I'm alone all night and would like a medium sized dog that's a little more on the protective side. I live in a small house only 900sq feet so i wouldn't feel right owning something like a german shepard. i'm looking for something over 20lbs under 60lbs and not horribly hipper

Doberman Pinschers are good...ummm..Australian shepherds , border collie's,

Border collies I love them there cute.ILOVE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!

a pitbull is a good dog you dont even have to train them to be mean but people are still scared of them i know because i have one

dobermans, labadors, pit bulls, and golden retrevers.

A really good breed is the blue healer or also known as the australian cattle dog. They protected their heards at night so it is kinda like guarding you. Here are some more basenji, elkhound, harrier, irish red and white setter,hovawart. Also I know you dont want a big dog, but a female rottwieler is great. I have a male and he is the best dog. Obiedient, loyal, loves exercise (agility!). Also very protective. People think they are scary b/c you see them in the movies. But I love them! Or get a mixed breed with a rottie in them and they can run smaller.

One pertective dog is a German Shepard. If you want a dog who is also very playful is a black lab or Golden Lab.

American Pit Bull TerrierSize: Large Obedient; strong desire to please. Good-natured, extremely courageous and loyal. Affectionate, good with children and adults. Do not trust with other pets; tends to be dog aggressive. Socialize when young. Highly protective of its owners, needs firm hand and a dominant owner. Excellent dog with the right owner, but not recommended for most people.American Staffordshire TerrierSize: Medium Very loyal and devoted. Highly protective of his owners and their property. Courageous, persistent and can be willful. Needs a firm hand, proper training and a dominant owner. Can be dog aggressive. Excellent dog when raised and handled properly, but not recommended for most people. Airedale TerrierSize: Medium Playful and rowdy as a puppy. Dignified and courageous as an adult. Protective with a strong desire to please. Sensitive and responsive. Can be scrappy with other animals. Bold and stubborn. May try to be dominate over submissive family members. Needs firm consistent, but fair obedience training.American BulldogSize: Large Brave and determined, but not hostile. Alert, self-confident. Loves children. Strong protective instincts; should be well-socialized and obedience trained at an early age. May be dog aggressive and reserved with strangers. Needs to be around people to be truly happy. Tends to drool and slobber. Should have a dominant owner.Anatolian Shepherd DogSize: Very Large Very loyal, alert, proud, self assured and possessive. Independent flock guardian; needs dominant leadership and an owner who understands its nature. Very protective of its family and property. Suspicious of strangers. Needs extensive early socialization.The list goes on goto http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/quickreference.htm and do search for "very protective"































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half wolf half husky will do if you live in the cold areas if not generally something big a jack russell may be a little protective but the point is what can the dog do to stop attacking partyi German shepherd is used by most militaryits not so much about traits its the bark bite and strength that matters i know of a toy poodle that would attack any one trying to hurt this kid when i was back in like public school the poodle didn't stand a chance against mesha but it tried the kid in question tried to attack me my dog barked and faked an attack and the poodle went after mesha needless to say the poodle didn't last mesha was half wolf half husky she also had attack training(teaches the dog the best places to bite to bring down a target) as for controlling a dog assert dominance but not abuse the dog becomes to nippy throw it in a head lock and roll it on its side pin it down it will calm but do not hit it you want to assert dominance in a method that will not get you marked as an enemy but the alphado some research and find out the biggest baddest meanest dog you can find(physical traits personality you can form) and get a puppy of that breed treat it with care and make sure you show the dog who's boss with out resorting to violence again never pity the dog and don't give it a lot of treats make it work for them treats are thank yous not just anything you give them make sure the dog doesnt get fat take it for a walk every day or rather a run or jog if you treat it like you are the alpha and in need or protection it will protect and remember size dose matter think of a dog that will beat the crap out of something dogs don't always resort to violence or biting some times they will resort to their natural ways of pin the target

Unfortunately what you are asking for is a dog that is territorial. This would be a problem because you cannot control it. People confuse this with being protective. I often hear this: my dog is so protective of me that when anyone comes close to me it becomes aggressive. This is bad as I have stated you cannot control it. This also extends to other areas. It will be aggressive if it is laying on your bed and someone approaches. Oh, you say that this is what you want. Even if it is someone you want to approach? A dog that is territorial is a badly behaved dog. Protection dogs are trained in that behavior and controllable. But, they are expensive. You are looking at up to two years of training and over $10,000. I think what you want is a basic trained dog that will bark at noises but will instantly respond to the "quiet" command. This will be a better pet for you.

i know you said med.size dog but i just have to vouch for the pitbull. i had a large, very scary looking red pit w/ yellow eyes. he was extremely smart and protective. all he had to do was look at someone with those wicked eyes and even the biggest,baddest man [or animal] would run. but to my family and 2 year old son he was a loyal, loving family member. we lost him in Nov. but if a pitbull is raised responsibly, i think they are the best all around breed. good luck with your decision...

I was always told most dogs will protect their owner, if the owner shows to be in danger.
Now I don't know if this is al true but it makes sense. that if you train the dog to be aggressive, or an attack dog. it will be aggressive and then its not really a good family pet. I'm not saying it can't be done


Now teaching the dog to speak/bark on command can really help. I was reading where someone stopped a car got out and walked towards this one person, the person gave the command for the dog to bark the dog did and the person walked the other way.

