My two choices for guard dogs would be : doberman, very smart..don't shed alot..they don't play alot they are serious and learn fast and wouldn't mess with chickens and then a german shepard, they are also great dogs.. but i would get a doberman and dock its ears and tail and put a nice shiny choke chain on it. Then I would buy alot of guns...you can never have enough! tarus/Rossi put out the circuit judge, its a long gun with a revolver on it. It shoots 410's which you can get a ammo load that has these metal disks in it that would leave a huge hole in someone and then it uses colt .45 ammo! plus its a beautiful gun..you can get it in black and stainless steel...thats the one on my wish list. I live here in hillbilly land and you don't go to peoples houses here in the dark..someone might break their neck coming down where i am and save me some ammo!