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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
  
Location: Northwest | What are your experiences with the best guard dog breeds? Ideally looking for something good with our family but who won’t let strangers out of the car etc. Need something large, as we have bears/wolves/cougars going through our property. Want something that won’t roam for miles. And lastly, must be good with horses (ie won’t attack them). Thoughts? Does such a dog exist, maybe it’s a unicorn. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
 
| Absolutely LOVE my Great Pyrenees (sp?)! He keeps the coyotes away, doesn't bother the horses and is always by my side. He patrols the property all night. If ANYTHING is out of order, he lets us know. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | my barn owner has two rotties and they do an awesome job. They play with the horses sometimes, but never attacking. They stay around and keep an eye on everything. Let you know as soon as someones in the drive. Theyve never had an problems with intruders lol |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | I'm on my third German Shepherd. Wouldn't be without one. |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7550
Location: In The Land of Cotton | If you don't want a herding dog as the two mentioned, I prefer my old fashioned junk yard dog. He was a stray that showed up. Doesn't bother the horses, cats etc. But he won't let you out of the car and he will kill critters like coons and possums that come up to the house.
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Expert
Posts: 1226
| We have a Bull Mastiff. It is our second one and I will never not have one. They are amazing with kids and very loyal. Excellent guard dogs. Very rarely bark but when they do they are all business. She loves loves kids. I would highly recommend them |
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 The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | Growing up, we had a Rottweiler that lived in our barn. He would herd the horses, and he was gentle as can be, so I know he'd never actually hurt anyone.....but he looked fierce! lol Probably not as dominant and protective as you are looking for. I still am very fond of the breed because of the experience with that dog. The most gentle and kind dog we've ever had. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| My husband has a German Shepherd. The dog was 2.5 years old when I met him. He had recently bit the FedEx guy and put a hole in his uniform. A few years later, he bit the pool guy and drew blood. My stepson was outside when it happened and everybody (including the pool guy) was convinced the dog bit (after plenty of warning - growling and stare down but the pool guy kept walking towards him) because he was protecting my stepson.
The following year, we moved in together. I was feeding the dogs one night and the GS started eating another dog’s food. I yelled at him and he didn’t stop, so I went to grab his collar. He turned and bit me and drew blood.
I think he’s great with his family her grew up with (my hubs and step kids), but I don’t trust him one bit with my little kids.
But, he does his job.
I’ve had two Dobermans and although they looked threatening and had deep barks, they wouldn’t have hurt a fly. I would not consider them guard dogs but they’re great family pets and great with horses if raised around them.
Just my experience with ONE gs. I don’t know if that’s typical of the breed. |
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Expert
Posts: 1226
| horsegirl - 2018-01-31 5:58 AM Growing up, we had a Rottweiler that lived in our barn. He would herd the horses, and he was gentle as can be, so I know he'd never actually hurt anyone.....but he looked fierce! lol Probably not as dominant and protective as you are looking for. I still am very fond of the breed because of the experience with that dog. The most gentle and kind dog we've ever had.
They are amazing dogs |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| dRowe - 2018-01-31 8:16 AM
My husband has a German Shepherd. The dog was 2.5 years old when I met him. He had recently bit the FedEx guy and put a hole in his uniform. A few years later, he bit the pool guy and drew blood. My stepson was outside when it happened and everybody (including the pool guy) was convinced the dog bit (after plenty of warning - growling and stare down but the pool guy kept walking towards him) because he was protecting my stepson.
The following year, we moved in together. I was feeding the dogs one night and the GS started eating another dog’s food. I yelled at him and he didn’t stop, so I went to grab his collar. He turned and bit me and drew blood.
I think he’s great with his family her grew up with (my hubs and step kids), but I don’t trust him one bit with my little kids.
But, he does his job.
I’ve had two Dobermans and although they looked threatening and had deep barks, they wouldn’t have hurt a fly. I would not consider them guard dogs but they’re great family pets and great with horses if raised around them.
Just my experience with ONE gs. I don’t know if that’s typical of the breed.
I was going to suggest a doberman. I have a female. She's getting very up there in age, but she's still very active. I've had her since she was 6 weeks old. She's raised all my kids. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body, but strangers don't know the difference! She looks intimidating. She doesn't mess with my horses or chickens... she doesn't bother our cats, but if a stray or the neighbors cats cross our property, she's quick to run them off. She's very watchful over the kids when they go outside together, she's never a few feet away from them. I remember when we were camping, I was sitting outside and my youngest son was playing in the dirt right in front of me, a strange guy accidentally walked into our camp area, she ran and sat right in front of me and my son and raised her lip at the guy.. he said "oops" and turned around and walked off lol! I have no doubt she would protect us and attack someone if they tried to hurt us.
