Would your dog protect you?

debsey1

debsey1

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My partner & I are the owners of a Staffordshire terrier we've had him from a pup & he is now 7 years old. He has a fantastic nature & is not aggressive.
I am mainly the one he looks up to as I'm the one that feeds, walks & at home more than my partner.
Whenever my partner & I play fight (not often I might add) I am the one that the the dog gets upset with by jumping up at me & not my partner who is the one getting the better of me! Why is this? I'm starting to wonder in a real life situation, would my dog protect me?
 
I've always said that mine wouldn't - they don't so much as bark at the door and greet strangers like long lost friends. The breed is known for being gregarious and having a lack of guarding instinct.

That said, I stopped in the street to chat with a friend the other day. I only had R with me and he was sat at my feet on a short lead. A bloke wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up walked past us, staring at us as he passed and appeared to deliberately cross the road so as to pass as close as possible in an intimidating manner. To my complete astonishment (and no small embarassment) R lunged and growled at this passing man. He's a very vocal dog and often leaps around and 'growls' to communicate but this was a proper nasty gesture.

Never happened before or since and I don't expect he would have followed through with anything else but it was oddly reassuring.

There's an interesting video somewhere comparing GSDs who've been trained as protection dogs with ones who haven't and their reactions when faced with confrontation - can't bloody find it now :o but it was interesting and trying to point out that unless specifically trained to do so most dogs will not fend off an attacker for you.
 
I joke and say she wouldn't (American bulldog) but in actual fact I think that she would.

If we are ever mucking about she comes over to investigate and break it up! :p

If I am home alone she is very protective- barks if a car parks outside or at the slightest noise outside the house.

In truth, you never know how they will react under pressure... and I seriously hope I never ever find out. :cool:
 
I always thought that mine wouldn't, like BC's dog he loves everyone and once was still asleep after someone had been knocking at the door for half an hour :rolleyes:

However early last year we had an attempted break-in and he went ballistic, I let him out and he got rid of the 2 guys PDQ! So now I know he will :)
 
Yes I am pretty sure she would. However, I was messing about with the dog and making a silly squeaky noise :o and the cat came running in and cuffed the dog with her paw :eek:
 
She has, we have a wood fired Rayburn and one night about 1am she came upstairs, she's not allowed upstairs, jumped onto my head in bed and then wouldn't leave the room until I got up. By then I could smell the smoke, the latch on the firebox door had broken and smoke was leaking into the room. As I was coming down the stairs the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms went off. She has done this twice now so I guess she it wasn't coincidence.
 
Broke_But_Happy said:
Interesting video but I think there is one main flaw with it. Dogs can pick up on human emotions so I think if you feel threatened the dog is more likely to protect you - presumably the girl in the video wasn't afraid of the 'attacker' :)
Click to expand...

Also the video seems to have been published by a guard dog company. So the footage shown/dogs chosen will likely be heavily biased!
 
Yes, we taught her "Annie, HELP!" and she would come barking. We never had to use it though.
And plus, it's kinda pointless now as she's completely deaf!!
 
Hmm, suspect that video is just a bit of advertising. The trained dogs were just going for a sleeve, a totally different scenario to that presented to the second batch of dogs. Also, the 2nd set of dogs were all nervous, it was obvious to me before the first little bitch was approached, ears back, anxious eyes, tbh I suspect she would have failed a simple temperament test in the breed ring.
As to whether my dogs would protect me, then yes I think they would, Evie certainly guards the house.
 
Playfighting with your partner would just be seen as increasing the energy level which will most definately excite your staffie!

I am pretty sure mine would. They love people but I would hope they would help me out if I was stuck. I take comfort from the fact then when the M25 rapist attacked a woman running in Ripely, it was her stafford which drove him off.
 
Do you know, I actually think mine would! She may only be smallish but she's always on the look out for me and tries to 'protect me' by warning dogs we meet off - ie if a friendly dog is exhuberant and say jumps up at me, she will tell it off VERY loudly. She can look quite aggressive (she's actually nervy) but when I got her I wasn't aware that not only was she funny about dogs when she was on th lead (ie barking, getting very upset) but if any people, especially men, walked towards me she actually would bark/growl at them. I have had to work to stop her doing this but god help anyone who did try to attack me as I think she'd do what she could to help me. I don't know whether she'd actually bite but she'd certainly do a good impression of threatening to! :)
 
My dobie I don't think would. She likes to avoid confrontation. My jrt I think would and my patterdale has. My staffy would too I think. My OH and I once argued and he stood in front of me and growled and showed his teeth to OH. He's a mummy's boy thou.
 
