# Good Dogs?



## naledge (Apr 18, 2010)

I don't really know too much about breeds of dogs, all the purebred junk never really mattered to me.

But hopefully soon I'll be looking at getting another dog and I'm having trouble deciding.

I want a largish dog, that's a good guard dog but not aggressive like a pitbull or rottweiler (sorry for all the pitbull or rott lovers, but their reputations kind of puts me off)

Akita's look absolutely gorgeous, but they also look extremely expensive.

So does anyone have any suggestions?


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## Dipcdame (Apr 18, 2010)

Border Collies are pretty good, not overly large, great companions, love to be with people, great guard dogs, good all round dogs, but then I'm biased, the two BEST dogs we ever had were borders!!


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## Kitah (Apr 18, 2010)

I'm pretty sure you can get some issues with Akita's due to them becoming excessively 'possive' and protective of certain family members. I know it happened with my grandparents dog- their akita was extremely protective of my brother when we were kids, and would not let ANYONE touch him at all- she would get extremely aggressive, to the extreme that they had to rehome her. 

Having said that, all dogs are different, and the way they are raised significantly affects their behavior, BUT there is still a strong genetic component, regardless of what anyone says. 

If you have a lot of time to put into training, environmental enrichment and exercising a dog, maybe consider a working breed, e.g. kelpie or border collie- they're active, intelligent, usually seem pretty good at 'defending' their territory (i.e. barking at strangers when they approach). 

I know everyone suggests it, but check out your local animal shelters- you can see if any of the dogs in there appeal to you, and if so- you're giving them a new chance at life  Many dogs will be fairly good guard dogs- that is, give a fierce type of bark when someone approaches, but not actually bite in most cases. Again, it depends on the individual animal; I've seen german shepherds that are the worst guard dogs I've seen!! 

I probably didn't help you much... but goodluck


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## Snakeluvver2 (Apr 18, 2010)

shar pei's are pretty good cute as a button as well.
Can find some stunner's for a good price if you look.
Short hair dosnt really require to be brushed. 
Bought one for my girlfriend the other day seeing as she wasnt allowed a snake 
Very loyal to their owners, standoffish to strangers (good guard dog)
Not really large but medium sized 

Rott's are aggressive ????:S


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## Jungletrans (Apr 18, 2010)

Do the right thing and checkout the local animal shelter before you decide . There are often some really good dogs that need a home .


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## naledge (Apr 18, 2010)

Jungletrans said:


> Do the right thing and checkout the local animal shelter before you decide . There are often some really good dogs that need a home .



Yeah that's what I'm going to do. I have to make sure I pick out what I want before I go there though, it'd break my heart to not be able to take them all home haha.



Jannico said:


> shar pei's are pretty good cute as a button as well.
> Can find some stunner's for a good price if you look.
> Short hair dosnt really require to be brushed.
> Bought one for my girlfriend the other day seeing as she wasnt allowed a snake
> ...



Yeah they look pretty cool, I'll check that out. Well the only Rotts I've seen have been, but then again, I've only seen three.



Kitah said:


> I'm pretty sure you can get some issues with Akita's due to them becoming excessively 'possive' and protective of certain family members. I know it happened with my grandparents dog- their akita was extremely protective of my brother when we were kids, and would not let ANYONE touch him at all- she would get extremely aggressive, to the extreme that they had to rehome her.
> 
> Having said that, all dogs are different, and the way they are raised significantly affects their behavior, BUT there is still a strong genetic component, regardless of what anyone says.
> 
> ...



Yeah I was thinking they might be a bit of a handful, especially since they traditionally used to be bear-hunting dogs. But they look so great.

I'd love a Kelpie, they seem very loyal and just about the perfect size. I checked on our local shelter's website, there's a beautiful, young Kelpie cross. I doubt my parents would let me get it though, I have to wait until I move out to get more pets haha.



Dipcdame said:


> Border Collies are pretty good, not overly large, great companions, love to be with people, great guard dogs, good all round dogs, but then I'm biased, the two BEST dogs we ever had were borders!!



As I said I don't know much about dog breeds, but are their short-haired border collies?


