Anyone have suggestions on a good family dog/guard dog?  I want something that will be good with kids first, and loyal/protective of the family second.  40+ pounds also.  What do you guys think? and please back it up with info about breed temperament, training required and how much attention/cleanup they need.

I have a blue heeler and he is great around people, but he is a very good watch dog.  He is an outside dog, so all he needs is food and water.  Golden retrievers are also good family pets/watchdogs, at least in my experience w/ them.

i have a german shepherd/ golden retreiver mix (might be yellow lab instead of golden retriever -- either way she's been an awesome dog.  probably too friendly, but she barks at anyone she doesnt know

21BoomCBTENGR we have a golden retriever.  We got her for our 5 grandchildren ages 2 thru 9.  Spooky smart dogs but very needy.  Kinda like eatin fudge every day for the rest of your life.  We love her but for God's sake go away!!!  She has a bark that curdles your blood but will lick you to death if you come face to face.  Think long and hard about a Golden.  Check out Labs.

Quoted: i have a german shepherd/ golden retreiver mix (might be yellow lab instead of golden retriever -- either way she's been an awesome dog.  probably too friendly, but she barks at anyone she doesnt know

In my experience, when you mix shephard withany other dog, the results are very, very good. The shep blood "mellows out" the negative problems of the other breed. I have some friends who have mixed shephard/Akitas, and their dogs are BIG, scary looking, and very friendly.

There's a Shiloh Shepard dog that has been bred since the 1970s, I think. They're bred for friendliness and good temprament.  Big damn dogs, very handsome.

Here's a link to Shiloh Shepard dogs.

Quoted: Anyone have suggestions on a good family dog/guard dog?  I want something that will be good with kids first, and loyal/protective of the family second.  40+ pounds also.  What do you guys think? and please back it up with info about breed temperament, training required and how much attention/cleanup they need.

I would suggest the Dogo Argentino aka Argentinian Mastiff or just plain Dogo. I've had one now for almost 11 years and not one time did I feel unsafe when she was with me. Here is the club web site:

http://www.dogo.org/

My Dogo is a female. She weighs in at 100 pounds and stands 23-24 inches at the shoulders. She is a bit on the large side for a female.

I didn't crop her ears as I don't hunt hog with her so there was no reason to do so. Also by not cutting the ears she looks more like a lab and people are not afraid of her as they would be if the ears were cropped.

Now there is one thing I must caution you about this breed. There can be no question as to who is the Alpha in your pack. A Dogo requires much from its human and if that human delivers then there will be much joy and no problems. There is much to learn about the Dogo so I suggest you read up on the breed at the clup website.

As a final thought I would not own or have another breed of dog after this experience with the Dogo. The Dogo Argentino is the Dog for me.


Coat of White Satin, Body of Steel, Heart of Gold



BTW one really neat thing is they don't bark.  She may go a month or more and not bark at all. So if she does bark  I immediately check out what made her bark.

My vote has to go to the Labrador.

I was given a 6 mo old pure bred black lab several months ago. (the guys wife didn't want a large breed dog after they paid $1200.00 for the dog )

This has turned out to be the best dog I've ever had. I've yet to have any problems with her. My 3 yo son and her play all day every day and he is always playing a little to ruff (in my opinion) with her and she takes it all and is completely gentle with him.

She has also been very good at being a watch dog. Always alert!

I could go on all day talking about her, but here is a good site with some quick, easy to read info about the breed: LAB WEB SITE



Gene

German Shepards and Labs are GREAT, you cant go wrong with either....But....

I like my dogs in the house and large breeds are just, well, too large.  Tails knocking out the kids, all the hair that sheds, and the huge piles of dookie!

How about a Beagle?  I have had a few of them and have never regreted it ( I had Rowdy for 14 years).  Just started on a new puppy(ozzy), he is almost 1 year now. Beagles are fun loving and smart, and VERY protective.  Plus, they are small enough to take where ever you want to go and wont eat you out of house and home.  Very cute, and great personalities.

Give 'em a thought and lets us know what you decide.



Here is a gratuitious shot of the pup....little sucker has one hell of a cold nose!