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 Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | I was raised with German Shepherds. Very protective and loyal dogs. I think they need to be raised with their family since birth and trained accordingly. Ours never chased the horses or had any issues with the livestock but they were trained at a young age. They did bite a couple of times when we had men walk onto our property that were not expected. Never left the property and were left loose 24/7. Never left my side and I never felt unsafe. I want another one day when I setlle down a little more. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | heidiinaz - 2018-01-31 6:45 AM
horsegirl - 2018-01-31 5:58 AM Growing up, we had a Rottweiler that lived in our barn. He would herd the horses, and he was gentle as can be, so I know he'd never actually hurt anyone.....but he looked fierce! lol Probably not as dominant and protective as you are looking for. I still am very fond of the breed because of the experience with that dog. The most gentle and kind dog we've ever had.
They are amazing dogs
I am leaning towards a Rottweiler too. I had a rottie mix growing up that was the best dog. Great with the family, but folks sure were afraid of him. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | heidiinaz - 2018-01-31 5:46 AM
We have a Bull Mastiff. It is our second one and I will never not have one. They are amazing with kids and very loyal. Excellent guard dogs. Very rarely bark but when they do they are all business. She loves loves kids. I would highly recommend them
One of my husband’s co-workers is going to have English mastiff puppies and is what started us down this road. I wonder if Bullmastiff and English mastiffs are similar, I’ll look into it! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | I grew up with a German Shepherd. He was great and new he was the protector. Saved us kids several times including- once from a rabid fox and once from 3 sketchy strangers who pulled into our drive way while my mom was 200 yards away at our mailbox. I will have another once we have more land.
We also had a "herd" of dogs that did a pretty dang good job. We had 3 Australian Shepherd's, one Akita, and one mut. No one ever got out of their car unless we were there to call them off. Akita's can be known to be agressive dogs (plus they look kinda mean). So Millie (Akita) and my female Aussie, were kinda the bosses of the herd.
I'll add that I've always wanted a Great Pyranese! They are AWESOME dogs as well.
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Expert
Posts: 1226
| 07milch - 2018-01-31 6:59 AM heidiinaz - 2018-01-31 5:46 AM We have a Bull Mastiff. It is our second one and I will never not have one. They are amazing with kids and very loyal. Excellent guard dogs. Very rarely bark but when they do they are all business. She loves loves kids. I would highly recommend them One of my husband’s co-workers is going to have English mastiff puppies and is what started us down this road. I wonder if Bullmastiff and English mastiffs are similar, I’ll look into it!
The Bull Mastiffs are shorter and stockier. They have less health problems as far as hips and elbows. Our female is about 110lbs which is not too big. And she still fits in the back of a seat. The English are so big but good dogs too |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| I would imagine they'd be hard to find, but we have a Great Pyrenees/Akbash cross, and NOTHING gets past him. He is a big big dog with the shorter hair of the Akbash, and he is not the dog I'd want to come across if I didn't know him. He's caught a couple people snooping around the neighbors tractors (he has permission to be over there, they love him) and chased them off, and he keeps the coyotes/mountain lions/bears far far away from our place. Heck he's brought back legs of coyotes. But to people he knows, he's the most love-able, snuggly, easy to be around dog in the world. The kittens used to sleep curled up at his side. Once he accepts someone/something as a part of his family, there's no need to worry about him. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | We have a Rottie mix. He is super loyal to his family. Has lived loose on our property his whole life and never wanders. Follows my hubby like he's attached to him. He's never bitten a stranger but he acts so nasty towards them that they typically won't get out of their truck without plenty of reassuring from us. I witnessed the FedEx guy throw a treat one direction and run the opposite direction to set a package on our porch and run back to his truck. I'll admit, I giggled.
We don't have large predators, but he chases off all the small critters with a vengeance. Lol! Possums, armadillos, etc.
As far as kids, he's pretty aloof. Doesn't like to play or receive a lot of attention from them, but he wasn't raised with them either. He'll usually find a spot away from them and lay down.
He shows no interest in the horses and cows at all.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 929
| Griz - 2018-01-31 3:48 AM
Absolutely LOVE my Great Pyrenees (sp?)! He keeps the coyotes away, doesn't bother the horses and is always by my side. He patrols the property all night. If ANYTHING is out of order, he lets us know.
Definitely this or a Newfoundland. Best dogs ever, and SO gentle with kids, as well.  |
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Veteran
Posts: 242
| Will a Great Pyrenees bark if people drive up? I've heard they are gentle natured. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 312
Location: KS | We have a Rottie, shes all love, but looks can be deceiving. Strangers do think twice. |
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