Mine will and has done. Was walking in field by work and all the usual dog walkers and their dogs and then one man in a suit and polished boots walking through field quite close to me. I kept walking quite quickly by this point and the hackles went up and growling snarling barking loudly at this man as if I knew something he didn't. Man just carried on walking and that was that...shame he is only a chi, he'd make an excellent police dog!
 
I think a lot of people confuse a dog defending them, and a dog defending ITSELF/it's comfort zone from a perceived threat. We confuse this because we are often beside the dog and we think they are defending us.

My old bitch would have had anyone who looked at me the wrong way and could naturally perceive a real threat from a fake one. Very rare trait in a dog.

Can't say 100% if my own dog would, he will defend himself and his territory but he is very prey/play orientated and that is the way I work him.

Some dogs, even if they appear defensive, cannot cope with the pressure of a 'real' aggressive attack, it can be a bit nerve-shredding for them.
 
my first dog did on many occasions, he never let people out of their cars on a yard i worked at if i was alone, if i came over they could get out and he was fine and if other people were at the yard he was fine too.

2 of my three current dogs have protected me/or given vibes and behaved very protectively when they have felt uncomfortable around strangers, my lurcher was the big surprised as she has been shown sincea14wk old pup so is happy to be handled by anyone and she is very gregarious, a fisherman approached to speak to me and she stood about 5ft behind me grumbling and watching his every move, i spoke to him for about 10mins and she would neither approach or leave - normally she would rush up she a quick bouncy hello the roar about hunting moorhens. the only time she came closer was when he went to pass me his business card and leant in closer to me.
 
Nope. He's a rottweiler and likes to patrol the house etc and if we have play fights in the house he comes to 'protect' mummy :o But he's not man enough to defend in a real attack..

Only ever had one incident out walking, a bloke with his hood pulled up was out for a jog and he took great offence, growled and barked etc, everyone else he wants to lick to death :rolleyes:
But then, he's a soft family dog as we wanted him to be. Unless you train your dog to protect you it wont IMO
 
'Trained' dog one and three - not great bites and the third dog's barking was not strong at all.
Trained dog two: He shoved the flipping sleeve in her mouth.
If he was really 'agitating' the dogs and using a hidden sleeve, I wonder if the results would be the same.

Untrained dogs - from the still pictures, the first two look like nervebags - first one is lip licking, second one is cringing. You can tell by their general appearance they were not bred for the job.

The second part of the video is grossly, grossly unfair on those dogs, who look extremely unhappy. It's not their fault they are not genetically inclined to take that sort of pressure - they would never in a million years make 'protection dogs' training or no training. Sad.

Please, please no one copy that at home.

Cute kid though.
 
dogs 1, 2 1nd 3 are also in a situation that gets there adrenalin pumping they are familiar with the game that is about to begin.

CC do you think that dogs that feel the handler is part of the 'pack' are more inclined to protect at the risk of being injured themselves?
 
Indeed Jools, for my own dog, and for the vast majority of dogs in that kind of situation it's all about the game and the cues and their enjoyment.

Yes, it depends on the dog, but I think most dogs are a lot more 'selfish' than we think. JMO though and based on my own observations and I stand to be corrected!!
 
Yes no doubt heavily biased :p but I think the lesson is sound - nobody would expect a dog to be able to sit/come/stay etc without specifically training it, protection cannot be too dissimilar. There are obviously dogs with a natural instinct there but without refining it they're probably not going to be that useful in actually saving you from an attacker.

And yes I suspect R was guarding himself rather than me but it represents a new development for him, big nervous nelly that he is, his usual response would be to cower and slink. :o
 
blackcob said:
Yes no doubt heavily biased :p but I think the lesson is sound - nobody would expect a dog to be able to sit/come/stay etc without specifically training it, protection cannot be too dissimilar. There are obviously dogs with a natural instinct there but without refining it they're probably not going to be that useful in actually saving you from an attacker.
Click to expand...

