Protective But Not Aggressive Breeds

[Shakti]

Hi everyone,

I live in a suburban area although we walk to the river and through parks every day so my GSD has lots and lots of exercise (both on and off-leash)

I have had two very bad incidents in the past and that was a factor in choosing a GSD as my breed. have always felt safe with my GSD as I believed that most people would choose not to attach someone with a scarey looking dog. He also has a huge, deep bark that would deter most (if not all) would be burglars.

Anyway, last week there was an incident when a mentally disturbed man attacked me verbally and then attempted to punch me. I ducked to avoid hima nd let go of my GSD's leash. My 4 year old GSD promply bolted and left me to try and avoid this guy.

I love my dog as he is and do NOT want him attack-trained etc BUT I did feel that a natural protective instinct would kick in if he believed I was in actual danger.

Are there any breeds of dogs that are naturally protective but not aggressive eg like a Maremma? I have owned a Maremma before andc loved that I wasn't afraid theyw ould attack someone but that they would do what it took to protect me. Unfortunately living in such a suburban area as I do I doubt that a Maremma would be happy there.

Any other suggestions please?

[Steve]

The Maremma would be happy there as long as you lived with it as part of the family and didnt leave it on its own.

Ive placed Maremmas as pets where they have been in small areas.

[Sam&Saki]

An Akita would protect you, but would not provide the warning bark you'd want from a guard dog, and may not get along with a GSD.

They are fantastic protection dogs but are really only for people who can deal with the unique needs and training methods that Spitz breeds need, as well as grooming, and they're really not appropriate for people who work 40+ hours out of the house as they need lots of time with you.

So no idea if an Akita would be right for you or not.

I'm so sorry for what you went through, sounds really scary

However I guess you could look at it this way - if your dog had attacked this guy your dog may have ended up being declared dangerous or you could have been liable for his medical bills or it may have made the situation worse.

[Tiara]

Perhaps a GSD from working bloodlines??

[tdierikx]

I have had a few Rotties like your GSD - rather run than stick around and help... *grin*... actually mine were more likely to hide behind me and peer out from there with a worried look on their faces...

Funnily enough, my current Labrador would be the dog most likely to protect me if I was being physically imposed upon... totally friendly to the point of being annoying in any other setting though... hehe!

T.

[Rex]

Hi everyone,

I live in a suburban area although we walk to the river and through parks every day so my GSD has lots and lots of exercise (both on and off-leash)

I have had two very bad incidents in the past and that was a factor in choosing a GSD as my breed. have always felt safe with my GSD as I believed that most people would choose not to attach someone with a scarey looking dog. He also has a huge, deep bark that would deter most (if not all) would be burglars.

Anyway, last week there was an incident when a mentally disturbed man attacked me verbally and then attempted to punch me. I ducked to avoid hima nd let go of my GSD's leash. My 4 year old GSD promply bolted and left me to try and avoid this guy.

I love my dog as he is and do NOT want him attack-trained etc BUT I did feel that a natural protective instinct would kick in if he believed I was in actual danger.

Are there any breeds of dogs that are naturally protective but not aggressive eg like a Maremma? I have owned a Maremma before andc loved that I wasn't afraid theyw ould attack someone but that they would do what it took to protect me. Unfortunately living in such a suburban area as I do I doubt that a Maremma would be happy there.

Any other suggestions please?

Strangely only last night in another thread, I was having this very discussion about weak nerved GSD's bred for show/pet purposes and the "exact" discussion that I mounted was "when it comes to the crunch, the weak nerve GSD's will run away, they won't protect you" and everyone wanted to argue about it telling me I was wrong???.

It's not the breed Brooke, it's the breeding of your dog to produce weak nerved, soft temperament more socially acceptable animals free of civil aggression. My GSD would have taken the guy's arm off before he raised it, infact the guy wouldn't have been game enough to approach us once he was switched into defence drive. With a hard temperament and strong nerve dog, the training is preventing them from barking,chasing, attacking, not teaching them to react which is the difference. A GSD from a breeder perhaps a working line or a strong showline that do produce dogs capable of protection/security work would suit your requirements, but such breedings are difficult dogs to control and require training practices by professional people with experience in handling them correctly.

