Devoted to their families and wary of strangers, Chinese Foos make excellent guard dogs. While this can be said about any number of other breeds, Chinese Foo fanciers claim that their dogs are naturals thanks to thousands of years of experience. While there is some controversy whether today's Chinese Foos are the direct descendants of the guard dogs of legend, there is no question that they take the protection of their family and possessions very seriously. In this article, we'll take a look at the Chinese Foo guard dogs of legend and how that translates into the guard dog of today.

In ancient China, Foos were highly regarded for their resemblance to lions, a creature that is considered sacred in the Buddhist religion. Chinese art, dating from the second century BC features representations of these dogs, and they were known to be given as gifts by the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 917 AD. Praised for their guarding ability as well as their powerful symbolism, Chinese Foos could be seen guarding the entrances to temples, tombs, government offices, homes and other estates. It was believed that these dogs not only discouraged wrong doers from mischief but also prevented evil spirits from disturbing the tranquility of the guarded space.

Today, there are still examples of statues that were created to stand outside these same buildings in order to serve as a warning to evil spirits and would-be troublemakers. Traditionally, these statues are found in pairs. The male is represented with a paw resting on a sphere, while the female is seen with a paw resting on a single cub. These figures are symbolic, as it was believed that the male protected the building itself, while the female protected the people within.

Today, Chinese Foo dogs are reputed to be very intelligent and highly trainable. Combined with their natural instincts of devotion to their families and their possessions, these dogs seem to make exemplary guard dogs. This doesn't mean, however, that they wouldn't benefit from obedience training and socialization. Training can begin quite early, with obedience classes available for puppies, sometimes called Puppy Kindergarten.� Socialization is simply the act of helping young dogs get used to the presence of other people and children. This can help the dog learn the cues that people with friendly intentions subconsciously give and will make him more aware when a threat appears. Socialization can be done by simply taking the dog to the park, on shopping errands, or other places where he can interact with a wide range of people.

Whether today's Chinese Foos are the descendants of the legendary guard dogs or not, there is no doubt that they are formidable guard dogs that take their work very seriously.