[Eddie.B]

Greetings,

First of all i'd like to introduce myself since i'm new to the forum. I got here accidentaly from googleing.

Im Eddie, 22 year old male from Kosovo. I am married, no kids.

To the point.

I have a distribution company (cosmetics and PC accessories) and my storehouse is in my yard (big yard, 2 houses). So although i got alot of security measures, some more will do no harm (im no security freak, just making sure ).

The following pretty much sums up my situation:

Negative sides:

• I am inexperienced with dogs.
• I have a cousin, he spend alot of time at my place, that is alergic to dog dander i think (not hair i guess). So i'd like to know if keeping the dog in my yard could effect my cousing somehow.
• Wife is against dogs. Not that she doesn't like a good dog when we see them in movies or in parks but she's very afraid of them. Any tips?
• There's no dog trainers in my city/state that i've heard off.

Positive sides:

• Willing to train my dog.
• Willing to spend alot of time with him.
• Willing to walk him a hour per day or so (need to lose some weight myself too)
• Ready for a long "relationship" with my future dog

The dog that i get doesn't neccessary have to be one that bites the intruder. A bark and an intimidating look would be more then enough.

I was thinking of getting:

• Doberman
• Bulldog (i like these breed alot!)
• Great Dane.

Now i know none of these are the perfect guard dog except of the Dobe ofcourse but im not getting my dog only for that (altough it will be his main job). I really really like bulldogs, although i know nothing about them apart from their looks and lazyness.

Please advice and sorry for the LONG post. I wanted to include alot of info for people willing to advice and help me find a suitable dog for me.

 

[trumpetjock]

First and foremost, get rid of all notions of training a 'guard dog' unless you have an extremely qualified trainer at your beck and call.

Just having a dog on the property is enough to scare away most people. The majority of burglars can't tell the difference between the bark that says "i'm going to kill you and eat you" and the one that says "get in here and throw my ball!" They will be equally scared of both.

 

[LeRoymydog]

What do you mean by "guard dog"? I have an American Bulldog... his bark is big and gruff... and his look is scary, but he's about worthless if someone comes to my door. Now bring my moms chihuahua over. That thing is a meany. Some of my friends won't come over to my house when he is here.

 

[Eddie.B]

I'd like my dog to bark at intruders so i can get out and check what's wrong. I guess i need more of a "watch dog" rather then a "guard dog", but a mix of both these would be nice. That's why i was thinking of the 3 dogs mentioned above. They are all pretty big and intimidating which would make intruders think twice before they decide to get in. I've read that they are also good familly dogs.

Is there anyway to learn dogs to bark at humans only not other animals?

p.s Thanks for replies.

 

[Tankstar]

Where do you live?
have any rescues near by?

IMO if your wife is scared/dislikes dogs, I dont think its a good idea to get one, all people who will be living with he dog should be on board for getting a pet dog.

Those 3 breeds are all very short coated, the dog will be living outside?

Any big black dog with a bark would be scary enough for most people. But if some one wants in bad enough, a dog will not stop them. They will kill a dog to get where they want to go.

I suggest you read up ALOT of those 3 breeds you mention.

 

[Eddie.B]

I live in a very active area. There's alot of neighbours around and a few organizations that have security inside and outside their objects. The dog would be living outside yes. Atleast thats the plan for the moment.

What you said about "thieves" is true. I am not being very clear. My primary desire is to get a dog that i can spend time with, play with it, relax with it(later hopefuly) etc. But apart from that i'd need him to be alert and protect our and his home.

I am trying to gather info about those breeds as much as i can. I am not going to get a dog in 24h so that's not an issue.

What about a Pitbull? You know what people say about them so there's no need to rewrite them but i personally believe that its the owners who are to blame rather then the breed itself.

 

[TxRider]

Might think about a shepherd breed, they are usually very family friendly, very protective of family by nature and will bark just fine when they need to.

 

[Eddie.B]

So none of the above mentione dogs are shepherd kind?

 

[LeRoymydog]

No... none of the ones you mentioned are a shepherd type. Why not get a bigger size mix breed?

 

[Cheetah]

From what I've seen pit bulls (APBT) seem to be lousy guard dogs, but usually all they have to do is sit back and LOOK scary and most people will stay away. The same goes for Axle, my boyfriend's American Bulldog. He's a real wimp, but everyone is scared of him just because of the way he looks.

Does it get cold in Kosovo?

 

[TxRider]

So none of the above mentione dogs are shepherd kind?

Not really no.

Dobermans are traditional guard dogs, I personally would favor one over the other two breeds you mentioned.

Bulldogs are more originally for dealing with a bull, popular as bull baiting and fighting dogs, but modern bull dogs are a wide variety of size shape and temperaments.

Great danes were hunting dogs, and many I've seen wouldn't even bark at a friendly thief, he could strap your stuff on it's back and have it carry it away. They tend to be gentle giants.

Shepherd breeds are bred for tending a flock and protecting it, they tend to often treat kids that way, tending them and protecting them.

