rottweilers and other working protection dog questions

Any of you have experience with rotties or other working protection dogs?



We want a big intimidating dog with the nerve to back its bulk up, smart, kid safe, can be trusted around livestock, can help with herding and pulling carts. Seems a well bred, trained, and socialized Rottie may be exactly what we are looking for, but I am asking for input from everyone before we make a final decision on breed and start looking for a breeder.


Other contenders include:


Bouvier des flanders
Giant schnauzer
Belgian malenois and related breeds
Black russian terrier
American bulldog
Many of the mastiff breeds




Dog also needs to be able to tolerate both hot weather and fairly cold weather.


From phone

The malenois is a bit of a catch all worker I believe and would suit you well.

Mastiffs or a Komondor would be good options as well.

Please keep in mind that any dog bred for protection will have a natural wariness of strangers. So you’ll have to be diligent about watching the dog to ensure the protection of guests in your home. A wary dog could be easily triggered.

We have a Doberman, he's an excellent guard dog and good with other animals. But I've never heard of them being particularly good at herding or good in colder conditions. I do love Rotties.

Yeah, I grew up around protection breeds. Specifically want the wariness.

My main concerns with mals are how delicate they are. And how they are kind of susceptible to pain(and medications) in a way other protection breeds just arent. I've never tried teaching one to pull either, but I'm not confident they would be able to in the way a sturdier breed could. The plus would be I have quite a few family members who are active in the working and showing malenois community so I would have an "in" so to speak, and could probably use their connections to be considered for a "better" puppy sooner and get tips and guidance from them.

Komondor is too much grooming and hair I think. A dog who can be shaved is one thing, but I think hot area plus lots of surface water sources would equal a moldy komondor or something else awful. Also think the harier mastiffs and the akita are out based on weather.


From phone

Region gets hot in the summer (average 90*F in some months) and relatively cold in winter (average is 20*F for some months). Will be moving to Eastern Kentucky before/shortly after getting the dog.


From phone

It’s not on your list, but consider a border collie. Great herding dogs and very protective, smart, trainable, loyal ... the long hair might be trouble in the woods. Being originally from Kentucky I have seen a lot of unbelievable stuff, one thing being that low lifes will drug and steal a “fighting” breed of dog right off your property. Then they use them in dogfighting which is way too prevalent in that part of the state, as is cockfighting. Scum of the earth, those people.

If you're plans are still this year, you are already 4 to 6 weeks late arriving on unprepared land. If your plans are next year, target being on-site as soon as the snow clears.

If you are honest with and are working with an honest Breeder /Trainer, you may find them less than willing to provide a dog.

Timing may not be ideal to what you would do, but it is what we have. Neither of us has another year to wait around, nor would we want to even if we did have one. We aren't thinking we would be supporting ourselves off of farming in the first year or two, thougj, if that is what you are thinking. Yeah we don't have the whole warm season to work in but so what? We aren't starting out growing crops anyway. That will be year 2 at soonest.

And why do you think we would be such bad candidates to buy a puppy from a breeder? I honestly kind of take offense to that. I've had dogs all my life, including currently with a spry and very healthy 9 year old rescue mutt, and am a darn good dog owner, thankyouverymuch. (EDIT: ok, so there was one 1.5 year long period after my first dog passed away from cancer where I had no dog of my own because I was so heartbroken. but other than that I have never not owned a dog for my entire life.) Please elaborate and/or explain yourself as I very much hope I am misunderstanding the meaning of your comment.

And I would be doing the training with the dog. I've trained every other dog I've owneed, and even have trained other people's dogs. Maybe for some reason you think I don't know dogs, that is not the case. I've literally worked in 2 kennels and owned dogs for my entire life. But I digress.

Wow, thats pretty low to steal someone's dog! Border collies are a bit more independent than I am looking for in a dog though I think.

From phone

Knowing a bit more about the back-country is where I'm coming from.

The issue regarding the dog is neither of you, but what normally lives in those wooded areas you will be living in! A barking dog is also a quick dinner bell to several of the Wild neighbors you will be living with.

It has nothing to do with crops! But the long list of being ready for Winter!!! Summer can be down right uncomfortable, but Winter Kills!

Regarding Kills! I hope one of you understand that a Hand Gun like a 45 ACP just may save your life (animals) and a AR-15 just may provide you life saving meals.

FYI: Step down off your high horse (country term), as it is very likely you maybe receiving life saving information and not put downs!

We both own several firearms and shoot as regularly as range fees allow(and are already super eagerly planning the range we will build ont the property). We are not staying the winter in a homemade structure, we are buying an RV style home thing to stay in while we build another place to live. Fully insulated and winter ready. We have stayed in such trailers before, while spending time in the country on one of the two farms I spent a lot of time growing up on doing farm stuff.. The dog will not be the only predator deterrent(though I am glad to hear it is the situation and not us that has you in doubt as far as puppy owners)we intend to get at least one donkey to help with predators as well as LGDs to protect the livestock and various other things (guinea fowl are great alarm sounders, etc). But to start with it with be this dog and our guns keeping the predators at bay. I do think it will be sufficient, especially as the frontrunner property isnt total wilderness forest. It is 110 acres with about 12 cleared, an old (needs lots of work) farmhouse, and well behaved country style neighbors well up the road. Still will be predators, but not deep wilderness "no idea what a dog and people and guns are" predators. Also the dog will be with me 99% of the time if possible. It's part of why I want a clingy dog. So, uhh, with me and my gun 99% of the time.

Just cuz I live in a city now doesn't mean I am completely without country and wilderness experience, though fyi. Although I absolutely grant that backcountry camping and spending bunches of time on someone else's farm is not at all the same thing as building your own.
Sorry if I cane off as bristly, I just tend to get defensive when someone who doesn't know the whole situation starts telling me I shouldn't/can't do what I have been planning for years. (I get enough of that from my mother! Lol, just a joke. )


From phone

My mum used to train Rottweilers back in the 80's and she does like them quite a lot. Though she stopped as she found they can be temperamental, naturally you're looking for the guard basis so that's a plus but like said above any guests could potentially be at risk, though with training and segregating the dog away from company you could pull it off. I speak with concern over guests knowing a family who had a pet dog they also kept as a guard, their daughter had friends over one day and of course the children wanted to see the dog (because what 11 year old doesn't want to?) long story short the dog dragged one of the children across the yard and nearly into the bushes before the dad could stop him.

Realistically to have a guard dog and a pet in one is at best tough to do mainly due to the conflicting natures