Robbed Again!
Robbed in December last year. Wife was upstairs, heard noise and disturbed someone who ran off with my laptop and cameras.
Some time last night: I haven't had time to recreate as I'm at work but looks like they used a screwdriver to unlock a sliding door to the garage. Took wife's wallet from jacket pocket (jacket worth about 100x contents of wallet) and then took my wife's engagement and wedding rings from the kitchen bench (don't ask).
Strangely left my wallet that contained couple of hundred in cash that was sitting right next to the rings!
I am left with a few options including turning my home into a fortress, so...
What type of dog should I get? 
Must be:
Kid friendly. We have a nearly three year old and another due in February.
Smallish. Only have about 50m2 of yard. House has some cat/small dog doors already which would be convenient.
I'm thinking a sausage dog just because I think they look cool/funny, but I hear they aren't kid friendly. Wife is in love with Beagles.
Leonberger.
80 kg, great with kids, will kill and eat any sized intruder without leaving a mess.
Don't need exercise. Don't drool.
By the way, sorry to hear about you being robbed, a dog is the only way to go and since you have kids you're freedom is already munted.
staffies are small, good with kids, and more intimidating to burglars than a beagle.
A good smallish guard dog is a blue healer. However they may be too big for your yard.
They are great dogs but do need a fair bit of exercise. I am not sure if you could trust them with kids but then it would all depend on how you treat them.
However I feel the best guard dogs are those you see in places like industrial estates. The dogs are locked up during the day and are let out at night and usually big German type dogs that would rip your throat out given half a chance. You know the type? You walk along the road and the dog tries to climb over the fence and kill you.
You might be better off getting an motion sensing alarm system and securing the windows. Go out to western Sydney and check out the places out there, most of them are setup like fortresses.
If your worried about dogs and kids, get yourself a goose, seriousily... they wont attack a small child and when they hear an intruder they go nuts..
no way you can sneak past a goose..
Get a mini foxy.
Loads of character and very alert. Does'nt need alot of space and good ratters.
Won't eat your robber but WILL let you know if anything even comes close to you house.
I got a female red cattle dog when my boy was a year old, best dog ever was smart and loved everyone till they tried to get into our yard or car.
I also checked out the dogs she was breed from and got a good idea what her nature would be like 
But they do need mobs of exercise, no prob for me as a shift worker so I could take her to the beach most days and belt a tennis ball till the wind came in. No good for yard protection if you're out exercising your dog I guess
Foxy is another great family dog that doesn't need a big yard
Same as Beagles but they'll show the a-wipes the way in
Oh, get a female, they wont hump ya kids legs or pee on everything
The sad thing is, i was being 100% serious, we used to have afew when i was a kid as well, amazing guard animals, They know fear and are bloody loud 
sorry to hear abour the robbery tho, its not cool
the dog that you want is a cross between a staffie and a blue heeler. My dog is great around kids, fairly small, but a robber wouldnt go near her in a million years. Great nature dog as well, and is a great sea traveller and car traveller.
Tell you what, sorry to hear about your loss bloke, but you should get an alarm system put in. Cheap as. Im a sparkie, and im willing to give you free labour to install one. You pay for everything else. PM me if ur keen. I live southside of brissy.
Any small yap dog should do.
Beware the heelers, i know of more people that have been bitten by that breed than the rest of the dog population put together.
We have a big rotti, his bark is definately bigger than his bite and is really good and protective with kids too.
An Akita is what I would get..
But as you have requirements for a small dog..(even though I am not keen on them)
A small silky terrier dog is very good with kids and very barky when stragers come knocking..or not knocking in your case..
Akita
Get a Rotty, they are the biggest sooks if you know them, but will make anyone unwelcome sh!t their pants. I had one that was airforce trained and she was extremely obedient, fierce, intimidating, and very loving. She even tolerated our cats, but loved to give our neighbours cats something to think about. My mum used to respond to alarm call-outs for her work, and one day she got sick of it and took the dog. Turns out two of her co-workers were having after hours 'meetings'.
GlenMorangie said...
not sure how they go in small yards but German Short Haired Pointers are great dogs with kids and as guard dogs. my sister in indo has one and it is great with her daughter but at night time it patrols the boundary constantly. unlike blue heelers they also won't nip/bite without warning. blue heelers and corgis are the 2 breeds most known for biting without warning or provocation (advice from a vet friend of mine). Had a beagle and it was a great dog but they are very high maintenance (not just mine, I knew/know lots of beagle owners) for the first few years, noisy, chew things a lot, escape artists, and if they do get out they follow their nose until it's lost.