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## Paulie (Apr 18, 2010)

yes, there are short haired border collies..
try lab x staffy if possible would make an awesome dog. 
or anything with staffy in it for the stocky build factor


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## Snakeluvver2 (Apr 18, 2010)

Ummm I've had a few. It's the only dog we've kept (family tradition) bred them trained them, watch two of my best friends die of old age
Wouldn't say they're aggressive just awesome guard dogs. Would guard you family till they turn to bone.

but hey looks like im being bias
I find little dogs more aggressive:S


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## Dragon_Lover_85 (Apr 18, 2010)

Any of the Border collie, kelpie, cattle breeds will do the job you are after and even moreso if they are a mix of 2 or all these breeds. You will end up with a faithful, protective companion for life and yes they all have short haired varieties.
Definately go the animal shelters though as you'll find a dog you 'save' will be all the more faithful.


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## Snakeluvver2 (Apr 18, 2010)

just dont buy from a pet store.


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## Wally (Apr 18, 2010)

I have an American Staffy ( currently asleep on my bed snoring his head off ). By far the most enjoyable dog I have owned. Intelligent and obedient through much training I really can't fault him.


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## amy5189 (Apr 18, 2010)

definitely consider a Kelpie or cattle dog. I have two kelpies and they are fantastic dogs. My 4 year old won't let other dogs near me. she'll put herself across in front of me and just stand there. she's quite a small kelpie though.
but my 6 month old is already 20kg and SUPER protective. she saw someone in the shadows the other night, and put herself between me and the person, hackles up growling like you wouldn't believe.
kelpies and cattle dogs and stumpy tails i find are more protective than border collies, i am around a lot of working dogs all the time, and they are all fantastic dogs.
my dad went out into his yard one time at night and his stumpy tails tried to take his arm off! she didn't realise it was him. lol
you will also find that a lot of dogs in shelters are probably kelpies, cattle dogs and border collies, because these are the breeds that people get and go 'OMG! you are so CUTE!' then they grow up and people are like 'OMG why are you DIGGING and BARKING!' BECAUSE YOUR DOG IS BORED!!!
these dogs need to be kept active. my 4 year old does flyball (google if you don't know) and my young girl is starting sheep trialling next week. things like fetch and taking them for walks is awesome too. 
too bad you weren't cloes by to me. my dad is rehoming his stumpy tail female and border collie x mastiff. both of which would be excellent guard dogs and great companions. 
good luck with whatever you decide


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## Khagan (Apr 18, 2010)

Also remember when looking at the working dog breeds, they have a lot of energy to burn and need stimulation or they get bored and can turn destructive lol. So it's something else to factor in, making sure you have the time to give them a decent run pretty much each day.

Edit: Damn it, Amy beat me to it while typing lol.


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## Choco (Apr 18, 2010)

Bull Arab, Bull Mastiff, Ridgeback or crosses of these. I have 2 Bull Arab X Mastiffs and they are fantastic. Excellent guard dogs, extremely intelligent, fantastic family dogs. Swear by them. They're always making new friends/fans when people meet them and are surprised by their nature.

Cheers,
Allan


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## hallet (Apr 18, 2010)

*good dog vs guard dog*

im glad you said good dog over guard dog as they are completely different requirements, and you pre apologised to pitty and rotty owners so i forgive you
i have worked with dogs for approx 12 years as groomer and trainer so i hope this may help
if you want a good dog get a golden retriever if you want a guard dog get a bull mastiff if you want a protector options endless.
as a rottweiller and bullmastiff owner i would have a rotti b4 a mastiff as mastiff are very protective of property and owners and they can go beyond guard dog they will defend owners to the end of the earth, not a dog for the faint hearted owner

also 4 consideration pittys are in the pipeline of being taken of the dangerous breeds list and maltese (little dogs) being put on as they have been biting more people of late than other dogs.

rotties are known 4 being dangerous due to the 80's producing such hype about them and having bad ownership, but to own a rottweiller or similar breed the main requirement is being a strong owner with strong authority over your dog if you are a gentler person with your dog YOU ARE CORRECT THIS IS NOT THE DOG FOR YOU . but at least you are truthful to admit this, that is the best step you could make .

as said earlier in this thread i do not recomend akita either they have aggresion issues,as can shar pei they are a fighting dog from past.

any of these large breeds can be dangerous as the saying goes its the individual dog and how it is raised.

suggestions for large dogs for you with protective outlook anatolian shephard
rhodesian ridgeback
husky
german shephard
newfoundland
st bernard
bouvier des flanders 
boxer 
blue heeler 

if you are not a strong dominant dog owner and as you said wanting another dog do you already have another dog as this also can affect your decision of choice but i recomend if you want a friendly dog but a dog that will defend you and your property maybe try boxer, blue heeler or ridgeback all controllable dogs with correct training but will defend property and your reptiles of course.....

hope this helps from a rottti lover


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## AMY22 (Apr 19, 2010)

If you go to an animal shelter they will be able to tell you the right animal to suit what you are looking for.

