5. Doberman Pinscher

All that you need to know about a Doberman’s instincts to protect its master is that they were originally bred to be dogs that accompanied a tax collector around as he made his rounds. Today, Dobermans are considered some of the very best guard dogs in all the world, with an aggressive nature that often makes them stereotyped as dogs that are harmful to strangers and children.

In reality, Dobermans only ever attack on the command of their owner, having been bred to have great restraint and personal discipline, even in the face of a new threat. Over the years their ability to obey a command in a high-stress situation made them invaluable as military or police dogs, although they’ve become less used in recent years since they do not have the size or raw strength of some other large dog breeds.

What’s more, many breeders in recent years have attempted to tone down the Doberman’s aggressive behavior, which previously had been an asset for guard dog duties or even dog fighting, but today is less valuable in a family pet. As such, it’s unusual to find a Doberman that doesn’t have equal parts protective and passive behavior, or any Doberman that cannot be trained to avoid barking around friends but maintain watchfulness over the family as a whole.

In terms of loyalty, it’s almost impossible to beat a Doberman, who almost never are reported to bite their owners, instead willing to obey commands even if it leads to great personal harm (hence their historical use in dog fighting). These are some of the smartest dogs out there, however, and an owner needs to carefully exercise their Doberman’s mind as well as its body to keep it fit, happy, and obedient to their commands, or else the dog will grow restless and end up chewing whatever’s in the vicinity.