[Dogsfevr]

I can understand what you want but do you want to own 2 large dogs.will you leave current dog home when you walk ?presuming the next dog does more??

Or will you walk both & then control one that doesnt react & one that will.

I have owned big dogs for years & never believed i was safer & always took the same precations but of all the dogs i have owned the best protection dog was my Std smooth dachie but it also took a great deal of time to ensure his temp remained stable in society & the show ring but he would protect me till the end & this was often a major hassle in every day life

have always felt safe with my GSD as I believed that most people would choose not to attach someone with a scarey looking dog. He also has a huge, deep bark that would deter most (if not all) would be burglars.

Personally i dont agree with this & will always give people a false sense of security.

[

Having said that there are breeds that would be very suitable but it depends how much time & effort you wish to put into such dog.

Std schnauzers & giant schnauzers are great

Edited September 11, 2009 by showdog

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

So are you looking at rehoming the GSD and getting another dog? Didn't you have mastiffs before?

Edited September 11, 2009 by dogmad

[Bjelkier]

Funnily enough, my current Labrador would be the dog most likely to protect me if I was being physically imposed upon... totally friendly to the point of being annoying in any other setting though... hehe!

T.

My Lab is like this too, very protective.

[poodlefan]

My honest advice?

Don't rely on a dog for your personal security - take responsibility for it yourself. Buy a personal alarm and avoid areas where your personal security may be at risk.

Unless you have a trained protection dog ANY dog's protectiveness is a big question mark. If you do own a trained protection dog, it's automatically a dangerous dog with all the restrictions that imposes.

[all that glitters]

Can a dog be declared dangerous if it was protecting you from an attacker who was attempting to cause great harm to you?

[poodlefan]

Can a dog be declared dangerous if it was protecting you from an attacker who was attempting to cause great harm to you?

On your own property? No

In a public place? I'm not sure

[Katdogs]

Poodlefan is correct, as usual.

I've had two occasions (I live in a dodgy area) where my Lab X GR, the sookiest most submissive girl ever, has tried to warn me against dangerous people and drag me away. I now listen to her warning signals carefully. However, I'm the responsible human here - even though she's a big black dog and scary-looking to many people, I'd rather be in control of the situation than rely on a (very good) dog as defence.

It helps though that she's big, black, and barks on command with a hand signal!

hate typos

Edited September 11, 2009 by Katdogs

[tashnchief]

Dogue De Bordeaux have really good natural guarding instinct afterall it is part of their history.

I think you will need to consider the bigger picture though....if you bring in another dog for your own peace of minds sake, will this new dog fit into your family and fit in with your current dog?

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

My neighbour's dog is an Aussie Shepherd, she's a lovely and slightly shy girl, I'd never heard her bark before.

One night, I heard her go crazy, knew their was something wrong and there was an intruder in my neighbour's place.

They certainly don't look to her to protect them but she gave them a warning so they could call the police at least.

I wouldn't have let the dog go, just the sight of a GSD is enough to deter most people and if that doesn't, nothing probably would.

[tdierikx]

If I didn't know what a sweetheart your big black dog is Katdogs - I'd be leery about approaching you too... *grin*... as for the little black dog you also have... well...

T.

[renegade]

Blueys are very protective and are quite likely to be intimidating. have you thought of training your dog to do a "show" of aggression. meaning growling or barking on command? this doesn't mean BEING aggressive just acting aggressively. my dog used to work till we moved to town but his "wazit" command still gets him to attention and has him trotting on edge and making eye contact with people or animals around him. it has made people avoid us when we are out walking but i don't mind because i felt intimidated and wanted them avoiding me.

[Cosmolo]

Teach a happy bark on command- anything more can be very problematic. I don't think there are many breeds where you could be certain of guarding behaviour- much will depend on the individual.

[disorder]

Bull Terrier, Amstaff? I can't see either of these breeds running away if their owner was being attacked.

[Rain]

Most bull terriers i have known wouldnt do a thing.