Dog Breeds - Help Pick

[sanantone]

Yes, an alert dog is more likely what we need. I've not known a lot of dogs trained for guarding, but the few I did were a bit too aggressive (maybe that's not the right word - dominant, perhaps?) for what I think will work around my son. Plus, snakes are not common in our yard but we do find a few a year, and given the moccasin the neighbors caught and killed, I'd rather a dog that sees danger and just alerts than one that tries to get in there and take care of it, and possibly get bit by a poisonous snake. We're taking precautions after last weekend's find to try to deter those yucky critters, but I still want to make sure whatever dog we get is trained not to go after a problem on its own, at least not without a command or similar.



Oh, see, now you're going after my heart. I love pit breeds. I've never met one that wasn't an absolute sweetie. Our HOA has a clause that says no pit breeds, though. Think a mix would qualify? Not like they'll AKC test it, I'm sure, so long as it doesn't look 100% the part. I do not like Akitas, Huskies, and Chow Chows; they're pretty and all, but never met one that wasn't a mean jerk. Plus, their coats are far too thick for hot climates, in my opinion.

You might want to cross the Alaskan Malamute off your list too. Well, you'll know which type of dog won't be fit for the climate when you see it. It's a shame that your HOA won't allow pits. I've found that if an apartment or HOA bans just one type of dog, it's the pit bull. They are very misunderstood.

Your HOA might ask for a vet's opinion. Depending on how the dog looks, you can get away with calling it a Boxer or Lab mix. If they don't ban other bully breeds, you could probably get away with bulldog mix and the like.