 Barked: Tue Feb 19, '13 11:34am PST |
 | |  | | If the questions is setters, OR German Shepherds, there really is no question of bomb proof when it comes to Goldens. I mean a GOOD Golden, 'natch. But a good Golden is rock solid. German Shepherds, and that's before getting into drive differences, are sassy. Nerves don't always translate to "bomb proof." Part of nerves is not retreating.
The most bombproof breed I know that doesn't sacrifice biddability in the process is the Newfoundland. Not much seems to bother them, they never seem to get a knickers in a knot. I suppose a little like an oversized Golden in some regards, but Newfies add a mellowness and have more of a guardian tendency. A really good Newfie is as close to across-the-board perfect as any dog I could possibly know.
Some breeds are bred to be bombproof functionally.....Bullmastiffs and Pyrs being the two that immediately come to mind. Bullmastiffs were meant to hold their quarry (poachers) so that the watchman could come and deal with it, prior to which he sought that quarry silently (apprehending, vs chasing off, being the point). So for a guard breed, he doesn't bark much and it takes a lot for him to attack. Pyrs also. They were meant to protect the flock. That meant not leaving the flock.....ever. If he went off chasing a predator on the outskirts, the sheep would have been left exposed. So no matter the threat, he does not leave that flock, even when he sees a threat in the distance. Those are two examples of breeding for a bomb proofness functionally. Breeds like Newfs and Goldens are more bombproof via being "really great guys." |  |  | |  |
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