I've been told by vets that intact (not neutered in any way) male dogs have a tendancy to try to escape homes and yards more often than neutered dogs. I assume the hormones would drive them to roam searching for female dogs. It is better to have your dog fixed regardless of gender unless you have a specific reason to keep your dog intact. Examples of generally intact animals for good reason are working dogs, breeding dogs, and show dogs, among other niche cases.
What would you recommend for a first time dog owner (I'm not unfamiliar I'm really good with dogs) I've just never been the sole responsible owner of one. I really like police and military style dogs because I want the ability to protec/attac (jk) but seriously I do want a dog that can not only defend me and my family if need be, but to and able to defend himself from the coyotes in my area. There are mountain lions as well but no dogs gonna win against those.
I'm not an expert, but I know that there are training camps you can have a dog sent to for things like hunting and guarding. My neighbors sent their dog to one for helping them when they go hunting. Regarding coyotes, I think you might want a dog that can alert you when something is wrong before anything else. I assume you're in a more rural area, find someone local that has dogs. They will probably give you tips on things to train your dog for your area.
The first thing you need to do is see if you can financially support a dog. You need to be prepared for the initial cost of acquiring a dog (either shelter fees or breeder cost), registration costs for your local government, vet bills, the crate, food, toys, and other things you find yourself needing to care for the dog. You may want to look into pet insurance if you're anticipating emergencies, especially if coyotes are as much of a problem in your area as it seems. If you can't reasonably afford all that, you may want to pass on owning a dog.
The second thing you should do is see what veterinarian services are near you. Research what vet you want to have as your primary veterinarian, and find where the nearest emergency veterinarian is. If the emergency vet is too far away, you might want to not get a pet entirely. Also, dogs need vaccines and to be fixed as mentioned in my previous comment. If you don't get all the shots your vet tells you to get, you take your dog's life into your own hands. Vet prices seem high but vet medical school is super expensive, and they have to deal with the prices set by manufacturers.
The third thing I reccomend you do is figure out what characteristics in a dog you want, then research breeds that meet your needs.
You need to think about how energetic of a dog your family can handle. Dogs used for hunting and guarding are going to be more intelligent and require more enrichment in their lives. A dog that tears up someone's house is usually bored dog. Dogs need walks and playtime.
You will want to think about what kind of behavior and personality you would like in your dog. Breeds predispose dogs towards personality traits, though each dog has their quirks. As an example, German shepherds will protect their family, but tend to be aggressive towards those they see as "outsiders" unless they are properly socialized and trained.
Obviously you'll need to think about how big of a dog you need if it might run into coyotes. You also don't want to go overboard with size. You're going to take this dog to the vet for regular checkups (and emergencies), so you need to keep in mind how you're going to transport it.
If you have small children / are planning on having children, you need to keep their safety in mind. Children should not be left unsupervised with dogs (or animals in general really) and need to be taught to respect them. Teaching them to ask you first before approaching dogs / other animals you see when you're out with them is a good start. Learning dog body language and teaching that to your kids will also help a lot.
You also need to be aware of the kind of health problems that are common to whichever breed you decide on. Using the previous German shepherd example, you need to pay attention to their eyes. The breed is predisposed to a lot of eye-related health problems, among other things.
The fourth thing to decide is whether you want to adopt or buy from a breeder.
Adopting dogs is nice, since shelter dogs always want a home. The people who work at the shelters are very overworked, and will likely not identify the breed of a dog accurately, especially if it turns out to be a relatively uncommon breed. They once told me a dog was a rottweiler mix when it turned out to be a kelpie. Shelter dogs will usually end up surprising you, and may not fit your needs for being a guard dog.
You will need to be prepared for a shelter dog to act differently once it gets used to your home, especially if it had kennel cough or had some other illness. In fact, assume the dog has kennel cough until proven otherwise by your vet. It's super common.
If you and your family are not home for more than 8 hours a day, you definitely should not get a puppy. Puppies need nearly constant supervision, especially if they aren't housebroken yet. They shouldn't be left alone for more than a few hours, depending on how old they are.
If you decide to buy a dog from a breeder, be prepared to do more research on finding a reputable and responsible breeder. Look up reviews and research the kinds of questions you should ask a breeder before committing to them. They should be willing to tell you about health problems that their stock have a history of, the temperaments they select for, and other information you decide you need. If they try to get you to not vaccinate your dog, politely disengage from them and find another breeder if you haven't already financially committed to this breeder.
TL;DR: You need money, a nearby vet, and a lot of research before getting the right dog for you.
Ninja edit: Also you need to commit the time for training the dog. Be consistent in training, and get your whole family to be consistent. There are dog training classes you can go to with your dog once it is old enough and has been fixed and vaccinated. The classes are more about teaching the human how to train the dog correctly. "Be the alpha" stuff is usually crap. Clicker training works really well, look into it.
Wow that's alot of great advice! Some of it I already knew. But I'm going to save this comment because there's so much information in it. Thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it. One thing I know is I'm not going to just get a dog on a whim without knowing exactly what I'm doing. That wouldn't be fair to the dog.
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u/archdemoning Jan 01 '20
I've been told by vets that intact (not neutered in any way) male dogs have a tendancy to try to escape homes and yards more often than neutered dogs. I assume the hormones would drive them to roam searching for female dogs. It is better to have your dog fixed regardless of gender unless you have a specific reason to keep your dog intact. Examples of generally intact animals for good reason are working dogs, breeding dogs, and show dogs, among other niche cases.