Norwegien Elkhound. It is a very old breed, a direct decendent of the wild canines. It is a great hunting dog if your so inclined. Males get to be about 55-60lbs. Very loyal, great family dog. They will attack any animal, size doesn't matter, very powerful for their size, I had to hold mine back from going after horses. Very intelligent, easy to train. They have 2 coats of fur, not bad in the summer if you rake them down about once a week. They don't have to come inside, even in the dead of winter. Damn things can live off of anything, including acorns if they have to. Heres a linky for you.
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/norwegianelkhound.htm

Aketa   very good with kids and VERY protective. Theres somthing about a Japanese fighting dog that says nurturing Ninja.

german shepard. nothing else.

Quoted: Aketa   very good with kids and VERY protective. Theres somthing about a Japanese fighting dog that says nurturing Ninja.

I know this is one example, but I responded to a dog bite one time where an Akita ripped the shit out of a 3 year old girls face, scalp, and chest. I found out from the cops that grandpa shot the dog soon after we transported. I felt so bad for that little girl.

 well its a dog just like anyother good ones and bad ones i guess

Quoted: Quoted: i have a german shepherd/ golden retreiver mix (might be yellow lab instead of golden retriever -- either way she's been an awesome dog.  probably too friendly, but she barks at anyone she doesnt know In my experience, when you mix shephard withany other dog, the results are very, very good. The shep blood "mellows out" the negative problems of the other breed. I have some friends who have mixed shephard/Akitas, and their dogs are BIG, scary looking, and very friendly. There's a Shiloh Shepard dog that has been bred since the 1970s, I think. They're bred for friendliness and good temprament.  Big damn dogs, very handsome. Here's a link to Shiloh Shepard dogs.

+1 for the Shiloh - also bred for brains



oh, and check this link for "real" Shilohs

http://www.shilohshepherds.org/

Either a German Shepard Dog, or a Doberman Pinscher.  Both, are good with kids if they are socialized.  For info on both check out:

DogBreedInfo

puppydogweb

Just get some little mutt that will yap its head off, alerting you to intruders. Big difference between a 'guard' dog, which will alert you to danger, and 'attack' dogs, will go try to deal with it.

Quoted: german shepard. nothing else. i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/builttoughf250/mebane.jpg

+1 I have a GSD pure breed, pick of the litter level II trained... nothing can beat this GSD...

Wow, thanks for all the great info guys!  right now i'm kinda leaning towards the akita/sheperd mix, a GS, or a GS/lab mix.  but i've got a little while to make a decision.  I definitely want something that will at a minimum bark its head off at an intruder.

ETA as to the Level II trained, is there a type of training place you can bring dogs?  i know it's all probably regional/local, but do you think having a dog trained a little is better than the basics of walking on a leash and sitting?

It partly depends on what all you want the dog to do.
If you hunt at all buy a lab. Best utility dog out there IMHO, can hunt upland and wetland equally. Mine is very protective of my daughter and wife. He will defend them with his life.
GSD's are great with kids and protective as heck. The down side I see with GSDs is that typically as a breed you do not see them as hunters (yes I know some GSDs are phenominal hunters but they are the exception to the rule).
I can also recomend rottys. I have a friend who has two rottys that are great dogs, very playfull and very well trained.

Bottom line is figure out what YOU want the dog to do and do your research.
Get a dog that will compliment your lifestyle, IE don't get a very needy breed if you don't want to spend a lot of time with it, don't get a very active breed unless you are willing to spend the time keeping him active.


Make sure you train your dog well so that it will listen to you when it is excited. This may not be needed all the time but when it is needed you usually really need it.


My $0.02 and worth what you paid for it.

Good luck and keep us informed.

This little girl would discourage you from getting a pitbull.  If she could.

Quoted: Wow, thanks for all the great info guys!  right now i'm kinda leaning towards the akita/sheperd mix, a GS, or a GS/lab mix.  but i've got a little while to make a decision.  I definitely want something that will at a minimum bark its head off at an intruder. ETA as to the Level II trained, is there a type of training place you can bring dogs?  i know it's all probably regional/local, but do you think having a dog trained a little is better than the basics of walking on a leash and sitting?

yes I had mine trained they have a web sight but I dont know how to post links www.protectiondogs.com is the place

We have two Rotties, a female that is 128 lbs and a young male that is already 80 lbs.  I pity anyone that breaks into our house.

Geerman Shepherd, 'nuff said

Quoted: We have two Rotties, a female that is 128 lbs and a young male that is already 80 lbs.  I pity anyone that breaks into our house.

sigh, i WISH i could get a rottie, but my wife doesn't like them (thinks they're ugly).  I'd get one no question if she was kool with them though.  My older brother has a purebred German male and his head is the size of a basketball and he stands almost as tall as a female Great Dane!  The best part is he's a kitten with the family (actually he's a wuss), but a fierce protector.

