5 best guard dog breeds available in Nigeria

By the virtue of my profession, I get a lot of questions about which dogs can serve as guard dogs that one can buy readily in Nigeria. It is a falsehood to assume that all dogs can do the job. This morning, at the time of this article, a client was complaining that his dog has refused to bark. He explained that even when there are strange sounds around his house or when the dog meets a stranger he never barks. He lamented seriously about the dog.

In my experience, I have come across some dogs that I can classify to be at the top 5 of the breeds readily available in Nigeria in terms of their ability to function as guard dogs.

German Shepherd dog

It is very hard to get a very pure bloodline of the German shepherd breed in Nigeria but even the mixed of this breed still performs very well as guard dogs. They can be very loud and sometimes become a nuisance to the owner and their neighbors. Many dogs of this breed can bark and also bite when they meet strangers. They will rather respect the stranger if in the company of their owner or handler but still bark as a warning. They are very good with children when they are socialized as puppies.

Caucasian Mountain Dog

This big, wolf-like dog with a huge mane like the lion I will rank second to the German Shepherds not that the German shepherd does a better job but the fact that the Caucasian may not respect the Stranger even in the company of the owner or handler. They are massive and that makes them even more dangerous because they sometimes overpower their owners when determined to scare a stranger. They are not dangerous to children when socialized with them as puppies. They love to play even as adults and at the same time a very scary aggressive dog when guarding his territory.

Rottweiler

This muscular dog with its characteristic black smooth hair coat with some brown markings around the eyes and chest is another dog to be very cautious with. Rottweiler will not bark for long but will swing into action almost immediately. They are very active dogs by nature and will need a lot of room for exercise to get the best from them. They are more dangerous when they are the prime dog in their environment. They can inflict unbelievable wounds to their victims. Rottweilers can be tamed to be a home pet and at the same time the guard of the house. They can be good with children when socialized but not like the German shepherd or Caucasian dogs.

Bullmastiff

This is a very muscular breed with a characteristic tan coat color with a black color around the mouth region of their face (muzzle). They also come in brindle color. They can be very playful as puppies but care must be taken when they are fully grown and especially when they are getting older - 3-5yrs of age. They can be very difficult to control or managed especially when they are trained as guard dogs. Sometimes you may have to beat them to get them to obey you. You will be lucky if the dog respects you, otherwise, you are in for big trouble. They require the same level of exercise as the Rottweilers. It is advisable to release them around for guarding when you are sure that no one will be careless with crossing his path.

Nigerian Local breed

This is the primitive dog that roams about the streets mostly owned by ‘careless’ owners. It is very funny that you can chase them about when they are scavenging for food outside their territory but when you get to his territory you will be greeted with fierce resistance. They are most dangerous when they are in packs. In fact, they are better kept in packs not less than 2 dogs. They can be very loud while performing their function as guard dogs. They may not bite but will bark endlessly. Sometimes the stranger will have to leave or stay out of sight to stop them from barking. They can be very loving dogs around the family, children and their handlers. You might have a problem of the dog running out of the compound at the slightest opportunity especially when a female on heat is hanging around.

There are other dogs that can give you the same results as the dogs above. You can substitute German shepherd with Doberman Pincher, Boer boel; Substitute Caucasian with Samoyed, Japanese Spitz. You need to have a good reason for the substitute. The ones outlined above are most readily available and are getting cheaper by the day. The mixed versions of these breeds also enhance their abilities but sometimes makes handling very difficult. I don’t know the one you own and the behavior in term of guarding the house. Tell us about them in the comments.