Get a mastiff or a mastiff-derived breed, such as a boxer or a pit bull. They are stable, loyal, intelligent and serious (except when they are playing -- then they turn into clowns). Avoid like the plague barky, high-strung breeds that are prone to mental problems. Poodles, for example. If you get a poodle, you are likely to end up with a dog that has an obsessive-compulsive disorder. You don't want to have to start medicating your dog for mental problems.
I suggest that you look at an American Bulldog. Not an English Bulldog -- the deformation due to excessive breeding makes the English Bulldog crippled when it is born. An American Bulldog is a healthy species of work dog, a good all-around dog for protection, guarding the house, hunting, and being with children. Avoid the more extreme Johnson breed of American Bulldog, which has too much English Bulldog in it. You want what is known as the Hybrid American Bulldog, which, (believe it or not) is a purebred. It's a combination of the Johnson breed and the Scott breed, and is recognized as a pure breed by the American Kennel Club. Or go with a pure Scott American Bulldog. You will not regret either choice.
Wifey had an English mastiff when we started dating, poor dog had to be put down at 6 bc of cancer, found out it's a common issue in the breed. Majestic animals and they're such sweethearts.
I see a lot of niggers/spics and trailer trash walking pits and American bulldogs so hard pass on that one.
Pitbulls and all their variations were bred for bull baiting and dogfighting. If you're into those things, dope. But good luck training out that gameness, ultra high pain tolerance, and potential to snap into extreme aggression with virtually no provocation. And no, I'm not at all saying that all pitbulls will be aggressive. But why the fuck would you pick to own as a pet the breed-type responsible for the overwhelming majority of all dogbite fatalities and maulings? Outside of bloodsport, pitbulls serve no serious function that can't be done better by another breed without any of the potential aggression downside. Also, pitbulls are the only breed group with an organized lobby behind them that spends a shitload of money and time trying to whitewash their genetic history and tendencies. Why is that?
(post is archived)