You might also look into the Australian Shepherd. We currently have two, a male and a female. both will alert you to things that are not normal, and highly protective of the family and especially kids. Male can get to 55 - 60 pounds and females 40 - 50 pounds. They are smart and highly trainable, both for protection and search.

Two dogs are better than one.  They play with each other.  Get them about 1 year apart, it is WAY easier to train one at a time.  Two at a time and they care much more about what the other puppy is doing.  

Labs are popular for a reason.  They are great family dogs.  They chew A LOT as a puppy, though, and have a longer than usual puppy period (up to three years).  

I have had purebreds and mixes over time, and although I have never had a bad dog, and a although it is true that the upbringing is more important than the breed, the mixes have better temperament, YMMV.  

German Shepard

Belgian Malinos

Rottwieler

Dobermen Pencier

Airdale Terrier

Boxer

All of the dogs listed above are solid dogs for personal protection and as a family dog. You will need to get a dog with Schutzhund, French Ring,  or KVNP titles in the bloodline. This will be eaiser to do with the Malinos and the GSD. A high drive Mali is a lot of dog for a new owner.

My favorite is the Boxer. I think they have the best personality and love kids. You will have to look hard in the states or import a dog from europe to get good working stock.

To get a good personal protection dog you will need to train it and work it from when you first get it. I would suggest that you find a club that trains dogs for Schutzhund, French Ring, KVNP, or Personal Protection. Go talk to some folks and watch what they do with there dogs. Get a lot of books and videos on the subject and learn as much as you can.

There is a lot of good info on the Leerbug Kennel website. He sells a lot of good books and videos. He even breeds a line of working GSD's, they run about $1800-2000 dollars. A good working dog is not cheap, and the prices listed are for untrained pups. After you train a dog it's probably worth about 5-6K, it takes a lot of time, paitence, and a bit of luck.

Stay away from pit bulls as a protection dog, they don't do as well as the dogs that were bred for the purpose of personal protection. Pits have a high prey drive,  but they are not as fast and agile. It takes more than drive and bite to make a good protection dog, you want a fast dog that hits hard and bites hard.

If you want a dog to make noise and alert you to danger, I would suggest a small yapper dog.  Something that is high strung and makes noise at the drop of a hat. This may be what you want. It requires no training and is a lot cheaper.  It can give you time to get your gun.

I have an English Springer Spaniel - she is PERFECT with children/family/etc. Her main goal in life is to please us and to be loved. And its amazing how smart she is - if a little kid comes up and wants to pet her, she immediately sits down so she's at their level and lets them pet her.

As for protection, we always joked that she's so loving and compassionate towards EVERYONE that she would probably run and lick the intruder - but in reality, I think if she felt threatened or felt that I or my family was threatened, she'd let the intruder/bad guy know who's boss. She does bark at people she doesn't know, like if they walk past the house/boat outside - and that is saying a lot - she very rarely barks - only if there's something new/sketchy near by.


Dakota - 3 years old



And my favorite picture of her and fiend/jon on my boat watching TV

A big push for the Springer Spaniel.  I've enjoyed their companionship for over 20 years (2 different dogs) and found them to be excellent companions, hunters and great with people of all ages.  My current buddy is quiet as a mouse until someone approaches and then watch the action!  She alerts and then awaits to see what happens next. She won't bite anyone so is not a "guard/attack" dog but will make everyone aware that someone is close by.

Quoted: A big push for the Springer Spaniel.  I've enjoyed their companionship for over 20 years (2 different dogs) and found them to be excellent companions, hunters and great with people of all ages.  My current buddy is quiet as a mouse until someone approaches and then watch the action!  She alerts and then awaits to see what happens next. She won't bite anyone so is not a "guard/attack" dog but will make everyone aware that someone is close by.

exactly - I can't really see Dakota "attacking" someone but she makes it known that she is there - which is often enough to scare bad guys away - most criminals/robbers aren't  willing to take their chances with a dog, no matter what kind it is - that's why simply putting a dog dish on your front porch, or a beware of dog sign on your fence will often do the trick. As a man once told my grandma when she got her security system, all you have to do is give the intruder a reason to go to the next guy's house, and signs of a dog are often good enough to do the trick

Quoted: german shepard. nothing else. i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/builttoughf250/mebane.jpg

Yep.

Great looking pup, BTW.

