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If you want a Lab with protective instincts, look for what's called a "Gladiator"--a half Lab half Doberman mix. Irony is one of those pups--we were raised together and were more like "inter-species siblings" than "family member and pet"--was about the only dog I've gotten along well with and closer than most people. Playful like a Lab--problem when your Lab gets big enough that his chew toys are CAR BUMPERS--but all the protectiveness of a Dobie too, Trojan was always putting himself between the rest of us and whatever tripped his alerts at the first sign of anything he thought suspicious.Very few Labrador retrievers are protective. And most Newfies arent either. That doesn't mean there aren't individuals in the breeds that are protective. But they aren't what you would get if protection was a concern. At the top of the list for breeds that are often good personal and home protection dogs are German shepherds, Belgian malinois, Dobermans, and Rottweilers. Even with these its best to pick a pup from a family and line known for protection. German shepherds are especially of many lines. Those from seeing eye dog lines need to be mellow with strangers, for example. There are many other breeds on the list, but many of them are also on lists that are banned in certain cities, states, or countries or by many insurance companies and for which ownership of the dog can make your property uninsurable. Breeds of dogs that make good protection dogs are often strongly dominant dogs that need a lot of socialization as pups to avoid their being aggressive with strangers. Big dogs need a lot of food. And mostly don't live all that long. They are generally starting to lose their hearing and/or vision by about age ten and die by about 12. Owning a dog greatly limits where you can live. Most landlords don't rent go people with dogs, especially big dogs.
We never trained him beyond housebreaking, just being raised among us we were "his pack" and he was gonna protect his pack at all cost.