What Breed For A House Guard Dog?

[November Rain]

Lovely photos, as usual Thaigerd. How's your "pup" coming along?

[MTW]

Thanks for sticking up for me, Nienke! And for adding more info. I would have thought that Alexlah knows a lot about Pitbulls if he is recommending them and would know this stuff. I wonder if he ever had one?

Some dogs don't recognize the difference between an intruder that is looking to kill you, and the boy next door who climbs your fence because his ball just fell into your yard. This is why trapguns are illegal, at least where I come from. Most people wouldn't give the death sentence to a teenager who broke in to steal your whiskey either.

Dogs don't necessarily recognize the same "territory" boudaries as you do. Maybe the whole street is his according to him. Maybe some friend who jokingly takes a swing at you, or play boxing, whatever, will set him off.

[jdinasia]

Thanks for sticking up for me, Nienke! And for adding more info. I would have thought that Alexlah knows a lot about Pitbulls if he is recommending them and would know this stuff. I wonder if he ever had one?

Some dogs don't recognize the difference between an intruder that is looking to kill you, and the boy next door who climbs your fence because his ball just fell into your yard. This is why trapguns are illegal, at least where I come from. Most people wouldn't give the death sentence to a teenager who broke in to steal your whiskey either.

Dogs don't necessarily recognize the same "territory" boudaries as you do. Maybe the whole street is his according to him. Maybe some friend who jokingly takes a swing at you, or play boxing, whatever, will set him off.

Take a swing at me and ModDam will rip your toenail off!

[Nienke]

A Boxer would be very good as alarm dog from my experience.

Funny, friendly and a good family dog.............and as mentioned somewhere before, always good for a surprise

My two ladies are working perfect together:

melt, melt melt,

Our "Big Boss"

comes only for support(barking):

Mine wouldn't bother to move a hair on his body, if not REALLY necessary. But IF he would make alarm I would get up to see what's going on. Now, he's old(er), retired and often sees ghosts (barks for nothing)

Nienke

[Nienke]

Take a swing at me and ModDam will rip your toenail off!

Any pic's of ModDam?

[jdinasia]

Here ... she's 10 months old now .. 2.1 kg

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=89118

edit to add link

Edited May 21, 2007 by jdinasia

[Nienke]

Edit - I work with dogs every day & have done for more than 3 years. I have owned dogs for 15 years (myself) & had them in my family all my life. Although I would take a pit bull into the center, if it was needed, I would not have one in my home with my 5 year old son. And in the center, I would deal with it personally, until I was confident that other staff could handle it sensibly.

I had a rescued husky in boarding recently. In the rescue house, he was put together with a pitbull. What exactly caused the aggression, I don't know, but the pitbull sure bit the husky's tail of.

Then, there was this family (in Chiang Mai) with their pitbull mixes. Mother and son killed two of the other pups (Puppies of the mother and littermates of the son), and they once attacked a cow. And these people have a young child!

If it was up to me, i wouldn't keep any pitbull with other dogs. Not only pitbulls I keep seperate, also bull terriers and steffies. Not that they immediately will attack, most probably they will play and they were absolutely adorable with me and my workers. But their way of correcting the other dog is quite drastic, and as i mentioned before, once they start it's hard to stop them or unlock them.

Nienke

Edited May 21, 2007 by Nienke

[Nignoy]

Thanks folks I have enjoyed this thread, if all concerned remember this little ditty that is on a memorial monument in the town of Rotweil in Germany, sorry it loses its rhyme in the translation!!

Because I prefer dogs to people,

You say that its a sin!!

A dog stays true through storm and war,

A person leaves when it gets windy!!

Any type of dog is a guard dog in its own way, got a mate who has a 1.2 kilo toy schnauzer that turns into a 14stone killer rottie if you touch his mums car, Enjoy the love and trust of your dogs folks no matter what breed Nignoy

[thaigerd]

Lovely photos, as usual Thaigerd. How's your "pup" coming along?

She does very, very good so far and we have a lot of fun with her!

We did a lot of socializing with her and some basic obedience training, in the first 6 weeks with us she put around 14 kg of weight on.

She can eat day and night..........

Fighting with the Boxer about her rank position many times.

Gerd

[Jet Gorgon]

Yes, I love all the photos and stories. Mtw, Nignoy and Gerd, thanks muchly.

[November Rain]

Edit - I work with dogs every day & have done for more than 3 years. I have owned dogs for 15 years (myself) & had them in my family all my life. Although I would take a pit bull into the center, if it was needed, I would not have one in my home with my 5 year old son. And in the center, I would deal with it personally, until I was confident that other staff could handle it sensibly.

