An important part of keeping children safe is having a dog as a family pet. While there are many breeds of dog, some are better for families with children than others.
Some dogs are naturally protective, while others must be trained to behave in a certain way. Dogs can be very good at protecting children, but they should be trained to do so in a safe and positive way.
Do Your Family Needs a Guard Dog?
With kids in the house, you’re probably having second thoughts about getting a guard dog. You might be thinking it would just be another responsibility to raise a dog.
But getting the right guard dog for your family and kids will help you achieve an extra level of safety at home.
It may be a bit of work, but it will be well worth the time you put in!
Top 10 Best Guard Dogs for Families With Kids
The best guard dogs are not just the ones who keep your family safe from intruders, but the breeds that naturally fit into your home and will play an important role in your child’s protection and enjoyment.
1. Bullmastiffs
This dog breed isn’t all that intelligent. Bullmastiffs’ stamina isn’t that good either. Not to mention, this guard dog breed doesn’t bark that much. So, what makes Bullmastiff belong to the top family guard dogs list then? Well, it’s related to its courage and protective instinct.
Bullmastiff is also quite agile in comparison to its size. This dog seems to be aware all the time and it’s also really loyal to the owner. What’s even greater – Bullmastiff can be so friendly to the other pets you have at home. It can even be friendly to your cats! Therefore, the Bullmastiff is our #1 choice for the best family guard dog.
2. German Shepherds
You may be familiar with this dog as a police dog. German Shepherd has such great protective instinct, also very well known for its intelligence and excellent stamina.
As the part of trainability of guard dog skills, this dog is very easy to be trained. You can expect it to have so many talents including the particular one like to smell things from distances.
Shepps are also very playful, so they will make an excellent companion for your kids.
3. Rottweilers
Next, we have Rottweiler. Without any doubt, this breed is well known for its capability to become excellent guard dog security. Rottweiler has a great character if looked at from a family guard dog perspective. Rottweilers are famous for their stamina. Don’t forget that this dog breed is also intelligent.
You should also notice how friendly it can be to a family member remaining extremely protective. However, at the same time, this dog can be really dangerous to strangers.
You should also understand that this dog breed needs to get through guard dog training first before you can expect it to be a good family guard dog because its nature is quite wild.
4. Pulis
You should not be tricked by Puli’s cute appearance, even though originally, this dog breed is bred as a Shepherd, but its great caution towards the condition in its surroundings makes it one of the best options for the family guard dog you can find out there. That is why you should never underestimate this dog or you will only regret it later on. Once you have been targeted by Puli, it will start barking at you and its bark is very loud. It’s quite surprising by considering the size of the body isn’t that big.
5. Komondors
As for the part of the best guard dogs, Komondor looks a lot similar to Pulis. Except the size is a lot bigger than Puli. Indeed, with such a size, you can also expect it to be more aggressive than a Puli.
That is why Komodor can be taken as a good watchdog breed by considering the size and the courage.
Not to mention, you can also expect this dog to play with your kids as well. Kids will love it because of its playfulness. Not to say, the appeal of this dog is also charming.
6. Giant Schnauzers
If you are looking for a medium-sized guard dog breed to protect your family and kids, you may want to consider a Giant Schnauzer.
Giant Schnauzer’s size is not too big but when it comes to loyalty, this dog is one of the best guard dogs. And with that in mind, it’s reasonable to say that Giant Schnauzer is the best guard dog for kids in the world. Its appeal is unique because it has a mustache. And it’s also really dominant.
What’s so great to have this kind of dog is that it tends to follow the master around. Thus, if you have this dog, you will feel a lot much safer and protected.
7. Dobermans
The next option from the best guard dogs is Doberman. This dog breed seems to be so complete. It has a fierce look that can make people quite terrified.
It’s also strong and it’s also intelligent enough. What’s quite interesting about this dog is its origin. Doberman is a breed that comes from the combination of Rottweiler, Greyhound, and Terrier.
