What Dogs Make Good Guard Dogs?

When it comes to keeping your home safe, there are many different options these days. There are home security systems that can be installed rather easily that you won’t need to worry so much about – once it’s installed it’s good to go. But then, these systems can be rather expensive and can sometimes be circumvented. So, then some people like to put a secondary backup system just to beef up security a bit. You get the doorbells with the cameras that can record and show if someone is trying to intrude your home. Then you get CCTV cameras, which can deter some people while also recording evidence of crimes, if any. And then, there’s the good old-fashioned guard dog. If you’re interested in getting a guard dog, good thing is they’re excellent for extra security ­and as a family pet. But what dogs make good guard dogs, exactly?

Dogs are fantastic beings that add a ton of value and love to your home. Finding the right breed of dog, and generally just the right dog, will truly help to enrich your life. If you’re here wondering what dogs make good guard dogs, fortunately we are here to help! We’ve come up with a list of dog breeds that can make fantastic protective dogs for you and your family. Hopefully, this list will help you figure out one that you like.

Choosing the Right Breed for You

what dogs make good guard dogs

When it comes to picking a dog, finding the right one is crucial. It’s not as simple as picking the cutest dog – sometimes it involves finding a dog that is the right fit for your family’s personalities and lifestyle. Choosing the wrong dog can be an unhappy mistake not just for you, but for the pooch too. You see, if you pick a canine that has the right personality and temperament to match your own, it becomes much easier to raise your dog right and do activities with them. On the other hand, if you pick a dog that is far too active where you on the other hand are sedentary… you could be in for a hard time.

Finding a pet that has the same energy and activity level as you is a good way to set yourself up for a happy home. For example, adopting a large dog that requires two daily walks is not a good choice for a family that is sedentary or too busy. Therefore, if you want to adopt a dog you should find one that fits you. If you have a small apartment, or a small house, then you would want to get a smaller dog or even a medium one. If you want a large dog, you can get one like an Akita, which does well in small living spaces.

This is essentially why it’s so important to do research into what dogs make good guard dogs, and which out of those dogs is the right fit for you.

Meeting Your Pup

When you first decide to get a guard dog, make sure that you are meeting the puppy before you fully commit to taking them home. Look around, “shop around” even, and make sure that you are checking out different puppies and different breeds to see if you can find one that you “click” with. Yes, sometimes when you are searching for a puppy, you find one that you can develop an instant bond with. However, this isn’t absolutely necessary when adopting a dog – sometimes, just finding one that you really, really like is enough. Therefore, make sure that you are looking for a dog that you know you can fit into your busy lifestyle. Just this is enough to give you a better chance of having a happy household.

With all of that said, let’s talk about what dogs make good guard dogs!

What Dogs Make Good Guard Dogs?

There are many different breeds of dogs out there. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, which means that you are not at all lacking options. However, some dogs make better guard dogs than others, mostly due to their natural temperament and their personalities. For example. Some dogs are simply far more protective than others. Some dogs, on the other hand, simply don’t make good guard dogs because they are far too friendly, and as a result they approach everyone with a friendly and happy stance. If you want a guard dog and you want to be sure that they will actually do their job of protecting you, here are a few dog breeds that are naturally protective.

Remember: In buying any dog from a breeder, it’s best to make sure that you are able to actually look at the breeder’s facilities. This way, you can see for yourself whether the breeder is reputable and takes care of their animals properly. Otherwise, you may be supporting a shady breeder that treats animals badly – something that you don’t want to do, especially if you want to make sure your animals are healthy and happy.

GSD – German Shepherd

what dogs make good guard dogs

When thinking about guard or security dogs, most people immediately think about German Shepherds. And with good reason, of course. GSDs are known worldwide as the breed of choice for police and military canines. GSDs are also often used as service animals, which is why it’s not uncommon to see them wearing vests and uniforms and the like. GSDs have a reputation to be protective and aggressive against intruders and strangers, which is why a well-trained German Shepherd can make a really good security animal.

Certainly, if you are looking for what dogs make good guard dogs, this breed is definitely one of them. This large and muscular canine is a gentle pet for the family that is also good with pets, but it can be incredibly courageous when needed. They won’t hesitate to protect someone they love, making them such a good choice as a security dog.

