what dog breed to get

T

tntrapper

New member
i have heard that alstruia shepherds,,,i cant spell it really good,, is a really good dog ,,, i want one to be a guard dog and for a family pet that good around kids
 
Do you mean Australian Shepard? How much "guard dog" do you want? Do you want a dog that barks to alert of possible danger, or do you want one that backs up the bark? Will somebody be home 24/7 or will the dog be left alone for long hours during the day?
 
yea thats what i was trying to say,,,,, well i want it to warn me it would be left be its self some days for a while but i try to play with them every day,,, sometimes theres some one home but not all the time ,,,,,,,, i dont want it to bit b/c i would turn it loose and let it run,,,,,,,,,,,,, bout how big do they get
 
Australian shepherd - great breed - really smart dogs - but not what I would choose for a guard dog. They are a sheep dog, in other words, they are a more social type of dog. Most herding breeds are social, and as such, they do not like being left alone for long periods of time. The two top breeds I would pick for a guard dog that are excellent with children and a great family dog are the Bullmastiff and the Fila. I am partial to the Bullmastiff, but Fila's are excellent as well. The Bullmastiff was actually bred to be a guard dog. They are second to none - and tough as nails.
 
I have a recommendation.....but not a shepard.
Boxer......my wife and I raise boxers.
They are very protective (esp the kids)....very loyal and friendly.
We have owned many different breeds.....but when we came upon the boxers.....now we would not own anything else.

Pop
 
From what I’ve seen Australian Shepherds tend to be more aggressive that what you seem to want. Not all of them are that way but you won’t know until you already have the dog. On the plus side they don’t tend to wander like some other breeds.
 
I grew up on a large cattle ranch. We always had two or three australian shepards with red or blue heelers. The sheperds are good dogs, smart and very loyal. They can be a bit aggresive but they are very protective of kids. They do need alot of room to roam and plenty of exercise. If the dog is going to be locked up I would look at another breed.
 
Labrador.

Large, protective, good with kids, usually stay close to home, and can make a LOT of NOISE when they want to. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Quote:
Labrador.

Large, protective, good with kids, usually stay close to home, and can make a LOT of NOISE when they want to. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif



+1

No better all around dog IMHO

If you don't mind a dog that wants to hunt,play, and be with you at all times /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
All shepherd breeds will have a tendency to nip/bite. It is bred into them, they will also try to "herd" the members of the family, especially the children, as that is their instictive way of protection. I don't know what size dog you are looking at, but, if I was looking for what you seem to be looking for, I'd look at an English Mastiff or Bull Mastiff. My experience with them is that they are slow to bite, very loving and loyal, great fun to walk, and they have a bark that is every bit as intimidating as a shotgun being racked. They're BIG though.
 
I researched this myself last year. I wanted a blue heeler, but they have the tendency to snap. I ended up going with an English Mastiff. She is now 1 year old and we love her. She seldom barks and the kids can ride her, pull her ears, whatever and she stays very calm. Research the English Mastiff and you will be very impressed. I like labs too, but they are not guard dogs. Several articles I read had them listed as one of the worst guard dogs. They're too friendly. Great family dogs though.
 
Standard Schnauzer.

They are everything you say you want.

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Get a German Shorthaired Pointer. Even though they're hunting dogs (which can't be a bad thing) they make great pets and are loyal defenders of their family group. I don't think there's a better all-around breed, but I'm biased.
 
So I guess an Australian Shepherd would be a bad choice if he isn't going to herd sheep? As long as any dog has a good home and someone to look after them can it be bad for them? GSPs weren't originally bred just to hunt birds. Do a little research.
 
Golden Retrievers would be a good dog for a family pet they would stay close to the house and they would have a loud bark. Great with kids and are not aggressive. They are in the top 5 smartest breeds. I've had Golden Retrievers for 38yrs. and wouldn't own any other dog for kids/family and to be around people. They are alot of other good breeds for doing other type things. Is the dog going to be around people? Are your kids going to play with it? Do your friends and family have small kids that going to be playing with it? Do small kids live next door? thats just some of the questions you have to anwser before desiding on what dog you need for your family.

Good Luck!!
 
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