Best Dog for Protection

[kegkilla]

i am looking into getting my elderly grandparents a dog for companionship and protection. they are 70ish and live alone but are still very capable of living alone, however their house is kind of in a secluded area and i would feel more comfortable if they had some sort of watch dog. so far everything i've looked at points me to a German shepherd. very affectionate, loving, and loyal but also rather large, intelligent and intimidating. would like to hear some other thoughts on the matter.

[chaos]

German shepherd, Rott, doberman, pit bull, all good choices, all very loyal, caring, affectionate, etc etc. All of those breeds need strict discipline and training, and strict human-dominant behavior at all times. Doesn't mean you can't play and have fun with them and love them, it just means there are certain boundaries and every one of those type of dogs are capable of causing serious injury to a person, any type of dog used for protection must be respected or your grandparents will be on the 11 o'clock news as another tragic story.

I don't type all that shit out because I think you're dumb or anything, it just seems that these days people really don't understand how to treat animals or why animals behave in specific ways. It bothers me when people don't properly care for their pets.

Myself, I would pick a pit because that's my favorite breed. I know my grandparents would not be comfortable with that though, media hype and all that. A German shepherd is a great dog, if that is what the will be comfortable with then go with that, be warned that they get fucking HUGE so if your grandparents are intimidated by size you may want to rethink it. Some pretty basic training is not hard at all to commit to, probably not even for the grandparents to do themselves, but it is necessary, most dogs known for being used in protection are also known for aggressive behavior when not properly disciplined.

[Believe]

Pit Bulls should just be wiped out as a breed, in my opinion.

[chaos]

Yeah well, good for you, gg media I guess, they certainly won you over.

[Sean]

I'd personally go with any Spitz breed of dog - they are far and away the best type for companionship.

Spitz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Believe]

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/Dog%20Atta...%20Clifton.pdf

According to this, from 1982-2006, Pitbulls have over double the attacks of the next dog (Rottweiler). The Pitbull leads in all categories: attacks, maims, and deaths.

But yeah, I guess I'm just falling for the media trap!

[Brikker]

I'm not fond of Pit Bulls, myself. Really, they're ugly fuckers.

Get a German Shepherd and (if you need to) hire a trainer to work with it and your grandparents.

Great dogs. Mine is a beast (135ish LBs) but a complete push-over. She wasn't trained for Protection or anything, though.

[Menoz]

I'd say German Shepard, personally. The shep we had would love on anybody we were friendly to and be pretty defensive if we seemed upset with new people. Not the smartest dog ever (old english sheep dog wins that) but definately a great pet as far as large dogs go.

[Vorph]

Originally Posted by chaos

Yeah well, good for you, gg media I guess, they certainly won you over.

Seriously. With even the absolute minimum amount of research, you will find the the vast majority of "pit bull attacks" aren't really American Pit Bull (or Staffordshire) Terriers at all.

Honestly though, I think it's going to depend a lot on what sort of health your grandparents are in whether any of the breeds mentioned are a good choice. My parents are nearly 70 now and considering getting another Great Dane, but a lot of people that age wouldn't be able to handle a large (or extremely strong in the case of terriers) breed without a lot of help and/or having the training done by someone else. German Shepherd is probably your best bet, at any rate. They are probably the least willful/stubborn of the breeds typically used as watchdogs.

[Jait]

If they live in a moderate climate (not a lot of 90+ degree days) definitely go with a Siberian Husky. There's no better dog, but naturally I'm bias =p For some reason the eyes and muzzle are extraordinarily intimidating even though they tend to be a very gentle breed.

As for the Pit-Bull debate, I have no opinion, but I did notice this article this morning which is fairly interesting.
Vick case latest stain on pit bull's changing image - CNN.com

[chaos]

Originally Posted by Believe

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/Dog%20Atta...%20Clifton.pdf

According to this, from 1982-2006, Pitbulls have over double the attacks of the next dog (Rottweiler). The Pitbull leads in all categories: attacks, maims, and deaths.

But yeah, I guess I'm just falling for the media trap!

Yeah you are, because that list is compiled by the media on the website for a lawyer specializing in dog bite cases. I wonder if anyone has any reason not to fact check an article that may read "Pit Bull Attacks Man!" when there are what, 5-10 different terrier breeds often refered to as "pit bulls"? Whatever. It's the person, not the dog, who holds responsibility.

[Jait]

And to follow up, here's some basic info on the Husky if you're interested...

Siberian Husky - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Believe]

Originally Posted by chaos

Yeah you are, because that list is compiled by the media on the website for a lawyer specializing in dog bite cases. I wonder if anyone has any reason not to fact check an article that may read "Pit Bull Attacks Man!" when there are what, 5-10 different terrier breeds often refered to as "pit bulls"? Whatever. It's the person, not the dog, who holds responsibility.

Here's another then:
http://www.dogexpert.com/FatalDogAttacks/dogbreeds.pdf

[Sean]

Seriously, again, Spitz. They're incredibly loving and gentle to their owners. The American Eskies in particular are named the "Heart Bandits" for good reason. There is no dog better suited for a companion than a Spitz.

And on the other hand, they're also incredibly protective of their owners. Even my little Pomeranian, Princess, would attempt to fuck you up if she thought you were a threat to me.

We actually have three Spitz dogs.


Here's my Pom, Princess:

http://users.adelphia.net/~shirley_n.../princess1.jpg

This is Shy, he's a Chow/Shepard/Lab/Retriever/Cocker mix:

http://users.adelphia.net/~shirley_noble/pics/shy1.jpg

That picture doesn't really show off his size well, and he's incredibly strong.

Here's my mom's Toy-size American Eskie, Shilo:

http://users.adelphia.net/~shirley_n...ics/shilo1.jpg

Yeah, she appears comatose. She's 17 and really showing her age. =\

The last dog we have, Mikey, isn't a Spitz:

http://users.adelphia.net/~shirley_n...ics/mikey1.jpg

We're not quite sure what he is. Pretty sure there's a lot of Lab in him and maybe some Mastiff. He has the capacity for a shitload of intelligence, but enjoys acting "holy fucking shit dumb" type-stupid. He also constantly hurts himself by barreling up and down the stairwell and sprains a different ankle every week.

[Jait]

Don't make me start posting pics of my dogs Sean I need few excuses


edit:
Here's my beagles =p My Husky passed away 2 years ago after nearly 18 years. Because I live in LA, I didn't want to get another. It's just too hot out here. But here's the Beagle Duo, Cloud and Vixen (I tried Aeris, but it didn't fly with the Other). =p In all fairness, they are not Guard-Dogs

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...6/beagles2.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...18-06_1311.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...18-06_1312.jpg