I'd have to say a Black Lab.. Based on all the ones I've ever been around they are awesome with kids and look intimidating as hell when protecting their owners.

Quoted: This little girl would discourage you from getting a pitbull.  If she could. mysite.verizon.net/tportinga/girl.jpg

My God    

I have a Pitbull and a Shepard. I would get either again. Both are great with kids and people, and both are pretty good with watching the house (the edge goes to the Shepard because she has crazy hearing and is 10X more intelligent).

I'm sure that the numerous self-proclaimed animal-behavior experts/security-moms around here would discourage Pit ownership - however, you are probably able to see past the ravings of those that love to hyperventilate over propaganda and less apt to succumb to the psychological underpinnings which produce reaction formation.

Rotts are great with kids, too.

There are a lot of dogs which may or may not qualify depending on what kind of characteristics you want and the level of protection you desire. Do you want something which will only bark to alert you and your family or something which will lay down it's life in order to protect your family? Most dogs will bark to alert you, quite a few breeds will act as aggressive guard dogs and actually bite those they deem as a threat to your family. I imagine what you want is something in between.

Some dogs such as Dobermans, Pitbulls, Rotweilers, and Chows tend to be overly aggressive and often attack strangers. Others, such as Labs and Beagles rarely ever bite people and wouldn't be much help if someone broke into your home. There are exceptions of course, due to each individuals temperment and how they were raised.

Personally, I'd go with a female Akita pup. They were been bred in Japan as guard dogs for the Imperial Family for hunderds of years and are naturally highly protective. The only vice is, with any breed which will bite and is defensive comes at least some level of aggression. This is why I chose a female as they are more protective than aggressive. They tend to think of themselves as members of the family, are highly (scary) intelligent and will protect "their family" at all costs.

I had one a few years back and she did an outstanding job watching over my daughter and house. If a stranger came over when we weren't home she would sit outside the front door. If my daughter was in the yard and a stranger came in the yard she would put herself between them and not let them near her, growling if they tried. The only time I ever saw her try to bite someone was when someone intentionally roughed up my daughter.

Anyway, I've had dozens of dogs, many good ones and I'll always be sold on Akitas when it comes to protection. Second to them I'd pick either a German Shepard or a Bulldog (Boxer or White English). If I were you I would read up on the breeds' different characteristics and find what best suits your needs.
animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogprofile.do?id=2330

another 1 for a purebred GS
this is osa

what a pain in the ass as a tiny pup just into everything , but the older she gets the the smarter and more protective she gets . what a sweetheart with the grandkid .
this was taken last month at 7 months old .




688

German Shepherd Dogs are tough to beat but the shedding can get rough.  Same can be said for many of the other breeds previously mentioned.  I have a hunting dog with a wire coat and after having him I won't go back to a common coated dog.  That being said I'd go with any one of these for a good family dog:

Airedale Terrier

Giant Schnauzer

Standard Poodle

All three of thse require thier coat to be cut but the shedding is a lot less than other dogs.  Also, they are all great family dogs, very smart and protective.  They will be a bit hyper when pups but will mature into fantastic all around dogs.

Put in another vote for the Shiloh Shepherd. As others have said, the German Shepherd is an excellent choice - about as good as family dogs come. The only thing that could be better is bigger, smarter, healthier, and better with kids. That's a Shiloh. The Shiloh is what I call a "perfect German Shepherd times two."

I shopped for German Shepherds for two years before I finally bought my Shiloh. GSDs are fabulous dogs but I found problems with many of them. One big problem is hip dysplasia. Don't buy one with that stupid sloped back that they breed into those things -- that is a sign of health problems to come.

The Shiloh has the following advantages:

1) About twice the size of a typical GSD. Male Shilohs typically range from 120-160 pounds. Females from 100-140.

2) Good health. Shiloh breeders have to submit two hip certifications, a heart certification, DNA samples, and behavioral tests (among other things) before they can breed them. Shilohs typically live about fourteen or fifteen years, which is incredible for a dog that size.

3) Soft family temperament. They are bred specifically for a much milder temperament than the regular GSD. People who see mine consistently use the same word to describe him -- "mellow". I have taken him to petting zoos and he will sit down among the ducks, pigs, sheep, and all the rest and won't bother any of them.

Also, mine will allow any child old enough to walk to lead him around by the collar. That is funny. Just so you get the picture of how funny -- my Shiloh weighs about 170 pounds and toddlers come about up to his shoulder.

