Few decisions are more personal than selecting a family protection dog. The benefits are obvious-these dogs can detect intruders more readily than humans, and their ability to respond to commands in a protection-oriented environment can be invaluable.

But there’s a lot that goes into the decision, so let’s take a deeper dive into some of the things that need to be considered.

The Breed

There’s a reason that protection dogs tend come from a half-dozen or so well-established breeds. These breeds have been chosen for natural traits that go well with protection tasks, and they include obedience, responsiveness, agility, predictability, reliability and intelligence.

Size and tenacity are important, too, which is why the list of breeds usually consists of four or five large, dominant dogs, including Dobermans, German Shephers, Cane Corsos, Belgian Malinois and the American Bulldog.

Temperament

Once you’ve selected a breed, you need to consider the temperament. It …