But Which Watchdog Is Top Dog?
My recent Safety Zone column about the best guard dogs and watch dogs led to numerous responses from dog lovers. What follows is a sampling of reaction:
I’ve had experience with both bloodhounds (listed among the worst watchdogs) and the mastiff (listed among the best guard dogs). We had a peeping Tom once and the guy obviously had to step over the bloodhound to get to the window. I had the opposite experience with a mastiff, which we had as kids. He always slept in my mother’s room when no one else was home. One Easter week when we were all gone, my mother woke to see him carefully creep from her room, and then heard a scream from the kitchen. There was a burglar and that dog half-killed him, blood all over the place. The amazing thing was that dog was the friendliest creature on Earth and with three kids in the house, he was used to people wandering in and out. Somehow, though, he knew that burglar wasn’t supposed to be there.
MIKE SPENCER, San Clemente
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I have lived with bull mastiffs, and the expert who called them ‘big goofballs’ was right on the money. But they sure LOOK intimidating. Also, for the list of most worthless watchdogs: Full bulldogs. I live with two of them. . . . If a stranger comes in the house, they will knock them down and lick them to death.
JOHN NIEDHAMER
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My father and I went to a dog show. While standing near a show arena my father suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his leg. He looked down to see a large [Rottweiler, listed as the best watchdog] leaning up against his leg. My father wasn’t sure if he should move, given its size and the look on its face. The owner finally arrived to explain that the dog was just tired after his show and just thought my father was comfortable.
JAMES N. GIBSON
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What happened to the Akita? This is a dog bred to be a watchdog. Ours spends her waking hours in front of our front gate. EVERYTHING that comes into sight receives an impressive warning that she is on duty. We don’t shut the gate during the day for this reason. Neighbors love her because they can depend on her, not to mention being able to tell the difference in her bark to separate new intruders from regulars. At night she stations herself next to our bed. Now that’s a watchdog. Bring any of those Top Ten dogs with you and I guarantee they will not cross her line!
DENNIS E. MYERS
Laguna Beach
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On the list of Top Ten guard dogs you cited, you left out real man-stoppers like the Belgian Malinois, the pit bull and the German short-haired pointer.
DEXTER WILBURG
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True, the English bulldog is a worthless ball of slobber and skin. But there are other bulldogs truer to the bulldogs of yesteryear, namely the American bulldog.
JON WEATHERHEAD
West Milton, Ohio
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We Rottweiler owners tend to cringe when we see our breed mentioned in the press, for two reasons: 1. Rottweilers seem to be a media metaphor for vicious killing machines. Whenever there is a tragic story of a dog attack, the image of a Rottweiler seems to accompany the coverage--even when it was not the breed involved. 2. When stories about Rottweilers result in popularity of the breed, the uninformed rush out to buy them. The result is an increase of poorly bred, poorly trained, poorly socialized animals whose owners dump them in the animal shelter because the dog is out of control. Thank you for specifically mentioning the Rottweiler’s need for socialization and training.
BRET and BARB GROSS
San Clemente
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Jerry Hicks’ column appears Monday and Thursday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 564-1049 or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com
