Yard dog options, a 'scary' type

[poiuytrewq]

Our Lab is pretty good. I have him out with me in the dark on the yard and he will give a good hefty bark if anyone’s around. Same at home. Don’t need a doorbell! Hes also a wonderful house dog though and gets on with our cats, little dogs and rabbits. He has no experience of children and I suspect he’d be a bit too bouncy and worried by them but previous labs when my daughter was smaller were amazing with her and all her friends.

 

[Moobli]

I had never heard of them so just googled. I like the look of those very much, 'bred to drive sheep with their loud deep bark and very intelligent and trainable' whats not to like? ?

They love, and I mean LOVE, their own voice ??

 

[Moobli]

OH had a Huntaway (that looked quite like a Rott) a good few years ago now and he said he was a great dog, but was fairly quiet for the breed. The assistant shepherd had two here and they never ever shut up.

 

[AmyMay]

They love, and I mean LOVE, their own voice ??

Which is why I suddenly thought of them ?

 

[Clodagh]

There are several huntaways round here. I do like them to look at but remember they are basically big, hard collies and therefore need work.
I’ve never seen one in a pet home.

 

[palo1]

There are several huntaways round here. I do like them to look at but remember they are basically big, hard collies and therefore need work.
I’ve never seen one in a pet home.

Huntaways and their crosses are quite common round here. They are great dogs but need vast amounts of work ime. A flock of several hundred sheep over several hundred acres isn't considered 'enough' for some local farmers though the ones with huge flocks and bigger acreage love them. My BIL has one; a big, strong, hard dog that lives to work. I really admire them but wouldn't have one unless I had plenty for it to do!!

 

[Zoeypxo]

I have an alaskan malamute.. doesnt like strangers at all and will bark the place down, no one tries to enter my garden

 

[misst]

How about a Huntaway?

There is a lovely one we meet on walks regularly. Nice looking dog.

 

[twiggy2]

I had never heard of them so just googled. I like the look of those very much, 'bred to drive sheep with their loud deep bark and very intelligent and trainable' whats not to like? ?

In my experience they never stop barking, driving sheep is very different to herding sheep and they work in a very different way to collies.
Basically they run about at the back of a huge mob of sheep barking all the time, the mobs of sheep are so big the sheep at the front cannot see the dogs so they have to hear them.

 

[DSB]

English Bull Terrier,ours only had to appear around the corner of the stables to have everyone back in their car/up a fence.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Thanks so much everyone!! Yes just to reiterate/confirm - I definitely do not want a trained protection dog, that's beyond my skill level and rightly or wrongly, I'd be scared in case it went rogue especially with having a novicey owner. I only want something as a deterrent and a bark on command would be amazing. I have done courses with IMDT so decent with training but definitely no expert.

Love collies but think they'd be too much for me energy wise? Weekdays I'd prefer to keep to about 1.5 ish hours of exercise max but can do more at the weekend. Our house is quite busy so hoping for a couch potato type when we're home, I don't have the mental capacity for much more chaos, lol.

Another thought I'd had is a Standard Poodle, not scary to look at of course but still a decent size and fairly loud. I'm a poodle girl through and through and have had standards in the past so know I love the breed. I also love St Bernards and Newfies, even Danes! ALWAYS wanted a Golden Retriever too.

This is turning into an excuse to justify getting another cute pup isn't it ?

I'm surprised at the low number of replies recommending a Spitz breed. Spitz breeds are in general known for being barky, and if you want to feel secure alone taking care of your horse/yard/field in the darker hours, get something that are likely to alert you about noticing someone/something being nearby. The majority of "bad" persons doesn't want to be found out when they're still XX metres away planning to be the one to surprise you.
(Note, some Spitz breeds are a bit less barky than other Spitzes.)

To early alert their owners about potential visitors (welcome, or not welcomed) to your farm/yard is basically one of the things Norwegian Buhunds was bred to do. They're versatile, have a coat that is weather proof, but they're sadly becoming more, and more rare, and difficult to find.

Swedish Vallhund/Västgötaspets can be born with anything from almost no tails, to long tails.

Swedish Vallhunds from a frontview

There's a Swedish Lapphund breed, which only comes in Black, or Brown, sometimes with small white markings on the chest, paws or tail.

Icelandic Sheepdog

The German Spitz comes in 4 sizes, and 3 of them comes in more than one colour. Here's a Mittelspitz:

The Eurasier can come in many different colours, and some of them have blue (black?) tongues like one of their ancestors the Chow Chow.

And of course, there's Finnish Lapphunds:

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Swedish Vallhunds from a frontview

Oooh! I like those, I think one would settle in very nicely here. Are they small or medium size dogs? It is difficult to tell from the pics?

