Defence Dog

[r0llin]

We have moved into a new neighborhood and we've heard about mugging
and i was followed yesterday by two pervs the idea was proposed for me to
by a dog , i have no opinion about the dogs size but i need a well trained do
or one i can train for attacking at certain commands, thanks in advance

,samantha

[r0llin]

sorry forgot a part i heard a lot about german shepherds but are they too dangerous and will attack any people that run from it ??

[seaecho]

German Shepherds are excellent watch and guard dogs. They are suspicious of strangers they haven't been introduced to, yet are the most loyal, devoted breed to their family that I know of. Just get one with a good temperament - not a fear biter, or one that is overly aggressive. The dog needs also to be a part of your family - not treated like a protection dog that is never loved and brought inside. They thrive on family life and will protect you with their lives. Keep in mind that a dog is a HUGE responsibility, and needs REGULAR feeding, watering, walks, play, vet visits, etc. Dog ownership is NOT to be taken lightly! For the next 10-15 years, he will depend on you for everything. If you aren
t willing to do that, get some pepper spray and an alarm system for your house.

[Renee750il]

I've had GSDs since I was 12 years old. I've had purebreds, and I've had mixes; I've raised two from puppyhood (the first one, Purdue, and Bimmer, the GSD/wolf mix I have now) and all but Purdue were rescues. Bear, who became a certified therapy dog, was a GSD/Akita mix and was one of the most intelligent and formidable creatures ever; he also knew his business and I knew I was utterly safe with Bear. If we heard something, no matter how late it was, he and I would just go out and see what was up.

There's something special about the rescues. They understand what you've done for them, and, when you adopt a more adult dog, you have a very good idea of the temperament from the beginning. Breed specific rescues are generally an excellent way to find a good dog that suits your personality and situation. Most rescue organizations not only check out their dogs, but take care to match them to appropriate homes.

You don't need an attack dog. Trained guard and attack dogs are only for specific situations and highly experienced, well trained owners. A fearful owner is absolutely the most dangerous owner for a trained guard dog. The dog will react to your fear, and the results could be tragic; not that it will turn on you, but your fearfulness can cause the dog to react far too strongly in the wrong situation.

Any well adjusted, well loved dog is going to protect you. A dog that is well trained in the basic commands is going to be a dog that you can handle in almost any situation, provided you have participated in the training.

In your situation, I would strongly caution you not to pick a breed like the Rottweiler, Doberman, or anything resembling a Pit Bull or American Staffordshire Terrier. That's going to draw the kind of attention you DON'T want especially that of the very punks and thugs you're afraid of.

I'll also recommend that you take some self defense classes. They will give you more confidence and make you feel like less of a potential victim; an attitude which will also communicate itself to whatever dog you eventually bond with.

[RD]

Like Renee suggested, it would also be smart for YOU to take some self defense classes.

I would recommend a breed that doesn't LOOK like one of the breeds that the 'thugs' would like. That includes Dobermans, Rotties, GSD's, or "Bully Breeds". I've seen in so many cases, these dogs being stolen.

A surprisingly good guard dog is the Akita. They are usually politely aloof with strangers, big enough to intimidate a potential mugger, and serious enough to carry out a response to a threat, should one arise.

[Renee750il]

You're right about the Akita, Grace, but they're definitely a dog for an experienced owner. They're quite large and are very dominant dogs. They can be a real handful and completely take over in the hands of a novice owner, or even a timid owner. Even Bear had the potential to be a real Genghis Khan in the wrong hands.

[r0llin]

Nice suggestion (about the self defence lessons) , i already have a brown belt in shotokan karate BUT what will that do me against a group or someone with a weapon, anyway im ready for all the responsibilty but if i want the dog to be loyal how old should he be when i buy him ? thanks a lot everybody

[r0llin]

but a kind of dog that looks like a one thugs would like would keep the danger away and not cause any injury right ??

[Renee750il]

The self defense classes are for your self-confidence. There are classes taught in most urban areas that incorporate real world tactics to make you less of a target.

Any dog can cause injury. You want a dog that has good sense. As far as loyalty goes, the age of the dog isn't the issue; how you treat the dog and how you bond with the dog is the entire issue. The dog that will be the most loyal and protective of you is the dog that you are the most loyal and protective of. Bear was an awesome protector; people would comment that anyone who bothered me wouldn't have long to live. My answer was always, "if you hurt me, he'll give you 20 seconds. If you hurt him, I'll give you 10."

That's the kind of relationship that keeps you safe.

Back to the age issue: a puppy's not going to be any kind of protection until it's fully mature, at least two years old, unless it's a type of dog that absolutely requires experienced handling. Check out the local shelters and find your best friend.

Remember, the object is to stay OUT of a situation; not instigate one.