I had a rescued husky in boarding recently. In the rescue house, he was put together with a pitbull. What exactly caused the aggression, I don't know, but the pitbull sure bit the husky's tail of.

Then, there was this family (in Chiang Mai) with their pitbull mixes. Mother and son killed two of the other pups (Puppies of the mother and littermates of the son), and they once attacked a cow. And these people have a young child!

If it was up to me, i wouldn't keep any pitbull with other dogs. Not only pitbulls I keep seperate, also bull terriers and steffies. Not that they immediately will attack, most probably they will play and they were absolutely adorable with me and my workers. But their way of correcting the other dog is quite drastic, and as i mentioned before, once they start it's hard to stop them or unlock them.

Nienke

Sorry, Nienke, I didn't make myself clear. What I meant was that I wouldn't refuse a pitbull help because of the breed. But I wouldn't keep it at my house it would go into the center. However, I certainly didn't mean it would be housed with other dogs . No, if one came in, it would be housed alone. That's what I meant about staff being sensible; closing & securing gates, making sure that it couldn't get to the other dogs etc. Until I was sure that they knew & understood the potential risks involved to other dogs, I would be responsible. That's all I meant.

[bernie66]

Everyone just has to warn of the all evil pitbull. If you want an inside dog their is no better breed. they don’t shed so bad and don’t drool like the other bulldog breeds. my wife has a mutt named minny that will kill anything breathing. but minny doesn’t make the news because she doesn’t look good on the front of the news paper. go through a litter and lay the dogs on their back and rub their stomachs. pick the one that doesn’t bite at your hands or fight the submission. this will show good temperament. i have had a female pitt that was never trained but i could walk her without a leash. control her around cats and rabbits. never thought twice about zoi around infants. my nieces would pull her ears and chew on her nose. On the other hand i had a male that i would never let around children un attended even though he slept in my mothers bed. he had a very strange demeanor and was scared of people even though he had never been beat. any dog that is kept on a chain will run wild if they get loose. Their are so many publicized incidents because pit bulls are the most abused dog of any breed. Idiots buy them and idiots fight them. If you neighbors poodle bit a child or killed a cat it doesn’t make the news papers! But let a pit bull piss on a hub cap and a lynch mob comes out of the wood work. Saying a pit bull is more likely to bite than another breed is the same as saying a man is going to commit more crime because he is black. You can get a small female pit that will never get more than 30 lbs. that will have the strength of a 60 lbs dog, and the agility of a cat. And regardless of what anyone else tells you will be extremely intelligent. A small female makes the perfect house dog. You don’t have to get one that’s going to get 70 lbs. I have seen them fully grown at 20lbs. Don’t crop the ears and tail and most people will not know what she is. Their incredibly beautiful and intelligent dogs its not their fault they were born black.

[Mobi]

I think I may have the world's worst guard dog.

No one seems to have mentioned whether goldens would make good house guards, but my female Golden - about 21 months old, and 32 kilos never barks at anyone or anything except soi dogs who pass the front gate. And even then, if I'm around, she runs over to me for 'permission' before streaking down to the gate for a 'friendly' bark.

Every stranger who comes in my front gate gets welcomed and made a fuss of - kids especially - but anyone - Thais, farangs, burglars, thieves, murderers - anyone.

So if you want a guard dog, I guess goldens aren't your best bet - but maybe others may be more aggressive to strangers?

(Strangely, when we go for a walk, many Thais keep their distance and are scared of her - little realising that all she ever wants to do is lick them. Still I suppose she does look a bit intimidating with her very long, hairy coat - almost husky-like)

[jdinasia]

I've never wanted a guard dog .... an 'alarm' dog or whatever is ideal .... chihuahua's are great! They'll let you know when someone they don't know is around! and yet the liability of them injuring an innocent is limited to toenails!

[Nienke]

I've never wanted a guard dog .... an 'alarm' dog or whatever is ideal .... chihuahua's are great! They'll let you know when someone they don't know is around! and yet the liability of them injuring an innocent is limited to toenails!

Only toenails? They are like piranya's!

And, since ModDam the pic's you just showed, you haven't taken any other anymore?

[jdinasia]

There are some around on the site I think ......

maybe I can find her in her CNY outfit and post it

[jdinasia]

here she is ... Chinese New Year in her piglet outfit .... <Love me Love my Dog ... event at Central Festival Phuket>

[Old Man River]

I think I may have the world's worst guard dog.

No one seems to have mentioned whether goldens would make good house guards, but my female Golden - about 21 months old, and 32 kilos never barks at anyone or anything except soi dogs who pass the front gate. And even then, if I'm around, she runs over to me for 'permission' before streaking down to the gate for a 'friendly' bark.

Every stranger who comes in my front gate gets welcomed and made a fuss of - kids especially - but anyone - Thais, farangs, burglars, thieves, murderers - anyone.

So if you want a guard dog, I guess goldens aren't your best bet - but maybe others may be more aggressive to strangers?

(Strangely, when we go for a walk, many Thais keep their distance and are scared of her - little realising that all she ever wants to do is lick them. Still I suppose she does look a bit intimidating with her very long, hairy coat - almost husky-like)

Mobi, probably the reason nobody has mentioned goldens making good house guards is because they are known to be the worst house guards. It is this wonderful gentle nature that makes them such great pets. When workers come to the house, we have to remove both dogs. The poodle because she will tear their heads off and the golden because she will bother the heck out of them by jumping on them with a ball in her mouth saying let's play, let's play etc. Two completely different dogs, but both are wonderful in their own ways.

[Mobi]

Mobi, probably the reason nobody has mentioned goldens making good house guards is because they are known to be the worst house guards.

She certainly isn't doing much guarding, lying under my desk, using my feet as a pillow

[Nienke]

here she is ... Chinese New Year in her piglet outfit .... <Love me Love my Dog ... event at Central Festival Phuket>

Very cute with her big ears and big eyes

Here two pic's from a chihuahua mix i've presently in boarding. Ain't she gorgeous? Her name is Ricky, but i named her Licky-Licky because that's her favorate past time

She is very caring of her fellow doggy friends: cleans their ears, cleans their eyes, cleans their mouthes, cleans their butts ...

[jdinasia]

great looking dog!

[Nignoy]

Just got Home !! Had To Photo this Killer Whippet and Bosscat on Guard Nignoy

[sutnyod]

You want a not-so-big dog that guards and scares away.

My recommendation: a Basset hound. They are not big and have an awesome bark. Sound like dogs much much bigger.

[November Rain]

Everyone just has to warn of the all evil pitbull. If you want an inside dog their is no better breed. they don’t shed so bad and don’t drool like the other bulldog breeds. my wife has a mutt named minny that will kill anything breathing. but minny doesn’t make the news because she doesn’t look good on the front of the news paper. go through a litter and lay the dogs on their back and rub their stomachs. pick the one that doesn’t bite at your hands or fight the submission. this will show good temperament. i have had a female pitt that was never trained but i could walk her without a leash. control her around cats and rabbits. never thought twice about zoi around infants. my nieces would pull her ears and chew on her nose. On the other hand i had a male that i would never let around children un attended even though he slept in my mothers bed. he had a very strange demeanor and was scared of people even though he had never been beat. any dog that is kept on a chain will run wild if they get loose. Their are so many publicized incidents because pit bulls are the most abused dog of any breed. Idiots buy them and idiots fight them. If you neighbors poodle bit a child or killed a cat it doesn’t make the news papers! But let a pit bull piss on a hub cap and a lynch mob comes out of the wood work. Saying a pit bull is more likely to bite than another breed is the same as saying a man is going to commit more crime because he is black. You can get a small female pit that will never get more than 30 lbs. that will have the strength of a 60 lbs dog, and the agility of a cat. And regardless of what anyone else tells you will be extremely intelligent. A small female makes the perfect house dog. You don’t have to get one that’s going to get 70 lbs. I have seen them fully grown at 20lbs. Don’t crop the ears and tail and most people will not know what she is. Their incredibly beautiful and intelligent dogs its not their fault they were born black.

Bernie,

Re-read the initial post. OP doesn't seem to be an experienced dog owner, does he/she? Do you really think any breed of fighting dog is a good dog for an inexperienced owner? We are giving advice to this particular person.

I like many big dogs/fighting breeds, personally. But I think they need to have the right owner. They need someone who can train & control them under all circumstances. There are many owners like that. Unfortunately, there are also some idiots who get such a dog to prove their machismo, or as a status symbol, while knowing nothing about them . That's where we hear the horror stories. And which do you think is most likely to end up in a rescue center like mine? The well adjusted dog from a responsible owner? Or the neurotic dog who is fearful/aggressive because of his idiot owner who trained him by beating him? And then couldn't handle him?

That's all we're saying. There are a lot of idiots or inexperienced owners about.

[lannarebirth]

If I was looking for a guard dog, I'd adopt a soi dog or one from a rescue center. Their loyalty to you will be boundless and life has already taught them to be wary of most everything else. I've got 8 "rescued" dogs out on my farm and we're immediately alerted if anyone approaches within 100 meters.

