Howdy All, I need some direction.

[3000GTCSULB]

Hello everyone, I am a proud owner of this fellow, Clinton.






But the reason I am here is that my girlfriend recently had someone attempt to break into her house. So I have been looking for 2 dogs that we can adopt. We are looking for 2 large dogs, breed doesnt really matter, just big. Im sure that will stop people from hassling her, she lives alone.

She lives in the Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange County area in California and looking for the dogs as soon as possible.

We are both college students so that means we are poor, and would love it if we could get a dog for free, either a dog that someone doesnt want, or cant keep anymore. You can meet the both of us to make sure your dog would go to a good place.

If you guys know of anywhere we could look please let me know.

Rigo

[flyndog]

Hi Rigo. Welcome to GP. We suggest looking locally for a pet. On the internet, visit http://www.petfinder.org.
We do not provide that service here. But, you will find people happy to talk to you about your dogs.

[kparx]

Petfinder would be a good place to look!

[Fuzz Puppy]

Originally Posted by kparx

Petfinder would be a good place to look!

Yeah I agree.

[Cassiepeia]

Hi Welcome to Global Paw. Petfinder.com is great, I agree you should look there. I do, however, want to caution you about rushing in and buying 2 large breed dogs simply because of your girlfriend's break in.
I know dogs are a great deterant, but thinking past the whole home protection issue. Can your girlfriend support two large breed dogs that may need a lot of exercise and a huge amount of food? Can she afford to take care of any medical needs? Spaying/neutering, vaccination, emergancies? Does she have the facilities to house two large dogs? These dogs will need access to both outside and inside the house.
Can she spend time toilet training the dogs, because rescue dogs often need at least a refresher course (at worst, training from scratch). And can she spend the time doing basic obedience with the dogs as well as dealing with any dog agression that may be present in a large breed (or any breed for that matter).
Two is much harder than one, what if they don't get along? What if they do get along and decide not to co-operate with her? What if they would rather lick people to death than guard her property? What if they have issues and are actually more afraid of intruders than your girlfriend?

There is a lot to think about before getting a dog. They're time consuming and expensive to keep...although if you get the right dog to suit you and have the time and money for it, they're well worth it. So I don't want you to think I'm telling you not to get one, just to sit down and actually think about the bad things associated with having a dog or two around.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Keep us posted, yeah?

Cass.

[Novel]

Excellent post Cass...

3000GT...
Perhaps begin with one large dog. Two is just going to be way more work than the average person wants to deal with. And they don't necessarily have to be large. My Boxer, who is a genetic throwback at 35 lbs, scares the crap out of most visitors, even though she's the sweetest little angel, once she's introduced. Size doesn't really matter in this issue... except I wouldn't recommend a toy... 35# and up, all have teeth!
Also, I would like to reiterate what Cass said. If you go out to get a dog with the sole purpose being that of protection, you may wind up with a mess on your hands. A protection dog needs to be of VERY SOUND temperament, not one that ever acts vicious, and actual protection work is very very time consuming and you MUST find a trainer and assistant that you trust to mot turn your beloved pet into a slobbering monster.
If you don't plan on training the dog in protection work, but just want a dog that has a presence, I would suggest a working dog... in particular a Boxer, Rottweiler, Bullmastiff, Doberman Pinscher or a Giant Schnauzer. These dogs, IMO, have a natural instinct to protect their home base. That's what they were bred for. Also, they really are great, sweet dogs that can be wonderful companions.
If you're going to a shelter, look for a dog that your girlfriend can form a bond with, one that she's going to want to spend time with, because that bond is what you really want. A dog that adores your girlfriend and never wants to see her come to harm and nows what she's feeling because they've bonded and care for each other will do everything in it's power to keep her safe.

[poodlesmom]

I also want to mention if you plan in getting one of the working breeds as Novel told you about it is imperative that your girlfriend have the time & dedication required to do substantial obedience training. In fact any large breed dog (small & medium as well) requires that. With their size alone you must be confident that you can control your dog under all circumstances which is not an easy task. To be a deterrent a dog does not need to be large.

[3000GTCSULB]

Thank you guys, I put an ad in the local paper and got a responce from a lady that has a doberman. She said the dog is trained and that I could come by and play with the dog first to see if we get along.

My girlfriend does live in a big place, she has a huge huge back yard so the dog will have plenty of space to run around. Also she goes jogging out every day so the dog can join her.

As far as the cost, the food i will be supplying to the dog food for her. Anything medical that might happen will be taken care of by her parents.

[Pugdawg1]

I hope all goes well. We have some folks on here with dobermans that know are quite savvy on that breed. What about your girlfriend? Does she know anything about dobies? Research should be done before taking the plunge. Gotta remember, it's a big commitment. Something that'll depend on ya for YEARS. Keep us updated.. ever a question or a problem, we're all just a click away.

[Ami]

I don't want to recommend any guardian breed to any first dog owners at all. And as you said, you both are college students, and both of you are poor. Let me tell you, these big dogs eat. At least for $50-$60 a month, they CAN get sick, and the vet ain't good with the prices, you just never know, so it's good to have some money on a "dog account", if I can put it in that way, so you got some needy vet money in the back if anything happens.