Would your dog protect you?
- Thread starter Tahla9999
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when a person so intent on hurting you, or is strung out on drugs and doesn't feel pain or feer, something along those lines. Sometimes it doesn't even take someone like that, just someone to call the dogs bluff. Most dogs as the Dr. put it, "react". They react aggressively and put on a good show. Most people will back off or leave. I think when that person decides the dog isn't all that scary, or the dog doesn't matter, most dogs will sense that their display isn't working, and they turn to self preservation mode and run and hide.
Oh and Dan, the part about the training isn't always a predictor wasn't supposed to be about you and Gunner. I like what you guys do, it just reminded me of a guy that came out with (I forget the breed, one of the larger guardian breeds) anyway, it hadn't been trained. One day it jumped an assaliant and put him on the ground, protecting his handler. He was over the top of him with his front paws on his shoulders barking in his face, then just sat there on him so he wouldn't move. This is how the police found them, the dog kept him on the ground for like 10 minutes.
I wasn't there to see that, but I have no reason to doubt the story. The people seemed trustworthy, and the story had filterd through the PD to some people that used to train their PSD's with us and was confirmed that way as well.
ANyway, these people were blow away by what their untrained "pet" did and were told they better get to training it so they could control that protective instinct. These dogs have no prey drive, its almost entirely defense, and it works just fine with them. They brought him out for weeks, and with very little pressure he would not engage anything, worse yet he cowered behind his owners every single session. The amount of pressure was ver small and this dog wouldn't do anything, this same dog that had proven himself in real life wouldn't do anything in training. It will always stand out in my mind and serve as a reminder that you just never know for sure.
Oh and Dan, the part about the training isn't always a predictor wasn't supposed to be about you and Gunner. I like what you guys do, it just reminded me of a guy that came out with (I forget the breed, one of the larger guardian breeds) anyway, it hadn't been trained. One day it jumped an assaliant and put him on the ground, protecting his handler. He was over the top of him with his front paws on his shoulders barking in his face, then just sat there on him so he wouldn't move. This is how the police found them, the dog kept him on the ground for like 10 minutes.
I wasn't there to see that, but I have no reason to doubt the story. The people seemed trustworthy, and the story had filterd through the PD to some people that used to train their PSD's with us and was confirmed that way as well.
ANyway, these people were blow away by what their untrained "pet" did and were told they better get to training it so they could control that protective instinct. These dogs have no prey drive, its almost entirely defense, and it works just fine with them. They brought him out for weeks, and with very little pressure he would not engage anything, worse yet he cowered behind his owners every single session. The amount of pressure was ver small and this dog wouldn't do anything, this same dog that had proven himself in real life wouldn't do anything in training. It will always stand out in my mind and serve as a reminder that you just never know for sure.
Against a wild animal? I have no doubt. Against a human, not certain.
The only time he has ever growled at a human was when someone tried to open our front door at 2 am. They were probably drunk and at the wrong apartment because then they tried for several minutes to unlock the door with various keys.
Anyway, he bounded over to the door all wiggles and happiness, until he realized it was not Robert coming home. Then he transformed into psycho wolfhound. He just kind of stood staring in front of the door, all stiff and tall with his teeth bared and a really low growl. It scared me to death. The only thing I can compare it to is when he sees a coyote or a coon and is literally ready to tear it to shreds if I was to give him his release word. He's never greeted a human remotely like that. Always, when someone comes through the door he is sunshine and rainbows. I have no idea if he would have followed through had they made it in. I'm glad we didn't have to find out.
Shortly before we got Strider his breeder had an incident. They had recently bought and moved in to an abandoned farmhouse near the Mexican border. Apparently drug smugglers had been using it as a drop point while it was empty, and the decided to stop by one night. One of her old females, and I'm not entirely sure if it was Strider's granddam or another girl, wouldn't let them in. She stood in front of the door and fought them. She was shot and stabbed several times (happily she survived), but succeeded in driving them away.
The only time he has ever growled at a human was when someone tried to open our front door at 2 am. They were probably drunk and at the wrong apartment because then they tried for several minutes to unlock the door with various keys.
Anyway, he bounded over to the door all wiggles and happiness, until he realized it was not Robert coming home. Then he transformed into psycho wolfhound. He just kind of stood staring in front of the door, all stiff and tall with his teeth bared and a really low growl. It scared me to death. The only thing I can compare it to is when he sees a coyote or a coon and is literally ready to tear it to shreds if I was to give him his release word. He's never greeted a human remotely like that. Always, when someone comes through the door he is sunshine and rainbows. I have no idea if he would have followed through had they made it in. I'm glad we didn't have to find out.
Shortly before we got Strider his breeder had an incident. They had recently bought and moved in to an abandoned farmhouse near the Mexican border. Apparently drug smugglers had been using it as a drop point while it was empty, and the decided to stop by one night. One of her old females, and I'm not entirely sure if it was Strider's granddam or another girl, wouldn't let them in. She stood in front of the door and fought them. She was shot and stabbed several times (happily she survived), but succeeded in driving them away.
Nanook absolutely. Maverick no way. Maverick runs away if you give him a dirty look. He's all talk and only if there are other dogs to back him up. Nanook is always putting herself between me and 'danger' She hates it when people approach us especially too rapidly. She doesn't like other dogs approaching us. She gets livid if people get too close in the dark.
Well, Yes. Last Halloween (12 dogs at the time), I was watching t.v in the family room with the dogs. My brother decided to dress up in an old Halloween costume he wore years ago (It was the killer from "Scream"). He ran through the front door with it on to scare me, and was attacked by all the dogs. I am talking all 12 of them were nipping at him, barking like mad, in attack mode! Luckily he only got one bite (From Jannah). Totally not her fault! She was protecting me and the house!