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Oooh! I like those, I think one would settle in very nicely here. Are they small or medium size dogs? It is difficult to tell from the pics?

Last I read about it, they can be the same height as a Welsh Corgi Pembroke, or a few (like perhaps maybe 3 or 5?) centimetres taller. But unlike Corgis they're always some shade of wolf coloured.
I've heard some say that the Vikings had Vallhunds with them when they came to the British Isles. But I've also heard some say that either the Vikings came with their Vallhunds to Wales which bred with the native dogs, or the Vikings took Corgis with them from Wales.

 

[Cortez]

Are they not too beautiful to truly scary, though?

 

[fiwen30]

Lapphunds are just gooorgeous.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Are they not too beautiful to truly scary, though?

I don't think persons out to cause trouble really care about beauty. I think the majority of them care more about not wanting their advantage of surprise to be ruined, and not wanting to risk being disturbed by a dog who refuses to be distracted. I remember ages ago taking my first Norwegian Buhund to a simple but official mental health test. She barked, and tried to walk off the trail before arriving at the next "station" because she'd noticed a man standing suspiciously behind some trees quite a distance away.
When he let go of the line he was holding, making a chain fall down along some metal, she didn't care one iota about the noise, she just went all "I knew it, come on owner I told you he was suspicious, I saw him, he's still right there, he did that!"

I was just out walking in the dark with my remaining Lapphund, she might just be around my knee in height, and resemble a teddy bear, but she's all I need to feel safe.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I'm surprised at the low number of replies recommending a Spitz breed. Spitz breeds are in general known for being barky, and if you want to feel secure alone taking care of your horse/yard/field in the darker hours, get something that are likely to alert you about noticing someone/something being nearby. The majority of "bad" persons doesn't want to be found out when they're still XX metres away planning to be the one to surprise you.
(Note, some Spitz breeds are a bit less barky than other Spitzes.)

To early alert their owners about potential visitors (welcome, or not welcomed) to your farm/yard is basically one of the things Norwegian Buhunds was bred to do. They're versatile, have a coat that is weather proof, but they're sadly becoming more, and more rare, and difficult to find.

Swedish Vallhund/Västgötaspets can be born with anything from almost no tails, to long tails.

Swedish Vallhunds from a frontview

There's a Swedish Lapphund breed, which only comes in Black, or Brown, sometimes with small white markings on the chest, paws or tail.

Icelandic Sheepdog

The German Spitz comes in 4 sizes, and 3 of them comes in more than one colour. Here's a Mittelspitz:

The Eurasier can come in many different colours, and some of them have blue (black?) tongues like one of their ancestors the Chow Chow.

And of course, there's Finnish Lapphunds:

Trouble is, spitz can be hard to find in the UK. I looked for a German spitz litter a while back, because I’m nosy and there was only one litter in the UK that I could find. I’ve met one Finnish laphund (recently) in 20 years of walking my dogs.

I think I recommended a spitz type for the barky nature, but the coat puts me off. I remember my childhood Keeshond having diarrhoea once and omg, the mess was unbelievable!

A student at school just got a Rottweiler puppy and I’m jealous!

 

[GSD Woman]

I think I recommended a spitz type for the barky nature, but the coat puts me off. I remember my childhood Keeshond having diarrhoea once and omg, the mess was unbelievable!

Those coats need what I always called a poop path. Trimming down the backside so things don't stick.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Trouble is, spitz can be hard to find in the UK. I looked for a German spitz litter a while back, because I’m nosy and there was only one litter in the UK that I could find. I’ve met one Finnish laphund (recently) in 20 years of walking my dogs.

I think I recommended a spitz type for the barky nature, but the coat puts me off. I remember my childhood Keeshond having diarrhoea once and omg, the mess was unbelievable!

A student at school just got a Rottweiler puppy and I’m jealous!

Those coats need what I always called a poop path. Trimming down the backside so things don't stick.

I admit that the adult coat's trousers on a Lapphund, and diarrhoea isn't a good combination. But on the few occasions that has happened, I've most of the times been able to fix the situation with one to a few bum wipes. And besides those times, it really hasn't been that often that I've needed to clean their behinds.

 

[scruffyponies]

Another vote for a Rottie. We have a Rottie x Bullmastiff (13). Without a doubt the best dog I will ever own, and has never given us a minutes trouble. She is trained to bark and growl on the command "watch him" which was initially for amusement, but no doubt would be effective. However, if someone points a finger at her and says "bang" she'll hit the deck with her paws in the air.

