Civilian question about best breed

[DOC psych]

I work with mentally ill men in a medium security prison. We would like to purchase a dog for personnal protection. It would live inside a house with a family with a 5 and 7 year old and travel in the car also. I have large dog/training/sch experience. As law enforcement professionals do you think we are better off with a dog that has a more visual deterent effect or a better biting ability? For example in my mind Dobermans have a scary reputation but no where near the protection ability of a Malinois. But would a Mal bounce off the walls and drive us crazy and would a thug or crazy excon even know to be afraid of it until it actually bit him? What dogs do the criminal set know are guard dogs and are afraid of? It has to be protective/good with children given 70% of my caseload are pedophiles (30% murders). Some people have told me that just the presence of the dog is all most people ever need and over the lifetime of the personal protection dog they never actually send it on a real bite. true? thank you for your insights.

[txinvestigator1]

There are two types of dogs; German Shepherds and dogs who wish they were. German Shepherds for Sale | Working Line German Shepherds | Kraftwerk K9

[deputywave]

My German Shepherd is very good around my 2 yr old son.

[pafindr]

A well trained German Shepherd is a great family/protective dog.
Very intimidating but very loyal to it's family.

A cousin of mine had a Red German Shepherd that was a German Working Line. The dog adored her kids (4 and 6 years old) and protected them faithfully. The only people the dog allowed into the fenced property was my cousin, her mother and father, and her kids. The only way any one else could get past the fence was to be escorted by one of them. Once inside the dog would smell you and you would be good to go. You could play with the kids, play with him, do what ever you wanted. But once you left the fenced in yard you could not come back in. If you tried to get back in he bared his teeth with a growl as a warning and if you continued to move towards the fence he would start barking. Oh and he only understood commands in German.

[MikeG]

I work with mentally ill men in a medium security prison. We would like to purchase a dog for personnal protection. It would live inside a house with a family with a 5 and 7 year old and travel in the car also. I have large dog/training/sch experience. As law enforcement professionals do you think we are better off with a dog that has a more visual deterent effect or a better biting ability? For example in my mind Dobermans have a scary reputation but no where near the protection ability of a Malinois. But would a Mal bounce off the walls and drive us crazy and would a thug or crazy excon even know to be afraid of it until it actually bit him? What dogs do the criminal set know are guard dogs and are afraid of? It has to be protective/good with children given 70% of my caseload are pedophiles (30% murders). Some people have told me that just the presence of the dog is all most people ever need and over the lifetime of the personal protection dog they never actually send it on a real bite. true? thank you for your insights.

Not a LEO but my answer is Boerboel.

Boerboel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I met someone that trains them for protection.
Pros: Large, intimidating, naturally protective of family.
Cons: Large, intimidating, naturally protective of family.

I'm curious though as I thought the reason for Malinois police popularity was the depth and force of bite. By depth I mean they bite all the way to the back of their jaw so they create tremendous holding force. I thought the deep set, holding bite was what set them apart for use in police work. Is that not the case?

I wouldn't necessarily think the qualities police want in an overall patrol dog would be the same as someone seeking guarding and protection. For example, as a non-leo, I am not going to arrest the person my dog is protecting me from. The tactics (and qualities in the dog) I would think would be quite different. No?

[retdetsgt]

I haven't had a lot of experience with other breeds, but like the others, I had a German Shepherd when my kids were growing up and they were great. She took all sorts of abuse from the kids when my girls were little and just looked pathetic. But she was protective of the property and my kids.

[Safety Steve]

My half Lab half Anatolian Shepherd has born in guarding instincts with a kind personality to boot. Not saying mine is the best as I have never had experience with dogs for protection but I do like him alot.


Be Safe.

[Joeyd6]

Anyone will tell you most bad guys won't care half as much about the size of the dog comapred to the fact if you have one and if it barks. I have seen small mop dogs that are more intimidating when pissed than some familes big dogs. All depends on your family and how raise the dog.

1) Get a dog that you can easily care for (including the wife and kids).
2) Get a dog that can fit in your car.
3) Don't count on that dog to protect you.
4) Train the dog and teach it what is its property and to bark when somebody comes near/on it.
5) Get an alarm system at your house. Get fire and CO detectors and you will not only get a insurance discount, but have piece of mind.
6) Get a gun and a gun locker. Sometimes all else fails.

Buying a dog for "protection" for the normal family usually never works out. Your families protection needs to be well rounded.

[mcsap]

I work with mentally ill men in a medium security prison. We would like to purchase a dog for personnal protection. It would live inside a house with a family with a 5 and 7 year old and travel in the car also. I have large dog/training/sch experience. As law enforcement professionals do you think we are better off with a dog that has a more visual deterent effect or a better biting ability? For example in my mind Dobermans have a scary reputation but no where near the protection ability of a Malinois. But would a Mal bounce off the walls and drive us crazy and would a thug or crazy excon even know to be afraid of it until it actually bit him? What dogs do the criminal set know are guard dogs and are afraid of? It has to be protective/good with children given 70% of my caseload are pedophiles (30% murders). Some people have told me that just the presence of the dog is all most people ever need and over the lifetime of the personal protection dog they never actually send it on a real bite. true? thank you for your insights.

Are you concerned that one of these men would come to your house upon release or ??

[Darin]

I am partial to Rottweilers. I've had 2 and love the breed. They are easy to train and take care of. The have short hair and don't shed too bad. Their intimidation factor is second to none.

Unfortunately bad breeding has made cancer very prevelent in Rotties.


BTW....what makes you think a Doberman is "no where near" a Malinois in personal protection? I would agree with you if you said in police work.