guard dog vs watch dog ability?

[DogPreservation]

this is a question for the people who run this site. i was wondering what the difference is between guard dog and watch dog ability in the dog breed information section? they kind of seem like the same thing, right?

[ckelly]

Hi DogPreservation,

Good question. Watch dog ability refers to a dog's natural tendency to bark at strange sounds and intruders, and its ability to inform its owner of potential danger. Guard dog ability refers to a dog's ability to physically subdue an intruder or assailant. So naturally, a vocal Toy breed might make a great watch dog, but it is unlikely to be able to actually stop an intruder. Conversely a large, easygoing breed may not bark much, but it could probably do some damage if someone entered your home.

I hope this has been helpful. Please let us know if you have any other questions.


-Chris

[clowndino]

I think the Anatolian Shepherd (you can google it) is a good example of a watch dog.

[Drazhar]

watch dog is a dog that will bark at whatever it hears and alert you of possibal intruders, guard dogs will sometimes bark but always attack...if it needs to.