[Renee750il]

Serena, you'll get a good giggle out of this: I used to walk Purdue, my first GSD, in the long plaza that ran down the middle of my street. We acquired a stalker at one point, a creep who would circle the plaza slowly in his car, over and over. He finally got brave enough to actually get out of his car one afternoon and made a rush for me. Purdue snarled once and made a lunge for him, just barely missing. What was so funny (besides the look on the guy's face) was where Purdue lunged . . . straight for his crotch! How appropriate is that? The only reason he didn't get the idiot was because I had a good hold on his leash. I never saw the car - or the guy - again! ROFL.

[Short_Stack]

Bull Mastiff
Rotties
Dobies
weimeruners
bull breeds
Belgian Malinois
hopes this helps

[Doberluv]

All the attributes of various breeds won't do you one bit of good if you aren't experienced with dogs. I would suggest learning a whole lot more first. Your comment about GSDs and some other aspects of your post made me think that you are perhaps new to dogs. Any of these protection dogs would be dangerous to you, to others and a menace if not handled with knowledgeable care and expert- like training.

I would suggest an electronic alarm system and self defence course or a 38 caliber. Often the bad guys have guns anyhow and can kill your dog. A dog's protectiveness should not be the main reason to own such a dog. There's a lot more to it than just choosing a breed. Please do your research and plenty of mentoring with someone who has such a breed before going out and just getting some guard dog. It could cause you heartache down the road.

Good luck in your investigating of all this.

[Saje]

Did you just recommend that someone get a gun?

Wow.

Where's the smiley that I need... got it. :eek:

[Doberluv]

Why? Is that person not an adult? Woops. I wouldn't recommend one if that's a child. But yes....why not? I keep one for protection and have shot guns since I was a kid. My Dad took me to the shooting range every weekend and we shot targets, clay pigeons, members of the NRA and a local gun club. It was a lot of fun. So, yes, as long as someone knows how to use it, is comfortable with it and is an American where we have the right to keep and bear arms...why not?

[Saje]

Well, I don't know where the poster is from. Not everyone on this forum is from the U.S., remember. And I don't know the age. Although, she seems to be independent enough to get a dog on her own so I'm guessing she's old enough.

There are plenty of people who don't believe that guns are the key to self-protection.

Say it, if you will, and I will continue to be surprised.

[Brattina88]

There are plenty of people who don't believe that guns are the key to self-protection.

Yes, and American or not I am one of those people.
Guns or attack dogs for that matter

[Doberluv]

Well, I hope you two don't get your home broken into and attacked some day by a rapist/killer with a knife with nothing to defend yourselves with. If you were, you might decide that guns are very effective for self protection.

[Renee750il]

Guns are fine for sane, stable people who keep them inaccessible to anyone inappropriate.

They are also a very real reason many homes are broken into, and very few normal people truly have the stomach to shoot anyone, even in fear, and fewer still have the nerves to be calm enough to effectively use a gun in a home invasion/attack situation.

Not being pro-gun or anti-gun ownership, my bottom line has always been that you can't shoot me with my own dog. And it doesn't take an attack trained dog to protect home and family. It's harder to shoot a dog coming at you out of the shadows than you'd imagine, too. I've listened to a few talk about how they panicked upon hearing a snarling dog approaching; it seems to evoke a very primal fear in us. Inside every dog, somewhere deep, burns the flame of the wolf and we know this on a very primitive level - deep inside.

[Saje]

Well, I hope you two don't get your home broken into and attacked some day by a rapist/killer with a knife with nothing to defend yourselves with. If you were, you might decide that guns are very effective for self protection.

Thank goodness for my self-defence training and keen ability to think quickly. Not to mention the little bit of crazy hiding inside. LOL

Do you sleep with your gun?

[Saje]

I think I've mentioned this before but Mikey my something bully crossed with something else :) has proven to me that he would protect me. I sleep a lot easier when my bf is away now that I have him.

He seems to know the difference too. When bf is gone Mikey gets to be the "man" of the house. He takes total responsibility and sleeps quite lightly compared to the death-like state he's normally in. If he hears a rustling or anyother odd sound he gives a low woof while running down the hall, explores the house and with another low woof goes back to sleep. I was having problems with my neighbours a few months ago and my bf was working in another province. I truly appreciated having him there at that time. I'm more afraid of him getting shot out here in bear country than I am of him being shot in my home. Seems kind of ridiculous. Some dummy comes into my house, in the dark, fumbles around hears a growl and ... Can't see it. sure it's possible. Anything is but not likely.

[Renee750il]

You know, it's very strange . . . I just don't understand why, but no one even wants to get out of their cars here at our place . . . They're just puppies! And very few people ever see Bimmer lurking just out of sight in the shadows . . . Guess we have wee bit of a rep here . . .:D

[Saje]

We were camping pre-mikey and Maverick (newfie) was running around playing in the lake. A fancy lady pulled up in her big motorhome and started shrieking because maverick came running over to play. Now, maverick is the biggest pussycat. He's afraid of everything and once people see that they're usually fine. But this lady was still freaking out. We went to talk to her and she said, I still think this is funny, "What if he sits on him or something?" LOL Can you imagine? Maverick running around in a crouch trying to sit on the dog. LOL

But yeah, people are afraid of both of our dogs. They have no reason with Maverick. Mikey is a big dog agressive. I'm waiting til I get him fixed (hopefully next week <cross your fingers>) to see how much of it was that. I think it's a large part because he's fine with all of the landlady's dogs except the little unneutered mini-collie. Hopefully, that's all it is. Otherwise we will have a lot of work. <sigh>

[Doberluv]

People are fraidy cats some times about dogs and especially dogs with a reputation. If I'm on one of our off leash walks out in the wilderness where I live and I happen to see someone else walking, (rare) my Chihuahuas, although very friendly will go running ahead, yapping. Then when they get to the person, they stop barking and just stand there wagging, begging for attention. They love people. And my Lab too, just swaying her tail back and forth.

Then there will be Lyric, my Doberman trotting along, minding his own business, not interested in the people, not aggressive, not anything. He's over sniffing a bush or something and they say things like, "he looks like he'd like to eat me for lunch," That drives me nuts. He's so well socialized that he couldn't care less one way or the other about friendly strangers that are out for a walk. It's as normal to him as the daylight. LOL. He could be 40 feet away from them and the other dogs are all gathered around and they still say that.

Most people though that I come across are not very breed discriminating and most people here LOVE dogs. It's just where I live, I think. That's what helped socialize them all so well. There's a local pub and you might see more dogs in there than people sometimes. I use to take them in when they were puppies to get mauled with attention and sips of whip cream off of someone's coffee/Bailey's drink. They got spoiled rotten.

[Renee750il]

I've been taking mine places since they were little (??) pups; it's imperative with Filas, and they are completely different creatures when they're off the farm. Even Kharma is sociable, although she's somewhat particular about who she invites to touch her. Shiva has virtually no discretion at all where attention is concerned! :D And of course everyone wants to see the big doggies with the sad faces . . .

Bimmer likes to go with me, but the wolf in him is just not so comfortable in strange places, and since Buffy was poisoned he doesn't trust anyone he doesn't know, and even then won't allow anyone to get close enough to touch him unless Charley or I are with him. He will rarely even take food from my Mom now, and he grew up right next door to her, in and out of my parents' home every day. If she gives him something, he will take it and hold it gingerly in his teeth and bring it to me. After I take it and look at it (he wants me to sniff it) and give it back to him with the assurance that it's okay he will eat it, but not before. Seeing that behaviour makes people look at him a little differently - suddenly he's not just a smallish German Shepherd, easily dismissed; he's become something that's a bit different and is patently very, very intelligent - and the idea that he doesn't regard them in the same way as most dogs do seems to be unsettling. I often get asked, "what's he thinking about me?" Any idea how hard it is not to laugh when I hear that? ;)

[becca_4321]

Lol, last summer we still had living with us our daughter and her Rott. Big scarey looking baby, wouldnt hurt a flea. Loved everyone. We had the inside door open when these door to door salesmen came and of course the dog goes running to the door first to tell them hello and ask them in to visit. They turned around and walked away, never to return to our house......I didnt want to buy their product anyway!

[Doberluv]

They turned around and walked away, never to return to our house......I didnt want to buy their product anyway! LOL! These dogs have their purposes all right. What a kick!

Renee, your description of your dogs is very interesting....so different is the one....amazing how he brings you things to make sure it's OK first before he eats it. That' is a good thing.

[Renee750il]

Doberluv, he was always careful and I taught him to let me see what he picked up from the time he was a pup, but he's been like this ever since someone poisoned Buffy. Buffy was literally the love of his life I think. She's been gone for almost two years now and if we talk about her around him he still reacts very strongly. First his eyes open wide and his ears stand up and he cocks his head in anticipation; then he remembers and he sighs and whines and lays or sits down with his head on my leg moaning softly.

Bimmer is very different from the two girls. They are both Fila Brasileiro and he is a GSD/wolf cross mix, light on the wolf.

[Doberluv]

I'm so sorry that that happened. What a creep who poisoned your dog. How sad. And the poor other dogs that miss him. I'm sorry for your loss.

[Kelly blackwell]

Hi Samantha...German shepherd dogs are some the most highly selectivly bred dogs there are.mainly because of the SV in German and thier strict requirments.some dogs were ''originally bred ''for a purpose some dogs are to this this day still ''highly selectivly bred''.i would never reccomend an akita they lack the courage and clarity needed for a good protection dogs,they are in no way selectivly bred to protect.i also think the GSD is the most recognized protection dog in the free world.but they require training and to have a good protection dog you need a confident, couragous dog..

[Renee750il]

I've always loved the German Shepherd - have had one since I was twelve - and really lament the loss of the true working/herding dogs. Too many have emphasized the defensive uses of the Shepherd for police and guard work to the real detriment of the breed, helping to get the breed stuck on the banned lists of many homeowners insurance companies and making it a target of fear and dread.