Originally posted by: 1sikbITCH
Originally posted by: cpals
I'm thinking about dog ownership for security purposes if/when I get my own house.
What are good dogs to have that have low up-keep. What's a typical monthly cost for these types of dogs?
My bro has a pitbull but they're pretty big. Not sure if I'd want a dog that big in a small house.
Edit- took out the first part seeing as how you do actually enjoy having dogs as pets.
Any dog that will seriously protect you will take a HUGE amount of upkeep (and a good bit of money) for the first 2 years of it's life, because if you don't train it properly, it will bite someone at the wrong time because it THINKS it's protecting you. It will become more trouble than it's worth.
I have 2 German Shepherds, and if I didn't love dogs, I would have just got a shotgun and a burgler alarm. My dogs take up at least an hour of my day every day, not including 3 hours during the weekends at the dog trainer. You have to feed them, exercise them (allow them to run and play for a long time, not a 10 minute walk), and pay attention to them. You can't just go away for the weekend, or even decide to not come home after work. Your dog is home, waiting to be let outside and fed.
A dog (especially a breed like you are talking about) is a large commitment. For me it's worth every penny and minute I have invested.