From: ce293@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Gail E. Brookhart)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: Goldens as protection?
Date: 8 Jan 1993 12:30:38 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: ce293@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Gail E. Brookhart)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu (Chris Barnes) says:

>In article <2B4BAA64.21342@ics.uci.edu>
>   tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore) writes:
> 
>>>>again thinking of getting a dog.  Maybe a lab or golden as suggested by
>>>>the police.
>>
>>Hm, neither labs nor goldens are suitable protective dogs.
>>Perhaps the police are just thinking that a large dog in general will
>>deter a thief.  But they are *NOT* good protective dogs...
>>as especially illustrated by the following description:
>>
>>>Summer [a golden] *loves* *everybody*.  Without fail.  At first I
>>>thought, it must be that whenever we take Summer to meet someone we
>>>feel good about them so she gets the idea that it's okay.  My wife
>>>told me of an incident with a door-to- door sales critter who
>>>basically let himself inside.  No force, just slick sales tactics,
>>>quick movements and viola!, he's in the house.  My wife tells me she
>>>was fairly distressed that he was actually in the house *and* that
>>>Summer was just so doggone happy to see him.
> 
>Cindy and I have disagreed on this in the past, and we will continue to
>disagree.  While it's true that both Goldens and Labs as a rule are
>very friendly, good natured dogs, most of them will still tend to be
>fairly protective of their turf.  I believe that the experience you
>had with your dog allowing a stranger in the house is much more a
>function of her age, than her breed.  As she gets older, she WILL be
>more protective of her turf.
> 
>Take for example my bitch, a 4.5 year old Lab.  She is extremely
>laid back for a Lab (ie.  she isn't the least bit hyperactive).  She
>is very "soft-mouth" with the birds she retrieves.  When we are at the
>park, she will let anyone come up and jump on her, pull on her tail/ears,
>etc.  In other words, she is very non-aggressive.  But she is extremely
>protective (notice the difference in the words aggressive and protective)
>of her turf.  She will not let the utility man read the electric meter
>unless we come out and let him in the back yard.  She won't let the
>adolescent kids climb up on the wood privacy fence along the back of
>the back yard.  And I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that she
>would attack someone that actually did try to get into her turf (to
>include biting them until they were either subdued or out of her turf).
> 
>Thus, IMHO, it is ludicrous to say that Labs and Goldens cannot be
>good protection for your home.

I don't have a Lab but have had a Golden so I may be able to add a bit
here.  I think that a Lab could be quite PROTECTIVE (good distinction drawn
Chris) and also think that a Chessie could be even more protective.  I have
read/heard of Labs and Chessies being trained in Schutzhund (German sport
of dog protection training) to the highest levels.

For another suggestion on a smallish protective breed, consider the Welsh
Corgi.  They are low-slung like the much-missed Bassett but with their
herding background are very bright and quick protectors of their "herd." 
As a matter of fact, many Schutzhund trainers would love to work Corgis if
it weren't for the fact that the dogs are just too short to scale 6 foot
walls easily!  Also consider the medium sized terriers, such as the Kerry
Blue, Soft-Coated Wheaten, Welsh and Irish.  Terriers almost universally
love kids, these are a manageable size and if the grooming is not a problem
for you are actually easy to maintain.  Feel free to post to me if you want
more about terriers.

> 
>      -----------------------------------------------------
>Chris Barnes            |   President - Bryan/College Station
>cbarnes@tamvm1.tamu.edu |         Retriever Club.
>(409) 846-3273 (home)   |   "Dedicated to the betterment of
>(409) 845-4437 (work)   |               the retrieving breeds"
>

Gail Brookhart
ce293@cleveland.freenet.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs