Watchdog breed suggestions please

[Ilyena]

This is plans for the future when I have my own house and a large fenced in yard so it won't be anytime soon but ever since a good friend decided on getting a german shepherd for protection training I've started wondering what breed would suit me for a watchdog.

I live in the countryside so there aren't a lot of people nearby but there is a low but still existing criminality, so I think it would be nice with a dog that could watch me and be a deterrant when needed. I'm having trouble thinking of anything that I could handle, however. I am after all fairly new at dog training so I definately don't want a dog prone to any kind of aggression.

Some requirements
- Must get along with other dogs and animals (both small and big animals, as well as birds). This is the most important requirement. I know it's also a training issue but the chasing instinct would preferably be low or non-existant.
- Friendly or tolerant to people, not oversocial. I don't plan on having children so he wouldn't have to love them, just tolerate them when he sees any.
- Easy to train.
- Size is no big difference although I would prefer a large to x-large dog (golden retriever size or bigger).
- Does not need to be trimmed. I don't mind dogs that shed a lot and I will take whatever time necessary for grooming.
- Doesn't need insane amounts of exercise/mental stimulation. He'd get walks 2-3 times a day, be able to run and play daily in the fenced in yard, and some agility at home just for fun. I plan on having a horse so it would be great to have a dog that would stay by me and the horse off-leash. No independent breeds that couldn't care less where I am or what I say.

German shepherds, rottweilers and dobermans are out of the question. I have close relatives nearly scared to death of all these common guard/watch dog breeds, and quite frankly they scare me as well. Not a good match. I can't have a dog I'm scared of. I've always been a spaniel/retriever/setter-type of dog person, but I don't think any of these have it in themselves to be a good watchdog.

Any ideas for me?

 

[Toller_08]

If you like sporting breeds/retrievers, Tollers are known to be great watch dogs, but the males are only about 50lbs at most, and females are quite a bit smaller. They do have a long coat and should have their feet and ears trimmed occasionally to keep them looking good and to prevent mats, but aside from that, they're low maintenance as far as grooming goes. A good brushing/combing once a week is good for them, and baths can be given as often or as little as you want. If they get dirty, it's not a big deal. They dry quickly, and you can just brush the dirt out quickly. Your exercise requirements fit them pretty well. They need about 2 hours in total of exercise daily, but it doesn't need to be overly strenuous. They're happy with a walk or two daily, just chasing a ball around the yard, and working on some basic obedience and such.

If you are interested in them, I'd be glad to give you more info but somebody else might have some better breed ideas for you too.

 

[Xerxes]

Any terrier would be a good watchdog, though not necessarily low in prey drive. In fact most dogs would be content to bark their heads off at a visitor. If it weren't for the small animals around I'd recommend almost any terrier. As it is, I would probably say an Irish Terrier might be good. They're a bit smaller in size than you are specifying though.

You could also go with the herding breeds. I don't know alot about them so I can't discuss them in any great length.

 

[Amstaffer]

Hmmmm...I was going to say, a Chesapeake Bay Ret. but then you said some thing about not having a dog you are scared of.... I am not sure what that means. Did you mean just those breeds or did you mean dominant type dogs?

Chessies are very good watch dogs and are big enough to provide deterrent and have the attitude that can actually be more than just looking the part . However they can be very dominant and are not for the timid.

A lot of bigger dogs are a little lazy and don't always make the most alert dogs especially if you remove the wonderful breeds you did. I think Female Rotties are the best watch dogs...IMHO. I had a female that was fantastic, she knew exactly what to alert to and what not to. It didn't matter what time of day, she was just as alert at 3am as she was at 3pm. She almost never false alerted.

Some Great Danes make good watch dogs, I have known a couple of Newfies that make ok watch dogs

I am sure someone will have a great idea for you.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

^I was going to suggest Chessie too.

~Tucker

 

[Psyfalcon]

Chesapeake.

They can be same sex aggressive, and I couldn't say they wont chase a rabbit, but thats what people have to deal with in a hunting dog The same sex aggression seems to be manageable from what I've heard though.

 

[Toller_08]

I completely forgot about Chessies! I think they'd be a great match, as long as you're able to handle a breed that can be a challenge at times.

 

[shadowfacedanes]

Great danes are excellent watch dogs and protectors, although their size alone is deterrent enough. You do have to keep them well balanced or they will take protecting too seriously. Socializing is important for them so that they can tell the difference between a harmless stranger and a real threat.

They have medium to low activity levels. It depends on the individual dog.

Even though they are large, they are house dogs and want to spend their time with you.

 

[Zoom]

I think Chessies might be too independent minded for her.

Really, as far as "watchdog" goes, I'm assuming you mean a dog that will bark when someone/something comes on to your property, just about any dog will do that. Both my Australian Shepherd and Lab are great watchdogs, my ex's little Rottie mix actually helped to catch a criminal one night because of her watchdog-ness...any dog that feels secure in it's environment will alert to a stranger's presence. What about just a black lab or lab mix? Most people are more wary around big black dogs, regardless of what the dog is actually like.

 

[Psyfalcon]

I've never heard the term independent and Chesapeake in the same sentence before. I've heard willful before, they do require a firm but controlled hand in training, which is somewhat unlike your average Lab/Golden. Its hard to stay away from some willfulness with any dog that has real protective tendencies though.

They have been described as fiercely loyal though, as in do not expect them to work well with a trainer. They will typically respond much better to their owner than anyone else.

 

[Zoom]

Oh...I had some across the term in an issue of Dog World that was doing a breed profile on Chessies. I really don't know much about the breed beyond what I've read and the one or two that I've come into contact with.

 

[Psyfalcon]

Second thought "Finland" Can you get a Chesapeake there? They are pretty rare in the US!

 

[SisMorphine]

What do you want EXACTLY? I think that'll help us. Do you just want a large dog with a big bark? It's pretty easy to teach most dogs to alert to someone at the door/window or in the driveway by barking. But if you want a dog who will actually follow through THAT is where it can get tricky. But for 99.9% of people out there, you just need a big dog with a bark and that is deterrent enough.

 

[noludoru]

Any dog with a big bark is a good watchdog.....

English Mastiff? large, low-energy, sheds a lot, quite the visual deterrant.. not to mention the big bark.

 

[Melissa_W]

Just my experience with one dog... but a neighbor of mine has a Newfoundland. This dog is intimidating based on size alone and has a huge bark. But she's as sweet as pie and has a great temperament. She's fairly low energy/low prey drive as well.

 

[oc_spirit]

I'm confused are you wnating a watch dog or a guard dog???

Watch dog - barks a warning when shifty people are approching, and squirrels, and the in laws, and leaves, and cats, and the mail man, and....

Guard dog - protects the home/property from intruders and ill-doers by actually being pro-active in ridding of the threat. Not afraid to engage a threat.

 

[mrose_s]

I can't think of any breeds that fit that description, when i think good guard dogs I think GSD's, rotti's and ACD's but you said the first 2 scared you and ACD's are not a good breed for someone new to dog training. Plus they do have a huge prey drive.
I don't know a lot about bull mastiff's or any type of mastiff's but perhaps them (i'm partial to the neo's myself, have no idea why)

 

[Ilyena]

Wow. Lots of replies during a night's sleep. Okay, let's see where to start.

Just to clarify, I am looking for a WATCH dog. Not a guard dog. I want a dog that barks to warn and be a visual deterrant but will not follow through if it comes to that. I think it requires training on a completely different scale than I am capable of to train a good guard dog, and I don't want to try and realize that it's too much for me.

Tollers is a nice suggestion but they are a bit on the small side and I don't think they are that much of a visual deterrant. I practically live in the same village as one of my country's best show breeder of these dogs so I know them quite well and know they would fit me well, but I was thinking of something bigger. Still something worth keeping in mind, though. Labs likewise, even though I hadn't thought of them as a watch dog.

Terriers and I don't mix mostly for the prey instinct, so that's a no go. Herding breeds are a bit too high energy.

I don't know anything about Chessies, so I will have to study up on those. I can handle somewhat dominant dogs but not overly dominant ones that would be hard-headed about it. That just takes the fun out of dog ownership, IMHO.

For the one who asked if Chessies are even available in my country, I'm sure they are. I haven't seen any but I heard there's a breed club for them so they have to got to be somewhere. I doubt there are any breeders anywhere close but I'm willing to drive pretty far to get the right dog from a good breeder.

Mastiffs I hadn't even thought of. That's a possibility, although I was thinking of a less drooling breed. They are also quite rare in my country, so I don't know how likely it would be that I could meet some and see what they are like, but I will keep them in mind.

I was hoping someone would mention Newfies. I was quite impressed with the few that I have seen, but I really don't know much about them so I wasn't sure if they would make a good watch dog. But why not, their size certainly speaks for them.

Thanks for all the ideas. Now I can continue my research when I got more possibilities. But more suggestions are of course still welcome.

 

[planet molosser]

RHodesian Ridgeback.

However many things you listed are DOG specific NOT breed Specific and the pup may NOT grow up to meet these requirements.
( example over social)

 

[DanL]

I find that my GSD doesn't really bark much. He evaluates each situation and decides if it merits barking. Aside from his "here I am" announcements when he goes outside, he only really barks if he senses something wrong. I do know that when he's barking, I need to check it out, vs the other 2 who bark at leaves and shadows.

If you want a watchdog- and if you don't mind a small but robust dog- get a pug. Our pug is the primary alert system when something is amiss. They were bred for this in ancient China. They have very low prey drive and are content to sit in your lap and be loved, but ours barks at everything.