My Dog Drank My Choc Milk!

What kind of dog was Kramer? A good people dog? good for just one master? tolerant of strangers? any protective traits?

I want to get a dog that will protect my wife while deployed but won't try to attack every stranger- i want a happy, obedient big dog that loves the family and is tolerant of friends coming over. The wife got bit in the face as a child and is leery of me getting a dog; i put up with her cat for so long that she will let me get one once, so i can't screw it up.

i had a german shepard (as a kid)that looked out for the family but she wanted to attack strangers all the time-with some horrible success. i am thinking a female puppy with a kitten as a pal (maybe on the kitten theory)

i have a fairly large back yard.

We have had 4 newfoundlands and all of them were/are the most loving dog you could ever ask for. I don't know about how good they are for guard duty, but they'll be good for just about everything else. The one we have will, if she wants some attention, go up to you and lean on your legs until you scratch her right hip (yes it is at least 99% of the time she wants this hip scratched) to her satisfaction, by walking away after growling then "bwoof"ing at you everytime you stop or you fall over from her putting all her weight on you.

http://habee.hubpages.com/hub/Guard-Dogs-for-Families-with-Small-Children