If you want a dog to protect your home, you would honestly be better with a good security system.

1. A dog can be easily disabled, with a weapon or poison.

2. You should check the law in your country but the law here, for example, says -

A person shall not use or permit the use of a guard dog at any premises unless a person (“the handler”) who is capable of controlling the dog is present on the premises and the dog is under the control of the handler at all times while it is being so used except while it is secured so that it is not at liberty to go freely about the premises.

So if you aren't there, or you are asleep, you aren't controlling it.

A dog might act as a deterrent but for that, you'd be better with a dog that is attached to you, and will alert bark. From that perspective, please research carefully before you even think of getting two, the risk of littermate syndrome (even if they are not actual littermates) means they may be more attached to each other than you and don't give you any warnings because they don't carel Many dogs would fit that bill, Rottweilers come to mind but even dogs like Labradors (which are an excellent choice for new owners) would tick all your boxes.

The fact you want to walk and play also points towards a pet dog that will alert bark, rather than a security dog. Those are not pets.

So by all means get a pet that makes a big noise; but for proper security, fit effective systems to your property.

Finally -

I can take them to a trainer if needed.

If you use a trainer, make sure it's someone who uses force free, reward based methods. A lot of training has fallen out of a relatively recent trend where a belief sprang up that you needed to be dominant, alpha and pack leader. That was based on flawed understanding and does more harm than good, but unfortunately it is still used by some people. And never send your dog away for training - you need to learn together.

 

I was planning on getting a security system as well. You are right, I didnt explain myself properly, I want a dog that alerts me if anything seems off so I have more time to react and potentially make burglars think twice before getting in. Thanks for telling me about the littermate syndrome, didnt know that even existed, thought it would be better if they had an extra buddy to play with them and keep them company. I'll read about labradors and rottweilers. Thanks.

 

One nice thing about having a dog that barks, when a stranger comes to the door; is that many times a crook will go to an easier house to rob, that doesn't have a dog.
I have 2 dogs, and they raise enough hell to scare a would-be thief away, before they even get to trip the alarm.

 

@MiguelM ....The truth is, any kind of dog, including a chihuahua, will bark to alert you that someone is coming or is at your door or window. You don't need a special breed for this. Of course, if you want a deterrent, especially when you are not there, a dog with a big bark is better than a small yap, so I am not recommending a chihuahua. Many dogs have big barks.

Please consider going to a shelter and adopting a dog instead of getting a purebred. Mixed breed dogs are every bit as good, and shelters often have puppies if that is what you want. However, since you are not especially experienced with dogs, you might want to get a dog who is 6 months or year old, past the puppy stage, and you won't have to go through the months of cleaning up puppy poop, taking the puppy outside every two hours all night long, and getting everything in your house chewed to shreds!

Getting along with cats can be done by training the dog. Again, no special breed for this. Training with the cats should begin as soon as the dog comes into your home, whatever age the dog is. You don't necessarily need a professional trainer for this. If you decide to get a dog and want advice on teaching the dog to leave the cats alone, come here and ask. I have lived many years with dogs and cats and can help, and others here can offer great advice on that training as well.

My one piece of advice concerning breeds of dogs and living with cats is do NOT get a hunting breed dog of any kind. No hounds, no sight hounds, terriers, etc. (Note: retrievers like labs are not the same as dogs bred to do the actual hunting, and can be good with cats). I am not saying that a hunting breed of dog cannot learn to get along with cats, but it is a lot harder to train a dog who was bred for hunting other animals not to think of the cats as prey. Trust me; I have had experience with both hunting type dogs and non hunting dogs with cats.

Leaving a dog outside at night isn't nice to the dog, and you really shouldn't do it. If you want a dog to alert you to things, the best way is to have a close relationship with the dog. The way to do that is not to force the dog to spend the whole night outside all by himself! Please change your mind about this. If your dog is indoors with you, they are a whole lot more likely to bark to let you know someone is coming, because they will feel protective of you and the home space. A dog left outside all ight is likely to care a whole lot less about this because they are not with you. I have observed this myself.

Dogs are designed to be with their people. Keep the dog indoors with you.