A few large dogs you can look at-
Labrador
Boxer
Samoyed
Greyhound
Golden Retriever
Husky
Alaskan Malamute
Border Collie
Rough Collie
Smooth Collie
German Shepherd
Dalmatian
German Short-haired Pointer
Weimararner
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Pyrenees Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog
Aussie Shepherd

I personally like Aussie Shepherds myself, they are rather similar to a Border Collie but it is uncommon for them to actually have a tail. They also originated in America not Australia, but they are common here now and there are breeders located in different states. When I was studying last year one of our lecturers had one that would sometimes come into the clinic for grooming or whatever and everyone loved him. 
I love the merle colours. In fact here's some pictures for your doggy viewing pleasure-















As for the temperament, some breeds of dog are more likely to become aggressive or be more of a handful than others, but it's not just the BREED that makes a dog like that. It can depend on the breeder, how they have housed their dogs (outside in runs, etc. or have they been allowed to socialise with people), the breeding itself, golden retrievers for example were classed as the number one dog to have because of their temperament years ago but it is now slowly beginning to change because of dodgy breeders. 
Then of course there is your own training and how you've worked and socialised with that dog. It's not just larger breeds that can have attitude, smaller breeds are very susceptible to attitude problems and aggression because they are pampered and not given formal training as often as larger breeds.

Also when you say you want a larger breed, what other aspects are you looking for, energy wise, grooming wise etc.? Greyhounds for example can make a really good laid back dog, because they are a racing dog a lot of people look at them as something that would need to run around all day, but they aren't too much like that at all. They do require a cage muzzle when being walked though, but I would love to own one.
Border Collies are hugely intelligent, classed as the most intelligent breed in the world, so can you cater to that? They can become a nuisance if they become bored and their requirements aren't met. They can also be a bit wary of strange people sometimes (not necessarily aggressive, just wussy).
Samoyeds need grooming every day for obvious reasons.
etc., etc., etc.

So to choose a dog you need to be aware of all these things, it's not just possible aggression.


Any other info I can give you just ask me and I'll see what I can come up with.


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## hallet (Apr 19, 2010)

rottweillers can make and are smart dogs the second rottweiller in the collage pic learnt scent detection work at six months of age and was featured in the herald sun newspaper and followed up by channel nine news coming out to my grooming business to do a story on him and his abilities ..

but the main thing is get the dog that is right for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and if rottweillers are not for you as you said do not get one but do not judge the breed judge the owner as i am sure i am backed up by all the pitty owners as well.
some dogs do require dominant owners as otherwise they will walk all over you and thats when you have problems and unwanted dog attacks happen 
unless you come across those meatheads who just want a penile extension but cant afford the porshe or ferrari yet so they get the meanest looking meat head dog and mistreat it until they feel big about themselves

just make sure you choose the breed you like as most dogs will defend there property no matter the breed its just how far they will go to to defend it ....................


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## hallet (Apr 19, 2010)

another suggested breed similar to amy22 suggestion and a combination of my dogs is also one of my favourite breed of dogs and one day i may own is the 

bernese mountain dog a beautiful solid dog with both gentle and protective outlooks but also costly in price they are generally $1800 up for quality but a beautiful breed almost best description is 
a cross between a rottweiller and a border collie as have collie type coat beautiful markings and weigh as much as a rottweiller and as tall as one

the end of the day options are vast, but staffies are not big but they have just as much loyal and protectiveness as any breed


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## AMY22 (Apr 19, 2010)

Bernese Mountain Dogs are beautiful, they just look so big and dopey and huggable.





