Are Great Danes Good for Guarding and Protection?

luis o: Is Great Dane a good dog for guarding and protecting my home?
Can you train a Great Dane to be a good watchdog and to stop potential burglars from breaking into your house?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Animal Whisperer
Of course! Take it to a Guard Dog Obedience School. They already have instinctively great Protective Behavior! Their Original Purpose was for Boar Hunting.

Answer by Eraser
A good example of the breed that was properly trained and socialized should welcome strangers with a waggly tail. I wouldn't count on it.

Answer by Danes are defensive
Having a great dane is like having a defensive weapon. The dane will usually deter any bad behavior from guests as the size is intimidating to most people. When the doorbell rings the dog will go to the door with the owner and be barking. No problem with people breaking into the house. Would have to go through barking great dane. One never knows if dane has been trained to attack or not. Most danes will take a cue from the owner. If on dane property know a dane is territorial.

Danes were used to attack and hold wild boar in old days. Have seen dane attack after dane let a person into the house with no problem. The owner was home and when signs of struggle started the same dane went and attacked the person attacking the homeowner. See video on the internet.

That being said, this dog breed is like a kid. Cannot just leave it in the yard. Must be part of a family or do not get one. Very sensitive, smart, and loving. Quiet and obedient once grown. Destructive as a puppy. Be sure to buy lots of real large bones from cows. Find a meat shop to buy bones from. The dog has to have something to chew for the first year or two. Otherwise will destroy items weekly as has a need to chew. Bones cheaper than a new couch.

Answer by Mark Nord
Mine barks at someone at the door but hides when someone new comes in. My Stepson although he is 6ft 5in tall pretends to bark at him and my 190 pound Dane goes and hides in the bedroom peeking around the door looking down the hall. I have owned and raised Danes for 30 years and with few exceptions, once you get past their size they are as aggressive as a sock puppet. Well unless you are a Scooby snack. Mine counter surfs in the kitchen when you are not looking, I go through a lot of butter...

Answer by something_horrid
First off, if you want a safe out, invest in an alarm system.
As for the Dane breed in general, they are friendly, calm and laid back. Yes, they were originally used to hunt wild boar in Germany, but (like English Bulldogs that were originally used as dogfighters) the aggression was bred out of the Danes.

So, you can hone in on natural protective instincts every dog has to protect its family, but don't expect him to attack an intruder.

Answer by froggy
Yes. mine was. just think, if u went to somebody's house and just say to knock on the door. and this big ass dog comes to the door barking and growling wouldn't u think twice about going in? but yes, my Dane was great w/ my kids and protected my house.

My husband (at the time) came in real late on night and shadow went up the hall after him. he (husband) screamed at me get your fuckin dog. shadow was gonna tear him a new one.

Answer by ragapple
Honey if you were a burglar would you take a chance that this HUGE dog would not attack? They don’t need to do a darn thing but be big to be a deterrent.

Answer by moof
I wouldn't count on it.
While every breed has its individuals, the standard Great Dane is a clown. of course, that doesn't mean at all that there aren't Great Dane guards; just don't EXPECT it.

I'm personally partial to the English mastiff as a guard dog. they WILL alert you, and put on a HECK of a scary show — growling, barking, roaring, fur raised. your home is definitely safe in their hands. however, they are BY NO MEANS unfriendly or vicious dogs. (as long as they're properly socialized, obviously.) they are not ATTACK dogs — they are GUARD dogs.

Mastiffs aren't identical to Danes, though — Great Danes are quite considerably more athletic, and appear much more toned.

Answer by David K
I don't think Great Danes can be good guard or protection dogs, they are often referred to as gentle giants. But I'm not sure. a German Shephard or Mastiff would be a good watch/protector dog. I'd feel very sorry for anyone who breaks into my house when I'm not here cause my GSD hasn't been trained for protection, he just naturally does it.
But the sheer size of the Dane would scare most people.

Answer by marci452
Danes are only frightening because of their size. They tend to invite a thief in and show him where the silver is hidden in exchange for belly rubs and dog biscuits.

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Answer by vespaskank
Yes, Danes were originally bred for boar hunting 200 years ago, however, these traits have been virtually bread out of them. Danes are not naturally aggressive, protective or vocal.

Danes love “their people” but not in a protective behavior in a “follow them anywhere” behavior. In our local Dane Owners club, there are typically two to three dozen Great Danes, and there’s only one who is remotely vocal. Danes are infamous couch potatoes, and naturally *VERY* aloof.

There’s an old saying, “Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane.” – Smiley Blanton

Just because a dog is big doesn’t mean people are intimidated, my Danes are big for Great Danes and people flock to them. Professional burglars and repeat offenders typically bring dog treats with them.

Answer by Dane Lover
You don’t need to train a Dane to be a watchdog..their size alone is a big deterrent. Also, most Danes will bark if someone comes to the door that they don’t know.

Answer by bluebonnetgranny
If the dog doesn’t have the temperament for it you’d be better with a bell on the gate. At least he/she would alert to it. You can train a Dane to alert you but the size alone would scare away intruders.

I have had two Danes, both male, one was a good watchdog the other would run to hide behind a tree. So it depends on the temperament of your dog.

If you have problems trying to teach him what he needs to know you might get a trainer to work with you for a couple of months.
They are wonderful dogs. It’s just so sad the life span is so short.

Answer by kylgoose2
I don't think a Great Dane would make a good guard dog. As everyone else says, they are gentle giants, and probably wouldn't hurt anyone. But then again, their size would frighten anyone at first glance. My neighbor's old Dane had a very loud and foreboding call, and just the fact of having a dog is a deterrent to thieves and all bad doers alike.
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