Please advise us we are a married couple with children and are looking at the following breeds - German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Bullmastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux, Neopolitan Mastiff, Cane Corso and American Bulldog.  We have a detached house 6ft fenced boundary and enjoy waling every day about 1-2 hrs.  The dog would live outside and be kept comapny by our golden retriever (bitch).  We want a reliable, biddable guard dog to look after the house and children.  Please post advise as to most suitable and reasons why and why not.

Thanks JG & SG

Sorry I cannot offer advice on which dog to get,I do not have enough knowledge of these breeds to judge,but what I do know is that my son's gsd can clear a 6foot fence no problem! and I should have thought any 'guard dog' is only as good as the time and training invested in him.Just my humble opinion.:)

I would have to ask what do you want a guard dog or a family dog as most breeds will guard, but the breeds you have asked about can and do guard but can also turn very nasty if just made to guard, and a 6ft fence wouldn't keep it in if it really wanted to get out.YOU ALSO SAY THAT YOU HAVE CHILDREN well i would be very careful about what i was doing, if you want a dog that barks then a GSD will do that and they would be easier to train, the Bullmastiff/Mastiff.DDB/NM/.CC/AB these dogs will be alot harder and by god you had better know what you are doing if you decided on any of these breeds. I have Bullmastiffs and Cane-Corsos and i wouldnt want mine to just guard all mine are very good they go out and about to meet people and i train mine in obedience and by the way these breeds are not big on barking. and is the retriever spayed if not then she will need to be, and i do hope you are not going to expect them to live together as the poor bitch wouldn't last long with any of the Molosser breeds.

Corso Girl has given you good advice. You need to think that if you keep a guard dog & it attacks someone even on your property, you would be liable. You should also think, do you really want a guard dog or just a dog as a deterrent or a dog which just gives warning if there's someone around? Also, what do you want it to guard - something outside or the house? If someone breaks in to your house, the dog is not going to be much help if it's outside is it? Most big dogs will act as a deterrent to undesirables - in my experience, they just see a big dog (or even not so big) on a property & melt away! (seen it happen :D )

Don't know if you are in the UK but if you are there are very strict laws about dogs and their use. If you leave your dog loose/unattended or even chaind up and its purpose is for guarding it is classed as having an offensive weapon and you can be heavily find. It is even an offence to to put on a gate "Beware of the dog" as the intention is that the owner is keeping a dog for guarding, but it is allowed to post a sign with picture saying "I live here". Typical example is if you answer the front door to an unwanted salesman and say " Go away or I will set my dog on you" It is an offence as you are using the dog as a weapon. However same situation if you say " Excuse me do you mind moving as my dog want to get past you" and repeat it each time the salesperson steps back then its not an offence as you are not using the dog as a weapon.
So if you intend to purchase a dog to look after the family make sure you don't purchase one saying "I want it for guarding my family/property" as the intention is clearly that you are buying a weapon for defence.
Bazza

Hi,

I could be wrong here but I thought "Beware of the dog" was discussed on this site that It could be safely displayed.I was one of the ones also thinking you could not have this sign,
but have since been told by various people you can have it .So im a little confused now.
I have a sign that says "dogs running loose" that usually makes people think twice even if thay would get licked to death by a load of Goldens.
Pesonally I like the one Never mind the dog beware of the children.Or slightly off track visitors welcome family by appointment :-D:-D

Briony:-)

A similar subject was discussed recently on another site - one organisation had access to Trevor Cooper (who has helped many owners in DDA cases) and this is his interpretation of the law:
'Beware of dog = bad
Warning Dog will eat you = bad
Dogs running free = good
Picture of GSD with Break in make my day = bad

Basically avoid anything that could be seen as you admitting you have a dog that will bite'

Hi,

OR better still get cctv and display the signs :-)Doesn't necessarily stop them but does act as a good deterrant make sure it has date and time though if was to use it as evidence
for the police and to prosecute you would need a set videos  one for each day of the week
and not recorded on more than 12 times on, speak from sad experience and had to result to this:-(

Briony

It isn't an offence to have a Beware of the Dog sign, but if your dog then bites someone, you have no defence because it could be said that you must have known it was dangerous because you had a Beware of the Dog sign.

