a dog? read below? the dogs i am consider are pit-bulls, bull terrier, Rottweiler, American bulldog or a great Dane or Doberman Pinscher which one would you recommend and why and yes i can dominate a dog. i want one that will protect me since i am a female and will be on my own. i have had great Danes when i was younger worked with pits and the other breeds i listed. just wanted to know who has owned one and if they get a long with other dogs and are they real protective but can they still be social like when i go for walks have people pet them.
please dont not recommend small dogs i dont like them.

I have owned pit bulls, rotties, and dobermans in the past, love them all. Socialization depends on you, not the breed of dog. I have never trained a dog in protection work- it has been my experience that the appearance of a large dog is more than enough to deter most hoodlums. I currently have a dogue de bordeaux who is 122 lbs and gentle as a lamb (his best buddy is an 8 lb shihtzu we inherited from my mother in law) but NO ONE will come in my house or even too close to the door when they see that giant face looking out at them....I had the same experience with the pit bulls and dobermans- they were great for keeping salesmen, and door to door missionaries from disturbing my peace.....They would stop at the gate and ask- are the dogs going to bite? and I would just shrug and say "I don't know, they might"

i have a pitbull and he is wonderful for home protection. he won't eat anything anyone other than family gives him. he goes crazy when anyone comes onto our yard or comes to the door. he is loving and gentle with my 3 year old niece and 10mo old niece and nephew (twins). he is incredibly friendly when walked on a leash. some people are scared to touch him, but i get many compliments from those who are familiar with the breed at how beautiful he is, so i meet a lot of people this way. as a female as well, if i owned a home with a large yard, i would get another pitbull for protection as well as good companionship.

I love Rocco, My Rotti- very scary looking- just cause he is big- very very protecting of his mother, oh- but just so SWEET on the inside!!!

Great Danes are nice. A rottie Labradore mix would be a good dog too.

Any dog you take in will protect you. They don't need to be "big". Even a small dog's bark will deter most criminals because it attracts attention.

I would check into personality and exercise needs to decide which dog is right for you. That is what is important.

Most dogs will get along with other dogs and be friendly to people if you get them out and socialize them. The biggest mistake people make is "protecting" their dogs from other dogs or lifting them up in their arms and then claiming that their dog is "afraid of other dogs". The fact is, the person is making them afraid of other dogs. Dogs are social and WANT to meet and play with other dogs. People are the ones who make mistakes. I would recommend getting a good book on dog obedience.

And lastly, it would be great if you would pick a dog from a shelter and NOT a breeder. There are SO many good dogs out there who need homes and are just waiting at a shelter to find a loving companion. Most dogs rescued from shelters are so thankful for what they have, most of them coming from a terrible existence before, that they turn out to be the best dogs.

Good luck!

I would get a Rottie.
My grandfather used to breed them and he let us bring home older male of his. We named him Odie.He was the biggest baby ever. I was little when we got him prolly 6 or 7 and he was great with me and very protective. Just make sure you take him to training so he or she isnt always people agressive!

In my personal opinion the Rotty or Doby are the best all around dogs for the job. Both super intelligent and quick to become protective it was what they were bred for.

Make sure you check with your homeowners insurance to make sure they allow these breeds. Some insurance policies will not allow you to own alleged "dangerous" breeds and will cancel your policy if you have one.

Also check with your homeowners association, if you have one, to make sure they don't have any breed requirements either.

Breed Specific Legislation sucks, but until we weed out all the idiots, it will continue.

Socialisation is 100% down to you. A dog will naturally be protective of its owner if it's treated right. As for the breed, as you have experience with all the ones you list, why not go for your favourite? Hard to say, otherwise, if you don't give info about your lifestyle.