which is the best breed to have as a guard dog? i have been thinking of getting either an alsation a dobermann or a rockweiler which is the best guard dog? i dont want a dog to attack anyone who comes on the yard just a dog that will bark at them and scare them away should i get 2 dogs to keep each other compnay? they would have the free run of the yard behind a 7foot mesh fence topped with barbed wire totalley secure and they would have a big kennel to sleep in at night as i dont think guard dogs should be chained up.

I'm sure you're aware that if you have a 'guard dog' it needs a handler with it at all times?

A good alarm system would be safer and cheaper for you.

the guest has asked which breed is best if they are really determined to get a dog, they wont be fobbed off by someone telling them to get an alarm. Maybe its best to answer the question properly? :-)

Then the best breed is the one that the handler uses. The circumstances that the guest describes, with 'guard dogs' running loose, are illegal, so it would be foolish to advise further.
:)

JG has answered the question properly, it is not legal to keep a guard dog running free in a property without a handler in charge of it at all times.

oh sorry, I didnt know that!
I know quite a few people who have guard dogs running loose on the premises and they have signs up saying that there are guard dogs/beware private property etc. So does that mean someone has to be on the premises at all times the dogs are loose then?
Doesnt that kind of defeat the purpose of having the guard dogs there then?
Surely if theres a big fence and signs up then no one who doesnt have permission should be in the yard anyway? that would be breaking and entering

As the law stands now.  If a burglar gets into any property and hurts themselves, then they can sue the owner, so if a guard dog bit them the same applies.

Simmo
Apart from the fact that its illegal to have a 'guard' dog running free most people on this board..if not all...are dog lovers to whom the  thought of a dog being left in a yard without human companionship is discusting.We all know it happens but in an ideal world it shouldn't and none of us would want to encourage it.
A dog is a social animal who does best when raised as part of a loving family.If someone wants an 'object' to protect property then an alarm of some sort should be purchased.
Archer

i think thats shocking!
If a thief broke in they deserve everything they get IMO, including being savaged by a guard dog!
If the premises is occupied during the day Archer, I see no problem with a dog being left overnight. Not everyone keeps their dogs indoors, dogs are to soft these days due to being kept in centrally heated houses and over-pampered. You can be a dog lover and keep your dogs in a kennel. If they are loved, fed and looked after properly theres no reason why a kennel dog cant have a good life.
From what the guest said, the dogs would only be left alone at night, and the conditions they describe ie a big kennel for them to share etc sounds ideal to me.
many people keep their dogs outside and they are happy and healthy, farmers and gamekeepers are just 2 examples.
I think the law stinks on this one! If a burglar broke into my house and my dogs bit them, they would be getting what was coming to them IMO!

<<<<I think the law stinks on this one! If a burglar broke into my house and my dogs bit them, they would be getting what was coming to them IMO! >>>>
Unfortunately so would you...a day in court for you and possibly an appointment at the vets for your dog...as unfair as that may be
I would also like to know where in the initial post it says the yard would be occupied during the day!!  
Archer

I think that is a very nieve and irresponible attitude Simmo. Did you also know that if you have signs up saying 'warning guard dog', or any words to that effect, and your dogs bites someone on YOUR property, you can get into even more trouble because it is deemed that you not only were aware of the possiblity of your dog biting someone, but had threatened it, and encouraged it? This includes signs on your car. Whether the law is right or wrong is not the point here, the point is protecting your dog from the DDA. Working dogs on farms etc, are not putting their lives at risk by serving humans, a guard dog is, not because it's right, but because the law says so.

Guest - as JG says, get an alarm.

Regards, Claire

I live in a rural area so perhaps I am used to doing things differently.
I know quite a few farmers who have a collie or two roaming the yard, they bark and warn of any intruders, they are not classed as "guard dogs" as such, but im pretty sure if anyone came in to the yard who wasnt supposed to be there, the collies would give them a nip or two!
Are you saying that in this instance, say someone came onto the farmers yard at night time intent on stealing the ATV or some tools from the shed, if the dogs bit an intruder the farmer would get prosecuted?
That is a new one to me!!!
If anyone broke into my house, as I said before, they would get a good hiding off of me as well as the dogs, and they would get done with burglary, simple as that!
has an Englishman suddenly lost the right to defend his castle?

