Best breeds for guard dogs – Part 3

While dogs are man’s best friends, they’re also our greatest protectors. One of my favorite quotes is from Roger Caras, who once said:

“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.”(1)

A guard dog is bred and trained to use force, or the threat of force, against an unwanted element in order to protect property, possessions or humans. That’s my definition. Wikipedia gives us this description: “A guard dog, watch dog, or sentry dog is a dog employed to guard against, or watch for, unwanted or unexpected animals or people.” (2)

I would shy away from lumping guard dogs in with watch dogs, as they typically have somewhat different roles. Guard dogs are normally athletic, powerful, aggressive and tenacious. While your average watch dog could have all of these traits, they really only need keen auditory abilities and act as more of an alarm system than a barbed wire fence. However, there’s a lot of overlap between the two, and it would behoove anyone to scare off a threat rather than getting to the point where force is a necessity.

So, all things being equal, what breeds make the best guard dogs?

Traditionally, it’s well documented that many of the breeds thought to originate in Germany are the standards for personal protection. These breeds include German Shepard Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, Boxers, Hovawarts and Giant Schnauzers. They have been used extensively by the military, law enforcement and flock herders for their intelligence and aggressive temperaments. They are all highly trainable and usually very loyal and protective. No real weakness as a guard breed is discernible.

Another type of breed considered to be excellent guard dogs are the large and powerful mastiffs. They fall under the umbrella of the Molossers(3), of which Boxers, St. Bernards and many other large/giant breeds are also members. In fact, studies have suggested that many of the “traditional” guard dog breeds have molossoid or mastiff DNA (2). There are several different varieties including the Mastiff (sometimes referred to as the English Mastiff or Olde English Mastiff; there is some debate over whether the “Olde English” Mastiff is still in existence), the “smaller(!)” Bullmastiff (generally thought to be 40% English Bulldog and 60% Mastiff(4)), the Neapolitan Mastiff, Spanish