what dog breed is a great intelligent gaurd dog?

[twister]

I need advise please. I have two 'mutt' dogs that are aging ( 13-14 yrs old) and they are seriously letting their gaurd down on the home front. 3 x this week, the neighbors goofy, ____. ___ labs have been coming in our yard and harassing my flock and my stupid-o dogs just LOOK at them. I am SICK of it. I have talked to the neighbor. I have secured my birds, who were once free ranging... all confined now...
the dang ole labs were back today. paws up on the nest boxes and running up and down the fencing..they could not get in but my poor birds thought it was the end of the world.

I want a protective dog that will not hesitate put neighboring dogs outta here and would NEVER allow another paw on this property. I want a dog that is intelligent and will not attack my birds either.

I know it will take diligent training, but want a recommendation from fellow chicken owners about what breeds work well w. chickens and will PROTECT this property and our animals.

( I am partial to short hair breeds, but at this point, protection is #1 in my book)

 

[lockedhearts]

My Jack Russells run the Pit Bull and the Labs from down the road out of the yard all the time, I am watchful of them around my birds but mostly they are pretty good and ignore them. My Bouvier Des Flandres just looks at the neighborhood dogs and they run, he does not even pay attention to the birds and at 100+ lbs I doubt anyone would have to guts to try to break in.

 

[ChickBond 007]

German Shepherd Dog.

 

[Wildsky]

Cattle dog/heeler!

 

[twister]

i have done some research on GSD. never have owned one before tho. really , i do not know much about them.

JR, love the terrier breed, fiesty w. aggressiveness...not so sure i would really trust them around the birds if we ever got back to free ranging.

that is the goal here... to one day, be able to free range my birds again ... I want a no nonsense dog that will look after them. ( is that impossible?)

 

[twister]

thinkin seriously about a blue/red heeler... have heard thru the grapevine, they can be a crap shoot on temperment...some great, some timid... but A1 on protection!!!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Bigger the better! AKITA

 

[ChickBond 007]

My chickens free range. So do my ducks. My GSD knows that his job is the GUARD the farm, including the birds. We had to train him to do this. Early in his career (about 8 mo old), he shook a silkie to death and killed ate one mallard. This happened within 10 days, then the training took hold.
GSD's are high energy, high loyalty, and extremely intelligent. I believe that they can be taught to do almost anything. They can also be very socially inept if they are not worked with and socialized often when they are young. GSD's require training, and we took ours to class, but we also continue to train consistently in every day life.
He is our first GSD. Certainly the most intelligent dog we have ever owned, and very much a part of the family; however; he needs much excersize, much training, high quality food, and coat grooming due to shedding. Know these factors in your decision.
I've not lost a bird (other than the flock fighting and killing a roo in the coop) in a year now due to their "guard dog". He's wonderful.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
I got mine from a member here BUSTER, but I haven't seen him around much lately.

My girl is really good, she HATES anything on her property thats not supposed to be here! SHe even chases birds off..

She's been kind enough to break up fights between my male ducks, she just RUNS full speed between them, surprised the heck out of em!

She's an indoor dog, and she'll often get up and go look out windows just to make sure nothing is lurking around...

My hubby came home for lunch the other day and instead of coming straight in, he went to fork some hay for the horse and goat, he was pretty far away from the house, but Ginja spotted him through trees and the hair stood up down her back and she let rip! I laughed so hard, opened the door and let her go - she ran at him FULL speed, HAIR standing up barking like a crazy thing till he spoke! Then her little stubby tail started going and she was all thrilled to pieces to see him!

She's a good girl, doesn't smell up the house or drop too much hair, she's easy to keep clean. She's really good with the kids, and the only strangers she'll let visit without BARKING like crazy are small humans!

I just took a pic of her on the couch with my son - uploading it............

 

[Wildsky]

Checking out the window!

No thread is complete without a puppy pic