for the average person, any dog over about 30 lbs with a good bark is probably fine. I think the key is that you want a dog who bonds closely with the family and can be intimidating if need be. You do not want to actually train it to attack, but will attack if and when needed. We have a vizsla, which is a very high maintenance dog. He's a total love bug, but he will bark if someone comes to the door at night and he has tensed up a few times towards strangers when we're out for walks late at night, until I give him the I'm in control and everything's okay signal. He is not a watch dog, but he loves us and protects his family. Any lab or golden or collie will do that if it is well adjusted and bonded to his people.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PPs who have said it really depends on the individual dog. I have had 2 male Labs who were great watch dogs (as in they would bark when strangers approached the door; they weren't trained guard dogs or anything), but another male Lab who never barked and would have let anyone in our house. I've had 2 German Shepherds -- one male and one female -- and the female never barked and was afraid of everything. We currently have the male Shepherd, and he is SUPER protective. I would hate to be the person who attempts to get in our house . . . We don't worry about it at all with our dog around. That said, I don't think most people would have tried anything even when we just had the scaredy-cat female shepherd, because she looked like she could hurt someone. And sometimes the visual deterrent is all you need. I really like both breeds, for what it's worth. Good luck!

Yes, I think that's the main thing. Anyone who cases your house knows you have a dog and chances are very good that they will go to the next house and leave you alone because they don't want to have to figure out your dog.

Anonymous wrote:My weimaraner gets pretty vicious when someone approaches but this isn't a trait for this breed. What you'll find is a lot of these qualities vary from dog to dog rather than breed to breed.

Agree. Obviously some breeds will tend to be more protective than others but within breeds it really depends on the dog's personality.

Eh, my pit bull barks when someone comes to the door....but sometimes she is too lazy to even get up off of the couch or the bed and will just bark from afar! Of course, if someone actually did break in, she'd likely sit on their lap and lick them. Not the greatest guard dog, but does at least usually bark and is wonderful with young kids and other dogs. So much personality and a good family dog. Eager to please you and therefore incredibly easy to train. I"m sure her instincts would kick in if one of us was being hurt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our labradoodle is gentle and sweet and great with kids but man, she's a scary barker when strangers approach the house.

+1 with our goldendoodle.

+ 2 with our goldendoodle.

2nd golden retrievers. They will bark if someone is at the door. Not to attack but to play but the burglar doesn't know this. They are not good guard dogs otherwise as anyone who is comfortable with dogs can make friends fast.

German shepherd. Smart, loyal, great with kids, loving, very protective. Mine never barks except at people approaching the house. She only barks to alert us of something.

Anonymous wrote:Boxers, especially if you raise it from a young puppy. They're great with kids, super sweet, but if a stranger comes to the door they look and sound scary.

lol, I was the victim of a home invasion a while back. My boxer and my pit bull both ran away and hid from the guy....our lab was the only one who got aggressive and protective.

We have a large hound and his bark is ferocious! He'd likely wag his tail and ask for an ear scratch from a burgler, but I don't think anyone would try to come in with his bark. We also have a small dog, with their combined barks, no one is breaking in our house.

Our hound is awesome with children, I sometimes tear up watching him play tag and hide and seek with the kids. He acts like he's one of gang, and is in his element. He's awesome - AWESOME. We're very lucky to have him in our home and lives

Boxers, especially if you raise it from a young puppy. They're great with kids, super sweet, but if a stranger comes to the door they look and sound scary.

Anonymous wrote:Our labradoodle is gentle and sweet and great with kids but man, she's a scary barker when strangers approach the house.

Funny, I was just about to type that. Our goldendoodle has the bark of a much larger dog yet only weighs 40 lbs (she's a mini).

You do realize that any dog that barks at the door will probably bark sometimes in the yard? Hard to get one without the other in your average kid-friendly dog.

I have a ten year old 45 lb male Standard Schnauzer. His bark sounds like that of a much bigger dog. He lets you know when a stranger is approaching the house. He is very protective of my wife(a Mama's boy). He is solid muscle, very athletic and has a strong bite. Is he a manstopper? Probably not a large man who is high on drugs, etc....could he and would he take a chunk out of your leg, groin etc...if need be, oh yeah! He's also a great companion.

Great Pyrenees if you can stand the hair. They are great with kids and if you start them at a dog park as a puppy they will do well with other dogs. They were bred to protect sheep, so they know to be gentle with family members, but protective when they need to be.

Really, it depends on what you want. There are a lot of dogs that make good watch dogs. Just the sound of a barking dog is a deterrent to home invaders. Why enter a home with a noisy dog and risk getting caught? It's easier and safer to just move on to the next house that doesn't have a yappy dog to wake everyone up.

If you want a dog that will truly protect you and your family, then you need to give careful consideration to what that means. We have two German Shepherds. They are well-socialized, well-trained, and (usually) well-behaved. That doesn't happen by itself. It takes a lot of work. My dogs are great with kids. They play in the backyard with my kids and their friends almost every day. They tolerate having their fur pulled, ears pulled, faces grabbed, ..... without complaint. Of course, we stop the kids when they do those things. But you can't always intervene fast enough. I wouldn't want a dog that couldn't tolerate rough play from kids.

They are not initially welcoming to strangers. They immediately get between me and any person they don't know. Once they see there is no threat, they relax. If they perceive a threat, they remain tense. They are trained to alert to "Watch Him". If I feel uneasy and simply utter that phrase, they guard.

Like an earlier poster said, I actually feel sorry for anyone who tries to break into my home or tries to harm anyone in my family. Even with a gun, they would be lucky to get one shot off. It's not easy to hit a moving target running at you full speed. But if they got really lucky and shot one of my dogs, the other would attack.

My husband travels a lot and having German Shepherds gives me a sense of security. I do not worry about our safety at all when we are at home alone. However, owning a dog that could hurt someone is a huge responsibility. And a huge liability. Make sure you do your homework. We love German Shepherds because not only are they great protection dogs, but they are great with kids, fun to train, and very, very smart. But they absolutely must have owners that understand pack mentality and are willing to invest the time and money in training and socializing them properly.

Another lab owner here. Kindest, gentlest dog in the world, but man does she bark when anyone (even DH and me) approach the door. I think she is saying "HI! HI! HI!" but it sounds like "COME ANY CLOSER AND I"LL EAT YOU". Several people have refused to enter my house unless she is shut up in a back room somewhere. Great watch dog and great family dog.