German Shepherd = Dog Perfected
I'm under the impression that most folks who have ever owned a GSD or worked closely with one end up sold on the breed for life. A German Shepherd is a well-rounded, intelligent working breed that's just as comfortable snuggling with family as it is working/guarding. It's one of the few breeds that would make an ideal family pet (including for a young family with children)
and a capable guard dog. And though appearance is certainly a subjective matter, I believe the GSD is the most noble and majestic in appearance of all canines on God's green Earth. The breed is eager to please, but has no problem lounging around when his day is done.
Image from Germanshepherds.com
Semantic....
I'd like to point out while we're on this topic that I've always felt there should be a distinction made between a
guard dog and a
watch dog. While just about any (watch) dog can serve as an
effective deterrent and early warning for their masters, having a (guard) dog with the additional
ability to take things to the next level (initiating an effective attack) along with
the intelligence to know when it's appropriate to do so is more appealing for some, myself included. It's a personal thing to be sure; some are justifiably quite uncomfortable with the liabilities involved with owning a potentially dangerous dog. It's a choice one should never take lightly. However, a well bred, well trained GSD is possibly the safest bet when choosing a
guard dog.
I'm sure there are other breeds out there with well-deserved merits, but it is my firm personal belief that the German Shepherd is "Dog Perfected".
Let's say a bg jumps in your back yard and you have a choice of any dog to give him a nice suprise. Which one would it be, or do you currently have?
Now, on to specifically answer this particular question. I'd probably choose a large 130 pound Cane Corso since there's no mention of it serving as a family pet... not that they would make poor choices as I have no idea... but heck, one would sure would make for a nasty surprise!
Photo of Roman Cane Corso from Romancanecorso.com