Home is not just a place of four walls, but it’s a place of safety, security and comfort. In such an era where security is one of the major concerns, homeowners are opting for a trustworthy solution in the form of guard dogs. For centuries, dogs have served as a security system for home protection.
Moreover, guard dogs offer something extraordinary in the form of sensing unusual situations well before time. However, not all dogs are well-suited to protect the property. To be an exceptional watchdog, it must have a good energy level, intelligence, great vigilance and adaptability to family life.
Some breeds are good at serving their purpose as a protective dog. From powerful guardians to vigilant watchdogs, they never miss a chance to alert their owners and secure their homes. This article will tell in detail about the ideal dog breeds for protecting your property.
10 Ideal Dog Breeds: Protecting Your Property
1. Akita
Akita is a strong, muscular dog that was originally bred in Japan for hunting and guarding. It is known for its thick, double coat and curled tail. Impressively, it is one of the wolf-dog breeds. It remains loyal to the family and forms a deep bond with them. Its natural protective instincts make it one of the great guard dogs.
Akita is brave, courageous and confident and assesses the situation well before reacting. It is highly protective of its home and family. It is quite intelligent and can judge the threats independently, making it a strategic protector. It can learn commands easily and has good problem-solving abilities.
However, it is not ideal for first-time owners due to its independent nature. Since the Akita has a dominant nature, consistent training is required. Moreover, it can be intolerant of the other dogs and pets at home. So, care is needed around smaller animals and kids.
2. Doberman Pinscher
Doberman is a fearless, medium to large, sleek and powerful dog with a dominant demeanor. It was bred in Germany to protect its owner. It is loyal, confident and people-oriented. The Doberman Pinscher is quite affectionate with family members and is liked by them due to its protective nature.
It is one of the best all-rounder protection dogs. It is highly responsive to perceived threats, making it excellent for deterrence and defence. Its instinct to protect its territory, loved ones, and intimidating personality make it stand out among all the protective dog breeds. Besides, it excels in obedience training.
Nonetheless, it demands regular exercise and mental stimulation to curb anxiety and destructive behavior. Due to its overprotective nature, early socialization is needed.
3. Rottweiler
Rottweiler is a powerful, muscular dog with a robust frame. It hails from Germany and was bred to protect property and livestock. The Rottweiler is known for its intelligence, trainability and work ethic. Encouragingly, it is quite affectionate with the owners and always ready to show loyalty, being a guard dog.
It is bestowed with strong protective and territorial instincts. On account of its high level of intelligence, it remains calm and calculates the threatening situation well before acting. Its magnificent size, alertness and decisiveness act as both deterrent and defence.
Early training is required to thwart its aggressive nature. It does not resonate well with inexperienced owners. It also demands daily exercise to keep itself active and prevent boredom.
4. Central Asian Shepherd Dog
Also known as the Alabai, the Central Asian Shepherd is a large dog with a strong chest, muscles, and a thick double coat. It originated from Central Asia to protect livestock from predators and to guard estates. It is affectionate, friendly and protective towards the family and protects the house at any cost.
Although it has a commanding presence but remains calm. Its size alone is enough to deter the intruder, and its vigilance makes it one of the best guard dogs. It is intelligent and strong-willed. Furthermore, the ability of this Central Asian Shepherd to make independent decisions is one of the key guarding roles.
However, PetMD mentions that it does not go along with first-time pet parents. Therefore, requires consistent training and experienced handling to prevent aggressive behavior towards strangers and other pets. It also requires a large space, and without proper guidance, it can become overly dominant.
5. Great Dane
The Great Dane is a giant, muscular dog with strong bone structure and an elegant appearance. It was originally bred in Germany to hunt large wild animals, but later on was used to guard properties. It is quite faithful to the family and forms a special bond with children and kids.
Although the Great Dane isn’t a traditional guard dog, its immense size and powerful bark create such an intimidating presence that intruders are often deterred from approaching a home where one resides.
