Although I understand the reasons for getting a dog from a shelter, you are probably better off to get a puppy so that it can grow with your child, instead of having to worry that an adult dog might turn on your child (when I was young a “great family dog” that my parents got from a shelter attacked me)

If you are OK with a smaller dog, Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties) make great watchdogs because they bark at any provocation. If you have a home and the dog lives inside, excessive barking shouldn’t be too much of a problem. A Pembroke Welsh Corgi is also a very alert dog, and because it’s a member of the Herding Group, they tend to make good watchdogs.

If you just want a large dog, and don’t care if it looks intimidating or not, Golden Retrievers make great family dogs. Just beware that Retrievers and Labs tend to be very hyper until they mature (2 or 3 years).

Hope this helps!

Because you have a small child, contrary to many of the recommendations on here, I would strongly recommend against most toy breeds. These dogs can be very very fragile and one misstep by a child can leave you with thousands of dollars in medical bills.

I would also recommend against any hounds. Sighthounds will lock onto a target and follow it with no regards to anything else. If a door gets left open, a gate not closed, or if the dog pulls from the child’s hand, the dog will be gone and you will have lower than a 50-50 chance of catching your dog again. A scent hound may be similar. Most hounds will disregard traffic, fences, calls, etc to follow their ‘prey’, even if the target is another person a block over, and then will look up and realize that they are lost.

Any dogs that run instinctively are also not a great option for you. Again, any out that they see can lead dogs like Huskies to ‘freedom’ and you won’t see them again.

Be careful of herding dogs unless you can guarantee that the dog will be on a leash at all times when you leave the house. More than one Sheltie has been killed trying to ‘herd’ cars. However, the size and protective nature of this dog may actually be a good match for you.

You don’t mention the activity level that you are looking for in a dog. This is a major deciding factor, along witht he amount of time you want to care for the dog (meaning brushing, trimming, grooming, etc). A dog that’s mostly inside means that a border collie, australian shepherd, kelpie, or similar high activity level dog won’t work for you. They need more than to run around in the backyard and then curl up inside. They need at least an hour of dedicated playing and working to be happy.

If you have an aversion to shedding, dogs like labs, dalmations, and most double coated dogs (shelties, poms, huskies, keeshond, etc) will not be good for you. If you don’t want to spend money at the groomers, long haired and dense coated dogs will not be great for you. This means lhasas, pekinese, the double coated dogs again, possibly poodles, setters, etc.

A Jack Rusell or Beagle may also be a good bet for you. They tend to let you know when someone is around, they are protective of their people, but are generally friendly dogs that are well-behaved and trainable. They also come up at resuce fairly frequently. However, a Jack Russell is a quite active dog and will need walks and attention quite a bit.

And of course, get any unaltered dog fixed as soon as is safe for the dog.

I’m going to link to some rescue sites, some dog prep sites, and some reputable breeder sites for you. You sound like you are being very responsible and thoughtful about this, so I congratulate you on that. Good luck in your search!! : )

Now, with that said, i will suggest either a Boxer, a Doberman, or an American Bulldog. I have owned many working breeds and with the criteria mentioned above, these would be best suited for you. Because of the fact that he/she will be an inside dog, all three have short coats so the shedding will not be bad and hair will not be left all over the house to be picked up or swept up daily. Because you have a small child but also want a watch NOT a Guard dog, i recommend these breeds because they are natural protectors. The Doberman is the only dog in the world and in history designed and bred to be a watch/guard dog but with the adaptability and love of children and family still in tow. Boxers are known for their dedication to children as opposed to adults meaning that they prefer teh company of kids instead of adults but still accepting of their owners. Bulldogs just love their owners and are known for spending hours just laying down next to you or with you and sometimes on top of you. They have tendency to drool but its not too bad. With your small child, i recommend you stay away from Rottweilers because they are not the type of dog that likes to be poked and proded as young kids have tendency to be and do. German Shepherds are good but do shed constantly. If you need anymore info or advice, please feel free to contact me.