I have to go with a German Shepherd. I don't like how big Rottweilers are (too hard to handle) and to be honest, I don't like how Dobies look, but that's a superficial reason without any backing. I can't speak for Malinois though because I have no experience with them.
I know that females of all three breeds that I have had experience with can be great family dogs. When I was a baby we had a Dobie and she was super gentle with me and my sister's kitten. My sister has a Rottie right now and she's great with her kids, but she's so big and strong that she's hard to control, even with training, and she's small for her breed.
There is a special place in my heart for German Shepherds though. My grandmother had one while I was growing up and I spent a lot of my time at my grandmother's because my parents were working. Duchess practically helped to raise me. She was always super protective me whenever people would come to buy my grandparent's produce, but not in an intimidating way. She wouldn't growl or be aggressive, she just wouldn't let anyone come near me.
To further support my choice of German Shepherd is the breed history. They are shepherds, which means that they were bred to be guardians, which I think makes them a better guard dog. I don't know why Dobermans were bred, but I know they're classified as working class. I believe that Rottweilers were bred to be farm help, pulling carts and such, but I could be wrong. They're working class too, and when I think guard dogs, I think herding class.
I think the popularity of Dobie's and Rottie's as guard dogs comes from their size and ability to be intimidating. There is much more to guarding someone's house than being big and aggressive. We had an Australian Shepherd that was a fabulous guard dog, even though he wasn't a big dog or particularly intimidating.
If I'm thinking correctly, Belgian Malinois are also a guardian breed, therefore okay in my book as guard dogs.
Anyway, German Shepherds are also the preferred dogs of police officers, and there has to be a good reason for that, and not just because they're gorgeous.
--Okay, so I read some of the other answers and saw the mention of Irish Wolfhounds as good guard dogs. Yes, they are huge, but they are very docile and terrible guard dogs. They're not going to stop anything from getting into your house, except maybe a squirrel. They're sight hounds, they chase things, that's it. (Don't think I'm speaking poorly of them in general, they're wonderful dogs, just not good guardians.)
2006-11-12 06:12:35
·
answer #1
·
answered by fireflyfangirl 3
·
1⤊
0⤋
Well it would depend on if u want a guard dog that bites or just scares.The real Doberman pinscher is quite small or say a midsized guard dog well natured,they bark but the Doberman is bigger and more intimidating,pinschers are smaller.
Rottweilers are also a good choice if trained they are quick to learn friend from foe,males tend to be a bit aggressive.
German Shepards are cool but are a bit uneasy if your dogs a male specimen and if u have children at home,scissor bite, they can pack a punch like Rottweilers,most military applications demand a german shepard,caus they r popular,n easily available,same goes, good training needed.
Belgian shepards malinois can be used as guard dog but they look really good as show dog,similar to german shepard but not same, tempraments differ.
I've had Dobermans and German Shepards in the past both are cheap and easily available of all above ,dobermans can give good chase to intruders.Other choices are Bull Mastiffs, train them properly and they will give any burglar a run for his money,or a run to a hospital for getting reconstructive surgery.Irish Wolfhounds are also good. Pittbulls are exceptional for their size.Newfouldlands can be dangerous if aroused,rarer leonbergers,rhodesian ridgebacks,Wire haired pointers,weimars etc. to name few. 1st choice is german shepard 2nd choice is doberman not the pinscher 1st n 2nd caus they are cheap easily available and can be trained quite easily 3rd choise rottweiler packs a puch got a powerful bite but quite heavy body frame n a bit slow compared to the 1 n 2 in giving chase. Now u decide whateva u get treat it well and train it well into an obedient specimen not a mindless biting machine.
2006-11-12 06:04:04
·
answer #2
·
answered by ezque_rage 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
The most effective guard dogs are the Bullmastiff, Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler and German Shepherd.
Surprisingly, the Bull Terriers (one being the Pit Bull) are the most stolen dogs … world-wide. They DON'T make good guard dogs (that ... and they're worth a fair bit of $). They will guard their “family”, but … would more than likely HELP the intruder out of the house, with your belongings.
2006-11-12 06:07:44
·
answer #3
·
answered by ♥Carol♥ 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
Doberman and Rottweiler are really great guard dogs. German Shepherds can be but they make better police dogs. Thought about a Pitbull? Those are best.
2006-11-12 05:44:48
·
answer #4
·
answered by A A 1
·
0⤊
1⤋
I breed Rottweiler and German Shepherds (and also cocker spaniels but you don't have them listed here). I would say out of the ones I breed I must say the German Shepherds; they are more loyal; intelligent; the right weight to intimidate without too much weight to keep them from going airborne is necessary. Highly trainable; etc. I have also heard that they Belgian Malinois are great and an alternate breed to the GSD and they DO resemble shepherds. But I have never had any experience with them. I don't really like Dobermans; too me they look like puny Rotties.
Not saying all dobermans are bad but I DO think the black and tan colored ones look like Puny Rotties but I think the RED ones are GORGEOUS! As I mentioned I don't have any experience with them other than seeing them I've never owned any but I would feel more intimidated by a GSD or Rottie than I would a Doberman; of course their speed is a plus for them as is the GSD's; Rotties are more brutes and they have a deadly bite but they are slower than the other breeds.
2006-11-12 05:40:44
·
answer #5
·
answered by Melissa B 3
·
0⤊
1⤋
What are you needing guarded?
Why do you need a dog to guard it?
If you have problems where you need protection, then I would suggest that you buy an alarm system and a security camera.
If you are looking for a loyal companion and a dog that is a natural deterrant due to it's looks, I would choose a Doberman. But if you are looking for protection, you should go with the security system. Why jeopardize a dog because you need protecting? You want a dog for a companion, no a security system.
2006-11-12 06:04:37
·
answer #6
·
answered by DP 7
·
0⤊
0⤋
I think that you are referring to a personal protection dog. Guard dogs are bred specifically to guard property and belongings. Personal protection dogs are bred to protect not only property, but people as well. To answer your question, yes, a well-trained personal protection dog will protect its owner (with its life). People purchase personal protection dogs for safety/security reasons. Do you live in an area where homes are often burglarized? Do you live in a town where women are often beaten and/or raped? Do you have a stalker who will not leave your alone? Do you have children? Are you single women that lives alone? Do you dislike the idea of carrying around a handgun? Do you have a home or vehicle that you feel needs protection? If you answered yes to any of these, then you have a reason to purchase a personal protection dog. Edit: Regarding personal protection dogs and guns, personal protection dogs are specifically trained to target hands that are holding weapons. Advanced training can be done to teach dogs to attack when someone moves/motions their weapon hand (i.e.: a gunman raises his handgun to fire). Additionally, personal protection dogs are confronted with scenarios that could happen in real life (burglaries, car theft, etc.). They know when and how to attack. If a burglar went up again a personal protection dog, my bet would be on the personal protection dog. The burglar, like most people, would probably be startled by the dog. Therefore, he would not shoot right away. If he did go to shoot, the dog would most likely attack. Plus, even if the dog was hit, if it was not a lethal shot, the dog would still attack.
2016-05-22 07:21:02
·
answer #7
·
answered by ? 4
·
0⤊
0⤋
I would go with the German Shepard. Their temperament is usually very good with children and friends. While they are very good at sensing when somethings not right and can more then just intimidate an intruder up to know good. The Malinois is a similar breed. However, they are much more energetic & require an owner with a lot of energy also. I'm not as comfortable with the other breeds you've listed.
2006-11-12 06:34:18
·
answer #8
·
answered by GJfromfla 3
·
0⤊
0⤋
I have a Malinois who just turned 1 and she is great. She's really really smart and learns quickly. She looks like a Shepherd but much smaller (shes 55 lbs) so she's easier to take with you in the car and eats less! She's very athletic- runs 3 miles or more most days with my fiance. She is really alert- always lets us know even if someone walks by the road in front of our house and wakes us up if she hears anything in the yard (though its usually a racoon, etc.) HOWEVER, they are VERY high energy and need a lot of training. She is still quite jumpy and doesn't bite, but will hold your wrist in her mouth and try and lead you to the door if she has to go out, which some people might get frightened by. Hope that helps!
2006-11-12 05:47:50
·
answer #9
·
answered by Sarah W 2
·
0⤊
0⤋
hmm? my grandmother used to raise German shepherds, they are extremely loyal.. we owned a doberman and a rottweiler once.. the doberman seemed to hate anyone and everyone that came by.. I had to keep her chained up, she'd even jump the fence. The rottweiler was a big baby, she'd soon run up and lap someone as to anything.. She was miss lovey dovey dog.. wouldnt hurt a flee. not much for guarding unless you think licking someone to death is good. My best answer is german shepherds all the way.. Easist to train and smartest..
2006-11-12 05:41:14
·
answer #10
·
answered by Mintee 7
·
0⤊
1⤋