What would your dogs do?

Interesting thing happened today! I walk for a home with two malinois. They are reserved dogs with me (I've only been walking them for a week or so and had to start out by walking/being introduced with their owner) but they will leash up, go out with me, stroll a bit, will play ball.. but not really affectionate. They are just kind of OK with me and like that I walk them in the afternoon lol

Well, today.. I went into their house as usual and their leashes weren't in their usual spots. The dogs were sitting by the door as they always do waiting to be leashed but I went into the bedroom area (where the back-up leashes are) and the dogs FREAKED.
Hackles up, snarling, etc... I have no doubt they would've bitten me if I went deeper into the room or ventured into other parts of the house.
So perhaps it's also a "public area" thing. I mean, strangers are in the foyer/living rooms areas all the time.. but bedrooms they are more protective of?

I grabbed the leashes and stood calmly outside the room and after a minute they mellowed out and sat by the door again but I really did underestimate them. I met them with their owner and they have always been reserved but I NEVER would've thought these were the kind of dogs to snarl.

Dang, Fran! I'm sure you knew how to respond properly, but sheesh-- I can only imagine how scary it must be, being trapped in a stranger's house being stared down by two snarling malinois. Without a bite suit on, at least LOL! Glad they had enough head on their shoulders not to eat you!

It could also be a "this is not what you usually do, you are behaving in a different way and that is threatening" type of thing? Interesting.

Eek! Glad you're okay!

Well, since Kharma's already put the window out more than once, going after prowlers, and then there was the time when she was still a pup (7 months) and hadn't developed the level of discretion she has now (thankfully ) and she took the steel bar for the come-along away from Big Mike when he came to get one of the tractors to fix it, and there have been a couple of times when we've been out that I know she's saved my worthless ass . . . And she won't let my mother in my house anymore without my permission

Bimmer's kept the house from being robbed at least once that I know about.

Tallulah . . . who knows. I doubt she'd offer tricks to someone who came in, and she has learned to be fairly protective from growing up with Kharma and Bimmer, but I suspect she'd grab an intruder by the hand and take him to the kitchen and show him where the cookies are. Which might scare him considering she IS a pitbull, lol. I don't think she'd let anyone hurt me though, if she could help it, but it's not her nature.

Daisy would piddle herself. Strange men make her piddle even when they're friendly... she would be terribly upset if we had burglars. She does like to hide and growl like a demon, though, so I wouldn't be surprised if she scared someone off.

Liz loves everyone, and rarely leaves her bed for an INVITED guest, so she's not much of a concern.

I've heard tell of Keena being protective of the house, but never seen it.

Rage is bat$h!t crazy and I wouldn't doubt her to bite someone at all.

Miles (roommate's pomeranian) wouldn't attack anyone but he barks a lot. We say he's the alarm system.

Daisy (black lab) puts on a big display at the door and appears positively ferocious. She is fear-aggressive, and I'm pretty sure she'd at least lunge at someone if they came in the house without anyone there. She'd probably nip them too, although I can't see her really mauling anyone. She doesn't WANT to hurt people, she's just afraid and wants them to go away.

Rocky (small black mixy dog) would bark and run away.

I haven't read the whole thread so I am not sure if this has been pointed out, but I think they worded this sentence very poorly. In my opinion, it implies that dogs raised lovingly are not protective, and that this is so because they were raised by owners who frequently gave them affection. While I think we know what they are getting at, someone who is not very educated about dogs could read this the totally wrong way and think that if they want a protective dog, they should raise it harshly or without the love they would otherwise give it.

I assume the author did not mean it this way, but at a glance and with someone who didn't know much I can totally imagine them interpreting this the wrong way. Just my 0.02 cents though.

Schnauzers would, and have defended me (though just from family messing around) and will bite if they think I'm threatened. Poodles and Charlie will bark up a storm if the schnauzers are, but don't if they aren't.

Tsuki, the 8 lb dog, is my little alerter. She lets me know recently when the house was invaded by a new couch, and scary jackets on our new coat rack lol.

Way to go Westie! Never underestimate the size of a dog

Mickey, grandma's Scottie, would most definitely bite someone. He is VERY protective of my grandma and myself as it is, but when daddy isn't here his protectiveness kicks into overdrive. When I am here, he stays up under my feet. If someone pulls into the driveway and walks up to the door, he barks like a mad man.
Example - Grandma and I ordered pizza Wednesday night, daddy left that morning to go to Missouri. Same man who brings us pizza everytime we order from there comes and pulls up into the driveway and walks up to the door, I met him outside so he didn't knock on the door and freak Mickey out. Mickey hears pizza guy talking and I hear this little 16-18 lbs dog run like a horse from one end of the house to the front door. Mickey starts growling like a d@mn grizzly bear. I looked at the pizza guy and kinda gave him the wtf face. Mickey has barked at him but has never growled at him like that. So I was getting a little concerned at this point. I tell Mickey to be quiet and sit/stay at the door. He listens, pizza man talks again, Mickey goes stupid. I was like wtf dude you are freaking me out. Pizza man walks away, gets in his car, pulls out of the driveway, I go inside and Mickey is still looking out of the window beside the door growling. I don't know what the hell all that was about but it bothered me.

Mickey has also shown he would bite. Last summer when I was with daddy, we went to the gas station up the road and Mickey rode along with us. I stayed in the car and daddy went into the store. Some very weird looking man walked up to my window from behind the truck and knocked on my window (I had my window down a little bit, not even halfway). This man PUT HIS HAND IN THE WINDOW TO PET MICKEY AS MICKEY WAS STEADILY GROWLING/BARKING AT HIM. I was like are you STUPID, guy?!? Mickey bit his hand. Man said he was going to have my dog put down, he then called the police. Mickey is still alive and I haven't seen that man since. Dumbass shouldn't have stuck his hand into a truck.

My dogs aren't the least protective, nor do I expect them to be. They're greyhounds and they're retired, all I ask is that they be well behaved family members (but geez, did one of the family members have to be something like the kid from Home Alone?).

Holly's only protective of her stuffie collection. If somebody broke in she'd slink around snagging all her squeakies and stuffies (because any that come into the house are automatically hers, the others have learned and find other ways to amuse themselves) and hiding them upstairs in their bed.

Rig, my problem child, would incessantly bark at them. He does have an ear-piercing, annoying bark that sometimes makes your ears ring. I could only hope anybody who broke in would get a headache and leave. But if the burglar was female, over the age of 70, under 5 feet tall, with curly grey hair (Picture Mrs. Claus), he'd hide under a bed and cry. Weirdo.

Millie, the sweet little old lady she is, would escort them around showing them where we kept the valuables. If she could, she'd probably offer them tea.

The only *things* I have worth protecting (aside from the people) in this house are my dogs. If somebody broke in I'd be more worried for their safety than anything.

Keeva would (and has) snarl and charge at uninvited visitors. No idea what would happen after that. I don't really think she would bite unless cornered or something. I really hope she wouldn't, because she doesn't know she's only 22 lbs and could really get hurt.

Macky? Pssshhh LOL She thinks alert barking is a fun game, but once they let themselves in she'd be their best friend.