Thanks guys. I had a boerboel before and they can be an aggressive breed too. My thought on the DA was that ot would have more hunting drive and I might have been able to teach it to hunt birds bit (did this with a Berner before) and have it also be a good for guarding my house. I really liked my boerboel but he was downright dangerous around strangers - even harmless ones. I have kids so I think I will shelf this idea until they are grown and get another bird dog for now. Thanks for all of the input.
We have had a lot of looters not far from my house. There have been stores looted and ATM machines blown up within a mile of my home. It makes me miss my boerboel. We have not had any issues in the residential areas. I’m well armed but a bit of a deep sleeper.
A good bird dog does not have to be useless in the protection sphere, especially if you bond them to you & your kids real tight. Terrific early warning alarms at the very least.
We had a sweet little 45lb German Shorthaired Pointer who actively protected our 3YO daughter from a menacing illegal alien. Never expected that female GSP to do such a thing, but she was still a dog and she perceived her favorite human was under threat and left that illegal lame and leaving a blood trail. Not APBT or big dog damage, but enough to get the job done.
Before we were married and got the female GSP, my wife had a buff 75lb intact male GSP and would take him everywhere. He was a perfect gentleman on a leash, but many folks just don't want to mess with a healthy muscular dog. [Even if he has the softest mouth/bite you've ever encountered. Would catch sparrows and chickadees out of bushes on the wing and bring them to me. Live and uncrunched. I'd let him eat some of them, but half I would claim and let fly off, so he could catch it next week.]
GSP: Do-everything dog, IMO.