[MTW]

Thanks November Rain, for saying what needs to be said.

Too many people seem to think their ONE experience with their ONE dog, is enough evidence to make quality comments on the state of the breed, what the law should be, and about issues that are very complex. Those of us who have worked in shelters, vets hospitals, or other various pet industries see another side, and many situations which give us our opinions/facts. And we actually study the issues outside of our own experiences, hear many more stories from co-workers, etc.

And actually, we are not being exactly negative about the breed, or certainly not about any individual of that breed, as we all know it is not the dogs fault whatever happens. It is the owner's fault even if they had wonderful intentions and are good people. And it has something to do with pets being such big business in much of the world, and irrepsonsible breeders who will say anything you want to hear to sell a dog. Note I did not say all breeders, some are great and will do everything they can to educate potential clients and not sell to just anybody.

And as a lover and defender of all poodles, the poster who said his poodle will rip someone's head off, is totally right in my expereince. Maybe they were Pitbulls in another life. I mean, at least they have the attitude that they "can" rip your head off, and you have to respect that in that small package. So to the inexperienced dog people who want to start off with a Pitbull, my best advise would be to get a poodle, you will get the attitude, without the potential disaster.

And they don't shed!

[Nignoy]

Thanks November Rain, for saying what needs to be said.

Too many people seem to think their ONE experience with their ONE dog, is enough evidence to make quality comments on the state of the breed, what the law should be, and about issues that are very complex. Those of us who have worked in shelters, vets hospitals, or other various pet industries see another side, and many situations which give us our opinions/facts. And we actually study the issues outside of our own experiences, hear many more stories from co-workers, etc.

And actually, we are not being exactly negative about the breed, or certainly not about any individual of that breed, as we all know it is not the dogs fault whatever happens. It is the owner's fault even if they had wonderful intentions and are good people. And it has something to do with pets being such big business in much of the world, and irrepsonsible breeders who will say anything you want to hear to sell a dog. Note I did not say all breeders, some are great and will do everything they can to educate potential clients and not sell to just anybody.

And as a lover and defender of all poodles, the poster who said his poodle will rip someone's head off, is totally right in my expereince. Maybe they were Pitbulls in another life. I mean, at least they have the attitude that they "can" rip your head off, and you have to respect that in that small package. So to the inexperienced dog people who want to start off with a Pitbull, my best advise would be to get a poodle, you will get the attitude, without the potential disaster.

And they don't shed!

As an avid dog fan and retired zoo curator amongst other things,I have learned through 40 years that there is NO animal !! dogs included! that does not bite!!for a while in the late 70,s I ran a Behavioral Studycentre in Germany for dogs that had attacked and bitten people, all dogs are different and even 5 pups from the same litter can turn out all shapes and sizes and temperaments,so its always a case of live and learn with every new puppy,my grandad had a battle scarred jack russell terrier, who would fight anything no matter how big,but never so much as nipped us kids, but none of the pups that he sired were as brave as he was,all dogs can be trained, just be firm, show them who is boss the dog will mentally show you the Finger and carry on doing what it wants to do!! Nignoy

[Jet Gorgon]

the dog will mentally show you the Finger and carry on doing what it wants to do!! Nignoy

Very true. My beach strays would obey when it suited them, like at mealtime. Once they got older (6-7 years) they fell into my routine better. The only time I can say I truly trained them was when I got a kitten to handle the rat problem. Only took a week or so to teach them that she was part of the family. They touch, they die. Best friends thereafter till death.

I tried the "look them in the eyes and mentally convey your commands" trick, etc. Prob is when you have more than one and the wily Thai ridge bitch is the leader, they are ultimately going to follow her wishes (ie, let's go to the beach and beat up on the farangs' pedigree dogs, etc).

Also found that strays are loyal, but the little wonklettes figure you will protect them from any harm once you put that collar and dog bowl out for them --- bite the nasty neighbour who used to hit them with a stick and then run home to mom. My answer to the human antagonist: "Not my dog."

[sbk]

My Thai dog is the best guard dog, she differentiates between people staying at our resort, and people who aren't. How she remembers everybody, I don't know. But she makes an effort to get to know people, and she is highly beloved by all who stay. We often get emails asking how our dogs are doing .

Here is Tigger, guard dog and snake killer; fearless. loyal, protective and the sweetest temperament you'll ever see.

I ditto the call for a Thai dog, yoiu won't find a more loyal, loving dog in need and deserving of a home.

[Jet Gorgon]

She's a beauty, Sbk. Can you give us a face shot?