I’ve owned two, #3 Doberman and #1 German Shepherd. Both excellent guard dogs with very different styles. The GS would growl at any one coming near the truck or car or property. The Doberman would just look at people. Funny, she scared people worse than the GS. I would have bet my life first with the Dobie even though the GS was much bigger and heavier.
Well, I did :) Traveled from NC to Nevada in three days with her riding shotgun. Men didn’t even try to flirt.
We have four, 2 shiloh shepherds, a 35 lb heeler hybrid, and a 55 lb lab- pit mix. The 15 year old lab-pit and the heeler are the first warning system and then the boys add their deep-chested baritones. It warms my heart to see our ancient lab-pit with her arthritic walk and diminished eyesight fearlessly dash out the door all ready to rumble.
We have a pack of six to nine wolves in the area and one night they were in the woods howling and making that odd warbling noise, after a deer. We were listening from inside the house by the partially open window.. The wolves were within a hundred feet of the house when the girls started snarling and growling and the boys started howling back. The wolves fell silent and though we saw sign of them the next morning from the night before,we have not seen sign of them in the areas we traverse since that night. We do hear them across the lake from us and at the other end of the lake.
None of the pups would stand a chance against a wolf pack, but they are all courageous and take their responsibilities seriously. One shepherd is air scent SAR; he lives to ‘find’. He was a problem dog until I realized he was highly intelligent and bored silly, so found a ‘job’ that matched his strengths so that he can funnel his energy and mind into.
And it is as several commentators have said, it is the fight in the dog that counts. It is a matter of finding out what your dog’s interests and strengths are and developing them.
Have enjoyed the pet articles more than usual due to the comments by FR members.
"Number 10? Look at me, I'm like a guard wolf!!" (My very own Azura Bear)
American Bulldog.