But don't let that soft temperament fool you on the guard dog side. He is VERY protective of the family and property and, if you think that GSDs make good guard dogs, consider a GSD that is twice the typical size. He does bite, too. A guy tried to come through the back door when my wife was home alone and left a trail of blood behind him when he left.

He is very wary of new people coming to the house and people typically have to come a number of times with my approval before he accepts them. Anyone coming to the house without my permission will need a new change of underwear, at least. If you think GSDs can be scary, think of the biggest GSD you have ever seen.

4) High intelligence. If you think GSDs are smart, you ought to see a Shiloh. Mine did all the basic commands by hand or verbal signals when he was three months old -- without training. I can train him to do things in one short session. If I do something the same way three times he picks up on the pattern whether I was trying to train him or not. Also, mine pays attention like no dog you have ever seen. If I move, he is watching me and taking notes on what I want. I have already trained mine to respond to single finger commands that are so subtle that most people don't even notice that I am giving him commands. I think that, for the new year, I will train him to respond to nothing more than eye movements.

There are two primary drawbacks with Shilohs. One is the  size. However, for a large dog they are probably more manageable than any other large dog. They live to cooperate with you.

The second is that they shed - a lot.

I should mention that there is one more drawback, if you want to call it that. Shilohs draw a crowd whenever you take them for a walk. They draw crowds like no other dog I have ever seen.

There are a few people (some here) who have bought Shilohs after seeing mine. The general consensus of opinion is that, after owning a Shiloh, they will never own another breed again. I have had lots of different kinds of dogs in my life. Lots of them were great dogs but none comes close to the Shiloh. They are a clear step above the rest.

Here is mine when he was less than a year old and only about 100 pounds. You will note that he is entirely comfortable with kids, even at that young age. You can find more information on him at Chopper's Page

I have 2 goldens.  They are great dogs.  Freindly, but protective.  They are also big enough to inimidate, yet easy to control.  The small one weighs 80 pound and the big one weighs 100-110 pounds.

  Dobermans are great also. We have a three year old son and one year old daughter and they get along very well with our male and female dobes. They are a very loyal breed, alert and our two always seem to be on guard. Short haired too, easy to care for.

Quoted: Wow, thanks for all the great info guys!  right now i'm kinda leaning towards the akita/sheperd mix, a GS, or a GS/lab mix.  but i've got a little while to make a decision.  I definitely want something that will at a minimum bark its head off at an intruder.

As someone else has said, I would not go with an Akita for kids. In general, I would not go for any "fighting dog" for kids. If you see their temperament against the temperament of Shilohs, it would be clear enough that there are better dogs for kids.

ETA as to the Level II trained, is there a type of training place you can bring dogs?  i know it's all probably regional/local, but do you think having a dog trained a little is better than the basics of walking on a leash and sitting?

If you get a decent dog there is no real reason to go to all the trouble of Schutzhund training. If you get a Shiloh, the trainers may tell you that training them is a waste of time. In the first place, you just don't need it. I had to spend a fair amount of time with mine teaching him to NOT be so wary of people coming to the house. People who came to the door were already shitting their pants. He didn't need the guard dog training at all.

In the second place, the dog may be like mine and so devoted to you that it will not see any point in going and jumping over barriers and stuff.

We chose a German Shephard for the same purpose.

well, you ask an arfcom question, and get a jillion of replies that don't really answer the question!  

Recommendation:  GSD.  Second choice, Belgian Malinois.  You say you want something that will guard your kids, a dog from the "herding group" is bred to guard your "flock" and keep "wolves' away.   if you don't have sheep, the dog can be expected to guard your children as if they were your flock.  Stay away from a dog from the Mastiff line - this may include the Mastiff, Dane, Dogo Argentino, Canary dog, and those dogs bred with terriers such as the APBT.  You may hear of folks that get a very reliable dog with children, but odds are against them beign better than a herding dog.  

I have owned GSDs, Poodles, 2 Pit bulls, (not at same time) and I currently own a great dane and a poodle...(haha)

I cannot advise you on Dobies or Akitas as have no first hand experience with them.

Quoted: well, you ask an arfcom question, and get a jillion of replies that don't really answer the question!   Recommendation:  GSD.  Second choice, Belgian Malinois.  You say you want something that will guard your kids, a dog from the "herding group" is bred to guard your "flock" and keep "wolves' away.   if you don't have sheep, the dog can be expected to guard your children as if they were your flock.  Stay away from a dog from the Mastiff line - this may include the Mastiff, Dane, Dogo Argentino, Canary dog, and those dogs bred with terriers such as the APBT.  You may hear of folks that get a very reliable dog with children, but odds are against them beign better than a herding dog.