Make sure that you find a GSD that is bred well and ensure that you train them properly. Socialize them well so that they know how to distinguish between a threat and a harmless passerby. Remember to give them obedience training and teach them commands like “leave it” so that you can order them to back down if necessary. GSDs are larger dogs, which means that you will need to give them a daily walk to keep them happy and healthy. Aside from that, you will also have to remember that exercise is truly important – otherwise, you could get a misbehaving dog.

Rottweilers

Next up on the list of what dogs make good guard dogs is the Rottweiler. Rottweilers are another breed that are extremely popular for guard dogs – in fact, this breed is considered to be a “classic” in terms of security animals. They are extremely smart and can be taught to do a lot of things such as carting and herding, among others. They can even get really cuddly if you tire them out enough.

The main reason why Rottys are such good guard dogs is the fact that they have a naturally protective temperament. Furthermore, they are also naturally suspicious of people they don’t know, and as such they are usually on guard. However, this is the exact same reason why Rottys should be extremely well socialized from puppyhood onwards. Because otherwise, you can have dogs that can be extremely aggressive even towards their family and owners. You definitely do not want an aggressive rottweiler after you!

Like the GSD, Rottweilers are large dogs that are burly and muscular. For this reason, you want to make sure you give them enough exercise, otherwise you can have an obese dog on your hands. Furthermore, you want to make sure that you give them enough exercise otherwise you could end up with a misbehaving dog. Certainly not something you would want to happen if you have such a large dog that can be hard to control!

Doberman Pinschers

Another naturally protective dog that we have included on this list of what dogs make good guard dogs is the Doberman Pinscher. Dobermans are another popular “security dog”, which many people know is naturally a guard dog. Aside from their temperament and their natural protectiveness, the fact that they look rather intimidating also adds to their effectiveness as security animals.

This breed is highly intelligent, making them rather easy to train. This is great considering you certainly need the dog to be well-trained in order to make sure he doesn’t hurt anybody. Furthermore, this dog is also incredibly athletic, which makes it a great choice especially in cases where you need your dog to chase a threat away. However, it is exactly because they are so athletic that they also need to get as much exercise as possible. Most Dobes require a walk once a day, but there are some that are incredibly hyper and energetic… in these cases, you will need to give them maybe two walks a day. Alternatively, you can also choose to play some energetic games like fetch with them.

Dobermans should be fed well and trained well, to ensure that they do not aggressively harm others who are innocent passersby. Dobermans like all the other guard dogs on this list should certainly be well-socialized to the point where they can distinguish between threats and people who are harmless.

Bullmastiffs

Bullmastiffs are essentially a cross in between a mastiff and a bulldog (as you may have guessed). This breed is incredibly fearless, strong, and confident – making them an amazing addition to this list of what dogs make good guard dogs. Bullmastiffs are excellent guard dogs because they are strong-willed and courageous, but it is also because of this exact reason that you must make sure that you properly train your pet from the get-go – right from puppyhood of course. One great benefit to having a bullmastiff as a guard dog is the fact that they rarely ever bark, unless they sense intruders or strangers that can actually pose a threat.

If you plan on getting a bullmastiff as a pet, ensure that it is socialized well from the very start. Also make sure that they get enough exercise. Their burly and muscular bodies are prone to putting on weight really quickly, something that you as an owner will need to watch out for. Bullmastiffs are likely one of the dogs on this list that actually require the least exercise (but they will still need one walk a day), so if you can’t commit too hard to something like a Doberman or a German Shepherd, then perhaps this breed may just be the right one for you.

A note about Bullmastiffs

Aside from the fact that they are quiet and naturally protective, Bullmastiffs also sport an intimidating look that can surely put off any intruder that may want to rob or harm you. However, you have to find the right bullmastiff – there are some of this breed that are known to run and hide if they sense danger. Yes, no two bullmastiffs are alike, which means that you will need to train them from puppyhood to be brave – or if they simply aren’t, you may just have a family pet on your hands instead of a guard dog (nothing wrong with this, of course!).

Conclusion

There are so many other breeds of dogs that can work as a guard dog. In fact, there are so many different breeds that are naturally intimidating (in appearance or in temperament) to a point where you know they can scare off intruders. Keeping that in mind, know that this list of what dogs make good guard dogs are only some of the breeds you can choose from. There are many others, but consider this list our “suggestions”, so to speak. That said, we hope that you are able to find the right dog for you, your family, and your respective lifestyles.

Finally, we hope that no matter which breed of dog you choose, you take care of them well. Give them high quality dog food and the exercise that they need and they will for sure love you for the rest of their long lifetimes!

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