Elizabeth,

What is your experience level with dogs? Some of the dogs being suggested are protective but will require an owner with experience with strong breeds. While my personal attitude toward pittbulls has mellowed of late, I would not recommend them to an inexperienced owner and I would suggest care in the selection and acknowledgment of the problems that come with having one (e.g., laws, insurance companies, what they are capable of doing if not handled/trained correctly).

You should consider that size of the dog does not equal energy level. Some small dogs are far more energetic than large dogs. For example, Jack Russell Terriers are smaller by far than Mastiffs but require massively more exercise than the Mastiff. Terriers in general will require allot of exercise. As will Border collies. As will any of the working/herding groups for that matter. Look carefully at the breed requirements of the dog you are considering and be honest with yourself about your ability to meet those requirements.

If you want a dog that will scare people but not necessarily be aggressive--color of the dog may be a consideration. People tend to naturally fear black dogs.

Statistically, houses with dogs (any dog) are less likely to be broken into than those without. Probably because even small dogs make noise which can allert the owner or neighbors to trouble. BUT, do not expect a dog to be your only form of security. AND, remember that if you have a dog that tends toward aggressive ("protective") behavior, that puts more responsibility on you for the dog's actions. You must make the commitment to obedience train the dog and know that you can control the dog around other people and animals. Check with your insurance company to see if they will drop your policy if you own a particular breed of dog.

Being a single female, I totally understand the need to feel safe. I do not own "protective" breed dogs. I have a mixed hound and a cocker spaniel. Both are blonde, not black. They were selected for their gentle natures, not aggression. BUT, I know when someone enters my yard and I feel confident that when we are out walking in the dark no one is going to bother me. The spaniel has quite a deep tone bark--very effective overall. They would protect me if necessary without being loaded guns waiting to go off accidently.

That said, of the breeds I've seen mentioned...I'd second the recommendation of a heeler (Australian Cattle Dog)...but only if you first learn about the breed and understand what the dog will need from you. Heelers are highly intelligent, protective, somewhat aloof (toward strangers) dogs who will need mental and physical exercise to prevent negative behaviors. I recently lost such a dog -- she was a fabulous companion for just shy of 12 years. Expect to provide several hours a day of exercise both physical and mental and know that you will need to stay one step ahead of the dog's mischievous nature...which isn't always an easy thing to do because of their high intelligence.

[mrandrei]

The most popular dogs for guarding are German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Pitbulls. Chows can be very protective also.

[natalie265]

I'd recommend a pit bull mix. Some of the dogs that people are recommending are really big, require an experienced handler and/or are extremely high energy. You could find a sweet, medium sized pit bull mix at the animal shelter. The benefit in adopting a dog that looks like a pit bull is that people are afraid of them. Pure breds tend to be protective and can be dog aggressive. If you got a mix it might be less so.

i think lab is good for you

Someone had suggested earlier that you should get an Australian Shepherd. They are very good dogs that get very attached to their owners. They can be a little hyperactive though, so hopefully you'll have a yard for him to play in!

[rayter]

Personally, I feel like the Neapolitan Mastiff has some great guarding or protective instincts. It's the best guard dog breed.

[LoneWolf]

You say your house is only 900 square feet, but how big is the yard? Will the dog be able to run around at all? Will he be outside most of the day? How much can you walk it?

I'm saying you could get a bigger dog if you have a yard or it could get some kind of exercise.

And for what it's worth, I grew up with a dachshund, and that little girl's bark was LOUD. No burglar would ever think it came from a tiny dog. If an intruder hears loud barking, he's gone.

Good luck!

[xtopdawg386x]

any breed of dog is a good choice for home protection some are more physically able to attack on command and provide more protection . small dogs can bark and make noise which alerts you to danger medium dogs can bark and can on command attack large breeds bark can attack on command and hold an intruder . a list of great guard dogs 1 Bull mastiff 2 Rottweiler 3 Doberman Pinscher
4 Komondor 5 German Shepherd 6 Rhodesian Ridgeback 7 Chow Chow 8 boerboel

most people that don't have much experience or understanding of the pit bull breed would say get a pit bull . i own 16 american pit bull terrier's how ever the breed is animal aggressive , not human aggressive .they can be very good guard dogs takes lots of training to get them there since there goal is to please humans not attack them . But media has turned them into human killers so i understand why people say "pit bulls" . i have to (APBR ) and a boer boel that are inside dogs the boer boel is a trained guard / protection dog and on command will attack and hold an intruder ect. what ever breed you choose your responsible for the actions of the dog , so get training for your self on how to handle the dog and for the dog . I don't know how much experience you have with dogs so i can't say what breed is best for you nor how much time you can spend training the animal or if your going to pay to have him trained . But i don't suggest a pit bull because of the fact there very high energy you have to have room for them to run , they have a fear factor do to the media but honestly i will walk into a yard with pit bulls before i will a yard full of rots or boer boel's or germen shepherds.

Originally Posted by mrandrei

The most popular dogs for guarding are German Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Pitbulls. Chows can be very protective also.

i hate to say this but honestly the pit bulls not on the most popular guard dog list the other's are tho . pit bulls can be trained but mostly your chows rottweilers boerboe Doberman ect . pit bulls actually are animal aggressive not human but if your wanting a great catch dog for hogs pit bulls are great since they have natural instinct to be animal aggressive. during the early 1900's the american pit bull terriers (pit bulls) that showed any human aggression were killed since it was at this point in time people started bringing these breed into family homes with children .so basically what these means is the american pit bulls of today are not human aggressive how ever there animal aggression since these was not breed out of them . I understand some still attack people how ever any dog no matter what breed can attack people .