The Guard Dog

[JoJo]

I'm not sure where to place this question so I thought General would be a safe bet.

Today I saw a rottie being used as a guard dog. This dog from where I was standing looked healthy, nice coat, in shape. I guess from what I could tell, a very good looking dog that was in the standard. My question is....is a guard dog the same as one would think of as a junkyard dog? Are guard dogs "trained" to do this type of work or do they just have a bad temperment to start with? This particular dog did not bark or snarl at us. He was on his side of the fence and we were in the parking lot. I didn't temp to go up to him to meet him up close and personal. :D

It just seemed to me that this dog knew that we were not a threat and he looked like any other rottie looking at strangers. He did not fit the sterotype of what one would think of as a junkyard dog. Are "guard dogs" considered a working dog?

JoJo

[lblax]

many are trained to guard a perimeter others just are BA'S

[Judi W]

What made you decide he was a guard dog?

[JoJo]

What made you decide he was a guard dog?

Oh because it was a Sunday morning, place of business closed, and the sign on the fence "Warning, Bad Dog on Premise".

Maybe he was the decoy and his friend was in hiding? ;) I just assumed since no one was around, he was "guarding" his property. Like I said, I didn't go up and try to get personal with him, for if I did, I'm sure he would have greeted me with a "smile".

JoJo

[poohbearsmom]

It's the look of the rottie that's meant to be the intimidation factor, JoJo... Very possible, since this is a small business, that the dog lives there, and is well cared for. The signs probably add to the tactics of keeping out intruders. Could be he's licking customer's hands during normal operating hours.... :)

OTH, maybe he just "knew" ;) you were rottie people, and he was cool with that...LOL.

To me, junkyard dogs are just that.... usually not much more than ferral dogs living within a fenced perimeter.

[Burnsway]

Quite a few businesses in Houston have Rottweilers that I do not label junk yard dogs. They are healthy, happy and throughly enjoy the coming and goings of people all day but are left at night. I believe many are just as poohbearsmom said, more an intimidation factor. I myself would be scared of theft of the dog. Who cares about my business stuff, if I had one I just make sure I was well insured.

[RSQRottweiler]

I currently work at a small shoe/boot store and repair shop, and my boss allows (and even welcomes) my 3 year old Rottie Sebastian. It wouldn't say it's in a "bad" part of town, but we do have some rough characters come in from time to time.
Sebastian loves the customers. He snoozes for most of the day and stays behind the counter, but dog-loving customers usually spend several minutes just doting on him. He comes home with me in the evening, so he's not a true "guard dog." However, on those days when I'm alone in the store, it's nice to have him with me. At least, when I get bored, we can play "tag" up and down the aisles.:D

Audrey

[mmgy]

My first dogs ever were guard dogs. I'm in a not-so-great part of town, across from questionable public housing. A shepherd mix wandered up one day, and decided to stay. We have a fenced yard, and we built her a little house and fed her. When she had puppies, and died shortly thereafter, we decided to keep two, and they lived here till they got old and started coming home with me at night. (BTW, these were my learning days).

When I was young, my dad contracted with a security company that brought dogs out every night, and picked them up every morning. Those dogs were trained. But nowadays, in little old industrial neighborhoods like mine, I think most dogs fall in two categories. Some like mine, travel back and forth. Others, like at least three in my area, are strays or pound dogs that are left on site in a guarding capacity, though they are not trained. There's a used car lot nearby that has no less than four dogs at any time, all from the city shelter. Though dirty, they are happy, well-fed, and sleep in the garage.

Crime around here is generally nuisance drug-related stuff--though still serious, and a barking dog is an excellent deterrent, particularly when you're not always dealing with the most educated part of the population. Would you climb over an eight fence with a smiling (or not!) rottie on the other side???

Not all insurance companies will cover a business anymore with onsite dogs.

A lot of those dogs on Animal Planet truly are junkyard dogs, but I think there's definitely another distinction between junkyard and guard. We always just called ours watchdogs.

[LORHEL]

You know the thing that has always amazed me, on that show, Animal Precinct.... the rotties they always show (ie: the pregnant mom living in a car with her pups inside a junkyard)

and the others I have been able to stand to watch, (the show is just so upsetting sometimes, I just get p.o. and can't watch unless there is a good ending story)

The living conditions of these dogs, (I'm talking about the ones not taken care of, but just left by people out in the cold, no food ,etc.)... will still sometimes have the best temperament, and just be thankful someone is getting them the he.. out of that situation. You would think they would be out of control, and wild, and not accept strangers, it just goes to show that not all of them out there have that poor mentality, they are just products of the environment they are put in.