# what dog next :)



## squishy (May 8, 2011)

In the next 12 months we will be getting another dog  we have a collie and when we move house in the summer we are seriously thinking about having another one 

Can anyone suggest one that is gd for the following

A good guard dog
good with kids
good with small animals ie guinea pigs

I`m not worried about cost etc

we have always had german shepherds in the past, but seriously thinking of other breeds 

thx xxx


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## Cait (Oct 3, 2008)

I'd recommend a rescue, because that way you can choose a dog that is already known to meet your criteria. Obviously breeds do have broadly typical behaviours but individual dogs may be different to what is expected of that breed. When it comes to good with children and animals, gun dogs like labs are excellent, but you wouldn't expect them to be any use as a guard dog (unless you want burglars licked to death!). It also depends what you mean by guard dog - our lab will bark to let you know there's someone at the door (or a pigeon in HER garden :roll: ) but once you open the door all she wants to do is greet the person on the other side.


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## squishy (May 8, 2011)

Thanks 

guard dog, just to let us know if someone is about 

We have plenty time to decide, which is a gd thing 

what I love about our collie is that he takes no notice of the small animals, the hamsters have crawled over him and the rabbit use run free in the garden and I never had to worry about him attacking them 

x


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

It's hard to say what will make a good watch dog (if you just want a dog to let you know when someone is about, you want a watch dog, NOT a guard dog...a guard dog will actively defend/protect its property).....it all comes down to the individual and/or training. Our Italian greyhound makes a good watch dog...lol If you want a dog that's a good watch dog, AND intimidating to potential invaders...and good with kids and small animals, most of the bully type breeds would fit the bill. Pitt bulls included. A lot of it will come down to training...regardless of what you get...and being raised with kids and small animals.


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## Whurmy (Mar 10, 2012)

Might I recommend a Lhasa Apso? Mine wasn't raised with kids or small animals as a puppy, but he seems to like them pretty well.  He loved my old piggie. They were never allowed to really meet, but he didn't act like he wanted to tear her up or anything. He was just curious. And he's great with kids. He jumps on them a bit, but he loves them.

And he's a fantastic guard dog. He definitely lets us know when someone's here, as that's what Lhasas were bred for, to alert the monks in the temple when there was a threat or something.

The others are right, it's all about how you raise them. But I think a Lhasa may be a good idea.  They are small though, about 10-14 inches I think. Bear, my Lhasa, is right around 12.


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

Golden Retreiver fits the bill. 
Big booming scary bark. 
Good with kids and small animals as long as they are properly trained and from a good breeder. 
And you are already used to the hassle of excess fur!


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

The golden I grew up with never barked at anything...lol


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

LOL...mine definatly does. He sounds like a monster as long as you can't see him! LOL!


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## Frizzle (Oct 6, 2011)

We had a great dane, she was really protective of the yard/us kids. Mom wanted something big and intimidating, and our "Kitty" certainly fit the bill. She didn't like men, and she didn't like people who smoked, and she lived outside her whole life and lived to be 13, pretty old for a gd, I guess. I miss her a little, she was good and barked when people drove in, and her size kept a lot of people in their cars. Would warm right up with a treat, but no-one knew that unless they worked for us on the farm. When she decided you were okay, she would push her head against your thigh, and wrap a paw around your leg so you couldn't get away and would pet her.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

I have three dogs---they bark in this order:
1)small mix
2)lab mix
3) doberman

I only pay attention when the doberman barks-it means something is serious! She has barked maybe 5 times since i've known her, and I believed her, lol. My doberman is a chronic little kid licker and her little tail nub never stops for them! I wish I had one, just for her, lol. She also is mostly standoffish around the birds except to grumble back and forth with them, kittens make her happy...etc...some dobermans have prey drive but mine...does not.


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Dobes are awesome dogs


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## Mark (Oct 3, 2008)

Dobermanns are fab but are hard work and probably not the best around small furries because of the prey drive they have some more than others =]


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## kellyt (Nov 23, 2011)

French mastiff can't spell the proper name... Big and ugly enough to scare off anyone unwanted and dopey enough to be trained to be non plussed about little furries.


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Most of the mastiff/bull-type breeds are like that  You are thinking of dogue de bordeaux though!


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## Rhasputin (Feb 21, 2010)

I believe mastiffs are known for being great with kids, and great guard dogs as well.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

a bullmastiff bitch,kind,gentle,laid back ,good bark,features not over exaggerated.


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## JohnColson1 (Mar 11, 2012)

I think guard dogs would be nice.


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## skinnybaby212 (Oct 18, 2011)

i would go for something around the same size as your collie or bigger, like sum1 sed when a big dog barks a) its intimidating to strangers and b) they bark for a reason!

i have a staffy and an american bulldog myself, and did have a presa, all of which are/were fantastic with kids and fantastic intruder alerters 

by the way i would NEVER bother with a little dog like a yorkie or chihuahua or westie coz all they do is bark bark bark!

my mum has 2 little yorkies, they drive her crazy!


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

I'm not sure what you need is necessarily breed specific. The Collie doesn't bark...?

I've had three Goldens, two behaved as though they were mute, but my youngest Golden girl is a pretty good guard dog. She's not great with small pets though as she wants to play with them. The first two Goldens would literally watch over and nap with my rats when they were having free time in the bedroom. A lot of this is how they're raised and what they're exposed to. That said, my youngest was raised with rats too. Maybe it's an age thing (she's only a year and a few months).

Anyway, if you encourage the guard bark, the exposure to children, and small animals while closely supervising, I would imagine you could get these traits out of most breeds. I just would avoid terriers if you're thinking of small animals.


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## PeachnZelda (Feb 23, 2012)

Boxer  all the ones I've known have been crazy excitable when someone comes to the door, barking etc, but complete softies in every other way.


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

Boxers are EXTREMELY high energy...I've known most to be very sweet, but they could easily knock over small children accidentally. They are also HIGHLY prone to cancer.


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## PeachnZelda (Feb 23, 2012)

Stina said:


> Boxers are EXTREMELY high energy...I've known most to be very sweet, but they could easily knock over small children accidentally. They are also HIGHLY prone to cancer.


Ok -shrug-. Most breeds are prone to something, I wouldn't count boxers as a no-no simply through health like, say, cavaliers. Depends on the parentage, and I'm assuming Squishy would be scouting out breeders and making sure of that sort of thing.

The boxer in the house I used to babysit for lived with a 7yr old, a 9yr old and 3yr old twins! At any rate, collies are also pretty high energy and we weren't told how old the children were


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## Stina (Sep 24, 2010)

It does depend on the individual dog....but for certain breeds, boxers included...you need to be very very very careful where you get them from.... EVERY person I've ever known that had a boxer...had them die of some form of cancer....EVERY ONE. And most of them were crazy energetic (more so than the border collies I've known...lol). I don't know the source of all of them though.


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## skinnybaby212 (Oct 18, 2011)

my friend has a boxer, and they now have a baby too, Charlie (the dog) looks after him as if he was his baby! lol they can lay the baby down on the carpet and Charlie will be there by his side, always careful not to tread on him


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