Some larger shepherd breeds are German shepherd, Malinois, Anatolion as well as Rottweilers.

There are sites that describe all breeds origins breeding and information, do some searching and read up.

Here's just one site. http://www.justdogbreeds.com/dog-breeds.html

 

[emily445455]

I don't really buy the idea of having a dog as a security measure. Firstly I don't believe in it, for the dog's safety. And 2ndly...guns....

But some intimidating breeds are, IMO: dobermans, boxers, pit bulls, rottweillers, german shepards.

I would definitly not train it to bark at people. My labs do this and it is SOOOO ANNNOOOYYYIIINNNGGG!!!!

 

[Eddie.B]

Thanks for the replies.

As i said above, im looking for getting a dog FIRST but i'd like him to be good protective one. I know that if a thief WANTS to get in he will get in no matter how many dogs or security you have but im not preocupied with that.

I've been to a veterinarian with a good reputation (they have their own TV show about pets, real animal lovers). I didnt really know what to ask so i asked about prices only.

- 2 months old doberman puppy with a certificate, passport and vaccine taken costs 370-400Euros. He said it's from a good breeder from Vojvodina, Serbia. Is that to cheap or to expensive? I'm not looking to be cheap on this issue.

From what I've seen pit bulls (APBT) seem to be lousy guard dogs, but usually all they have to do is sit back and LOOK scary and most people will stay away. The same goes for Axle, my boyfriend's American Bulldog. He's a real wimp, but everyone is scared of him just because of the way he looks.

Does it get cold in Kosovo?

It does get cold sometimes. But the past few winters haven't been that cold while the summers get hotter and hotter each year. We only had snow for a couple of weeks here.

 

[skelaki]

If it gets hot where you live and you want the dog outside guarding your business I'd stay away from breeds such as bulldogs that have pushed in noses. I think my choices would be Doberman, Malinois, German Shepherd (from working lines preferably).

 

[Eddie.B]

Well it's not THAT hot but i guess you have a point. There's a place of our yard thats in shadow 24/7 so i thought i could put the bulldog's house there as i read about weather issues with bulldogs.

 

[Renoman]

I don't know.... a wife that's afraid of dogs and a cousin that's allergic....
just doesn't sound like a good situation to bring a dog into. If you go ahead and get a dog, you may have to make some hard choices at some point.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Eddie.B]

Wife is just not used to have a dog around our yard. The cousin doesn't live here but he comes and when he does he's mostly inside playing PS3 or watching TV.

 

[Inga]

Have you considered a Giant Schnauzer? They shed less are generally more Hypoallergenic (if there is such a thing with dogs) they can make great alert dogs. I do not recommend any dog to live outside. I just do NOT think it is fair to the dog. I am always wary of suggesting any dog for outdoor living because I fear people do not understand the EXTRA care it takes to successfully house a dog outside comfortably. You say you want to spend a lot of time with the dog. Are you a very outdoorsy kind of guy? Do you spend several hours a day outside now? Will the dog be running loose in a fenced in property?
I agree completely that you should NOT attempt trying to train a guard dog yourself. People that do not know what they are doing and train a guard dog generally end up with a dog that is adding to the bite statistics. Use caution. IF you just want a dog that will bark just about any shelter dog can fit that bill.
I do not recommend any of the breeds you chose to live outside if the weather is ever cold and Bulldog not for heat either.

 

[Elana55]

A lot of good points have been made but I want to add more (for emphasis).

I thinkyou need to do some reading first. Learn about dogs b4 getting one. You had to learn about your business b4 running it and the same is true of dogs and most anything you want to do and care to do well.

I think the outsdie only dog thing is a bad idea for a lot of reasons. First and foremost is that the breeds you have chosen are not good as outside ony dogs due, if nothing else, to heat and cold sensitivity. Danes and Doberman's are VERY short haired and must be protected from cold (like when it is below 50 degrees fahrenheit) and bull dogs need to be watched for heat stress when it gets over 70 degrees fahrenheit.

I think you may want to rethink the entire thing if you wife is that afraid of dogs.. Period. Honestly, the one who will suffer first will be the dog and then you. BOTH people need to want a dog.

I had a BF who did not like cats. He moved in with me and b4 he did I had a sit down talk with him about the cats. He said he was fine with them, but he would never be chummy with them. I had the cats for a lot longer than this BF.

Ultimately he let me know every day.. and often several times a day, how much he hated the cats. His family came to visit once and they were actually AFRAID of the cats... HOUSE CATS.

Finally I got sick of it and after just over a year of living here I showed him the door and let him know it only swung one way. Cats were with me b4 him and they are still here after him.

Really think about this because I can almost guarantee that if your wife is that afraid of dogs, you will have to make a decision at some point between the two. I firmly believe that prevention is 9/10ths of the cure in these things and I advise you to not get a dog due to your wife's fears.

 

[LeRoymydog]

Can you possibly take your wife to the dog pound and have her experience some nice, sweet dogs for a while before purchasing one? This is going to be a long haul if you want it to turn out successful.