If I had to bet my life on a dog, it would be a well-trained, well-bred German Shepherd.
I think they go with the Belgians because they are smaller and possibly cheaper to feed.
Me too. Any one of the 5 Shepherds I've owned over the years would've laid down his life for me or my family. I know it.
I can't even say they were particularly well trained. Just normal family stuff, i.e. sit, stay, down, cut (barking), paw, off, etc. Many times I believed they thought they were one of the kids, but then a stranger would come and to a dog he would put his body between the youngest child and the stranger. Until there were no more babies, and then they'd put themselves between the girls and the stranger. I guess they figured our sons could take care of themselves. LOL.