no worries, i actually grew up with guns, my dad is a cop, both parents were sharp shooters in the military. I play paintball, and grew up knowing how to field strip a gun, shoot, and the proper safety. I have considered purchasing a firearm, i am just not sure where i stand on the issue now that i am allowed to have different views that my parents, lol.
I know the dog won't keep everyone away, it is a deterrent, like mace and other weapons. I would rather have a deterrent i enjoy being around....
She is still young, i will watch her, and if she shows signs of having the right temperment for this kind of work, i can work with her. Any breed of dog can protect, i just didn't know the pros and cons of having a pit bull be that protection dog.

There are pros and cons to every breed for every type of work depending on who you talk to. I personally prefer the bully dogs for PPD work - Pits/Amstaffs/Staffy bulls obviously American Bulldogs, Cane Corsos, Bullmastiffs(though I am mixed here, not the gigantic BMs and few are bred for/capable of the work these days) etc etc the list goes on. I also love Dobermans, and yes GSDs too! I love pits and amstaffs, I grew up with them, have rescued many of them.

Whether they are capable of PPD work is really a toss up. Most people that get pits that are concerned with training and temperament get the dogs from responsible breeders, and those responsible breeders strive to decrease the drives of the dog and breed for handler-sensitivity and happy-go-lickiness:laugh: Dogs that are bred by irresponsible people are more likely to have the stuff it takes, but those are the dogs that most often than not wind up in the wrong hands, though there are breeders whose breeding programs focus on working dogs and maintaining the drives and working ability of their dogs while controlling and aggression issues.

It really depends on the specific dog. Just like you can get a dog that lacks drive or has weak nerves out of working parents, you can get a dog with good drive and solid nerves out of "pet/housedog" parents.

Like Jennifer said,
"It really depends on the specific dog. Just like you can get a dog that lacks drive or has weak nerves out of working parents, you can get a dog with good drive and solid nerves out of "pet/housedog" parents".
This is why you need to look at the line the pup comes from prior to purchasing a pup. If the dog is older, then it's a simple matter of testing to see what the dog is all about. There is a certain amount of testing that can be done with a pup, but not like you can with a dog that's older.

Generally speaking, when someone has a dog and THEN decide to turn the dog into a protection dog, the dogs are not really cut out for it. The dog was not selected for the work and it is dumb luck more than anything if it turns out your dog is suitable.

But, maybe you are lucky? Have someone evaluate for you, in person.

Hi Mallory,
If you're looking for a PPD most get gsd's or mals, you stand a better chance of getting the right dog if you do your homework or buy an adult dog already trained. Mastiffs and them dogs don't have it but might act as a deterent, you'd probably have to spend a looong time finding the right dog with the bully breeds or mastiffs. Also beware, it's a big pain owning a civil dog. A lot of folks have a different idea what a protection dog is, there's a big gap in what people think, a BIG gap,
AL

It's a big big responsibility owning a PPD, you will be responable for the monster you wake up inside.
I'm not saying "monster" in a bad way just a figure of speech guys.