Watch Dog is a term applied to special breeds of
Canis familiaris, particularly well adapted for guarding human life or property. Among modern breeds most often used are the mastiff, a large, strongly built dog, about two and a half feet high at the shoulder, with a large head and a smooth light-colored coat; the bull dog, a short, muscular dog from one to one and a half feet high, an excellent fighter; the Alsatian (popularly called police dog), a rough-coated breed, about two and a half feet high, with a wolf-like head and pointed ears; and the Doberman pinscher, the real German police dog, long and slender, about two and a half feet high, with a smooth black coat and tan markings on breast and forelegs. Of all breeds of dogs this last is probably the most intelligent and docile, and therefore the best suited for a watch dog.