 

[Hackback]

I dont think you can beat a GSD for what you want. Devoted to their owner and family and want to stay nearby - no need to worry about them wandering off while you're poo picking. Generally good with other animals and people they know and easy to get in and out of the car, unlike some of the larger breeds. Easy to train too. I'd have a bitch for loyalty and protectiveness.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I admit that the adult coat's trousers on a Lapphund, and diarrhoea isn't a good combination. But on the few occasions that has happened, I've most of the times been able to fix the situation with one to a few bum wipes. And besides those times, it really hasn't been that often that I've needed to clean their behinds.

The dog in question had a sensitive tummy. He went to the Royal Vet College in Glasgow and they basically advised half meat, half biscuit, which seemed to sort him out, but it was the days of chucking dogs scraps and hoping for the best as well as their normal meals. Not pretty on a fluffy dog!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Only one Eurasier puppy on Pets4homes (I would not buy from here!)

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

And 2 German Spitz (The snipping tool works on my work computer!)

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Damn, I'm tempted!!

 

[blackcob]

While we're in spitz territory, schipperkes have enough of a trouser parting not to get cling-ons. Bit small for OP’s needs but an indefatigable watchdog.

 

[Blanche]

I wouldn’t, from experience, recommend a collie as a scary dog. Many, many moons ago in the mid, late eighties I was doing late checks. I had six collies with me. I had done the bottom lot and went up to do the top barn. They ran ahead about fifteen feet in front of me and as one skidded to a stop and started growling. They backed up and all ran behind me. I was $h!tting myself. I will always remember how my heart was beating so fast and beating so loudly that I was sure everyone in a twenty mile radius must be able to hear it. My legs were liked cooked spaghetti and I could hardly walk on. I crept round the corner ready to turn and wobble away. I got round the corner and the dogs were really ramping up the growling. You know what was there, a bloody wheelbarrow! I could have killed them. I had to go in to the boys and was still waiting for someone to jump out but there was no one there. The stallions were all half asleep and if someone strange had been looking about they would have on edge. For that reason I don’t recommend collies!

At another yard I sometimes had people having a nose about. I would do late checks anywhere from ten thirty to two in the morning, it depended on whether I fell asleep on the sofa after supper! At the time I had a Dalmatian and a terrier. Both were getting on, they would both have struggled to catch a dead rabbit. If they heard someone running they would chase after them and I would call out Slasher/ Rambo/ Crusher or any other ’hard’ sounding name I could come up with. The person running would speed up when they heard the names. One night we had a runner and I called them with the made up names and then added’ Please don’t bite this one as badly as the last’ in a very exasperated voice. Well I think that runner broke the hundred metre record. The gravel on the driveway was flying everywhere. Never found anyone on the yard again so couldn’t try it again. The dogs always came back after a couple of minutes. The Dalmatian sounded like the hounds of Baskerville had been unleashed so I suggest a dog with a big, deep bark and think up a scary name for it.

 

[rabatsa]

My neighbours cavapoo is called Gnasher and wears a fluorescent jacket with SECURITY written on it.

 

[Moobli]

I wouldn’t, from experience, recommend a collie as a scary dog. Many, many moons ago in the mid, late eighties I was doing late checks. I had six collies with me. I had done the bottom lot and went up to do the top barn. They ran ahead about fifteen feet in front of me and as one skidded to a stop and started growling. They backed up and all ran behind me. I was $h!tting myself. I will always remember how my heart was beating so fast and beating so loudly that I was sure everyone in a twenty mile radius must be able to hear it. My legs were liked cooked spaghetti and I could hardly walk on. I crept round the corner ready to turn and wobble away. I got round the corner and the dogs were really ramping up the growling. You know what was there, a bloody wheelbarrow! I could have killed them. I had to go in to the boys and was still waiting for someone to jump out but there was no one there. The stallions were all half asleep and if someone strange had been looking about they would have on edge. For that reason I don’t recommend collies!

At another yard I sometimes had people having a nose about. I would do late checks anywhere from ten thirty to two in the morning, it depended on whether I fell asleep on the sofa after supper! At the time I had a Dalmatian and a terrier. Both were getting on, they would both have struggled to catch a dead rabbit. If they heard someone running they would chase after them and I would call out Slasher/ Rambo/ Crusher or any other ’hard’ sounding name I could come up with. The person running would speed up when they heard the names. One night we had a runner and I called them with the made up names and then added’ Please don’t bite this one as badly as the last’ in a very exasperated voice. Well I think that runner broke the hundred metre record. The gravel on the driveway was flying everywhere. Never found anyone on the yard again so couldn’t try it again. The dogs always came back after a couple of minutes. The Dalmatian sounded like the hounds of Baskerville had been unleashed so I suggest a dog with a big, deep bark and think up a scary name for it.

Those tales made me laugh