Q: which is a better guard dog, a female or a male dog?
I am planning to have a guard dog since the incidents of unwanted intruders are prevalent in my area, especially the snatchers.
I am choosing either a Belgian Malinois or a German shepherd, which one is the best guard dog?
A female or male dog? And why?
Answers and Views:
Answer by izzy
it doesn't really matter if it's a male or female. it actually kinda matters on the breed. a german shepherd or a golden retriever would be a smart guard dog
Photo Credit: Guinea Fowl Flock/Flickr CC
Answer by Bruce
Ok, first of all, German Shepherds are very loyal, very protective, and very easy to train. So is a Malinois, however, Malinois are very hyper and need a very strong hand to control them. I would recommend a German Shepherd, Mastiff, or even Rottie before I would recommend a Malinois. As for sex, it doesn't matter. It also doesn't matter if you get the dog altered, though I would highly recommend it.
What does matter is that the dog is mature. You can not get a 6-month-old, or even a 1 yr old and get the protection out of it. 18 months or older is what you really want to get. I would suggest a male and only because they are larger. Police and military in the past have always used males, you rarely find females as K-9s. The best part about a German Shepherd is they look the part and that is often enough to warn of intruders. Many people don't know Malinois so they may go ahead and test them.
Answer by miss cellany
My male dog was much more chill than my female but he protected me when I really needed it one time. It was the only time I ever saw him aggressive to a human. He was a border collie (from working lines, not show). Was a very cute, chill dog but when he got angry he looked freaking scary.
The female is high strung and would bark and bite with very little provocation so she might scare away an opportunist but she is prone to fearfulness and might just run away if a real threat appeared (like someone determined to kill me or something). She is a Belgian mal mix. She looks scary (black face and orange eyes and she's med-large in size) so she probably acts as a deterrent but I don't think she'd reliably fight off an attacker or anything.
Don't rely on your dog to protect you - learn martial art and carry a weapon and protect yourself. The dog will look to you for protection unless it's human aggressive and if it is you'll be charged and the dog will be put down if it ever bites anyone unprovoked. Not worth the risk.
Answer by baserunner316
German shepherds and mastiffs are loyal and excellent guard dogs! both can be awesome family pets once they bond with you. please read on them. also, check on the Portuguese water dog. peace!
Answer by rllthethird
I have a Belgian Malinois and she is very protective; but, you would never know it to see her around us. She is very, very, obedient, despite being somewhat stubborn. They are used a lot for guard dogs. They use them to patrol the Texas border because they supposedly like to bite, especially the males. But, remember to get the dog trained. Mine challenged me when I first got her, trying to intimidate me and take control. She is an alpha female. So, I suspect that they can be somewhat dangerous. She loves me very much and stopped that nonsense after I threw her down to the ground and held her down with my hands around her neck a couple of times. She was still around a year old when I did this. I also spent time afterward massaging her and speaking softly in her ear. If she had been older, I probably would not have gotten away with it.
The other thing is they are thinking dogs. So, as they experience things, they learn to think their way around a situation that could be dangerous if they are not properly trained. For instance, she has unlocked doors and gates, and once carried her food bowl into the bedroom with her so she could be close to my husband who was sick and still eats. (I am not lying.) I would not have any other dog unless I also had one of these. I never met a smarter more human-like dog and I have been around quite a few of them.
- How Can I Train My Labrador Into A Guard Dog?
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- 7 Best Guard Dogs for a Young Woman in an Apartment
My husband’s boss had two males and had to shoot them to get them off of a neighbor kid that wandered in their yard. So, be careful when choosing the dog.
They are pretty scary to most people who think they are a wolf or a coyote. They are not that common. So, folks look at them and don’t know what they are. Mine has very intelligent eyes that make her look like a wild wolf or something. So, even though she only tries to bite folks she doesn’t like for some reason or those she senses I don’t like, she looks very dangerous. She has never bitten anyone as she wants to please me and will stop when I say “No!” But, you have to get to know the dog and let the dog get to know you. Don’t get one unless you have time to spend with it.
Also, they don’t bark that much and you can’t tell they are going to go after someone unless you know them well enough to see it in their eyes. Mine will also smile before she does it, but will not growl or bark prior to going after someone. She just makes her move. My border collie will put on all kinds of noise before he goes after someone. My Belgian Malinois just smiles and shoots out after the person, or animal. The two of them make me feel quite safe.
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♥emily&hearts says
well it actually doesnt matter what gender cuz i had a female dog and she was a good gaurd dog we would notice the difference in her voice when she barks she barks more viciously when there is a animal or person around that shouldnt be and u just teach them or somtimes they just grow up and they are like that even if u dont teach them…
hope this helped =]]
InLove with InLove says
I'd say, German Shepherd. A male dog it is, I'd call a best guard dog 'cause well, they have a natural protective instinct as a mother (if they have puppies) and well, because of their guard-type bloodline. Well, male i can say, next to female. Girl Power is dominant these days, even in canines. hehe
Cristian G says
Golden retrievers are not guard dogs. They don't have a purpose. Goldies are the typical american family dog, which actually doesn't do anything.
I would go with the doberman as well. You must have seen movies with dobermans as gurd dogs, and you must see the scariness in them. They are also more athletic than rotweillers, and can run faster.
A friend of mine has a doberman which guards the house like its own ears. I must mention that the dog was not trained for this purpose. It just does it by instinct.
Kathy Gaffney says
I swear, reading most of these replies is akin to reading text written by a bunch of sixth grade school children. Your spelling & your grammar is atrocious and your abject lack of information is appalling; yet you have the gall to reply to queries as though you possess knowledge.
