Incredibly specific dog breed recommendations for personal protection
Edit - We've made our decisions about what breed/s we've shortlisted. Any experiences with them are still very welcome.
I know there are so many people asking for dog breed suggestions, but I have done SO much research on different breeds and am still on the fence about what breed I should plan on getting. I have even made spreadsheets to try and narrow it down to very little success. Please read the whole post before recommending any breeds as I already have a shortlist of breeds that might suit me and am mostly looking for more knowledgeable opinions from dog sport people. Apologies for formatting and any spelling or grammar issues as English is not my first language.
I'm also planning far ahead right now and will not be getting a dog until mid-2027 at the earliest. I'd need to find a good, ethical breeder, go through some screening processes, etc. before I even think about actually bringing a puppy home. My wants in a dog breed are also very negotiable as we're very flexible people. The only non-negotiable is the intended purpose of the dog.
What I'm looking for (essentially my perfect dog):
A large-ish (25kg minimum) to giant breed dog, preferably not a double coated breed with a lot of shedding, that is very intelligent, higher drive, and can be trained to a fairly high standard. Preferably not a breed with a ton of genetic health risks or a relatively short lifespan (average being not less than 10+ years). High energy comes with the territory and we are 100% prepared for that.
This dog will ideally be competing in rally obedience and be a personal protection dog (not to guard our home, but a dog specifically for personal protection). It will hopefully do casual PSA training 1-2x per week with the option to compete with the right dog, but I don't need a champion PSA dog, and the PSA scene in my country isn't super intense like in the US, for example. Our country just isn't very safe, and I want to combine my need for security with my passion for training dogs. I will be working with a trainer who competes in PSA herself, and I have a safety net of knowledgeable dog trainers who compete in both rally obedience, PSA, and IGP, so any future dogs will be in good hands. Any future dog we get has to be from a breed that isn't predisposed to people-aggression as the dog will be coming out into public frequently.
Some background on me and my experience:
I started off in the horse industry, mostly schooling and bringing on young horses. I currently own 3 dogs. The eldest is a mini schnauzer, 5, who I trained to a remarkably high calibre straight out of high school. She's a super little dog, freakishly intelligent, and will do anything for a treat. She was a great dog to start off training because of how smart she is, and her sprinkle of schnauzer stubbornness definitely made me a better dog owner in general. The second is an APBT, 4, who was supposed to be a sport prospect but decided he'd much rather be a couch potato. He is always willing to please but is a bit slow on the information uptake. We joke that he's got rocks for brains, but it's mostly because his sisters make him look "dumb" in comparison. He's a bit more of a challenge to train, but I've managed to get him to a point where he's dog-friendly, people-friendly, and small animal friendly, with basic obedience in place.
Then we have the dog that's gotten me into high energy, "difficult" dogs... Our youngest dog is technically my partner's, but I have taken over most of her training since she was a puppy. She's a mutt with at least 25% border collie in her (we know the grandmother is a purebred BC). The rest is a mashup between shepherd, greyhound, and bull terrier. We got her as a rescue at 9 weeks old, and she had a plethora of genetic behavioural issues from day 1. Trainers and other dog people alike have said she'd have ended up on a euthanasia list if we hadn't been the ones she ended up with with how absolutely insane she is. She has torn through heavy-duty metal crates, tore through 2 different doors, and broken a window due to her heavy separation anxiety. She acts like the poorly-bred and poorly-managed malinois you often see on social media, with the caveat of also being afraid of her own shadow. Now, at almost 3 years old, she is finally a solid citizen with only mild behavioural issues. She is one of the smartest animals I've ever met and has drive like no other, but a very low frustration threshold. She'll be starting formal training for rally obedience in the upcoming weeks as well.
As for our lifestyle, we are fairly physically active and make sure our dogs get multiple fulfilling training sessions daily. There is almost always someone at home, and our BC mix comes to the office with me often, where she relaxes in her crate under my desk. It's a warehouse setting with some offices in the back and I work for family so it's fairly lenient. Any future puppy would ideally accompany me and the mix to the office 2 to 4 times per week for 4 to 5 hour stints.
Breeds I've already seriously considered:
Dutch Shepherd/Belgian Malinois: These are the breeds I've essentially already been planning for. The biggest con for me is the hair. I'm autistic and it's incredibly overstimulating, but it's something I'm willing to cope with for the right dog. I've already spoken to some really nice breeders here and they agree that a more medium-drive pup from one of their litters would suit us well.
German Shepherd: Again, the hair is a drawback. They are more prone to health and temperamental issues than I'd like. I'm also struggling to find the calibre of breeder for GSDs as I have with Mals and Dutchies in my country. Many of the breeders either don't sufficiently health test their breeding stock, or their dogs are described as "wimpy" when it comes to the PSA competitions. Overall, it's easier to find show lines here, and their quality is lacking for what I want.
Dobermann: Sport-bred Dobermans are really hard to find in my country, plus they have quite a lot of serious health issues. Again, most breeders don't sufficiently health test their dogs. If I do decide Dobies are 100% the breed for me, I would likely have to import, which would cost an arm and a leg and would set my plans back another year or 2. It is, however, something I'd consider.
Rottweiler: This is the only large mastiff-type breed I've considered, but finding ones with the right temperamental stability in my country is hard. They also have the drawback of all the hair, plus a shorter lifespan and health issues.
Giant Schnauzer: This is a breed I've only really seen do bitework through social media, but I absolutely adore them. If I could find a good breeder here that does sport-bred dogs, I think Giant Schnauzers would be my first option. The coat is perfect, they're usually not crazy intense, and some of them do really nicely in PSA as far as I've seen. If anyone recommends this breed, I'd probably reach out to more breeders to see if any have lines that are compatible with amateur PSA work, but this is another breed that I'd likely have to look at importing if I decide on it.
Any further recommendations would be great. Consider that we are in South Africa and ethical dog breeding isn't what it should be here. Some breeds are incredibly hard to find and others aren't available at all. Thanks to anyone in advance!
UPDATE if anyone was wondering what we've settled on:
I've found the only breeder that still breeds traditional working Giant Schnauzers in South Africa and am in contact with her regarding possibly getting a puppy from her. All of her dogs are imports from Poland or offspring of the Polish-bred stock. Unfortunately, she is moving back to her home country next year and will have her last litter hitting the ground in SA in the beginning of 2027, which is earlier than what's ideal for our timeline. In the case that this doesn't work out, we will not be getting a Giant Schnauzer at all. The other breeders in SA don't have what we're looking for and importing isn't an option until the state of the world settles down. We might still consider them in the very distant future, though, as we plan to be involved with dog sports for many more years.
In the case that a Giant Schnauzer doesn't work out, which is 50/50 at the moment, we will be going with our original plan of acquiring a Belgian Malinois or Dutch Shepherd. I'll get over the shedding, even if it's not my favourite thing. We are, however, leaning towards a Dutchie but have had some people say they're a bit less handler-oriented. Does anyone else agree on this?
Anyhow, we are already in contact with a Dutch Shepherd breeder who has some really nice dogs competing in many different sports in SA. One of the trainers we've been consulting also breeds lovely Malinois with nice, stable temperaments, plus they've all competed very successfully in different sports. Both breeders have proven personal protection lines and will help match us with the right puppy when the time comes.