Q: Whats a friendly guard dog that has little to no shedding?
Whats a friendly guard dog that doesn't shed? My dad wants a big outdoor guard dog that HAS to bark at strangers but will be friendly with my little cousins and people we know. I would prefer an indoor non-shedding dog. What dog breed meets those constraints?
My preferred choices are a Golden Retriever, Yorkie, Border Collie or a Pit Bull. My dad is set on a German Shepherd.
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Answers and Views:
Answer by FidosCityGuide
German Shepherds require a lot of training and exercise. They are not natural guard dogs. All dogs bark at a stranger, smaller dogs are more likely to bark than larger ones.
A well-loved and exercised Golden, Border Collie or Pit Bull would be a better choice.
Who says you can’t go running with a Yorkie, mine jogs with me (5 lb) every day, she also runs lure course, and pitties are cute, just to big for me
A Golden, with daily brushing to keep the shedding down, would be a good compromise.
Answer by Car
Try a Lowchen they are medium-sized dogs but they are watchdogs so they alert you to people but are not guard dogs. They are very friendly and live longer than bigger dogs. They also do not shed.
Answer by dafsfahyafsd
a husky is always great.
Golden retrievers are very friendly dogs, I'd go for them
But your dads probably right about the german shepherd
Answer by ~M|ssy~
"Pit bulls" are adorable!!! But, they are not guard dogs. They MAY alert you to strangers. My APBT occasionally barks at strangers, but he's usually happy to see anyone and begs to be petted.
Anyways, German Shepherds are born guard dogs. If trained properly, they will alert you of any visitor in the yard, some do it even if not trained to do so. They do have long coats and will shed, but all dogs shed. As far as being friendly...it's iffy. My aunt had one years ago that was a great dog and he was friendly to everyone. She now has a white GSD that is horrific. I do not visit her anymore because he has nipped at my daughter and lunged at my face.
Answer by Micah
Actually Pitbulls are good guard dogs my pitbull always bites strangers that come close to it and me, and other good guard dogs with minimal shedding are Dobermans, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Cane Corso, Bullmastiff, and Boerboel.
Answer by anon
I do own APBTs, and I will say they are excellent companion animals. You’d probably never have a problem running with one; they’ll go forever. They will also usually alert you to people pulling up and are excellent with people when properly socialized. However, they are not good with other animals. Even the most well-behaved Pit will have trouble with this. They ARE naturally dog aggressive and have a VERY high prey drive toward small critters. You would need it to be the only dog, or to get two dogs at the same age & raise them together. They can do well with cats, but you’ll want to have the cat in the home first or raise the dog from a pup with cats. Forget about rabbits, birds, or anything similar though. They are also extremely smart, BUT very strong-willed. They know what you’re saying..whether or not they’re going to listen is a different story..and they shed a lot more than people think. It looks like cat hair everywhere.
German Shepards are good dogs from my experience. They are much like the APBT. They’re great with people, and usually other dogs, but can tend to be dog aggressive and have a high prey drive to small animals. They’re highly intelligent and easy to train. As a guard dog, however, I’ve found that they don’t bark or alert you to strangers as often as many other breeds. They’re generally quiet dog that accept whomever they see.
Border Collies have a LOT of energy and muscle! They shed a fair amount too. It would be a good running partner or would most likely keep intruders such as snakes, raccoons, etc. away, but as far as people, again, I find them to be a quiet breed. I’ve never had a border collie that would alert me to visitors. I’ve only had one that would alert me to other animals. Much like the Pit, they are highly intelligent and extremely strong-willed. They need consistent proper training, and you cannot let them get bored or mass destruction of everything you own will follow.
I’ve noticed your choices are a lot of the most intelligent breeds out there..just remember that this will come with a LOT of training, exercise, and attention. These breeds you cannot expect to be laid back. They like to have something to focus on almost constantly, especially in their early years.
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May I make some suggestions?
The American Bully resembles the American Pit Bull Terrier in a lot of ways. However, they are shorter and stockier, so you would not be able to run with one..but they have better temperaments. They are less aggressive with other dogs and animals and are mostly laid back energy-wise. They will most often alert you to a new thing or people.
The Miniature Schnauzer is a fantastic guard dog. It sheds very little as long as you don’t let the coat grow out like crazy. They are “yappy” when someone pulls up or comes to the door (much like a Yorkie would sound, but not quite) but once greeted, they generally shut up and are friendly. They do well with people and other dogs, as well as cats. They get possessive of their owners or family, but not to the point of aggression. They are laid back, possibly even lazy dogs, but do still enjoy good jogs in the park or runs in the yard. They can endure a while, considering their legs are so short. They are excellent at keeping away bugs, spiders, and snakes too.
The Labrador is supposedly close to the Golden Retriever as far as a family dog goes. I know they shed a bit in the winter..about the same as a Pit..short little cat looking hairs, but not too bad. They are excellent at alerting you to visitors, but are usually not aggressive with any animal, if anything it would just be rabbits and squirrels. They make good running companions, but in the home are pretty calm.
Don’t forget to consider mixes. 1. Mutts have much better health and immune systems compared to purebred specific breeds. 2. They generally have better temperaments.