When people come over we take them to meet the dogs. They can tell our body language..and know to be nice..and they don't even seem to notice. A few sniffs and tail wags and they demand to be petted. But if somebody just suddenly comes inside without me (Or my mom and brother) they will go in attack mode. It definitely makes me feel safe, cause I know they could cause some real harm to someone if they broke into our house and tried to hurt us.
When people come over we take them to meet the dogs. They can tell our body language..and know to be nice..and they don't even seem to notice. A few sniffs and tail wags and they demand to be petted. But if somebody just suddenly comes inside without me (Or my mom and brother) they will go in attack mode. It definitely makes me feel safe, cause I know they could cause some real harm to someone if they broke into our house and tried to hurt us.
I knew what you meant. I was reinforcing my post that even WITH protection training you still don't know how a dog will react in a live bite situation. Your case is pretty much the opposite where a dog with no training did what no one expected. If he was on his home turf, maybe that's why he did what he did but shut down when they tried to work him on a strange field away from home. I've seen that with guardian breed dogs like mastiffs, they don't want anything to do with engaging a decoy on the field but are good protectors at their house.
At least with protection training, you will have a better idea of what your dog can do, but a dog never has the amount of pressure put on it in training that he'd see in a real life situation. Every dog has a threshold where they say enough is enough. You don't want to find that threshold in training because you don't want to ruin your dog's confidence, so there's really no way to see how far he'll go when put to a real life test. You hope that all the training has built up his confidence to a point that he's thinking he's going to kick the butt of anyone who comes his way.
Even our mild mannered Dane puts on a pretty fierce display when a stranger comes to the door. I wouldn't expect her to ever engage if that person decided they were coming in uninvited, but her size and huge bark is hopefully enough to make most people think twice about coming in. If they decide to come in, maybe she acts like a guardian breed and defends what she considers her property. I wouldn't expect her to but if it happened I'd be right there with her helping her take the guy down.
At least with protection training, you will have a better idea of what your dog can do, but a dog never has the amount of pressure put on it in training that he'd see in a real life situation. Every dog has a threshold where they say enough is enough. You don't want to find that threshold in training because you don't want to ruin your dog's confidence, so there's really no way to see how far he'll go when put to a real life test. You hope that all the training has built up his confidence to a point that he's thinking he's going to kick the butt of anyone who comes his way.
Even our mild mannered Dane puts on a pretty fierce display when a stranger comes to the door. I wouldn't expect her to ever engage if that person decided they were coming in uninvited, but her size and huge bark is hopefully enough to make most people think twice about coming in. If they decide to come in, maybe she acts like a guardian breed and defends what she considers her property. I wouldn't expect her to but if it happened I'd be right there with her helping her take the guy down.
All i can say is VIctor and Mary backed RAndy up to the wall and kept him there one night at the guild. I had not guessed that Victor had it in him, mary i knew did. SO he proved himself 100 percent.
Considering what i know about Pepper and how she reacts to other dogs that growl and snarl, i wouldn't want to cross her, and she would like to raise hackles about people walking down the street when seh sees them from the window but i tell her that's a nonononono.
Considering what i know about Pepper and how she reacts to other dogs that growl and snarl, i wouldn't want to cross her, and she would like to raise hackles about people walking down the street when seh sees them from the window but i tell her that's a nonononono.
I use my dogs as early warning systems and visual/aural deterents but that's about it. I've seen Sawyer charge someone who was dumb enough to come running at me in the dark, but he also veered off without actually engaging. However, it was a good enough display to get the other (very drunk) guy to stop in his tracks and go the other way. Sawyer will jump and nip, pretty hard, if I'm wrestling with someone and accidently got one of my friend's noses when she jumped on me while I was sitting on the couch one night. Again, would he actually engage and keep pressing if forced back? Dunno. Don't really want to find out. But I think that even a momentary break could provide me with opportunities to get up/out.
Virgo barks but seems to love everyone. However, you just really never know.
Virgo barks but seems to love everyone. However, you just really never know.
Bandit, yes. He's proven it before. He's got a lot of balls when it comes to mine and his brother's safety. Would you ever suspect it? No. He's a mellow dog. He won't even defend himself if another dog tries to attack him. So it's a mutual thing. I'll save his butt, he'll save mine. I don't expect him ever to protect me though. It's my job to keep us safe. Not his.
Buster, he wouldn't surprise me if he did, wouldn't surprise me if he didn't. Leaning towards he would though.
Mac, I think she'd protect my sister with her life. I think we could easily underestimate that little dog. She can be quiet timid but when it comes to my sister, nothing is to touch her! Don't know if she'd protect the rest of us though.
Sophie, Yes. She's stepped in between dogs and us before and she's a fantastic judge of character. I trust her a lot.
Harry, undoubtedly yes. I can see him giving his life for us. The more i look at him as he matures. The more his "HA" is dying down and looks more like just a massive protective streak, he's much more controlled and relaxed around people now.
Mac, I think she'd protect my sister with her life. I think we could easily underestimate that little dog. She can be quiet timid but when it comes to my sister, nothing is to touch her! Don't know if she'd protect the rest of us though.
Sophie, Yes. She's stepped in between dogs and us before and she's a fantastic judge of character. I trust her a lot.
Harry, undoubtedly yes. I can see him giving his life for us. The more i look at him as he matures. The more his "HA" is dying down and looks more like just a massive protective streak, he's much more controlled and relaxed around people now.
