Finding a duel purpose dog

[silkfur]

alright let me get out the base of this. I'm looking for a dog to use as my emotional support dog off in college. But I live with a lot of other animals and would come home a lot during breaks and stuff. I plan to stay at the community college for two years. I've got a lot of property and quite a few animals so I plan to wait till my old poodle passes for some room and a good respect of his life. He was my first dog so it will be hard to say goodbye.
I have two aussies, one is special needs, a Maltese, a sheltie (he won't be here very often though) and a poodle sheltie mix. My big blue Aussie scares of all the predators from my chicken flock and he acts as my service dog now. I'm pretty experienced with dogs and I'm not a very shy dog trainer. I've worked with a Rottweiler and she was lovely, she was so protective of my ducks and loved all the other dogs.
I have two inside cats and two outdoor cats and some horses.
I'm looking for a bigger dog and a protective one that can scare off people and serve as a loyal family dog. I've been in love with the idea of an Akita because they are very intimidating to people. And there are common shelter dogs. But I look more into the breed and the more heartbroken I get that it might not work out. I need a dog that can ignore strangers and at least sit still for little kids to touch and for it to get along with my dogs. All my dogs are well behaved and my blue Merle keeps to himself unless he raises the puppy himself. The Maltese is the boss dog, but she keeps to herself most of the time and will give any of our dogs what for if they pester her.
So in summary for those who are experienced in bigger dogs,
I'd like to know, I need a dog that can double as a protective and loyal stick to my side service dog, and a gentle and cooperative dog that can be trusted with my variety of animals.
I do know not all dogs follow breed standards, but I'd like to know what breeds can work.

 

[dainerra]

First, be aware that when it comes to Service Dogs, and in some cases Emotional Support Animals, the intimidation factor can be a reason to have a dog rejected for training. Any type of behavior that could be construed as being "protective" is grounds to flunk out of training.

I have GSDs and they are meant to be aloof from strangers. They will take pets from strangers if trained and socialized well. Their reputation and size are more than enough protection to get rid of most people who are the type who might cause trouble for you.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Having a well trained service or support animal does not really mesh well with having a protective animal. A support animal that is brought into public situations needs to be accepting and tolerant of strangers especially since many of our daily activities puts us in tight quarters with other people. The last thing you would want to do is have a dog with aggressive tendencies (protection is a form of aggression).

Instead what you may want to look for is a dog that is on the larger size so that its presence alone, rather than behavior, will be enough to keep others at a distance from your property.

 

[silkfur]

I see... That does make sense. Thank you both. I don't want the dog to be acting aggressive towards people for sure! And I know I probably won't get lucky like I did with my Aussie. But I need a dog that can be smart enough to pick up when something is wrong and act accordingly.
I've only worry about a German shepherd dog, because I know they have a lot of hip problems and I don't want that heartbreak. But I will take these words to heart and head. Thank you both

 

[dainerra]

Many breeds have hip or other issues.
Going with a responsible breeder odds in your favor pierco When shopping for a service dog, it's better to get a slightly older dog no matter the breed so that the dog can be evaluated for temperament and health. You can get prelims through OFA on hips as young at 4 to 6 months old PennHip gives final evaluations as early as six months old