Guard dog

Question
Is there a reliability with poodles as guard dogs. I'm not asking for the killer-type dog just someone that makes a lot of noise when they don't know who is coming to my door or in the night.
My present doxie is noisy and protective as is my Border Collie, but I'm about to say good by to my doxie as he has a medical problem.
So, would a big poodle be good protection?
Also, I met a standard, more a giant, that was just hysterically funny and so smart. Are these two characterisics normal in the standard, giant, poodles?
Thank you for your answer.


Answer
Hello Ila,
As a person who has had Poodles all my life, I would say that they make wonderful watchdogs.  Whenever my boys hear anything outside the house, they all run to the door and bark to let me know that there is something outside.  It could be anything from a bird to a car pulling into the drive, but they still bark to let me know.  If it does turn out to be a person, though they sound vicious, once I tell them its ok, they turn into the loving, friendly, Therapy dogs that they have been trained to be.   If I don't know the person, they will continue to bark until I assure them that the person is ok.  I believe that they would bite if the person came on inside the house without my permission or if they sensed that I was shaken.

The funny and smart attitude that you mentioned exemplifies the Standard Poodle to a T.  Poodles are known as the #1 dog in Trainability and #2 in intelligence (after the Border Collie,of course) and are also known as the Clowns of the dog world because they love making people laugh.  I have 4 Standards right now and they constantly keep me in stitches every night because they are always coming up with new ways to make me laugh.  
Yes, it sounds like a Standard Poodle would make the greatest next dog for you.  

There are some things to consider though before you get a Poodle.  
Be sure that you research the breed and that you go through a reputable breeder to get your dog from.  You will want to make sure that you can not only see the puppies, but also the parents (if the male is on site) and that you can meet them.  You will want to see that they have good personalities and are friendly.  Even if you want a dog that will be a protection dog, you want a dog that is good around people and has an even temperment.  If you get a dog that is aggressive or scared, he/she could turn into a fear biter and that can be a dangerous dog to have around.  
Know that a Poodle is a high energy dog and will need plenty of exercise (though you are probably used to that from the Border Collie) so that he doesn't grow board and think of other ways to entertain him/herself.  You might want to get your dog into Obedience classes or Agility, something to channel that over-abundance of energy.  
I can't stress enough how important socialization is in a young Standard Poodle puppy.  Take them out around people and encourage them to pet your baby.  The more he is exposed to people, the better he will do with them.  If your dog is loyal to you, he will protect you and his home.  

Here is some good sites for you to visit:
http://webspace.webring.com/people/tp/poodlering/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Poodles-One-of-the-Worlds-Smartest-Breeds&id=1307665
http://partipoodle.homestead.com/AboutPoodles.html
http://www.akc.org/breeds/poodle/index.cfm

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim