Do Relatively Unprotective Dogs 'step Up' If Necessary?

[Pete.the.dog]

Some of you may know I live in a share house, we have a lot of people coming and going so Pete is used to strangers entering the house. He doesn't bark at people when they enter the door (the only time he barks at people is very occasionally at me when he wants me to play or is telling me off for not getting to the door with the lead quick enough)

He is very polite around tradesmen, either giving them a happy sniff or not even bothering to get up.

There is usually at least one other person sleeping in the house at night, but occassionally I find myself home alone, and I find I am not really comforted by the fact that Pete's there. I'm wondering if someone did try to or actually enter the house, do you think Pete would jump into protective mode? Has anyone had an unprotective dog become protective at just the right time? I'm hoping to get some comforting stories cause last night was scary!!

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Unless specifically trained, dogs are more of a deterrant than anything else. I would never rely on one of mine to attack an intruder. Quite the reverse, I think it's up to me to protect my dogs rather than the other way around.

Is there a specific reason why you feel unsafe alone at night apart from the usual fear of intruders?

[Pete.the.dog]

Unless specifically trained, dogs are more of a deterrant than anything else. I would never rely on one of mine to attack an intruder. Quite the reverse, I think it's up to me to protect my dogs rather than the other way around.

Is there a specific reason why you feel unsafe alone at night apart from the usual fear of intruders?

Oh by step up I don't mean attack, I mean, be more of an active deterrant (not just lie there)

Just the usual fear I don't often spend the night in an empty house, and ours is old and creaky, so last night was a bit scary..

[W Sibs]

With Charlie... nope His job is just to alert me. My job is to keep us both of us safe.

He barks, then gives me the look of, "Well, are you going to check that out?! I'm not!"

[rubiton]

Dogs will threaten people entering their territory without owners permission (as they see it). And some are very convincing - as for would they go through with the threat? Well guess that depends on the dog and on the persons reaction to the threat.

Our roller door got left up and dog was put outside the back. Well after a while she decided to wander around the front yard. Was seen by the ranger who was going past and he decided to knock on the door and ask if we knew the door was up and if the dog out front was ours. Apparently when he crossed into the property she did challenge and threaten him (he reckoned he did think she wasnt going to let him get to the door). As soon as one of us appeared she was all happy and friendly. She normally loves meeting people and is fine for visitors that are greeted by us.

(Note in SA dogs are permitted to be protective of their own property towards someone/something 'trespassing' - its in the state laws somewhere).

Edited February 22, 2010 by rubiton

[Pete.the.dog]

With Charlie... nope His job is just to alert me. My job is to keep us both of us safe.

He barks, then gives me the look of, "Well, are you going to check that out?! I'm not!"

Well hopefully Pete would alert me if was necessary. He usually doesn't do that. Oh well if someone comes to the door he will go to the door and sniff, but maybe if I was sleeping he would go to the door and bark?

I wouldn't expect him to go ninja on some robbers while I hid under the covers .. Just maybe give me a bit of warning so we can both go under the covers

[Kavik]

Hard to say what a particular dog will do. Generally though, they will alert or not but are mostly consistent (if they tend to bark at the door).

[dee lee]

My dog alerts us with a low grumble and (if she deems it necessary) a deep woof if someone walks past when the door is open and she is on our side of the security door.

She is pretty consistent on this but is a big smoocher otherwise and would definitely NOT carry through.

One night though, I was home alone, sitting near the locked security grill and I heard someone open the gate... Honey leapt to her feet and rushed to the door with a BIG growl and even bigger woof... It was my OH coming home early from work.

She is very bonded with me so I expect she was extra vigilant because he wasnt there. I was happy to see she was a good watch dog (I'd been pretty nervous til I saw who it was!), but he took a while to see the positive side.

She also will woof in the middle of the night too if she hears something she doesnt like.

We dont encourage it (most of the time we call her away from the door and praise her for stopping the guarding) but do feel its good that anyone walking past would know there is a big dog in the house.

Pete is a decent sized scruffer isnt he? I'd say that is his best defence of you.

