One of the primary jobs that dogs have is often to guard. Guard dogs have been around forever but it is only in the last decade that the job of the guard dog has started to change.
Today guard dogs are mainly pets that have not been specifically trained to protect but have a natural instinct to do so. Many different breeds do this, whether it’s a terrier or a molosser. When a dog hears a strange noise, it barks to warn its owner. Some dogs that have a far stronger instinct for protection such as the rottweiler may even threaten the intruder and attack. There is however a great difference between an attack of a well-trained rottweiler and one that was never prepared for this type of situation apart from a few exceptions.
There is so much opinion on this matter and of course one tends to favor his own breed. In my opinion it really depends on how you define a good guard dog. If you believe a guard dog is one that can be easily trained than this is one type of definition. If you consider a dog that barks a lot a good guard dog, that is another. The definition I use in the list below is a dog that is able to actively defend and attack an intruder without human intervention and instruction. This is a situation when you left your dog in the yard to protect your home and children, which just went to sleep, while you went to see a movie. Can your dog deal with an intruder without your support and instruction? I reckon the guys below can or at least better than anyone else.
My list of course is only my opinion and is based on my personal experiences and information I read about the different kinds of dog breeds. So here we go:
1. Caucasian Ovcharka
2. Central Asian Ovcharka
3. Fila Brasiliero
4. South Russian Ovcharka
5. Rottweiler/Doberman
All of these dogs have the power to deal with a male intruder or even several intruders and are independent enough to be able to carry out their job without their owner. All of them have the power to take down and maul a grown man with the average male dog weighing in 140lb-150lb. No doubt about it that these guys are the real deal when it comes to natural abilities in protection. When combined with training and in particular attack-dog training the result is a very effective weapon.
Most of these dog breeds are highly dominant by nature and require a lot of training in obedience. They are also territorial which is a trait that makes them good at what they do. They look after their territory and will not allow stranger on to it.
I guess the only reason why I put Rottweiler at #5 is because of what they have become especially in Europe. A real pet. Thanks to protection training still being done in some countries the breed is still maintaining some of its great qualities that made it so famous.
Reference:
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_Shepherd_Dog
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Asian_Shepherd_Dog
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fila_Brasiliero