I seem to remember this being debated here before and some one dug some legal stuff out that showed whether you had a sign or not and what ever it said made no difference in law if your dog did bite some one.

Robert

Yes, a member who is in the police force asked their legal department about it and they did a search and came back and said that there was not such case on record and they believed that a no notice would make any difference at all.

It is still up to you to take proper care and cover yourself by insuring for any damage that the dog may do to a third party or their property. There are rule covering guard dogs too and you would be as well to contact your local police and or council to ask for advice.

Least that is how I remember it.

Hi,

Thats what I thougjht Robert,it was during the Summer.

Regards Briony:-)

I was sitting watching tv two weeks ago, when I heard some sounds that sounded like oh god , oh god.
[ being polite] outside in my garden
I turned off the tv and listened I was alone  in the house at the time .
I had Berry with me and she was not concerned at all so went to turn tv back on and heard again ohhh god help im dead, So I cautiously went to back door thinking to myself Keith my son must have fallen or something.
in the garden in front of the door was a young lad on his back and standing on his chest was Babs my bullmastiff girl with a tight grip on his hood. I asked him what are you doing in my garden. He told me he was taking a short cut and had jumped the wrong wall.I agreed lol
I called Babs and he jumped off the ground like a bat out of hell and disappeared over the wall so fast I couldent even tell you now what he looked like .
My reason for telling you this is that in in my op  a Bullmastiff is the best guard dog as no damage done to intruder.Just  my girl doing instinctively what she was bred to do , Pin down the poacher with the sheer weight of her.
I would not want guard dogs but I would want a dog that protects us.
I have never had  my house broken into so I think bullmastiffs are the best pet to have, and will also be prepared to protect their family.
My Sharpei on the other hand are traitors and have no problems with strangers  good or bad.
Mari

I totally agree with you Mari, they are so protective of their home and family but not aggressive - providing they have been socialised and reared correctly of course, as with all dogs.
We've had a number of incidents; one where a workman came unexpectedly into the back garden (climbed over a 6ft fence to get in), I heard a tremendous barking and went into the garden to find the man flat against the fence with Ellie a few inches away, watching him like a hawk - she hadn't touched him, just frightened him to death. The second time, my daughter taking Ellie a walk in the wood at the back of us, was followed by a youth, Ellie alerted her by growling very quietly and raising her hackles, she wouldn't stop until the youth turned and walked off down another track.
I know my dogs (well not the pup - he'd go off with anyone if the bribe was tasty enough) would always protect us and the home, yet they are first and foremost great big softies.
Jan

Jan,
Arent they the lovliest breed to own,once you have one then thats it you will always have one.
Apart from the eating of the doors and the trees and the other stuff lol

Mari

Mari,

They are a fatastic breed, I know now I'll never be without one (or two), I just wish I'd found them years ago. I'd never seen a Bullmastiff before we got Ellie but have always liked big dogs, we had Danes when I was growing up.
My daughter had nagged and nagged for years for a dog, my ex partner (her dad) not being a dog lover always said no. One day not long after we'd split up I went to visit a new friend I'd met through my daughter's swimming club, she had a Bullmastiff which had just had puppies........ the rest is history.
Jan

Leo is steadily munching his way through my Steiff bear collection - hope the insurance covers it, I haven't dared ask yet lol
Jan

IMHO if you need this basic level of information you are highly unlikely to be able to competently, effectively and efficiently deal with most, if not all,  of the examples you have quoted here!

This question comes up, usually in a guest's question at regular intervals and I always answer the same. If you want a guard you would do better employing the services of Group Four or some other security firm. It is extremely unlikely that you have the skills necessary to train a guard dog. Nor is it likely that you would like the prison term likely to be incurred if some large untrained dog belonging to you killed a child.