Pyrenees Mountain Dog-


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## hallet (Apr 19, 2010)

i am a short haired dog fan due to clipping so much in my grooming business but you have to love the bernese 
as that pic shows in there eyes they are so full of love one of the top dogs in my opinion


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## AMY22 (Apr 19, 2010)

I think that's the thing that sucks with longer haired dogs, it's hard not to be tempted by them, but they are so much hard work. When I was a teenager I always wanted a Samoyed, now I would NEVER get one! haha


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## AMY22 (Apr 19, 2010)

Speaking of grooming long haired dogs, we had a bearded collie in grooming once, the owner never brushed it. Me and 2 other people spent over an hour brushing it and we didn't even get through half the mats. So if you get a long haired dog you need to be committed.


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## hallet (Apr 19, 2010)

AMY22 said:


> I think that's the thing that sucks with longer haired dogs, it's hard not to be tempted by them, but they are so much hard work. When I was a teenager I always wanted a Samoyed, now I would NEVER get one! haha


 
nor a malamute , a husky , or even a newfie but i did clip my parents german shephard twice in extreme summer heats as he was a long haired shep and he felt so much better and of course his hair grew back fine and clipped many a border collie they actually come out fantastic and generally look younger after a hair cut on a number 4 (groomer talk):lol::lol:


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## hallet (Apr 19, 2010)

AMY22 said:


> Speaking of grooming long haired dogs, we had a bearded collie in grooming once, the owner never brushed it. Me and 2 other people spent over an hour brushing it and we didn't even get through half the mats. So if you get a long haired dog you need to be committed.


 
similar situation had a neglected extremely matted old english sheep dog once when clipping on a (10 blade) only option shaved the dog back to bald of course but took the coat off in one piece as the company i worked 4 b4 i opened my shop had competitions who could bring back basicaslly a whole dog without the dog when we had neglected matted cases thankfully was few between but we did win for about a 3 month period till winter was over and as amy you would know "" i dont want my dog clipped during winter as it will get cold comes out the other side of winter one dirty and generally knotted or matted dog "" where can be prevented by giving a a lamb cut/ light cut just prior to winter to prevent matting in wet dogs over the winter period 

if you have long coated dogs who generally are clipped just prior to winter ask for a number 4 clip so if your dog gets wet or damp from mist its coat can dry whilst your at work and prevent becoming matted and of course make sure you brush your dog especially over winter
or (naledge ) get a short coated dog and you will be ok


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## AMY22 (Apr 19, 2010)

German shepherds can also be a bit stinky because of their double coat too, we had one come into the clinic called Quella, I really loved her name, but bleh, what a wretch! Lucky she was in for grooming so we could wash out the smell.
As for the bearded collie, our grooming lecturer (this was actually while we were working in her salon) had suggested to the owner just shaving it all off and starting over but they said no.


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## Slats (Apr 19, 2010)

I had to put down my neapolitan mastiff 2 weeks ago. He was the best dog you could ever ask for. My 2 year old used him as a trampoline when he was asleep and he never even lifted his head.


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## Lonewolf (Apr 19, 2010)

I have to say bullmastiff. But that just suits me. I didn't want an energetic dog and i didn't want a chihuahua plus i wanted beefy lol They weren't bred aggressive either. They were used to hold intruders until their owners came. 

My boy is just a big lazy boof lol 

Be really careful with the higher energy dogs. We just had to rehome a cattle dog cos she was extremely destructive, noisy and aggressive. Make sure you have the time and energy to give them what they need daily otherwise don't bother. 

We used to also have a pair of akitas. A long time ago when i was little. They were very protective of me but they also had to go when they had a fight and my mums boyfriend got in the way..


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## Specks (Apr 19, 2010)

i would say aussie kelpie. they are so good. we have one of the more pure ones that are a bit shorter and a liver colour. very very loyale and love you to bits. very affectionat.
also they show that your an aussie


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## waruikazi (Apr 19, 2010)

Bull terriers are the best dog evah!


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## captive_fairy (Apr 19, 2010)

I have a Staffy X Retreiver and a Rhodesian Ridgeback they are awesome dogs...the Ridgeback however, is very lazy and pretty much only moves for food...the staffy x is very intelligent, keen to please, barks at any strangers (her and my ridgeback even cornered someone who was breaking in, but didn't bite them)
In saying that, the best dog I've owned was a pitty (I know you said you don't want one, but I thought I'd share my experience with them because they are given such a bad name). She would check on me every 15mins when I was home by myself (she would find me and nudge me with her nose to make sure I was okay), very affectionate, great with kids and the only thing she ever hurt was a cat that came in our yard...But no one that didn't know her would come into the yard, she didn't even need to do anything, just be there.


