guard dogs

[Pippin]

i live slightly further out, its down a lane with 4 maybe 5 detached houses spread out along it with 50-100 meters between.

no chance for any item to go into my garden unless some hikers go past and something happens, though if my family is in (unless night) they are in a locked segment of the shed, and the smaller dogs get to go out.

[Rakefur]

Oh you have small dogs too?

I'm with shadow here though

[windhound]

You have to ask why a dog trained to be aggressive towards strangers is a liability? 
Very, very few above ground enclosures are 100% safe, if a tree falls on the fence and they get out...

Just curious, just how often are you getting burglarized?  You say you're back in the woods a bit, most thieves will hit houses they can get in and out of very quickly.  A group of 5 houses back off the main road isn't it.
An electronic security system could notify you immediately of a break in, and some services will notify the police on your behalf.  If you're continually losing stuff you can justify the price real quick -- not to mention dogfood and vet bills for 5 large dogs.
Otherwise, if your house got hit once three years back...  or if this is all precautionary...  meh.

Dogs are companion animals. 
My pit-mix, a shelter rescue, is extremely attached.  He watches from the window when I leave in the morning and is always at the door when I get home.  He'll follow me all around the house, if I get further than six feet away he'll get up and follow.  He sleeps on a dogbed in my room.
I don't understand people who get dogs then leave them outside.

If you're gonna do it anyways, consider rescuing a shelter dog. 
Food and shelter is preferable to an early death.

However, I think the real solution here is a bear.

[Rakefur]

THIS MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A SPAM POST, IF SO FEEL FREE TO DELETE.

However, I think the real solution here is a bear.

Pedobear

[Pippin]

no trees in the yard and my last dogs wouldnt run away, even if the gate was open.

burgelaries arnt uncommon, atleast a few times a year and thats a low estimate.

the dogs are used as a visual and verbal deterence, meaning theyre seen and heard which will put off any petty burgalur, and if it arises they'll attack and intruder and send him running.  Working dogs are bred into guarding/defending or other purposes, you change that suddenly and you will potentionaly ruin a line of breeding if its in a family chain.

i have a cocker spaniel which we use as a hunting dog now, which i got from some gypsys ironically so im unsure of the exact breed, though its either a mix or a english working cocker spaniel with a clipped tail. its great but its not a house dog, it has a balance between a bond where it loves me as an owner and it has a lot of interaction, but it sleeps outside in the large garage/shed.

electic fences arnt best option i dont think as theres too much to cover.

direct me to a tame bear and i'll take it.

and ofcourse thats spam where does a pedo come into context here, unless your refering to krydon who molests animals.

[Ashyra Nightwing]

Apart from the dogs (which is pretty sad, hope you're doing ok :( ) have you ever actually been robbed? Just curious.

[Ungatt Trunn II]

I hate rat dogs.

they are only good as footballs.

And for a moment, the stars aligned. And Ungatt agreed completely with Shadow.

Oh and I got a couple mutts... One is very old and simply barks at every thing, a Rottweiler-Dotson (Don't ask)
The other probably has a myriad of psychological issues, he is a Pit bull-Labrador 
And the last is just a big ol dog who doesn't do much, Bloodhound-Labrador


All are more or less utterly useless for guarding.

[Shadow]

we were so meant to be

[Ungatt Trunn II]

I decline so hard.

[Genevieve]

Is pippin trolling in this thread or actually crazy?

[Ashyra Nightwing]

I think he's IRL crazy, no-one needs 5 dangerous dogs

[Shadow Assassin]

I had a fox terrier they are OK guard dogs because they are completely fearless and bark at strangers that come but the are also completely mad, my neighbor got one and the first time I saw it it jumped out their car window ran circles around me then disappeared then ran through my legs and bit my ear.
Get a big dog like a German Shepherd.

[Pippin]

cheers for the actual posts but anyone trolling or being a general mug maybe admins should pick up on that on, being called crazy is a personal attack.

[Genevieve]

personal attacks > dog attacks

[Pippin]

bad trolls > genevieve