[mita]

Our tibbies have been great alert dogs. I've noticed they figure out who's the regular OK people like tradesmen & visitors & welcome them. But they will alert if it's a stranger.....& they seem to pick up 'weird' vibes.

Like, they found a burglar who'd entered the back part of our house & went growling after him into the night. They tracked him, onto the driveway next door. So I got a good look at him.

They did the same another night....deep growling from inside the house. When we switched on the outside lights, couldn't see anyone. But next morning we found someone had been breaking into one of the cars. The dogs' noise, & then the lights, had scared him off.

They got much praise from local police, on the first occasion, because this same burglar had broken into houses in the area on the same night. Our tibbies had been the only ones to suss him out.

We know a builder, who has valuable tools & items on his property. He owns a pet dobe & his wife owns a tibbie. They say that's the perfect watchdog team. The tib is good at picking up weird stranger vibes....& sounds an alert. Then the dobe (who's really a big softie) ambles out to take a look...providing a scare factor.

[SoL]

Each of our dogs has been different: Brandi was a fantastic watch dog and was constantly on duty, she was always the first to sound the alarm and if she didn't trust someone she would stand in the middle of the path and sound a warning - no one came through the gate if that happened. The boys are pretty pathetic, if something goes bump in the night they'll huff and gruff but we are teh ones to check it out. Bruce the Goose is the sookiest of them all, however, he did surprise and impress me when on a walk one day - there was a bloke up ahead and he kept bending over to examine the road, it was on a quiet country lane and there was no one else around - Bruce went off his head barking until we got close to the bloke and then he was just on full alert. I was happy in that fact, felt comforted that he might think of protecting me if something happened, though to be honest I wouldn't rely on it Sunny, well, the only thing that needs feel threatened with Sunny are lizards

[Pete.the.dog]

Our tibbies have been great alert dogs. I've noticed they figure out who's the regular OK people like tradesmen & visitors & welcome them. But they will alert if it's a stranger.....& they seem to pick up 'weird' vibes.

Like, they found a burglar who'd entered the back part of our house & went growling after him into the night. They tracked him, onto the driveway next door. So I got a good look at him.

They did the same another night....deep growling from inside the house. When we switched on the outside lights, couldn't see anyone. But next morning we found someone had been breaking into one of the cars. The dogs' noise, & then the lights, had scared him off.

They got much praise from local police, on the first occasion, because this same burglar had broken into houses in the area on the same night. Our tibbies had been the only ones to suss him out.

We know a builder, who has valuable tools & items on his property. He owns a pet dobe & his wife owns a tibbie. They say that's the perfect watchdog team. The tib is good at picking up weird stranger vibes....& sounds an alert. Then the dobe (who's really a big softie) ambles out to take a look...providing a scare factor.

Yeah I guess that's what I'm hoping for, Pete picking up strange vibes!

Otherwise maybe his size will scare them off like you said deelee, although he's a bit of a cartoon dog so who knows. Hopefully I never have to find out!!

[stormie]

I have often wondered this about Orbit. He barks at strangers and also at scary noises, but its generally because he's scared too! Generally he will bark at people, but if they try to approach him, he will run and hide. Obviously his size is a pretty good deterrant, but yeah, I have often wondered whether he would detect my genuine fear and challenge someone, or whether or not he would bolt under my bed.

I get scared in the night when I'm home alone too

[mita]

Yeah I guess that's what I'm hoping for, Pete picking up strange vibes!

Otherwise maybe his size will scare them off like you said deelee, although he's a bit of a cartoon dog so who knows. Hopefully I never have to find out!!

Alerting to strangers was one of the reasons, tibbies were bred in Tibet. When they're good at it, they're great. I've been delighted with our new adult tibbie, because she shows all the signs of being alert & 'figuring' strange noises & things. She's as sharp as a whip.

I agree that size alone can be a deterrent. It's one reason why our builder friend has a dobe....even tho' a stranger isn't to know that he's actually a big softie.