Good advice. The herding behavior is a great thing. Less likely to run off to parts unknown (mine never leaves the yard), and they will follow kids around with the obvious idea that they are the "bodyguard" -- and they really mean it.

The only thing better than a GSD is a better GSD.

Anatolian Sheperd dogs for the win! I broke the thread so I removed the pics.

Belgian Malonois (Spelling) ?

688manuevering

i love the first pic! i wish mine was all black.


heres some of my experiences with german shepards... ive litterally been around them my entire life.

when i was a toddler my aunt would babysit me. my uncles GS got so protective of me, my own mother couldnt get anywhere near me to pick me up!

my old GS was one hell of a watchdog, and we never had to train her. if anything got NEAR our yard we knew about it. a squirrel couldnt fart in the backyard without her letting us know. she was a true sweet heart and great with kids. she was supposedly a VERY small part black lab mix though we figure due to my parents neighboors farm dog...

she always made sure strangers knew she meant business until they would pet her to let her know it was ok, we had to be there of course.

if she was in the basement when i would hit the punching bag, she would go crazy trying to attack it also... showed me she understood that if i hit someone or something, shes gotta back me up. the punching bag took alot of abuse. but she never bit it if i didnt punch it.

my new one is starting to get to big for his kennel. hes 17-18 weeks old, about 40 pounds, very healthy... and its a good size kennel. hes in it when we are at work. soon he will be allowed to roam free during the day. when he chews on stuff, he never does damage, just nibbles on it. his toys however do get torn up good.

good luck with your decision, i stand by german shepards and doubt id own anything else ever.

I firmly believe in the saying "There are no bad dogs, just bad owners"... we just got a goldendoodle (golden retriever/poodle mix) that is very smart.. He is very laid back, so im not sure how much of a guard dog he will be, but when he matures out to the 60 to 70lb range he will look the part atleast..

Socialization is a big part with any dog.. We try to take snicker every where go to, that he can go for the experience.. My niece took him to her job at a 'doggy day care' a while back.. the first day he was skiddish, the next day he was pulling on the lease to go inside and have fun.. He just turned 12 wks old and he is a go getter.. We took him to the vet and he never got the least bit scared of going in the building or w/ppl & pets in the waiting room..

I think I have attached a pic of Snicker..snicker  

Edited - Well i didnt attach a pic, but there is the link to a picture..

Brian

Quoted: Anyone have suggestions on a good family dog/guard dog?  I want something that will be good with kids first, and loyal/protective of the family second.  40+ pounds also.  What do you guys think? and please back it up with info about breed temperament, training required and how much attention/cleanup they need.

IMO
Labs...yellow and black...(I have heard chocolates are like a whole different breed temperment wise....)
Golden retrievers
Akitas

I grew up with Akitas....I would own another in a second....Always had kids around and at our house....fiercly protective....their bark will scare just about anyone off.....

I dont know much about GS except that IMO they have always seemed a bit more determined and independent, then the akitas I have owned.

mrs

ETA:  We owned 3 Akitas total when I was a child...1 female, 2 males....the female was alot more passive then the males....People were always more fearful of our males (even tho one was TINY...he was actually an inch below show standards)...they were more "in your face" in terms of house guarding.....In all the years we had one bite.....and it was not a lock bite...it was a hard nip....when he was frightened ...(dad had him tied up, drying from a bath....a friend of mine didnt know he was there...she rode on her bike up our driveway and over his leash...he lept and "bit").
One more thing about our akitas.....the males need to be the ONLY male dog.....not only male akita...only male dog.....We had a male cocker and a male akita at the same time....and they generally had to be kept seperate....

ETA2:  We never had a problem with other pets and our akitas either....owned ferrets, cats, rabbits, birds of all sizes....we didnt let the ferrets,rabbits, and birds out with them but they could care less about them when they were in the cage...and they pretty much ignored all the cats....

border collie.  by far the smartest dog of all.  they treat your kids like their own and will protect them w/ their life if need be.   they are also fiercely loyal and terrific guard dogs.

Yellow Lab



Wonder what she would do if a friend walked into the house with us in the bedroom.

MAX CALL YOUR DOG!!!!!!!, Take a pic first, CALL YOUR F@CKING DOG I HAVE A PIC!!