I second what Joanne says about making sure you hire a trainer, if you need one, who uses only positive reinforcement methods. Any force or punishment based training is unkind and can be cruel, and is not going to give you what you want, which is a close and loving relationship between you and the dog.

 

Leaving a dog outside at night isn't nice to the dog, and you really shouldn't do it.

I just want to say this really depends on your set up and isn't strictly true. Back when I had pig dogs, they never set foot in the house. They had secure outdoor runs with kennels attached where they had full view of our yard but could still shelter from the elements. They were far too highly strung to be indoors and would have been like bulls in a China shop. They were in no way miserable.

My current dogs spend their time on my patio, and also never come inside unless we are travelling. It depends greatly on what shelter you can provide, the type of dog you have, the dangers in your area, and the climate of course, and it's not for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't an option.

 

One of my friends has what's called a "potcake" dog. This is a type of medium sized mongrel found in the Caribbean. He fell in love with them when he was living in the islands. Many of his neighbors had these dogs living in their yards. The dogs just hung out watching the neighborhood activities through the fence. When they saw a stranger coming up the road or something unusual happening in another yard they would start barking. This would alert their owners to come investigate. Usually the dogs didn't have names. My friend said his neighbors thought he was really odd for asking what their dogs were called; it would be like naming their patio furniture. I can attest that his potcake dog is a very alert watchdog; she always barks when someone comes onto the property. With people she is docile and timid. She consents to be petted by friends, but she retreats if she doesn't trust you. I've known people with similar types, Sato dogs, imported from Puerto Rico. The personality was very similar: noisy and skittish when dealing with strangers, docile with their owners. Many parts of the world have a similar kind of mongrel dog used as a watch dog; you might find something similar if you ask around.

 

If I end up getting a dog I would do my best to provide a nice house for it so it feels safe and can take cover of the sun and rain. When you travel you keep them inside and have someone come in and feed them?

I never leave my dog unsupervised outdoors due to various risks which might include theft or interference from strangers.

I dont know much about dogs,

That's okay, we all start somewhere. But please start learning before you get one. If you like videos, check out Kikopup on YouTube. She has lots of great videos on everything from basic manners to cool tricks. And the book linked below is excellent.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Training-Behaviour-Solutions-stress-free/dp/B09ZCL5PN9/ref=asc_df_B09ZCL5PN9/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570480429095&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8247202826848047288&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046883&hvtargid=pla-1721657352677&psc=1&mcid=51a71167ccfe3cfe8c33b73053c89747&th=1&psc=1

 

Hello!
Well, dobermans are very attached to their owner and leaving them outside at night is not a good idea.
My parents’ neighbors have a shepherd dog, they took her specifically for protection, she walks at night, they have 5 other cats and they get along great.
I also know that labrador retrievers are good guards and get along well with other animals. but I think a security system is the best option, but a dog is more for the soul)

 

A good place to start is with a dog that is already doing the job you want. Your specification a dog that will happily live in your yard, bark to warn you of strangers, and refrain from killing your cats. Find someone with a dog that's doing it now: living in someone's courtyard or under their porch without killing their cats & chickens. See if anyone in the area has your local version of a Sato or potcake or pye-dog with a litter of puppies. Ideally a noisy family with kids, chickens in the yard, and that sort of thing, so the puppies will have been exposed to all the commotion of family life. Take a look at how the mother reacts to the activities around her. Friendly and a bit barky is fine. Aloof with strangers is fine. Fear aggressive is not what you want. Stalking and killing small animals is not what you want.

 

I would avoid working breeds (dobermans, hounds, huskys, shepherds, etc) With cats and no supervision it could be a recipe for anything from a messy house to a deceased cat. Since your dog experience is low I would talk to a knowledgeable local trainer and have them go to the shelter with you and find a dog of the appropriate temperament that is 3-5 years old. That way you a. Know what you are getting ahead of time, b. don't have to train the from a puppy, c. could save you 1,000s vs buying a dog. Have the trainer observe the prospective adoptees with cats and find a dog that is not cat reactive.

Let us know what you end up doing!