[~*Shell*~]

Zero is not a "run and meet strangers" kind of dog and he's not particularly protective of me. I've had friends scare me, run up behind me and tackle me, pick me up etc and he couldn't care less, even if he doesn't know the person. If we're out on a walk, he's not interested in meeting the people we see, he'd rather sniff and you'll often see him walk towards people but not try to interact with them.

That being said, one night when Zero and I were walking through the park, we had a guy step out of the bushes right in front of us. Zero stopped suddenly, planted his feet, dropped his head and growled the most menacing growl I've ever heard. He got his heckles up and the guy backed off as fast as he could without turning and running. I was completely creeped out by the guy and I think Zero knew that. If I'd let him off leash at that point I have no doubt in my mind that Zero would have chased him.

So yes, my relatively unprotective dog would definitely step up if the threat was real enough - he somehow knows the difference between me being startled by a friend running up behind me where there is no threat to me and the creeped out, cold chills kind of fear I got when I was fearing for my safety and his.

[poodlefan]

I'd not be relying on a dog for my safety.

Good locks and sensor lights are probably better.

Statistically you're in greater danger from harm from people you know than from strangers. I bet you feel better about being home alone now!!

[W Sibs]

With Charlie... nope His job is just to alert me. My job is to keep us both of us safe.

He barks, then gives me the look of, "Well, are you going to check that out?! I'm not!"

Well hopefully Pete would alert me if was necessary. He usually doesn't do that. Oh well if someone comes to the door he will go to the door and sniff, but maybe if I was sleeping he would go to the door and bark?

I wouldn't expect him to go ninja on some robbers while I hid under the covers .. Just maybe give me a bit of warning so we can both go under the covers

seriously, i think if a dog pick up a strange vibe or feel something isn't right, they will give you a warning. Not necessarily barking, but there will be signs they give out to let you know that something isn't right.

[Lhok]

I have often wondered this about Orbit. He barks at strangers and also at scary noises, but its generally because he's scared too! Generally he will bark at people, but if they try to approach him, he will run and hide. Obviously his size is a pretty good deterrant, but yeah, I have often wondered whether he would detect my genuine fear and challenge someone, or whether or not he would bolt under my bed.

I get scared in the night when I'm home alone too

Whatcha sensing Scooby!?!

Love Great danes

--Lhok

[gila]

Unless specifically trained, dogs are more of a deterrant than anything else. I would never rely on one of mine to attack an intruder. Quite the reverse, I think it's up to me to protect my dogs rather than the other way around.

Is there a specific reason why you feel unsafe alone at night apart from the usual fear of intruders?

Me too! I'm 99.9% sure Spencer would be useless anyway and I would have no choice but to protect both of us

Strangely though, I do feel safer when he's with me. Like walking at dusk/night doesn't really bother me. I'm a little more alert, but not scared like I probably would be if he wasn't with me.

Spencer does occassionally do this thing at night when he's inside though. He'll suddenly hear something and rush to the front door, hackles up, barking ferociously. It scares the hell out of me when he does it cos I think, "WTF is out there??".

[Benny_and_Bella]

My 2 would be no help!

Benny does bark - at everything - if someone next door closes their door, he barks; a car pulls up outside, he barks; a car door is closed 3 blocks away he barks. he's like the boy who called wolf! And he'd be the first out the back door if there was a baddie at the front!

[Got Spots]

My whippet has put out 2 intruders in the last 6 months - who would have thought

First was a drunk who let himself in my side gate into my back yard - dont know why it was shut, thankfully she had her hackles up and snapped and snarled at him until he left briskly. I was home alone in Nambour (not the safest of places) so she got lots of cuddles that night.

the second one was at 5am and a kid about 18 let himself in my back yard - the dogs are caged on the back porch and put up merry hell - I went out thinking was a bird and let them out. He got ousted the same way

The other whippet barks then runs behind my legs as if to say look what i found mum

Now if I am home alone without my partner they sleep with me for "protection" well that is what i tell hiim anyway.

The neighbours even get warned if someone different comes up to their back yard - combination of cocky and dogs. They don't mind and feel safer for it