greyhound
Golden Retriever
Husky
Alaskan Malamute
Border Collie
Rough Collie
Smooth Collie
German Shepherd
Dalmatian
German Short-haired Pointer
Weimararner
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Pyrenees Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog
Aussie Shepherd

I personally like Aussie Shepherds myself, they are rather similar to a Border Collie but it is uncommon for them to actually have a tail. They also originated in America not Australia, but they are common here now and there are breeders located in different states. When I was studying last year one of our lecturers had one that would sometimes come into the clinic for grooming or whatever and everyone loved him.
I love the merle colours. In fact here's some pictures for your doggy viewing pleasure-

As for the temperament, some breeds of dog are more likely to become aggressive or be more of a handful than others, but it's not just the BREED that makes a dog like that. It can depend on the breeder, how they have housed their dogs (outside in runs, etc. or have they been allowed to socialise with people), the breeding itself, golden retrievers for example were classed as the number one dog to have because of their temperament years ago but it is now slowly beginning to change because of dodgy breeders.
Then of course there is your own training and how you've worked and socialised with that dog. It's not just larger breeds that can have attitude, smaller breeds are very susceptible to attitude problems and aggression because they are pampered and not given formal training as often as larger breeds.

Also when you say you want a larger breed, what other aspects are you looking for, energy wise, grooming wise etc.? Greyhounds for example can make a really good laid back dog, because they are a racing dog a lot of people look at them as something that would need to run around all day, but they aren't too much like that at all. They do require a cage muzzle when being walked though, but I would love to own one.
Border Collies are hugely intelligent, classed as the most intelligent breed in the world, so can you cater to that? They can become a nuisance if they become bored and their requirements aren't met. They can also be a bit wary of strange people sometimes (not necessarily aggressive, just wussy).
Samoyeds need grooming every day for obvious reasons.
etc., etc., etc.

So to choose a dog you need to be aware of all these things, it's not just possible aggression.


Any other info I can give you just ask me and I'll see what I can come up with.

 

[hallet]

rottweillers can make and are smart dogs the second rottweiller in the collage pic learnt scent detection work at six months of age and was featured in the herald sun newspaper and followed up by channel nine news coming out to my grooming business to do a story on him and his abilities ..

but the main thing is get the dog that is right for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and if rottweillers are not for you as you said do not get one but do not judge the breed judge the owner as i am sure i am backed up by all the pitty owners as well.
some dogs do require dominant owners as otherwise they will walk all over you and thats when you have problems and unwanted dog attacks happen
unless you come across those meatheads who just want a penile extension but cant afford the porshe or ferrari yet so they get the meanest looking meat head dog and mistreat it until they feel big about themselves

just make sure you choose the breed you like as most dogs will defend there property no matter the breed its just how far they will go to to defend it ....................

 

[hallet]

another suggested breed similar to amy22 suggestion and a combination of my dogs is also one of my favourite breed of dogs and one day i may own is the

bernese mountain dog a beautiful solid dog with both gentle and protective outlooks but also costly in price they are generally $1800 up for quality but a beautiful breed almost best description is
a cross between a rottweiller and a border collie as have collie type coat beautiful markings and weigh as much as a rottweiller and as tall as one

the end of the day options are vast, but staffies are not big but they have just as much loyal and protectiveness as any breed

 

[AMY22]

Bernese Mountain Dogs are beautiful, they just look so big and dopey and huggable.

Pyrenees Mountain Dog-

 

[hallet]

i am a short haired dog fan due to clipping so much in my grooming business but you have to love the bernese
as that pic shows in there eyes they are so full of love one of the top dogs in my opinion