greetings,
i live in a large fenced household with 15 occupants.
i'm looking for a dog thats loyal, friendly, and has natural guarding insticts.
after researching, i came to the conlcusion that most dogs with natural
guarding insticts may become aggressinve and vicious if often left
unattended.
i am a very busy person and may not be able to spend too much
time with the dog eveyday.
so can someone help me find a breed (if available) that fits my requirements
in terms of being friendly with children, loyal, has natural guarding insticts
and requires moderate to minimum attention.
kindly send your replies to: reemalsaud@aol.com
thank you in advance.

regards,
reem

you say that you have minimal time for the dog - will others in the household be there as companionship ? I fail to see howa dog will be child friendly if you are hardly around? Why get a dog if you are not there much ? This is not criticism I just want to know your reasons for getting a dog ?

Welcome guest - glad you found Champdogs! Now I may sound rather rude here - but why, if you do not have much time, do you want a dog? A dog NEEDS attention every day - you cannot just "throw a bone" and expect a dog to interact with you just when you have time.

You say you are a household of 15 people - is there one person in your household who CAN take responsibility for a dog? If not, I would think very very seriously about whether you should actually own a dog.

Please don't take offence - it would be far better for you not to have a dog in the circumstances you have described so far, than to be posting on this board in six or seven months' time that you are having problems with a destructive/aggressive/noisy dog - whatever the breed.

Regards
Margot

Sorry, but your requirements do not suit any breed of dogs from puppyhood. ALL Puppies need socialization and care suited to the babies they are.
If you are determined to get a dog, you could look into adopting an older dog who doesn't need the same amount of togetherness a puppy does. S/he might be content to while away the days lazing on the back porch.

BUT it would be a crapshoot, since many adult dogs are surrendered between a year to 3 years old for ill behavior after being left alone or poorly trained in their original households to become bored and destructive. There would be a period of adjustment which may or may not be time consuming, troublesome, or destructive.

In a busy household of 15, the dog could easily be shunted to the backyard. In fact, that sounds like what you plan on doing. That's a pity. They're not whim creatures. They really need the companionship. If there is no one present in the household for long hours during the entire week, it's best not to bother with getting one. It's a cruel thing to do. :(

Might I suggest you get a cat? :) They don't need the time, companionship, and effort a well behaved dog needs by its nature.
regards,
toodles

Try a burglar alarm and geese - your household, if portrayed accurately, does not sound suitable for a living dog

Christine

Have to agree with everybody else on this one. If you want a dog that is loyal and friendly you have to socialise it from a young age and earn its loyalty and respect - this is especially true if you want a dog to be "child friendly". The "guarding breeds" particularly need a lot of companionship as they tend to take longer to mature. Certainly if you have a large household with people coming in and out all day the dog needs proper socialising so that it knows who is part of your household and who is not. It is no longer acceptable (was it ever?) just to own a big dog and chain it up in the garden to frighten off any possible intruders. You can not expect loyalty and obedience from a dog if you are not prepared to put a lot of time and effort into building a relationship with it.
I am not belittling the fact that you have a very busy working life, and certainly having a dog around to deter intruders sounds like a good idea but I would advise you against getting a dog in your current circumstances. I myself have put off replacing my beloved dog who died a few years ago until recently due to work commitments meaning that I was away from the house for much of the day.

if despite all advice here you still plan to get a dog , please think seriously about NOT getting a puppy.They require as much attention as a newborn!

Can only agree with the rest of the posts - 15 people in one house all trying to "train" a dog, all giving different commands (I would think, anyway) and most dogs in general bond with one person, or two, rather than a whole load of people. This would only cause confusion to the dog and also, I would imagine, some distress too.