It was Louis Doberman who combined those breeds. Louis Doberman was a tax officer, and he needed a good dog to protect him all the time as he usually carried a lot of money anywhere.
8. Rhodesian Ridgebacks
You must never play around with this kind of dog. Rhodesian Ridgeback is originally a hunter. It’s been known to hunt lions which means that its courage is something you should not question at all.
Just imagine if you have a Rhodesian Ridgeback as your black guard dog.
With rather a ferocious character, terrifying appeal, and bark that can make you feel like your heart has dropped to the floor, you can expect great safety and protection for you, your family, and kids once such a dog is around.
9. Kuvaszs
Because a Kuvasz looks similar to a sheep, you may think this dog breed has no place on the list of best family guard dogs. However, you should not worry at all about its ability to deal with guarding your home.
The most significant characteristic of this dog to make it deserve the place in this list is about how it can stay in one post or point for a long time.
Therefore, it is a good option for protection and a good guard dog you and your family can rely on.
10. American Staffordshire Terriers
The last option is American Staffordshire Terrier.
This dog is a kind of pitbull and it’s so great for this purpose. The loyalty towards the master is out of the question. And yes, it has nice aggressiveness which can make strangers terrified.
It’s also quite agile so you can count on it for some chasing.
Guard Dog Training
Dog protection training is a very sophisticated dog training program that requires a good dog trainer to work with a dog and help him to understand the significance of the different actions that he has to perform.
In protection training, the trainer has to have excellent skills and a perfect understanding of the drives that motivate a particular dog and requires that he provides excellent obedience work.
Because of all that protection training entails, an inexperienced trainer shouldn’t do the training alone. Protection training for dogs usually involves bite work, chasing an intruder, attacking someone, and any other lessons that can create a problem for the inexperienced trainer.
During the training session, the trainer has to use a padded sleeve for protection.
Protection Dogs
The reason may be that he does not have the character traits for protection work. However, a protection-trained dog is an invaluable asset to anyone who knows how to handle him.
If you have been trained on how to handle your dog or if you and your dog have been trained together, you are already at an advantage. Therefore, depending on your situation, having a guard dog may be just the right thing for you.
Protection trained dogs are vital for police departments, drug enforcement agencies, and any other law enforcement organizations. They are specially trained by experts to work along with these organizations to assist them in the type of work they do. Furthermore, these organizations have people who are appropriately trained on how to handle protection trained dogs.
By now you must have already realized that a real guard dog is not for everyone because of the type of training that they have to go through. But you can still own one of the best guard dogs for families from the list above (even if your family is with children) and enjoy a new furry family member.
Dog Training Tips for the Family
We already know that it is imperative to consider the breed beforehand. Here are other things to keep in mind after getting a guard dog for you and your kids.
Get the Whole Family Involved
This is the most important part of training your family guard dog. Attend training classes together and read the same dog training information.
If your kids are too young to read, then teach them the basics in an engaging way.
Getting A Guard Dog
While the breeds listed are dogs that have been bred as guard dogs it is important to remember a few key points when you go looking for the ideal guard dog breed for your family.
- Individual Temperament
- Genetics
- Environment
- Individuality
- Medical Conditions
Importance of Protection Training for Guard Dogs
A guard dog can help tremendously with home security to protect your family. Although dogs in any home act as natural protectors and alarm systems—and some breeds’ intimidating looks alone ward off intruders—protection training is a big undertaking.
Your dog needs to follow all your basic commands 100% of the time to even merit evaluation from a dog trainer. Here, the trainer can observe their skills and temperament to determine if they’ll be a good fit.
If they’re deemed a good candidate, they’ll undergo command training and decision-making lessons, which you may need to review as often as every day to keep them at peak performance as a guard dog and stimulated as a family dog.
This training is crucial for you and your dog to know what is expected of them in times of crisis.
