You all seem to agree that Dobermans & Rotties are great ?

Question

Guard dogs. I have always seen Dobermans as slightly bigger whippets. I understand that they were bred for guarding alone. I have seen all the films and know how good they were in Wars and for the police but they just seem so skinny. Why are Dobbies rated so highly? Surely you would rather have a Rottie, Corso or Bull Mastiff- What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

Different strokes for different folks.  That's why there's so many different kinds of dogs.  They're not one size fits all.  

Answer 2

You must have never owned a Doberman.  Looks alone will deter any stranger and most of them are willing to back up their bark if pressed.

Answer 3

Rotties are wonderful dogs but they were bred as herding dogs not for guarding anything.

Dobes are great dogs in the right homes.

Not all are the larger taller leaner version that you see more often here in the US. Many breeders still breed for the smaller, thicker heavier built working dogs that they used to be when Louis Doberman invented the breed.

My last male was 30 inches at the shoulder and weighed 100 pounds.

Not fat very wide in the chest and big muscles.

I personally would take a dobe over a bull mastiff any day.

I prefer a more agile quicker dog who would go after and take down a person, one who could run down a human if needed.

Answer 4

No thanks, I'll stick with my Dobermans.

A Doberman looks nothing like a whippet. If you've seen a Dobe that does, 1. it is a poorly bred Dobe 2. produced by BYB  3. desperately in need of vet care

Sorry, I see no whippet in my dog.

http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u223/...

Answer 5

Dobes are at least 3 times as big as whippets.  That comparison is kind of like saying that Great Danes are just "slightly bigger" fox hounds.  Dobes are also much more square, significantly bulkier, have much heavier bone structure, and are considerably more muscular overall (yeah, whippets have more leg muscles, but over all they are built like sprinters while dobes are built like lightweight boxers) than whippets.  Dobermans may not be as big as molosser-type dogs but they are far more agile and faster while still being big enough to be physically capable of bringing down a person.  Ever watch schutzhund or ring sport (the civilian equivalent of the kind of bite work that police dogs do)?  Not a whole lot of corsos or mastiffs of any kind in those sports.

Answer 6

Personally, guard dogs are silly. They can't do much more than a bodyguard could, and would just end up getting hurt. For me, a guard dog is one that lets out a warning bark, and could possibly protect me from small animals, such as mice, rats, oppossums, etc (I'm a country girl).

On the other hand, guard dogs can be beneficial, but ONLY when in the right hands with experienced people.

Rottweilers were actually bred to be herding dogs.

Answer 7

Dobermans were the premier dog in personal/property protection. That was a long time a go. Today there are few breeders out there that still breed what Louis Dobermann wanted his dogs to be like.

I know a few of them, most of them from Russian and other former Iron curtain countries that produce dogs with enough horsepower to ruin anyone's day.

Do not let size fool you...it is the heart of the dog that matters, not the weight behind it. I had a 50 pound malinois that would breed a human if he could...size made no difference!!

Hope I helped!!

ADD: For those that suggested that a protection dog is not the thing to have, please, educate yourselves about dogs and what they can do.

As far as the guy that had his dog bite a cop...imagine what he would get if, according to you, he had a gun and shot him instead!!

Answer 8

I agree that Dobermans are fabulous guard dogs, it's their original breeding.  As as another answerer stated, Rottweilers were originally bred for herding.

I don't require a guard dog, I require an ALERT dog.  A dog that is going to alert me to intruders, but not necessarily go all schutzhund on them.

For this, I have APBTs.  Not a guard dog, but a great alerter to people coming in the house.

Answer 9

Not everyone wants a giant dog. Dobermans are highly intelligent dogs and more eager to please than any other guard dog breeds. They are very fast as well. Dobermans are known for their interesting bite, like a terrier, they have a scissor bite and hardmouth built for protection. Also they are ranked as one of the best watchdogs as well. They are quick to alert and bark.

Also doberman's obedience and intelligence allows them to become actual personal protection trained dog. I would rather have this than just a large intimidating dog. As they are trained how to stop an actual intruder and the proper situation of when they should actually attack. THey are probably the safest dogs around.

Answer 10

Personally I would rather get a dog as a member of the family and as a companion.  I don't need a dog to defend myself, that is what guns are for.  

People that get "guard dogs" are trying to look tough.  What do people guard anyway?  

A guy in Phoenix last week got 30 years in the pen because he supposedly told his dog to bite a cop.  Is it worth it?  He is gonna be real macho as fresh meat won't he?

A Standard Poodle is an excellent guard dog and you didn't mention it.  Not look tough enough?

Answer 11

Leaner, lighter dogs are typically faster and more agile.  Many Police forces use Belgian Malinois.....physically, they are almost medium sized....50 to 60 lbs, usually with a lean body build.  But their drive and working spirit is almost unmatched....lots of K9 handlers refer to them as "Malligators" because their protection ability is so extreme.  And they can jump, climb, and be lifted up to fit into tight spaces where the "bad guys" might be hiding.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_She...

The Dobe was created by a tax collector who needed an intimidating, yet agile and athletic personal protection dog.  Most likely the work he was using the dogs for, wasn't too different from police K9 work.  

A properly bred, working Doberman is hardly a "slightly bigger whippet" :).....all the Dobes I have ever met have been quite athletic and VERY strong.  The Dobe I grew up with weighed 80 lbs and his head was waist-level with a 6'4 man.   Some of the "show" Dobermans I've seen do tend to be a bit on the "long lean and graceful" side....but if you check out working-line Dobies in Europe, you'll see a definite difference in body type from the USA's show dog.  

Bigger doesn't always mean better....and a lot of small dogs pack a TON of spirit and power into a little body.  Check out the Patterdale Terrier, for instance...one hard-core, little working terrier.  Or, check out the many 35-40 lb Staffordshire Terriers winning weight pull competitions.

Rotts, Corsos and Bull Mastiffs are all GREAT dogs, but they don't always excel in the same areas a more lightly built dog would.  And vice versa.  That's why we have so many different breeds- humans have created dog breeds to serve many unique and varied purposes.  They're all different and they all excel at different duties.  :)

Answer 12

You be the judge:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/doberman.htm