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## sarah_m (Apr 19, 2010)

My aunt and uncle had 2 ridge backs and they were awsome. The sweetest dogs ever, wouldnt hurt a fly but looked impressive and would bark if they didnt know you.

When I was a kid we had a lab x greyhound. She was a medium size dog, but very solid.
She was friendly and loved people but would bark and sounded aggressive, so if you didnt know her you might think twice about robbing the place.


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## hallet (Apr 19, 2010)

I agree with waruikazi that bull terriers make great protector dogs and family dogs but unfortunately due to the shape of there skull the average person does not appreciate there look, and when they run in to your legs with there head you know it usually with a bruise but this breed was never suggested by myself earlier as he wanted a large breed and they come more under the small to medium statue. but they will defend your property and yet are great with people and kids and now you can get miniature bull terriers which are nice looking dogs . i personally have only met one mini bully in the flesh but nice little dog.


i truly think if you want a large dog , easy to maintain , trainable and biddable, good for house protection, but not overly aggressive and , good around people/family and something you may comfortably be able to control and handle ( with training as any large breed does require training / as does small) ................. i think you may want a rhodesian ridgeback 

but at the end of the day what do you really want this dog for ?????
a mate, a companion,, a friend,, a protector,,,loyal,,,,,, this will describe any dog you choose pure or cross
or an agressor ,,, able to attack,,,, guard your property with its life,,,,,, then you are looking for a few selected breeds and a future lawsuit...................................

just get the the dog that appeals to your likings as it will be with you for at least 10 plus years if you are lucky 
most dogs will naturally defend there owners/family and property without having to be an agrressive dog but i am assuming you are wanting a breed that has that audacious persona to prevent someone thinking twice of coming in to your yard even though your dog may just lick them i understand that ,but if you want it to train to attack i suggest you train a miniature poodle they are very excellent alert dogs and no one would expect it coming as your killing machine lolol


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## ShnakeyGirl (Apr 19, 2010)

German Shepherd. Loyal, loving and beautiful


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## Nicole74 (Apr 19, 2010)

We have a staffy, great dog, no trouble at all, great with kids.
Grew up with my kids from a puppy, never have had any aggression problems.
Also gets along with our other dog Maltese x.

I would get another in a heart beat.


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## tyson001 (May 5, 2012)

get a lab my boy kody is a black lab big strong bark but no bite witch is a good thing(yet goes can look like a phyco at times but wont even think to bite just bark and snarl). super friendly around the family just a big boffy dopey boy and considering last year we were the only people on our street not to get broken into .


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## yommy (May 5, 2012)

A hungarian vizsla is going to be my next dog.

they have adult ears as puppies and are so cute but grow into a good looking dog


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## Pinoy (May 5, 2012)

Yommy, my wife and I just fell in love with that dog!!! We've been looking at all kinds of dogs and wanted something with blue eyes, red colour and wasn't too big. This pretty much matches exactly what we've been lookin for


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## Frozenmouse (May 5, 2012)

Bullterriers are rubbish guard dogs they can sleep through an earth quake , if you want a good all rounder get an American Staffordshire Terrier they are as strong as a rotty in the size of a blue heeler , there are stacks of crossbreeds in shelters also just go to a shelter and pick a dog the size shape color and behavior you are after.


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## notechistiger (May 5, 2012)

Dragon_Lover_85 said:


> Any of the Border collie, kelpie, cattle breeds will do the job you are after and *even moreso if they are a mix of 2 or all these breeds.*



What an absolute load of crock 

Staffies are beautiful dogs. So are german shepherds (although both are prone to genetic conditions). Definitely check the shelter first =)


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## fantapants (May 5, 2012)