John

tohme
I agree with you , lol it is just any chance to brag about how lovely our breed are to own is not to be missed.
and lately there are so many bullmastiff fanciers posting it is great, as one time a few years back there was only myself and Billy

Guest
Johns advice is as always the right advice.
I did not intend however to give advice on buying a guard dog , as I dont know any advice to give not ever having  had one or need of one ,as my pets do all that instinctively without harm to anyone.

Mari

I love all dogs and know some georgous Bullmastiff's but kept as a guard dog, living outside (and if I read this right) purely to frighten people away is not a good idea. A good guard dog is one trained to work under the control of it's handler not one left to it's own devises. That is asking for trouble and is going to do whatever breed is decided on no favours at all.

Regards, John

Well said John.
mari

Just going slighly off track for a moment, someone said that if you have a neware of the dog sign you are saying that you know your dog is dangerous. My friends young lab knocked a women over whilst running for a ball, and she broke her elbow. The women was very nice about it and only claimed the lost pay from not working on my friends insurance. The insurance company however ended up paying out thousands (some way of avoiding any possible legal action.) When my friend was talking to the insurance people she happened to mention that he attended training classes (by this time he was in the intermediate class having passed his KC bronze) in an attempt to show that he was usually a good dog. However the insurance company said that the dog must be out of control if she felt she had to take him to training classes. This is so unfair as she was being a responsible dog owner taking her dog to classes despite him just being a normal dog with no specific problems. It just goes to show that they will twist everything in the long run.

I find it appalling that an intruder on your property can sue and can get the dog destroyed if it attacks. My dog isn't too keen on men and so i take the neccessary precautions to keep her away from them but if they choose to come on to my property despite the warning signs in order to steal from me then i think they deserve everything they get!!

The law is an ass.
It is not only the dogs this law is applied to ,it is also the house owner
You may not attack or hurt an intruder or you can be sued also.
The law says you must be hit twice before retaliate .can you believe that !!!!!!!!.
My son was in court for gbh because he retaliated and won when jumped on for money by two known thugs
Thankfully ,He was able to prove he was hit more then once and had no choice.
But I could see the astonishment on people faces in the court when charges were read out

Guest
best forget about guard dogs when you cant even protect your own house and family by law.
Mari

I also agree with both you and John and would never advocate buying a Bullmastiff purely as a guard dog. Bullmastiffs do need firm handling and in my opinion need to live inside as part of the family where possible, the fact that they are protective is just a bonus on top of all their other wonderful attributes. It is as Mari says, there are so few people to talk to about the breed we just grab any opportunity.
Jan

Hi,

I would not advise anyone to have an American Bulldog around a retriever if they have never owned a Molosser breed before , American Bulldogs need firm handling during the first 12 months of their lives , the training of an American Bulldog SHOULD be part of an everyday routine between you and the dog.

I would not recommend keeping them outside if you have nieghbours closeby , as they are very vocal and can get very LOUD!
I have an American Bulldog girl who is now eight months old , and she would make a cr*p guard dog! She barks when the doorbell chimes but thats about it , any stranger is in danger of getting licked to death by her. 
They sometimes get on with other dogs , sometimes not , as they do have high prey drives , and around other dogs you should always tread with caution especially if you were to have another bitch to go with the retriever bitch you already have.
 
They are not suitable companion dogs for other dogs sometimes! Our girl is only allowed around our other dogs whilst under strict supervision , as now she is getting to the age where she can be and tries to be quite dominant with the others.

They are not for the first time Molosser owner , they are hard work , i would go and research the breed a bit more , and you should so with the other breeds you have mentioned.

I also have a Neopolitan Mastiff male , and although hes a lovable rogue , they are also not for the first time molosser owner.
I would like to question why you feel the need for a Molosser breed as a guard dog?  As to have a guard dog you would need a license.
Under the Guard dogs act 1975 it states,

1) the use of a guard dog at any premises except agricultural land or dwelling houses is not permitted unless a handler is present on the premises and controls the dog at all times.
2) warning notices must be secured and displayed at the entrances.
3) if the handler is not present the dog must be secured.

You could be fined up to £5000 if you fail to do this , so you still want a gaurd dog?