I know the best dog I’ve ever owned was 1/4 Lab, 1/4 GS, 1/4 Chow, 1/4 Pit. (I know, sounds horrible, but he was actually freaking adorable)
–Most of all, everything I’ve said is a generalization of the breed and can NOT apply to every specific dog. It’s also all based on *MY* experience and opinions.–
Answer by "A"
Guard dog, and friendly to people it doesn’t see very often is an impossible mix.
A Giant Schnauzer is a big dog that is low to no shed and is used as a guard dog. They, like German Shepherds, require strong leadership and training. Neither are great for first-time owners?
Standard poodles are big dogs that are low to no shed. They, like most dogs, will bark to alert owners of intruders. They are pretty easy to train, friendly, and can be okay guard dogs (their bark is quite deep). The only time mine acted aggressively at all was when my wife was walking her at night, and a man the dog didn’t know approached my wife. They get the rap of being “foofy” dogs, but if you trim their hair all at one length, they just look like a gun dog with curly hair. They are very athletic dogs, I am a fan.
Those are the only two large non-shed dogs that I know of that could fit the bill.
Golden retrievers and border collies shed a lot. I doubt your dad would go for a Yorkie, and pits also shed quite a bit. I know I’ll get some hate mail from pit lovers, but I wouldn’t trust a dog that can do that much damage with little kids. Not saying pits are bad, but little kids are not nice to dogs, and a dog’s “leave me alone” nip . . . from a pit, will do permanent damage.
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Car says
The comment has been moved into the body of the post.
Whitney says
Pit Bulls actually aren’t very good guard dogs. Try looking for a dog with more of a history in guard and protection, such as American Bulldogs, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and certain Mastiff breeds.
Golden retrievers aren’t known for guarding and are mild shedders. Yorkies are not good outside dogs due to their size. Border collies are not known to guard and are mild shedders.
Never choose a dog breed because you want to attract girls. You need to find one that fits your lifestyle.
Micah says
The comment has been moved into the body of the post.
? says
Poodles! Trust me, one of the smartest dogs, beautiful and the don’t shed at all. You just need to trim their coats!
*Sombra* says
I can’t recommend keeping a dog outside unless it’s a livestock guardian, and lives with and looks after the stock AND has adequate shelter (a barn, for example) to get out of the weather when necessary. In my opinion, a dog house isn’t enough.
MOST dogs will bark to alert the owners to the presence of a stranger. However, a GUARD dog is trained to protect property and to deter a potential intruder … and that pretty much rules out ‘friendly’. Hard to have it both ways.
Many breeds are great WATCHdogs … those who can be relied upon to raise hell, but not necessarily DO anything in the event a stranger approaches the home. Some (Doberman, Rottweiler, Mastiff) are certainly intimidating enough to deter an intruder with appearance, size, and/or demeanor. Others (my Irish Setter, for example) have a bark which would scare the bejeezus out of pretty much anyone, even though he’d never harm a flea.
Seems like you and Dad don’t agree on which dog is best … Best advice I can give you is to PLEASE try to convince him to reconsider banishing the dog to outdoors, and to take into consideration the difference between a GUARD dog and a WATCH dog.
Onyx Ninja says
All dogs shed and coat length doesn’t have alot to do with that. A standard poodle would actually fit the bill very nicely in your case. They are low shedding, have a big bark and are excellent guard dogs, they are very active and most girls tend to like them ;) They can be trimmed in the “puppy cut” not that “foo foo” cut. If their coat grows out a little they look like a wooley bear. Poodles also love to play and are good around kids.
German Shepherds (I’ve owned them all my life) are a good standard but they do shed like the dickens!
Some goldens will bark to let you know but really, the proper breed standard for them is that they love everyone ;) Labradors are very friendly, and will bark to let you know when someone is around.
Pits CAN run, depending on the dog. Some are heavy bodied others are very lean and could run circles around a German Shepherd. They are excellent with kids (if raised properly) and will bark to let you know when someone is around.
Yorkie…ummm, huh. Yeah they don’t have a big bark, wouldn’t scare away a mouse and little dogs can be good with kids but often little kids will be waaaay too much for a small dog like a yorkie unless the kids know how to properly handle the dog.
Border collies do shed as well, are VERY high energy and will tend to nip at and try to herd kids (course, you can train them not to do this, any dog is trainable). They tend to have a high pitched bark, its more of a rapid fire machine gun bark is how I describe it, not the big WOOF WOOF of a pit or GSD (german shepherd) or lab.
Dawn says
Huskys shed A LOT! And they are not gaurd dogs.
A great option would be a labordoodle! The lab part is very loyal, and great for guarding and the poodle takes away a lot of the shedding.
Also labs love exercise!
German Shepherds are excellent dogs.
Cajungirl170 says
My cousin has a Lab & he’s very protective outside, he barks at strangers, but when his 2 yr old little girl is out by him, he’s as playful as a puppy. He just knows who to look after & protect.
So I’d go with the golden retriever since they smaty & are similar. But as far as the shedding goes, it difficult. ALL dogs shed it just depends on how well the owners take take of their hair & how they groom their dogs to for minimal shedding.
German shepherds are also great guard dogs. & mostly any dog that is outside in your yard running free or on a chain will bark at stuff. Especially at night…