A lot of people get dogs because they need protection, or want their family protected. Aussiedoodles are great family dogs because of their trainability and the fact that they are more hypoallergenic than other dogs. But, are Aussiedoodles protective if they need to be? Do they make good guard dogs?
Larger Aussiedoodles can appear quite fearsome. Aussiepoos are both protective of their people and territorial. However, they rarely bite and are more likely to bark when they believe there is a threat.
Let’s delve into some of the reasons why Aussiedoodles may or may not be suitable for the protection that you require. And some of the genetic reasons why these characteristics developed, and non-genetic factors that affect aggression.
Genetics Behind the Aussiedoodle’s Protective Nature
Aussiedoodles, also known as Aussiepoos, are a hybrid breed. They are achieved by mixing an Australian Shepherd with a Poodle.
Both these parent breeds have a lot of variety in personality and characteristics, but for the purpose of this comparison, I will be looking at the non-pet variants of the Poodle and Australian Shepherd as their pronounced characteristics influence the breed as a whole.
Protection in the Poodle
Poodles were initially bred to be hunting dogs. This means that they are extremely intelligent and very trainable.
Poodles have never been bred to be aggressive toward humans. They have also not been bred to be very territorial.
However, their extreme intelligence and observation skills do make them very good at identifying threats. They are renowned for barking when someone knocks on the door, or a postman walks a bit too close to the house.
Although Poodles do not make very good guard dogs, they are good alert dogs or watchdogs.
Protection in Australian Shepherds
Unlike the Poodle, Australian Shepherds have been bred to be territorial and protective. They were initially herding dogs, which meant that they may have needed to deal with threats to the animals in their care.
Despite being protective, Australian Shepherds are also not aggressive. Some of them can be very skittish.
When they are unsure, they bark and may cower away. Some may jump up, and give a small nip as a warning. In my experience, this nip is rarely strong enough to even pinch the skin, and the point behind it is more to remind you that they have teeth.
Although this is better than the Poodle, it is still not very effective if you want a guard dog.
Non-Genetic Effects on Aussiedoodle Aggression
Although it’s been established that the Aussiedoodle really has no genetic background that causes enough aggression to make it an effective guard dog, there are environmental factors that can affect aggression in the Aussiedoodle.
This is not unique to the Aussiepoo. Any dog can become more aggressive in certain environments. The past experience of your puppy may alter its future behavior.
Breeding Environment
The environment in which your Aussiedoodle was born affects its personality. If an Aussiepoo did not have enough access to food it may become more protective of its bowl. If the breeders were not careful about overstimulation it may become skittish in certain environments.
Many people will interact with your Aussiepoo puppy before you get it. If it had a poor experience with a certain type of person it may act aggressively towards them.
A traumatizing experience is never something that someone wants for their pet. However, if you are trying to get a good guard dog, it is important to note everything that affects a dog’s aggression.
Training
Aussiepoos are very intelligent. This is mostly thanks to their Poodle heritage, but Australian Shepherds are also very clever.
This intelligence means that, even though they are not aggressive naturally, you might be able to train the protection that you need.
This does not always work. It depends largely on the individual dog. In most cases, barking on command is relatively easy to achieve though.
Busy Surroundings
The highly intelligent Aussiedoodle is usually a very calm and collected dog. But, if their surroundings are very chaotic, they may become overwhelmed.
This increase in activity might lead to the dog being more agitated than it would be in any other situation.
Whether this will result in aggressive behavior is still very difficult to predict. They might bark and growl. They may even jump up and put their paws on people. But it is still very rare for them to actually bite.
Why You Might Consider an Aussiedoodle as a Guard Dog.
Family Dogs
Even though it’s obvious that Aussies are not the greatest of guard dogs, they are wonderful family dogs. You don’t want to get a guard dog that bites your children or guests when you don’t want it to.
This may be a worthwhile compromise for the lack of aggression.
They Bark at Everyone
If all you need is a guard dog that will alert you to the presence of another person, then the Aussiedoodle is for you. Their bark is also enough to scare away some people.
In the larger varieties of Aussiepoo, the bark is very loud and gruff sounding. Those who are not familiar with the breed may consider it to be very threatening. As mentioned above, this bark is also rather easy to train.
Their Size
There is a large variety in the size of an Aussiedoodle.
They get as large as 70 pounds which can look quite intimidating. Their fluff also makes them seem heavier than they are.
Alternatively, you may not have the space to get a larger, more aggressive guard dog. A smaller, but noisier Aussiepoo might be suitable in these cases.
Why Aussiedoodles Don’t Make Good Guard Dogs
Too Friendly
These dogs love people. They are smart, and that makes them curious. They are more likely to sniff a burglar’s hand than they are to bite it.
Even if they are barking, a wagging tail can make them much less intimidating.
Unlikely to Bite
As neither the Poodle nor the Australian Shepherd is bred to bite, this dog is unlikely to either. Even when they are overwhelmed, biting is rare.
It is too difficult to train such high-level aggression into them to assume that your dog will be able to get it. Even a poor environment in your Aussipoo’s youth might encourage skittishness before it encourages aggression.
Dogs are Easy to Stop
Getting an Aussiedoodle, or any other breed as a guard dog may not be wise at all. Even though they can be intimidating, dogs are very easy to injure if you put your mind to it.
They are much smaller than humans and do not have any weapons other than their teeth and claws.
Because of this, relying only on a dog to keep you safe is not very wise.
Related Reading:
- Is a Male or Female Aussiedoodle Better?
- Do Aussiedoodles Have a Tail? Answered!
- Aussiedoodle Coat Types And How To Care For Them
- Are Aussidoodles Hypoallergenic: Do They Shed?
- How Much Exercise Does an Aussiedoodle Need?
- Do Aussiedoodles Bark A Lot? Answered!
- What Health Problems Do Aussiedoodles Have?
- Aussiedoodle Generations F1, F1b, F1bb, F2, F2b, F2bb, F3 Explained
- How Big Will An Aussiedoodle Get (Size and Weight)