AHHH dogs! i friggen love em, all of them!!! lol so, so many to choose from! Dog shelters are great places to get a dog due to the standards the dog has to pass before adoption but be prepared for a thorough examination from staff including a visit to your property for some people to make sure adequate shelter, room and suitability for the dog is met. Not all do this but where i live its the standard of animal welfare they abide too ( a good thing i think ). I have a Jack Russell and Staffy, as you want a large dog the Labrador is a good dog but some of the best dogs are the humble mongrels, a bit of this and a bit of that thrown together can produce some awesome natured dogs free of the genetic health problems some pure bred dogs are known for and personnalities and traits unique to that particular dog. For me i love the staffy, such loving natures and despite the unfair vicious dog tag some minority groups have labeled this breed they make great family pets especially around children ( never leave any young child unsupervised around ANY dog of course!!!) but thats my opinion having had great natured staffy's in the past and some may disagree!... goodluck in finding your new mate and post a pic when you do..... cheers 

p.s. most dogs will bark at any stranger who approaches your property when there is a fence or door seperating them, even the best natured dogs have this false sense of security and bark and growl like a mad mutt detering most unwanted guests from entering. No need for a big, vicious guard dog to protect your property!


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## Kareeves (May 5, 2012)

just got home from the pub and reading through the posts about diffrent dogs and what not. Brought a found memory back to me about one of my old stock dogs i had. The bugger use to kill sleepy lizzards and animals killing sleepy lizzards is one of my pet hates. I tryed alot of diffrent things to get him to stop but with no luck. I was at the point where i thought it was gona be the old lead bait for me old mate. Then one morning i came out the bugger had just found a sleepy and was about to get to work on it no more sleepy. So i called him over he was prity good when it came to working and doing as he was tolled on the spot. 
So at this point i have the dog in a head lock and the sleepy lizzard by my other side and i am wondering what to do next. How can i teach my dog to stop killing these guys. So i grabe the sleepy and hes all like i can take you with his mouth wide open and im thinking ok what next and the dogs looking at me and he's got this look in his eyes like *** is going on sort of thing.
Every one is trying to do a runner. I hope you are keeping up with me.
So i get the sleepy lizzar and me old dogs ear and chomp gose the sleepy lizzard i let the dog go and away they go up the road. The dogs got a sleepy lizzard bling ear ring going on yelp yelp yelp 500 mters l8ter the sleepy drops off the dog runs back and he never killed another lizard again.


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## connors81 (May 5, 2012)

Well I won't take offence (as you said not too) However Pitbull are one of the most loyal family dogs you can get. I have two and neither are aggressive in any way toward people, believe it or not they don't make great guard dogs only because they would rather invite someone in for coffee rather than bite them, takes alot of effort to make one human aggressive. I run a boarding kennel and if you don't want something aggressive my opion is socialise it early most aggresive dogs just don't get enough socialiation. Just do research on the net about breed charactaristics, if you don't plan on exercising with the dog alot please don't get a working breed as it will just drive you nieghbours mad when it continuosly barks the house down.


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## congo_python (May 5, 2012)

Get a red Catahoula they are great watch dogs and a good looking solid dog aswell. Buster our red Cathoula will stop anyone entering our property, he has a solid body shape and bi-coloured eyes and was a good pigging dog aswell. Catahoula's are very family orintated and will defend your property and family with their life. They come from America and are a direct line from the American Indians camp dogs.


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## Wiganov (May 5, 2012)

yommy said:


> A hungarian vizsla is going to be my next dog.
> 
> they have adult ears as puppies and are so cute but grow into a good looking dog


 
A man who loves womas *and* vizslas - there's no faulting your taste, Yommy. I got to know a few vizslas when I was living in Hungary a few years ago and by God they were all terrific dogs.


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## disintegratus (May 6, 2012)

Rotties are great dogs, and people keep saying they're smart, but every one I've met is as dumb as a bag of hammers, mine included. She's lovely, but the stupidest thing I've ever met on 4 legs. Really, I think our coffee table is smarter than her. 

A mate of ours has a bull mastiff, absolutely stunning dog, but she's less than useless as a guard dog. 

I like Dobermanns, they are fantastic dogs.

If you want lazy, get an ex-racing greyhound. Large enough to be intimidating, no one has to know that the only thing that'll get protected is the couch it's sleeping on

Neopolitan mastiffs are amazing. The only problem with getting large dogs is that generally the bigger they are, the shorter their lifespan.



I don't know what the laws are like in SA, but in Vic these days you'd want to be pretty careful getting an unregistered staffy, or staffy x, even from a shelter, because if some d***weed council worker decides your dog looks a pitty, you're pretty much boned. Stupid ridiculous laws. The dog that started this BS was never even proven to be a pitbull. No one actually knows what it was, and I saw it reported once as a pitbull mastiff. What the hell is that!?!?!

