AWH…I know what you mean. Personally, I’m a terrier man myself [it's a personality thing...]. I always thought the Giant Schnauzer is a good sentry dog, though this is one breed where YOU have to be the boss; very strong, very, very smart, and VERY territorial. Or, if you want something exotic, you get it’s Russian analog, the Black Russian Terrier [another interesting Soviet breeding experiment...].

Yup, a good dog should be for ‘go’, not ‘show’, even if it’s a mutt.