It remains alert and watchful of its surroundings, and reacts decisively if it perceives a threat. It provides effective protection to the home as it intimidates the infiltrator by its size. In addition to this, it is moderately intelligent and responsive to regular training.
However, the Great Dane is prone to health issues such as hip dysplasia and gastric issues. Without proper training, it cannot confront aggressive intruders.
6. Briard
Briard is a large, agile canine companion with a wavy coat. According to the American Kennel Club, it is also known as a “heart wrapped in fur”. It was bred in France for guarding sheep flocks, but later became an excellent guard dog owing to its intelligence and vigilance.
The Briard is loyal, courageous and forms a strong bond with the family and is affectionate and playful with them. As it is vigilant, it is quite wary of its surroundings and makes the invaders flee due to its loud, distinctive bark. It alerts the owners in no time when it recognises something strange.
Sometimes it becomes overly protective, but it can eliminate such behavior with the right training. It also requires regular grooming and brushing due to its long hair coat.
7. Great Pyrenees
The Great Pyrenees is a large, powerful dog with a dense double coat for survival in harsh climates. It originates from the Pyrenees mountains and was bred for animal protection, but is now being used for estate security. It possesses a calm, confident demeanor. It must be socialized early if you want to raise it with other pets.
The Great Pyrenees is gentle, loyal and quite intelligent. Being affectionate and protective, it forms a special bond with the family. It alerts the owners about something strange with its bark without overreacting. The territorial instincts, courage and protective nature of the Great Pyrenees make it ideal for large properties.
It can be stubborn and unreasonable at times, so owners need to have patience while training it. It also requires ample space and regular exercise for overall health.
8. Boxer
Boxer is a medium to large, muscular and athletic dog that hails from Germany and was specifically developed as a guard dog. It is quite devoted to the family and develops a special relationship with kids. Interestingly, it has a playful energy along with protective instincts.
Boxers remain alert to their surroundings but are generally friendly unless they sense a threat. On account of its intelligence, it learns the commands quickly. Its size is enough to give a stranger a go-away signal. Additionally, Boxer is suitable for such families which need the best protective dog along with its sociable skills.
Since it is a high-energy breed, it demands regular exercise for mental engagement. It is also known as the walking hospital due to certain medical conditions like orthopaedic problems and heart issues.
9. Anatolian Shepherd Dog
The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is a large, powerful and athletic dog which was originated in Turkey as a guardian dog. It has a dense double coat to shield it from harsh weather conditions. It is quite faithful to the family and remains close to them. Purina mentions that the Anatolian is slow to mature and reaches adulthood at about 4 years of age.
Due to its exceptional intelligence, it can guard the property. Its watchfulness and courage do not let the infiltrators come near the house. It observes the situation and acts only when needed. It is suitable for large properties where constant human supervision is not possible.
Early socialization is needed to prevent unwanted behavior towards pets and other animals. Exercise is mandatory for both physical and mental well-being.
10. Beauceron
It is a large, muscular dog with a short, dense coat and distinctive black and tan markings. It is a French guarding dog which has an alert and confident stance. It is also a great family pet due to its loyalty.
It is generally calm and stable at home but highly alert when it senses a threat. Being one of the best dog breeds, it is quite responsive to commands, which makes it capable of deterring any unwanted situations. Due to its confidence, it can show composure in unfamiliar circumstances.
However, it needs experienced handling as it is strong-willed. It may become bored when not given proper exercise. Regular training is required to prevent dominance.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, in times of threats and insecurity, it has become imperative to keep a vigilant watchdog. For protecting your property, ideal dog breeds are those which are intelligent, alert and are quite aware of their surroundings.
A property guardian must be courageous enough to counter any unwanted situation. The one who is ready to protect without creating chaos. Moreover, some breeds are good at creating deterrence due to their size, while some are good at reacting and protecting due to their alert stance.
However, they also need daily exercise to sharpen their skills and intelligence. In this article, certain highly vigilant dogs have been discussed, which are the best dog breeds when it comes to providing safety. One can choose the breed which resonates with them and their lifestyles.