Golden Retreivers DO have a “purpose” Cristian. They are members of the “SPORTING” group of canines and were bred to retrieve waterfowl. They also are used EXTENSIVELY as service animals & therapy dogs (CRITICAL FUNCTIONS) due to their tractable natures.
Read a book on dogs – or attend dog shows prior to spouting off on topics you very obviously know NOTHING about.
Stryker says
Golden retrievers are useless for protection! This is a protection topic, not for therapy or sporting. They also do not have a bite force strong enough to matter. Having gsd, mals, and stafs, id never consider a ‘goldie’ for protection! ROFLMAO!!!
zack h says
i would go with the Shepherd and def. female
Witters, Man That Ca says
I have a Japanese Akita Dog. I was told when I purchased him as a puppy that the bitc. Mother dog was actually more protective of the home and more likely to stop an intruder. I went and saw both the parents. I firmly believed that the sheer size of the male dogs would be enough to stop would be intruders to I purchased a puppy dog and not bitc.
Having owned an Akita for sixteen months now I would agree that a female Akita is more protective of the home than a male. This has come through speaking to other Akita owners and watching my Akita. He has defended me twice in the woods but also has messed up twice. He does bark at certain things and people but is inconstent at best. He is massive though and I would certainly not break into my home ( just in case ) So I guess he is doing the job. Also Akita's are known for there natural aggression and protective abilities. I truly believe that a female Akita would be more protective and will be getting one next year. Then I will have both in my house. So to answer your question – I believe in the case of Akita's that the bitc. is better. However the males size is more than enough to scare the crap out of most people.
Alice says
Although lots of breeds can be trained to be guard dogs, the ones which exceol at doing that are dobermans. DOBERMANS are loving, very LOYAL, and very TERRITORIAL. What belongs to a dobe (house, family, even car) is highly protected. They're possesive and very easy to train.
Ignore the rumour about dobes going insane once they reach 7 years old and have to be shot in the head. Short stories to scare children. You can make it scarier if you crop its ears. ;)
Also, talk to a a dog breeder abou this, beacuse traits are ussually inherited, and you most likely wanna look for a possesive puppy, as it can be easily trained to be possesive with everyone else except you and your family.
Also girls tend to be more aggresive in protecting its loved ones, but that's not a rule. It depends on the dog actually.
tomorows the big day says
definalty a female in fact i personally think you should get a female rotty too then ull have twice the protection
rotty and german shep= very good protection
if you treat them well and love them that is…..
DP says
Security camera and alarm system… cause they won't eat poison thrown over the fence and don't need to go to the vet.
trymybest says
A female dog is always more protective than a male.
The reason why is because female dogs have automatic mothers instinct.They are more mentally alert than males and they already have it in them to protect their young,just like a human mother.
When the female gets used to you she automatically uses mother instinct to protect you.
jsthelegoguy says
A belgian malinois would be preferable because of the high energy it has-which translates into a very loud bark, and a tenatious bite.
It is very helpful for this purpose to choose an male dog that is not nuetered. This will the testosterone pumping through his system and make him more alert and have a more intimidating prescence.
itskatyo says
Just becareful depending on where you live…
When we were living in California I looked it up, and you have to by law have it posted near every entrance to your house that you have a dog. And even then, if someone comes into your house, with a gun and the intent to kill you/vandalise your house, and your dog bites them… YOu're liable, you get sued and your dog gets put to sleep…
That state has some really jacked up rules, trust me, that's why we left, but look up the laws where you live incase this is the case with your state/area as well.
As for the question…
Female dogs are generally more protective of their family. So if you're going to have your dog live inside with your family and interact with you then the female would definatly look after you guys. However, male dogs are larger and probably stronger.
Imo, getting a "guard dog" is a bad idea because someone's going to get hurt. Be it the dog from living in it's little dog house 24/7 and having no real human interactions, or someone who jumps your fence to cross to a neighbors yard.
Madison A says
Is this dog going to be at a business or your home? I hope it gets enough attention and affection even if it is a guard dog. You don't need to buy a dog just to be a guard- you need to actually want a dog because they need to be cared for properly (shots starting at 6 weeks of age, spaying/neutering, food, attention, etc…..). Get a dog, train it well and it can be a wonderful family pet and protect your property. I would go with a German Shepard- they are very loyal and can be a great companion.
Marissa says
It really depends on the trainer. and while femals are generally more protective, intruders that are not dog-smart will more likely be afraid of a large male dog (if they have the time to look… lol) Plus males are more likely to be larger although not necesarily.
As for the breed, I really dont know because they're both great and loyal. I would serch around a bit for the perfect dog.
catz says
I have a female Pit and no stranger dares to come in our yard! When theres a knock on the door, it sounds like Cujo lives here! (but shes really lovable!)
Natalie O says
German shepards are the sterotypical guard dog; one sight of them would have the intruder running for his life! Male dogs tend to be more dominant and aggressive than the female, i would definately say a male is better for guarding
Steven B says
female cause they will go for the crouch.
Nateyy says
i honestly dont think it matters what gender.. just pick the right breed and dog
iluvtorofl says
Males are stronger and larger and easier to train(according to the kid). Males are more focused.
BigTymer235 says
OMG your Michael Vick
mumble says
females are more protective of their family and territory.
i love german shephard they are really loyal and sweet dogs.
parissa4arash says
i have 9 german and belgian shepherd dogs i know that females are better they are braver than male dogs.
belgian dogs are better.
hcb050 says
get a male dog preferibly nudderd
espeon727 says
female. They r more protective of their young, and if they r trained or they love you, they will defend u