Best guard dog

[shivers]

A good dog is smart enough to recognize a real threat. Any dog who is stupid enough to attack one of your own friends shouldn't be clogging up the gene pool. I'm sorry you lost one of your dogs, Sri, but I really can't blame the guy too much for doing it.

I haven't met many Rottweilers, but the ones I have met didn't give me any trouble at all. They were big, slobbery love muffins. However, I wouldn't want to take a chance by getting one of my own. Ditto for pit bulls.

Really, most dogs that see a threat to their home and masters will respond quickly, and attack. Hell, our family had a greyhound that defended my brother against a St Bernard. Pick a breed that is smart, and big enough to do some damage. Or, like Stiv mentioned, a gang of tenacious little critters.

[Duende]

A head and coat of a terrier, and body like a greyhound. Did I get the mix right? She's a cutie.

Pretty close. She's a lurcher, a mixed breed found mainly in the British Isles that are usually sight hound/hound mixes. As best I can tell mine's half greyhound and half wolfhound, but she's got collie-type markings and sort of acts like one too so, I dunno. We picked her up from the local dog shelter.[/quote]

[el3so]

Current line of work I've come across all sorts of breeds of dogs (wait wait wait, that doesn't sound right...) and while plenty of the junkyard mutts (mostly PB variants, occasional presa canario or other exotic "killer dogs") are fierce, they don't quite inspire the kind of respect one gets when facing a trained dog who'll watch you, waiting for his master's every command.
Doggy biscuits won't cut it with them.

Dunno how these things work across the Atlantic, Sri, but you can buy fully-trained k9s round here, Malinois being popular police dogs.
Expensive though.

[Stiv]

Malinois being popular police dogs.
Expensive though.

I absolutely LOVE those things and when I go to dog shows they are always on the schedule to view.

But yeah they are out of my league$$ wise I simply won't spend much money to get a dog with so many nice rescues out there.

Around these parts if you hit the Amish areas you can get some simply amazing German shephards, they tend to raise them for security but also for some extra side money.

Some of the lineages thses families have are far and above anything you could get anywhere else with much much les inbreeding, ironic since the same can't be said for the Amish families themselves.

Best,
Stiv

[Sri Lanky]

If you mean the 2 by 4 beating,shivers,the dog actually survived it.

But we did lose a pup to an eagle,cougar,or raccoons last summer. It was the alpha pup so it followed the big boys,got lost,and became puppy chow for something.I hope it didn't suffer too much.

[roach coach]

Right now we have an almost-1 year old rotten-lab with cinnamon-brown fur, and it's like seal fur. He's around 100 pounds and has a hell of a personality for a dog. He's not much of a guard dog yet but he's getting there.

[yorick]

Now here's the score that might help y'all raise the ultimate guard dog: Understand it aint so much the dog understanding *you* as its you learning animal spaek.

For starters: it's mouth, teeth and nose that enables em to explore the world. Say that Doc's highly intelligent Japanese breed starts licking newborn baby from head to toe, insisting s/he sleep at foot of baby's bed, even nudging and standing by the baby as he crawls. Gotta understand it's an expression of love that ought not be scolded or misunderstood.

Meanwhile the secret grip of animal masonry between humans and critters is always hand to mouth. For working with dogs I recommend the "knuckle sandwich" where with zero hesitation you wrap yer hand around dog's lower jawbone as if shaking hands. S/he will know you forever after this as somebody sharing mutual trust. And taking the initiative, you instruct your guard dog tainee to never feel uncomfortable grabbing human hand, say to disarm gun-wielding attackers down the road.

Next comes the "command" - word you choose in any language that encourages the dog to seize and snatch human hand with you pointing at anybody in any direction. Best worked with introduction of 3rd party participant/volunteer known as "agitator" generally armed with hockey gloves to act in capacity of assailant/threat. Skill of the agitator determines quality of the guard/attack dog.

And of course, the dog arrives at point where s/he will NOT chomp and draw blood from stranger's hand extending the "knuckle sandwich" grip unless the command is voiced.

Meanwhile from other side of the fence: if/when y'all see terrorist looking guard/attack dog approaching you... yield into animal spaek and offer hand-to-mouth gentle jawbone "knuckle sandwich" handshake then s/he'll know you spaek dog language extremely well.



(:=

[docjoyce]

Yorick your correct, Turk loves Everett. We "trust" him around Everett to be sure, but will always be present when they are rumbling around together. Little kids do odd things like jab a dog in the eye etc. and a nip from Turk to little Everett is like a great white shark bite to me.

Turk does like to snuggle up to him though which is comical at times.

[soulohio]

what is that...an Akita? Chow? if that is a Chow I am nervous just looking at that pic...got a buddy who familia raised them and every one of his family was bit by the Chows.

[docjoyce]

No worries its an Akita.

Much different then the chow.

[kilroy]

akitas are great dogs. i'd love to get one of my own when i'm settled enough to know i'll be there to take care of it.

[yorick]

what is that...an Akita? Chow? if that is a Chow I am nervous just looking at that pic...got a buddy who familia raised them and every one of his family was bit by the Chows.

Hey man, Rhodesians have the same drawback - notorious for disliking children pulling their tails and bugging em. And Doc is wise to consider Akita knows better than infant Everette at learning to get along without makin lots of mistakes. Hence protect the dog from the child instead of other way around. Akita looks darned tired in that pic with grey beard too.

Meanwhile SoulHio, in yer travels meeting with dogs never forget the knuckle sandwich handshake. It might even save yer life, hand to muzzle communication. Othewise anybody reluctant/uncomfortable to put their hand around/inside dog's mouth dont belong in the same room with em. Find one licking yer hand is good sign.

Meanwhile i wanna see Doc's Akita accompany Everette in walks through the woods, pointing out pitfalls and becoming utility pal with him - same as instructing mom and pop doc about whats important that relieves the pain of being human for them. Same as Field Marshall Rommel appreciated the dachshund that slept under his desk, claiming in his memoirs the dog better than anybody followed his thoughts.




(:=

[nowonmai]

I always ended up protecting my dogs rather than the other way around. Owning dogs is Greek Tragedy with a 14 year cycle.

Dogs are overrated as guarddogs unless being operated by a trained human.

[docjoyce]

Sir you are correct.

I am always concerned for Turks safety in the general public. People often dont understand a dog that isnt cootsie cuetsie with everyone.

He isnt aggresive at all in public, just very aloof with his actions. He will just stand at my side and look at me for direction.

I will be the first to admit Now, that when his time comes, I will be devestated. 14 years is not enough. Then again, is there ever enough time?

One of my deepest fears is when I do man up and join the forces, what if I get that letter/email mentioning his demise while I was away. I know its pathetic to worry about a dog, but He is my man.

I have to go play in the snow.

[Q]

Chow Chow, hands down. Not only bred to hunt black bear, but will defend it's family to the death.



I literally owe my life to my older Chow, Chewbacca. Long story short... Stuck boar with crossbow bolt. Boar turns and charges, gores my leg as I'm hauling ass up a tree. Chewy swoops down and proceeds to rip throat out of said boar.

A year later he kills brother in law's male pit and knocks up his female.