New to PDB - Page 1

New to this forum and hoping that there are some nice people available.  So many questions for which there are probably so many different opinions.  Admittedly a little intimidating.

Welcome and get tough. Some people just can't leave others alone...don't feed the trolls and keep an open mind when you receive answers to your questions. Lots of good info on here. Deb

Welcome :)

Bring your thick skin, open mind and a few grains of salt.  People here are pretty good about giving their personal honest answers.  
There is a whole lot of value tidbits you can get from this board, many of which are often not politically correct.  

I saw your ad looking for a pup or young dog.  Only going by what I read in your ad, I would suggest you may want to consider getting a trained adult dog instead of a pup.  It may take too long for a pup to be ready to do what it sounds like you need now.    Don't be afraid of getting an adult dog, most of my dogs I bought when they were young adults (around 1 yr old) and I have very close friends who have bought many of their dogs as adults between 2 and 6 yrs old.  They still bond quickly and are wonderful to work with.   They already have worldly experience, they usually respond to commands from their new owners within the first few days (if not the very first day!) and you can choose a dog who has been tested and proven to have real world defense/fight drive if you need it.   With puppies it is not a gaurantee, even from the best lines.  

Personally, if I was in a situation where I had a serious need for a serious protection dog....and I had relatively few neighbors and few visitors to my home, I would get a Fila (Brazilian mastiff.) from a very reputable breeder.

Thank you for the advice. I am leaning to adult but also would likely need to be trained myself.  I dont have a problem with traveling to do so, it is more overwhelming to wade through so much... and trying to not make an emotional decision when I am in an emotional place.  I consider this a lifetime commitment, not just a temporary fix.

Thanks again for the advice on the issue of age, that really helped to kind of settle that issue in my mind.  Appreciate it.

Thank you for the advice. I am leaning to adult but also would likely need to be trained myself.  I dont have a problem with traveling to do so, it is more overwhelming to wade through so much... and trying to not make an emotional decision when I am in an emotional place.  I consider this a lifetime commitment, not just a temporary fix.

Thanks again for the advice on the issue of age, that really helped to kind of settle that issue in my mind.  Appreciate it.

Welcome, and don't believe the hype. Euro brought up the adult, but how experienced are you? If it is green and has "real world defense/fight", then you have to either be very experienced or seek out a trainer. If it is fully trained, you are talking $8,000-250,000, depending on who you get scammed by, and I'll bet $2 that 90% of them are garbage. If you go the adult route, green or trained, I hope you are experienced or know someone that is. And that doesn't include your second cousin's brother-in-law that got arrested by the local k9 unit. If you are in serious need of a serious dog, that comes with a lot of baggage and responsibility. Many people on here think their dog will protect them, and they won't. Some might, but the vast majority won't. If you have experience, great! If not, take some firearms courses, buy a hand gun and keep a shotgun handy. Very little aim needed with a SG when you are half asleep in the middle of the night. And of course, buy a dog. It will help you sleep better at night. They deter common criminals and many make great watch dogs.

I knew it was only a matter of time, good post Chaz! 

Welcome, Crackedpottery, sure sounds like you have a story to tell.  You wouldn't be the first person here with a crazy after them. Just curious though, because you make it sound like you are/were a victim. I'm assuming it is a man you are frightened of? You ask for a dog to protect you but your avatar says so much more.

And I am nice by the way, no matter what some people say. That is a very lovely picture of you and your horse.

Chaz gives you some solid advice.  You are correct that you would need some guidance on how to handle a dog with protection training but even then, you could still get hurt.  Dogs don't come with a sign that says whether or not they are protection trained and the mere presence of a large, imposing looking dog is enough to prevent most would-be attackers.  For the person who isn't deterred by the dog, you need a gun.

Welcome to the forum!