And archer, I based my assumtion on the fact the poster said this : "they would have a big kennel to sleep in at night " I would have imagined that no one would want to leave a dog unattended for 24 hours per day that really would be irresponsible.

Why does everything have to be an arguement on here?
Ive noticed that, been reading some of the posts, some of the threads just seem to go on and on and dont get anywhere at all. i dont see the need for that. IMO no one has actually answered the guests question properly, they are asking which is the best guarding breed from the 3 named and no one has answered that yet, why cant that question be answered? it was a fairly simple one !

>has an Englishman suddenly lost the right to defend his castle?

That was lost years ago! Think of Tony Martin.

>which is the best guarding breed from the 3 named and no one has answered that yet, why cant that question be answered?

If the examples of those breeds that I know are typical, none of them! But then, they've been bred for safe temperament. If the 'guard dogs' are in an enclosed, covered run (so that they can't be attacked by intruders) almost any breed will fit the bill, in that it will make a noise. However the guests proposal rules that out, and no breed is ideal for those circumstances.

tony martin shot an intruder though.
I think there is a big difference in murdering someone (rights and wrongs aside) and a guard dog doing its duty.
Anyway, it is likely the guest will go off and do what they want anyway regardless, most people will do whatever they want, illegal or not.

Guest i hope If you do decide to get a "guard" dog you take on board whats ben said here, make sure you have plenty of signs up saying private property tresspassers will be prosecuted, as well as a couple saying "dogs running free" as beware of the dog signs can get you into trouble if your dog does bite.

I would get an alarm as well, but to be honest, if I was a burglar, a big ferocious dog would deter me more than an alarm!, but its up to you at the end of the day :-)

guest it sounds like you live in a impenatrable prison anyway :(

Your laws are different to ours in australia,if you have a dog that will likely bite an intruder than you "must" have a sign on your gate saying "beware of dog" or "guard dog on patrol" the intruder has been forwarned and it's "his" fault if he breaks in and gets attacked,there is no liability on the owner as he put up the signs of warning,however if a burglar breaks in and gets attacked and there was no warning sign,then they could probaly sue.

Guest i would get an alarm,it is more humane than "useing" a dog! Any dog can be a good guard dog,a good bark is all you need,and most dogs are capable of letting you know when someones about.

I think perhaps you are too young to remember when the guard dog regulations came in to law, about 30 years ago I would say and as I remember it it was following a spate of children being badly savaged by unsupervised dogs. It was felt at the time that children wandering onto property either by accident or because they were naughty did not deserve to be savaged and maybe even killed and I think people would still feel that today, even burgulars deserve a punishment more fitting to the crime that a possible lethal savaging.  As to the point about farm dogs I would expect most farmers are aware that if a lost delivery man, for instance, is bitten by their dogs there would be liable to face destruction of the dog and civil action for damages certainly the farmers I know keep their unsupervised dogs well secured away from the public.  I wonder too, when people say they know of loose guards dogs have they perhaps seen the warning signs for guards dogs that, infact, are allerting the puplic that the premises are regularly visitied by a security guard with dog.

>>Why does everything have to be an arguement on here?<<

I think that you have been somewhat provocative with your statements also :)
This is a discussion forum and everyone has their right to an opinion. Because it differs from yours does not make them right or wrong ;)

I also live in a veryrural area, my nearest "neighbour" is 4 miles away, but I realise that I still have to abide by the Law, regardless of my geographical location.

I think that it is a shame that people still are under the impression that keeping "guard dogs" is acceptable :(
Guest, if you want to protect premises then, I am in total agreement with the majority on here, get an alarm system. Do not subject a dog/s to a life of lonliness and misery.

Most of us have discussions, accepting that others have different points of view - then along comes someone more aggressive who turns it into an argument!

Simmo, I think a majority on here agree that the law "stinks" on this one, but as its the law we all have to put up with it.  We are not saying it is right by telling you the true law.  Many dogs have been put down for attacting a burgler and people being fined or sent to jail for harming a bugler on their poperty.

Like I said, most of us don't agree, but its the law, so live with it!

A majority?  I certainly don't think the law "stinks" but as I say I remember the days before the law was brought in, bad times for dogs as well as the innocents falling victim to unrestrained guard dogs, before your time I suspect :)

In Hungary they use flocks of Geese as 'guard dogs' because they make a horrendous noise when disturbed by intruders. Perhaps guest should consider this as they need very little human campany, no problems with the DDA, eat grass so cost very little maintain, live for 30 years and with Christmas approaching taste wonderful with roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, sage and onion stuffing and gravy!

And quarryman, scare the hell out of you as you dont tend to want to argue with one as they are not nice!!!! (my dad and his boss got stuck up a tree by a gander!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

You could have the answer their Quarryman, it takes a braver person than me to face an angry gander :-D

My father in Law had one years ago in his farmyard, and it scared the sh*t out of me everytime I went through the yard on my own.

I don't know if it is true but I read years ago that they used Geeese in Scotland where the Amber Nectar is made to gurad against Whiskey thieves.

Dear Guest

Under the Guard Dogs Act 1975, 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, and warning notices are displayed at the entrances. If the handler is not present the dog must be secured.

Guard dogs must be registered with the police.

If your dog (pet or guard) bit an intruder etc you will be liable just as you would if the burglar hurt himself on barbed wire erected to surround private property.  Householders have been forced to remove it for this reason!

This is not my opinion, this is fact.

What you want is a watch dog not a guard dog; there is a difference.

A guard dog is is trained to do just that, protect the property and life of its master. Hence why they need correct training and the presence of a handler in order that it does not "attack" indiscriminately.  A properly trained guard dog will be expensive due to the time invested in its training and no one would put this at risk by leaving it alone to its own devices!

A watch dog will sound the alarm; Jack Russells are pretty good at this!

what about if the intruder was armed with an offensive weapon like a gun or knife (you never know these days) and the dog got shot or stabbed and the poor thing loses it's life. As a dog lover i could not delibrately put my dog at risk like that,and as others have said it is illegal to have guard dogs unless controlled by a handler.

After owning "Rockweilers", i.e. Rottweilers for twenty years, I can definately state that the breed is not suitable for this purpose!

Rottweilers crave companionship with their owner and work closely.  This purpose only strips apart the good woprk dedicated owners do with the breed.  It is a multi purpose dog, not a guard, bred to herd and be a family companion.

Hi ,

I certainly don't think a dobermann would be suitable. Every one I've known, doesn't like the rain, the cold, the dark and couldn't possibly go out if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction ,LOL!!!!!
How about the geese (most people I know are terrified of them) we have a flock out in the back paddocks here and they definately let you know when theres someone about.

Does that mean if your on agricultural land you are allowed a guard dog then???

Debbie

you could get an american staffordshire terrier but you would want to make sure  they were a male and female if it were two but one or two is good a rottweiler wouldn't be as safe as a doberman

Sorry, but that's not helpful advice! The OP is in the UK where American Staffordshires are banned.

I will state again section 1a) of the dangerous dogs act states a dog known as the Pit Bull Terrier, no mention of the Am Staff......maybe it should be re written clearer.

I know what an Am Staff is, i need no explanation just stating a fact.

If you know what an Amstaff is, you will also know that the law considers it to be a 'show-type' pitbull, and therefore banned for being 'of the type'.

The laws surrounding Am Staffs are confusing, we will agree to differ, IF the act said Am Staffs & American Pit then i would be inclined to agree, theres not one word in the act that states "any dog known as the American Staff" so therefore they are not part of the act, owners in the uk of these dogs would have to ensure their paperwork is in order as some AmStaffs have dual paperwork, some do not, and its those that dont have dual paperwork i think police would have great difficulty siezing :)

It does say any dog of Pit Bull Type, which certainly Amstaffs are.

The law includes all dogs 'of the type'. This includes crossbreeds with a vague resemblence to a pit, and even oversized Staffordshires. Sadly several crossbreeds (Boxer/labrador for example, and even one Dane cross) have been seized and destroyed under the DDA.

i would go with a doberman pinscher because they probably wont attack or a chihuahua they will bark and alert you or even a cross would be good