The Best Dogs To Protect Your Family

Are you ready to welcome a new dog into your home? If you have young children, you might think that a small breed might be the best choice of dog for your family, but you might also want a dog that will protect your property and your family. Is it possible to do both? Small dogs aren’t the only option for family dogs. Despite their reputation for being large and vicious, there are actually several breeds that make excellent family pets but will also have the instinct to act as a guard dog to keep you all safe. With the proper training, these dogs can become both loving pets that are safe for your children, and also loyal protectors who want to keep you safe. Here are some of the best options for guard dogs for families.  

Bernese Mountain Dog

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a calm, good-natured, strong, and intelligent dog. They make great pets for children, as they love to play sports and spend time with their human friends. The breed is not one that is typically very aggressive, but its large size and loud bark will go a long way to deter potential intruders. The Bernese Mountain Dog can make for a fantastic family watchdog, that will still be a loyal, obedient companion who will love to play with your kids. 

Boxer

The boxer is a dog that is active, bright, fun-loving, and extremely loyal. Boxers can look a little menacing, but they actually have a strong desire for human affection, especially from children. This breed will often go out of its way to get love and affection from you and your children. At the same time as being such a loving dog, the boxer is also intelligent and always alert to danger. They will use their athleticism to protect your family, if the need ever arises. 

Bullmastiff

The bullmastiff is a strong and powerfully built breed of dog. They are also affectionate, loyal, fearless, confident, and eager to please. Like the boxer, the bullmastiff might look like an intimidating dog, but in fact, they are very docile and sweet-natured when they are with their family. These dogs also have excellent instincts and a very protective nature. This makes the bullmastiff an ideal watchdog for families, as they rarely bark (so they won’t keep the kids awake or annoy the neighbors!), but they will attack if they sense that their owners are in danger. 

Doberman Pinscher

The Doberman pinscher is an intelligent and easily trained breed. This has made them a very popular choice for police and war sogs. They are also agile, alert, fearless, and cautious around people that they don’t know. While they can seem quite intimidating, the Doberman pinscher can become an obedient family pet and a good guardian, with the proper training. If you plan to bring an older Doberman pinscher into your home with small children, you will need to be cautious. If you can, it is best to raise this breed from birth around kids. 

German Shepherd

The American Kennel Club calls the German Sheperd a true dog lover’s dog. In spite of their large size and somewhat intimidating appearance, German Shepherds are in fact very playful and loving. German Shepherds are also very fond of children, so they might be a better choice than you imagined. They make good pets because they love to listen and obey orders. These dogs are also known for being brave, intelligent, and naturally protective of their owners. 

Great Dane

The Great Dane towers over most dogs but is actually surprisingly gentle and very good with children. The breed is known for being patient, friendly, and dependable. The Great Dane also has an intimidating bark, which paired with its sheer size, can be enough to deter a would be intruder or attacker.

Rottweiler

If they are properly trained, the intelligent and confident Rottweiler can make an excellent guard dog for families. These dogs are loving, loyal, and devoted. They really want to please their owners, but they are also inherently protective and cautious around strangers. The rottweiler can be trained to be both an obedient family pet and an excellent guard dog. 

 

While you are searching for your new family pet, it’s important to keep in mind that the best guard dogs for a family are breeds that are loyal and protective, but that is not overly aggressive. If and when you fo decide to get a new dog, make sure that you research the type of training the particular breed requires so that you can give your pet the tools it needs to be a well-behaved, loving member of your family. Whichever breed you choose, your dog must be properly trained (look for ‘protection dog training near me’) if you want it to perform the double duty of protecting you, while still being safe around your children. Make sure that dog understands how to behave with your kids. 

You also need to teach your children how to behave around the dog. Both dogs and children can be unpredictable, and most incidents involving the family dog are complete accidents, with no ill-intent on the part of the dog. Make sure your child knows how to safely approach, play with, and pet your dog, and knows the rules about teasing it, interfering with its food, and playing together safely. If your child is taunting the dog or plays in a way that hurts it, even by mistake, your dog’s instinct may be to protect itself, which can result in the child being hurt. Never leave your children unsupervised with your dog, especially if you have small children and a large breed! Responsible dog ownership means remembering that both your dog and your child are capable of hurting each other, either by mistake or on purpose. Both need to be taught how to behave together. With some training and effort, your child and your dog can be great friends, giving your child a bond with an animal that they will always remember.