Big Dog Question

[rookie]

So about 2 years ago, we moved from our nice house in the suburbs to a freaking huge house in the city. Big giant 6 bedroom house with an attic that can be finished into another 2 bedrooms if we wanted (translation: if we can get the money together for it), nice 1/4 acre yard. We like the house, have great neighbors, got the kids into a wonderful charter school. Life was good until a couple weeks ago.

A couple weeks ago, one of our neighbors was mugged in the alley right behind my house. Took his phone, wallet, and broke his jaw. Last night another neighbor was almost mugged. I say almost because the 24 year old gym rat who lives next door, his friend who was over, and myself ran off the guy before anything happened. I work at night with my wife and children here.

So the conversation that started a couple weeks ago about getting another dog got real serious real fast. Myself and Mrs. Rookie would feel better if we had a big dog. I'm thinking like a Labrador retriever size or bigger. A friendly dog, but who's size and possibly looks would deter any ne'er do well.

We do have some criteria. We have another dog already, a very energetic Brittany (spaniel) so the new dog would have to get along with other dogs of the same gender. And, obviously, have to be great or better with kids. When I say great with kids, if my boy had friends over and they're rough housing, the friend doesn't need to be attacked. We also want big, but not too big to physically control if we have to.

We know the friendliest lab in the world will rise to the occasion if his family is in danger. But my Andy-dog isn't really much of a deterrent. So we're not at all looking for a mean (overly aggressive, super territorial) dog. Just a kind of dog that would make a mugger or home invader want to choose another house.

A couple dogs on the shortlist are a chesapeake bay retriever, bullmastiff, olde English bulldog, bernese mountain dog, and if we can find a mutt puppy with giant paws. Dogs we're avoiding are pits (good dogs but neither of us really care for them), rotties (Mrs. Rookie does not like them), doberman pinchers (I got bit by one as a Rooklet and never really got over that) and pure German shepherds (too damn much energy).

If anyone had any first or second hand experience with these breeds, or has another breed that I should consider, please let me know. Thank you.

[RavynousHunter]

My old homie Dupre was a Doberman/German Shepherd mix (more Dobie than Shepherd).  He was as nice as the day was long, but everyone in the 'hood was afraid of him because, despite the fact he didn't have the typical clipped ears of a Dobie, they saw him as a "fighting dog" and were, thus, scared of him.  Another good one that I recall is a Husky.  They are a fairly energetic breed, so having time to get out and play is good, but if your crims are as stupid as the ones where we lived, they'll take one look at it, claim its a wolf, and run for the hills like a bunch of pussies.  Both of 'em were nice, loyal, and very personable dogs, but they protected us and the cats like we were part of the pack.  Hell, Dupre would chase away anything he thought would be a threat to the cats, going so far as to end up getting gored by a buck and ending up with a lame leg because of it.  Still kept going, even as an old man...only ever showed his age when his best friend, our other dog Carly, got killed.  Some days, I miss that old coot.

[guizonde]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neapolitan_Mastiff

stonkin' huge dog, and i don't say that because i'm scared of 'em. fearless protector, and really docile with its family. a laid-back godzilla, and when the laid back godzilla sits on you, you stay down, since these things can weigh over 150lbs. the one dog i was most familiar with was three feet tall at the shoulder, and calm enough i could poke it with a stick to see if it breathed. it was of the "so laid back it melts when sleeping" variety. then it barked and i wound up in a tree. again.

good big dogs. but i'd rather have a pet badger any day of the week.

[rookie]

Huskies! Why had I not considered that? Thanks, Ravy. Guizonde, the Neos are so cute and loveable. I really did seriously look at them. I've only ever had sporting breeds though and I'm not sure we as a family are ready for a dog with that hard a personality. Which is how I got to either an English or bull mastiff. Like you said, bred to pin or corner rather than bite.

I know there are going to be more people reading this. I want to squash this before it starts, really drive this point home. I want a friendly dog. Wait a second, that's not 100% accurate. I won't have an aggressive dog. I don't want my dog to bite a bad guy. I do however want a big hulking canine at the door barking like all hell. The bad guy doesn't need to know Bruno is just looking for a belly rub.

[mellenORL]

English Bull Terrier. Cute as a piglet, compact, strong, friendly with kids. Can take a bullet and still keep latched on biting a home invader. Only bad side - you live in an area where they'd love to steal him. Get him micro chipped and a GPS collar dongle.

Dogo Argentino. Much bigger, regal white dog that looks like an American Bulldog (the tall ones). Very intelligent. Excellent security and family dog. You live in an area where they'd love to steal him. Get him micro chipped and a GPS collar dongle.

[Ultimate Paragon]

You could try a Rottweiler.  Big, friendly, healthy by large breed standards, and intimidating.

[RavynousHunter]

Not a bad idea, Paragon.  Rotties are another thing morons in the 'hood qualified as "fighting dogs."  In fact, they thought Dupre was a Rotty for a long time.  If there's one thing a thug's scared of, its a big, strong-lookin dog.  Bonus points if it even vaguely resembles a wolf.

[guizonde]

A couple dogs on the shortlist are a chesapeake bay retriever, bullmastiff, olde English bulldog, bernese mountain dog, and if we can find a mutt puppy with giant paws. Dogs we're avoiding are pits (good dogs but neither of us really care for them), rotties (Mrs. Rookie does not like them), doberman pinchers (I got bit by one as a Rooklet and never really got over that) and pure German shepherds (too damn much energy).

If anyone had any first or second hand experience with these breeds, or has another breed that I should consider, please let me know. Thank you.

no sell guys... how'zabout a czechoslovakian wolfdog? they are very energetic, but treat their humans like a wolf treats its pack, so you can't get more loyal outside of brainwashing. oh, and it's a wolf.

also, i don't get what you mean by "hard personality" regarding neapolitan mastiffs. the one i knew was the dog equivalent of a mix between droopy and prozac. they've got strong personalities normally?

[TheL]

Dogo Argentino. Much bigger, regal white dog that looks like an American Bulldog (the tall ones). Very intelligent. Excellent security and family dog. You live in an area where they'd love to steal him. Get him micro chipped and a GPS collar dongle.

DA's are big teddy bears for sure, but be warned--because they're white, deafness is common in the breed.

(Once, a friend's DA greeted me by jumping on me.  100-lb dog, on a petite woman who, at the time, didn't weigh much more than that.  If there hadn't been a chair right behind me at the time to fall into, I'd have literally busted my ass.)

[davedan]

Blue Heelers are good dogs (part dingo) fearless and friendly -might be hard to get in the US. My cousins had a bullmastiff-german shepard cross. It was huge and friendly. Although a bit territorial. Huskies seem like a good idea. Or you could go whole hog and get a Great Dane or St Bernard.

[niam2023]

If you're into giant bear-like dogs, try a Caucasian Ovcharka.

I saw one roaming the streets when I was in Greece. Big ol' fuzzy thing walked right up to me when I said "Here puppy, here big puppy" and let me scratch his ears and pet him.

[nickiknack]

All this talk of monster dogs brings back fond memories of being slobbered upon by this Newfie at my old dog's vet's office this one time.

[TheL]

Yay, slobbery dog-kisses!

My wee one gives much drier "kisses," which is generally a good thing.

[nickiknack]

My little guy gives drier kisses too, but sometimes after his walks, he does spittle a bit.

[Random Gal]

DA's are big teddy bears for sure, but be warned--because they're white, deafness is common in the breed.

I'm curious as to why white fur and deafness are linked. And I also have heard that white cats tend to go deaf as well. Are some genes for hair color and hearing located on the same chromosomes in all carnivorans?