Yes and no - I've seen totally green dogs with no formal training have a pop at an agitator because they had 'it' genetically.

Those dogs at the end of that video remind me of a quote by a judge working a genetically weak dog:
"When this dog finds himself under stress, as all dogs do at times, he reaches back to his ancestry to get help or relief from the stress. But, as you can see, when this dog reaches back for help from his ancestors...there is nobody there." :(

But anyhoo :p
 
Yes, different ones of our dogs have protected me on three occasions:

1. We had a restaurant. I was walking the 200 yards home (with the night's takings - how stupid can you be) when a very drunk and aggressive man confronted me "Slag like you, out at this time of night". My GSD x Lab leapt at him and took the whole arm right off his coat, pulling the guy down on his face. Man then uttered the immortal words "Slag bitch - good doggie!" and passed out. Called the police who cautioned him - I didn't get a bill for his coat

2. Again accosted at night, walking the dogs on coming home from said restaurant. Man tried to hold my arm - stupid move. The GSD bit him and the Basset x Dandy Dinmont bit him on his achilles tendon. Very funny watching someone try to run away on one leg.

3. Embarrassing. Was typing a thesis for a (male) friend. He was sitting at our dining room table pointing something out and I was leaning over him. He made some joke and I clapped him on the shoulder - whereupon our GSD x whippet flew at HIM, growling and showing her teeth. I was mortified.

Really you never know how much your dog cares for you until something nasty happens - and you may be very pleasantly surprised!
 
I'm not sure about my current lot, they're more likely to invite a burglar in for a cup of tea than do guarding / protecting duties. The BM's tend to run if someone shouts or something happens they aren't sure of and my current Bulldog is soo laid back. Having said that they are on full alert if they hear a strange noise late at night although I think they are probably brave from a distance.

My last Bulldog would have your arm off as soon as look at you if he was scared. He actually did pin a burglar to the tree at 3.00am in my garden and the guy was terrified as BD was 'balls' height :D The sound of a Bulldog in full flow is terrifying and would be enough to deter anyone.

I like to think they would protect me in an emergency but in reality I don't think so as they are just so gentle. I'd have to hope the 'look' of them would put off any chancers.
 
My last dog Fred absolutely, he was such a ballsy dog and neutered:D if anyone was thought of as suspicious by him he would sit by me and give them the evil eye daring them to move.

My 2 current dogs are excellent guard and house dogs, you would be daft to break into my house because they would know and make their presence felt. Darcy does not like my b-I-l and she will come and stand in front of me on guard and Im sure she would have him if she thought it was merited. Thats what I like about all the Dobes Ive owned they just seem to have that sense of something not being quite right and will go into alert mode. I know they would never bite anyone innocent, they are welcoming to any visitors we have and I do trust them.

Before my Dobe owning days I had 2 Lancashire Heeler bitches who were pottering around the garden with me when a young lad from the village called in. He was known as being trouble as having been inside on a number of occasions and those 2 dogs ran towards him barking with hackles up and stopped him in his tracks. They stopped 2 feet in front of him growling and Im sure if he had carried on walking towards me they would have bitten him. It wouldnt have been a full frontal, they would have gone behind him and bitten as they are Heelers.:eek:
 
I think my bitch would have a go at some one if they came into the house 'uninvited'. She can be a bit of a grump and has even given some guests the evil eye. My dog, no way, he'd be hiding under the bed! And I think if some one attacked me, the bitch would have a go at them, but I think the dog would get all excited and bite me! (he's easily confused, bless his little cotton socks). They are both boxers and similar size/ age.
 
Yes and have done when teenagers were climbing in the garden at our old house at stupid o'clock in the morning... she is a german shorthaired pointer and practically cleared a 6ft fence, que the 4/5 teenage lads running away screaming :cool: But then i guess that was her space not us.

Out on a walk a man with a hood up it was about 7o'clock winter so dark coming towards us typical walking with "swag" by this time i was pretty edgy, decided it would be a good idea to try and shout something in my face as he passed, Holly decided best thing to do would be to launch herself at him and "shout" in his face.

Its strange when you see the transformation from family pet into hackles up, eyes white, teeth and gums on show :o
 
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