Sorry, rant over.

Maybe just have a quick browse of the good old interwebs, find some breeds you like the look of, then research those breeds further to find one whose characteristics suit what you're after. Then when you search through shelters/rescues etc, at least you'll have a particular breed in mind

Don't do what we did several years ago and buy a puppy partly on impulse from a backyard pigger breeder. He's 40-odd kg, supposed to be "mastiff x" but pretty sure he's ridgey x, and he has some pretty bad fear issues, which I don't think are to do with his upbringing. I love him dearly, and wouldn't dream of getting rid of him, but it's certainly had a much bigger impact than a regular dog would have had. Also, he's quite ugly, and has the most awful stabby fur.


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## Exotic_Doc (May 6, 2012)

People have to specify what they mean when they say guard dog? It gets repeated over and over.... A dog that goes crazy and barks at people on the other side of the fence is not a guard dog. Any breed of dog can warn but without the proper training they are not guard dogs/Protection dogs and will not actually protect you....
This is very important for people to understand. If anyone needs clarification i will explain more what i mean


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## pretzels (May 6, 2012)

i love american staffys think they have the best personality and are very loyal. my pup is a bitza from the refuge. swear hes the dummiest dog out there but hes mine and i loves him. 
i absolutely love pitbulls! hugo ( my pup) was supposedly a pitbull x ridgeback but were pretty sure hes a kelpie and german shepard...if thats possible.


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## Rissa (May 6, 2012)

I have an american staffy and an english staffy I must say both are dopey, but will let you know if anyone is near the fence line. They are protective of my children and my boy patrols the yard between the kids bedroom windows and mine all night long. 

I will say to be careful going to the shelters and getting a staffy because if they are not sure what a certain dog is they will tag it a mixed breed staffy (I have seen this first hand). 

Also I have found that with mix breeds often you can get the down side of the dogs, sort of like Danny Devito in that old movie twins.


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## NuKL7 (May 6, 2012)

Im not sure if anyone has said this (was too lazy to read all 4 pages) but i have a German Shepherd and they are great guard dogs...if i come home and use a different entrance to the backyard he would bark and growl like a good guard dog should.. but usually he is just playful and barely barks.

They are great dogs imo.. look good too


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## MR_MRS_Monroe (May 17, 2012)

Amercian bull dogs can't go wrong 
We have 3 and want more  
The best dog ever 
I've had 
Dobs
Rotties
Staffys
Bully's
Collies
Cattle dogs 
But bull dogs by far the best breed I've had ..


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## NotoriouS (May 17, 2012)

Bullmastiff!! They can be expensive and have a short life span.. but they are brilliant!


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## Frozenmouse (May 17, 2012)

disintegratus said:


> I don't know what the laws are like in SA, but in Vic these days you'd want to be pretty careful getting an unregistered staffy, or staffy x, even from a shelter, because if some d***weed council worker decides your dog looks a pitty, you're pretty much boned. Stupid ridiculous laws. The dog that started this BS was never even proven to be a pitbull. No one actually knows what it was, and I saw it reported once as a pitbull mastiff. What the hell is that!?!?!


Agree with everything but it was not the council workers that created the laws it was pushed down by the premier with much opposition from many groups including local councils , they are unfortunately the people that have to deal with the new laws they don't agree with them tho remember they are the people that feed and house the poor dogs on death row.


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## Justdragons (May 17, 2012)

staffy x ridgeback, ive know alot and i own and love one and she is amazing. so happy and gentle. ridgebacks have a bad reputation but i think its something in the staffy gene that makes them really great. i love mine. unfortunetly mine is a hermaphrodite(sp) and ill never be able to breed her  i guess ill have to clone??


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## pazuzu666 (May 20, 2012)

Huskies are great dogs. Mine guards our property from all sorts of bandits haha. Seriously though, he is quite protective and weighs 50lbs so not too big. Just keep in mind they have a strong prey drive and when they shed, their whole undercoat comes out.


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## bohdi13 (May 20, 2012)

dingo


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## Exotic_Doc (May 24, 2012)

Samoyed  ALOOOOOT OF WORK


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