The Best Pointy- and Floppy-Eared Canine Characters, According to Margaret Mizushima

Recently, a friend asked me what dog breed I would recommend for personal protection from home invasion. Oddly enough, two of my characters were discussing this very topic in my eleventh Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, Fighting Edge. Tess Murphy, veterinary assistant to protagonist Cole Walker, DVM, had lost her husband to violence in the tenth episode of the series, Dying Cry. Naturally, her mind had gone to how to protect herself and her children if ever they were threatened in their home.

I gave my friend the same reply that Cole gives Tess in Fighting Edge. Some dog breeds are more protective than others, but almost any dog can be trained to act as a warning system against someone entering your home uninvited.

Expanding on this short answer, some breeds look more intimidating, typically the breeds with pointy ears like German shepherds, Dutch shepherds, the Belgian Malinois, Doberman Pinschers and Giant Schnauzers among many others, often selected as military and law enforcement dogs. But there are some scary floppy-eared dogs used for protection as well. And though some dog breeds are friendlier toward children, both purebreds and mixed breeds can be trained to be good family pets.

My veterinarian husband and I both worked away from home when our children were young. At the age when they didn’t need a childsitter anymore, they were latchkey kids. Our solution was to get a Rottweiler to greet them in the yard when they came home. (These were different times, and this might not be a good solution today.)

A Rottweiler is a floppy eared dog that looks intimidating, is protective of home and family, and can be trained as a guard dog. Though the Rottweiler is typically affectionate towards family, one can be not so friendly toward young children or other dogs. Early training and socialization are key toward turning this dog’s natural territorial instincts into the positive behaviors needed in a guard dog.

Which directs me toward training. If someone wants a guard dog, they should know it’s a huge responsibility. An owner of a personal protection dog needs to be either experienced in this type of training or have access to it, not only for the dog but for the handler as well.

Although these more assertive, large dogs will cuddle and love their humans as much as any dog, owners play a huge role in how safe these dogs are around children, outsiders, and other animals. Obedience training and socialization are a must for dogs to be good citizens. This training takes time and consistency, and any dog needs daily exercise and care. Remember, a tired dog is a good dog. And working dog breeds need a job to do to be truly happy, or at least plenty of exercise.

Some dogs lean more toward being lovers and not fighters. Many times, these are floppy-eared dogs like Labrador retrievers, Australian shepherds, dachshunds, and collies among others. A trainer once told my husband that if someone wanted a home warning system in a lapdog, they should get a Pomeranian. He said these were just large dogs in a small body, and they will bark at anything.

Two little alarm systems, demonstrating the effectiveness of both pointy and floppy ears.

My friend and fellow K-9 writer Kathleen Donnelly is a retired narcotics detection dog handler. Her company was called Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines, and their dogs were trained to detect drugs, gunpowder, and alcohol. Their work setting? You guessed it—schools. Their dogs were selected from shelters and were typically friendly and non-intimidating, such as floppy eared Labs or Lab crosses, and then trained for use in their company.

One of their best recruits was a little Russell terrier named Sparky. The kids loved floppy eared Sparky, even when they got busted. Sparky would locate items that were illegal to bring to school and then sit on a kid’s lap to comfort them while they waited for their parents to join them in the principal’s office.

Photo of Sparky by Piper Anne Worcester

Among the many reasons that dogs are surrendered to shelters is that they are too active or too destructive. Remember that saying, a tired dog is a good dog? Before selecting a dog for your home, it’s imperative to know their natural traits and their needs for grooming, exercise, care, and handling.

A valuable resource for this kind of information is the American Kennel Club. Find their website at akc.org to look up any dog breed. They supply details on physical, social, personality, and all-traits for each breed. Don’t get a pointy eared Belgian Malinois or a floppy eared German shorthaired pointer if you live in an apartment and don’t like to take long runs or bike rides daily with your dog. These active and smart dogs require tons of exercise to reach their level of “tired.” They won’t do well cooped up in a small space.

Authors have taken these real-world traits and abilities and created fictional dog characters that we love. I won’t be able to mention all these wonderful stories in this article, but I’ll list a few, organized by the topic of pointy ears vs. floppy ears.

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POINTY-EARED DOG CHARACTERS

Jodi Burnett, The Tin Star K-9 series

The Tin Star K-9 series by Jodi Burnett stars Renegade, a Belgian Malinois; and Burnett’s FBI K-9 series stars Gunner, also a Belgian Malinois.

Kathleen Donnelly, The National Forest K-9 series

The National Forest K-9 series by Kathleen Donnelly stars Juniper, a Belgian Malinois.

Cary J. Griffith, The Sam Rivers Mysteries

The Sam Rivers Mysteries by Cary J. Griffith stars a wolf hybrid dog named Gray.

Paula Munier, The Mercy Carr series

The Mercy Carr series by Paula Munier stars Elvis, a retired military Belgian Malinois.

Spencer Quinn, The Chet and Bernie Mysteries

The Chet and Bernie Mysteries by Spencer Quinn features Chet, a large shepherd of an unspecified breed who narrates the books in his point of view.

Dana Stabenow, The Kate Shugak Mysteries

The Kate Shugak Mysteries by Dana Stabenow stars a wolf hybrid dog named Mutt.

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FLOPPY-EARED DOG CHARACTERS

Valerie Burns, The Baker Street Mysteries

The Baker Street Mysteries by Valery Burns stars Baby, a huge English Mastiff.

Jeffrey B. Burton, The Mace Reid K-9 Mysteries

The Mace Reid K-9 Mysteries by Jeffrey B. Burton stars Elvira, a search and rescue golden retriever; and Burton’s Chicago K-9 thrillers star a bloodhound named Alice and a springer spaniel named Rex.

Kathleen Donnelly, The K-9 Justice series

The K-9 Justice series by Kathleen Donnelly stars Mocha, a Labrador retriever as an FBI crisis canine in her first book Colorado K-9 Rescue; each book in the series features a different K-9 character.

Sara Driscoll, The FBI K-9 novels

The FBI K-9 novels by Sara Driscoll stars Hawk, a search and rescue Labrador retriever.

DL Mitchell, The Coral Shores Veterinary Mysteries

The Coral Shores Veterinary Mysteries by DL Mitchell stars a terrier named Elvis.

Mary Seifert, The Katie and Maverick Cozy Mysteries

The Katie and Maverick Cozy Mysteries by Mary Seifert stars Maverick, a search and rescue Labrador retriever.

C.B. Wilson, The Gem Hunter’s Mysteries series

The Gem Hunter’s Mysteries by C.B. Wilson stars Glimmer, a gem-hunting dachshund.

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Readers love crime fiction stories featuring these wonderful K-9 characters, and the book list has flourished in recent years. Since there are more books and series available than this article can mention, please ask for guidance from your favorite bookseller or librarian. And doggone it, enjoy reading about these talented animals! I know I do!

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