• Pam - The fact some of these knuckleheads haven't run you off speaks volumes about your commitment to be succesfull in getting the right dog for your family. Temperment is the total sum of a dogs personnality. It can be complex Rottweilers can be Hard & deterimed and very sensitive to thier owners at the same time. One can make hundreds of prong corrections og a GSD and they will LOL at you. The same or a Rotty and some will shut down....You can do more with stern look with a Rotty than you can with a whip & Chair. It's best to have a breeder descibe the Temperment of thier dogs & lines. Drives speak about motivation of a given dog FOOD is obvious. Prey/Play drive is just that, a sleeve becomes a big Toy. In Defence the Dog wants to kill the objective. Other may be more precise but I think you get the idea. Per our eariler conversations, I believe your going to be the most successful with the breeds that are more responcive to OB training. German Rottys have been selected for the last 100 years to be trainable for shutzhund sport and K-9 work. German line Dobes & GSDs also. Dogs that are bred to be indipendant thinkers are a lot of work for experienced trainners. NOT that you wouldn't step up tp the challenge of course. :lol: Someware in between are other dogs that may or may not fit. You are the only one that can know your true need. Even a big loveable LeonBurger or Berner foaming at the mouth inside you home looking at a stranger on the porch is plenty intimdating. 8O We have a neighbor with a bullmastiff that is like that. But, in the yard a little baby talk over the fence and he turns to Jello :lol: :lol: So are you having fun yet? :D