Getting a guard dog

Hi, We are considering getting a big dog to help guard our property. We have security cameras and we are installing a fence. I haven’t had a dog for at least 20 years so I’m curious what I should know living here. As a kid in the mountains dogs were a source of protection and part of the family. What I see in Hsinchu are lots of strays suffering from skin disease and fleas because of the humidity and dirt. We’re thinking of a German Shepard mix. What are the top 3 things I should know? I’m open to other ideas as well. Thanks in advance

Regarding the skin conditions, it’s usually a nutrition problem.

Not enough food = weak immune system = mites

It also happens to dogs that eat a lot of rice, because large amount of carbs help the growth of mites in dogs. A good nutrition with plenty of meat can fix the problem in a very short amount of time, unless of course it’s caused by a virus. The vast majority of stray dogs with hairless patches and grey hair just need some good, fresh meat.

As for the guard dog itself, I have no idea. I know some people here in Yilan who own large patches of lands, some of them even own a huge plot of land that they use to raise boars, and as guard dogs they have the regular Taiwanese black dog.

sasauge dog for sure.

@Icon is our resident expert on fur babies and could probably chime in here.

I think you can consider adopting a dog before purchasing one.

There’s an overpopulation of strays as well as crowded kennels all over Taiwan.

Many of the kennels are overpopulated by black mountain dogs you mentioned and they could use a good home! I’m no dog expert, but from what I understand, every dog has its own personality and animal instinct, not every black Taiwan mountain dog is born to be a watch dog!

Indeed. Look, ther are simply no professional breeders in taiwan. The conditions in which the animals are kept and sold are worse than deplorable. There are no regulations nor responsibilities, and hence, the animal you buy is overpriced, not vaccinated and bred in puppy mill conditions that transmit severe defects. Please do not buy.

OTOH, the animals at the shelters, especially the ones at the animal associations, have been neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and kept in much better conditions,. They have been healed in and out.

That said, I am a bit uncertain as to the OPs motivations. Problem with “guard dogs” in my mind rings of fierce dog fight style beats kept fierce and with no love, or dropped in keenels in factories and such, with no human contact or care, like the one we saw making the news last typhoon, being carried away in hsi too small for his size cage and all in the wind. No association will give yuou a dog that you will lock in a cage all day, release just at night. Those animals become time bombs, a danger to you and your family firts and then to other, but least of all to thieves or any other evil doers who may try to enter your property.

If you do not have experince with guard dogs but still feel you require extra protection, please educate yourself and seek suitable help. There are trainers -one in Xindian come sto mine, ther eis also another in Taoyuan, closer to yo - who will work with you and your dog so you becoe a team. Dogs love to work, and guarding a house entails a lot of work, not just being locked in a keenel. Please seek help first, then go choose a suitable dog.

For example, German shepards are very stmart but you have to exercise them regularly as they are genetically predisposed to suffer from hip complications. A traditional tugou, like those flea mite infested ones you see, might be more suitable after a good bath and better diet. BTW, most mountain dogs are used for hunting.

There are several big dogs at the association’s shelter. Most do not even need to woof, peopl see them there and everyone goes away. But they need love and discipline. You love them and they will die for you, face bullets for you. I have a small dog and he does that protection bit. But you cannot show fear or let them do whatever they want. Especially with small dogs! So you need a trainer. Being the boss does not mean hitying people. We all know that for our workplaces. Discipline does not mean cruelty. We know that from children.

As to warning and safekeeping, I still prefer geese. Noisier, can’t be poisoned so easily, attack en masse.

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Our old family Schnauzer, Luey, was somewhat of a “guard dog”. He just had the instinct of protecting his family and we never had to worry about people hopping the wall at my grandma’s if he was around.

What was awesome was he had the bark of a dog twice his size, so burglars would stray away if they heard him. Funny thing is, they would’ve never guessed he was this tiny mid-sized Schnauzer.

Bobby has already warned me of across the road burglars and a fire downstairs. he likes to pick on dogs 10 times his size though, which is a problem. That is why correct training helps with these issues. Most training focuses on the human: dogs read clues from us. We need asservite, calm, confident leadership. They need to know exactly what to expect from us. We cannot spoil them and let them get away with stuff because of their size -big or small.

agree with what icon is saying.

i’ve heard that you need to be the pack leader, your dog needs to follow you. if your dog thinks its the leader, it is basically going to be stressed out. if you use the dog as a guard dog this is what is happening. that dog is basically confused thinking it needs to protect its pack (you) from everything. my family lab will bark at night time if he hears some noise like someone trying to break in the house. i think that does the job as much as you can expect. just find a big black mountain dog, people will be scared enough by that.