Do Relatively Unprotective Dogs 'step Up' If Necessary?

[GABBA]

I have a question relating to this thread. I have read several responses (and not just in this thread) about how a dog is more of a deterent, and may not actually folow through with a "protective" attack, is this breed specific, or does thus apply to all dogs? How about Mastiff breeds, which are guardians by instinct?

[Kavik]

I have a question relating to this thread. I have read several responses (and not just in this thread) about how a dog is more of a deterent, and may not actually folow through with a "protective" attack, is this breed specific, or does thus apply to all dogs? How about Mastiff breeds, which are guardians by instinct?

You will find mixed responses to this question, based on anecdotal evidence and people's experience.

My opinion is that you don't know what the dog will do for sure if you have not tested the dog in a similar situation.

[newfsie]

I would never rely on an untrained dog .......But that said, my very super friendly newf in the past have growled at unsavory people.

The first time was at a teller, when someone was hassling the person ahead of me and I walked nearer and my newf Jessy gave the most awesome growl and actually bared her teeth. Which i thought was impossible in a newf.

The second time was, we live in a rural area on a property and we get a lot of people through our newfs are very happy social dogs. But one day a guy came t the gate and asked to use the phone, he said his car was broken down. i could not see a car. Well my newf Abbey went ballistic, barking and growling and standing between me and him. I just said I could not control my dog and he left.

My hubby goes away for long times quite often and I must admit I feel very safe with my three dogs loose in the house. But with mine, I think a lot of people are impressed with the size, add growl to that and it is quite impressive.

Our present newfs are again quite big......Katy is 45kg at six months and Annabelle is 53kg. Plus our Golden cross isn't small either. but they are very friendly social dogs with friendly happy people. I just hope their size turns people off ;)

[OSoSwift]

I think very occasionally a dog no-one would of thought would guard does step up to the plate. I wouldn't however ever rely on them doing it.

I think my Whippets would be the first to find a dark little corner to hide in whilst shaking if someone was threatening - that is where I would like them as well, one decent kick and they could be very badly injured.

I think I would potentially be more dangerous than my dogs, anyone entered the house with intent to do harm to my dogs or kids and they'd have to kill me first!

[mutt lover]

A dog I had many years ago did just that, was at a lake with a friend and there were some drunk blokes and their girlfriends there and the blokes were making snide comments which we were ignoring, then all of a sudden one of the girlfriends breaks her beer bottle and comes over to where we were sitting and threatens us, (I shit myself)! my dog Ruffy was sitting beside me got up and put his hackles up and started growling at her I had to tell him it was ok as she threatened to slash him with the bottle. Luckily one of the blokes came over and took her away was absolutely terrifying and I never went back to that place.

[Aidan]

Hi Ashley, have you considered training Pete to alert bark, or simply to bark on cue (as a deterrent)? Use a reasonably discrete cue so that it's not obviously a "trick" to an observer.

I am constantly amazed that one of my dogs will wake up and look at me if I look at him while he sleeps, but I wouldn't rely on a dog "picking up a vibe" about someone. What we do know is that people who are doing things that they shouldn't be doing usually give themselves away somehow, and an animal with more acute senses than ours can usually pick up on that.

As PF has mentioned, good home security and lighting is your best defence.

[Snoopy21]

Our big, goofy, cuddle bunny surprised us a few weeks ago. She was asleep at home and my husband was sitting on the floor next to her bed. My BIL who she knows quite well and loves to smooch was telling us a story. He jumped to his feet and waved his arm in my husband's direction while recounting what was said. Willow jumped up from her bed, leaped in front of my husband and barked at my BIL. She was jolted from sleep, and it was in her own home, so I wouldn't rely on her to protect us in any other situation, but we have stopped joking about her scaring burglars by sneaking up and kissing them when they weren't looking.

[poodlefan]

Neats:

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

Not me until I got a Whippet. Howie has a deep loud bark and he seems quite willing to alert when 'strangers' arrive.

Not sure I'd step into the backyard if I didn't know him. Mind you, my police dog hander neighbour reckons Ted the mini poodle is the one to watch..

[Pete.the.dog]

Hi Ashley, have you considered training Pete to alert bark, or simply to bark on cue (as a deterrent)? Use a reasonably discrete cue so that it's not obviously a "trick" to an observer.

I am constantly amazed that one of my dogs will wake up and look at me if I look at him while he sleeps, but I wouldn't rely on a dog "picking up a vibe" about someone. What we do know is that people who are doing things that they shouldn't be doing usually give themselves away somehow, and an animal with more acute senses than ours can usually pick up on that.

As PF has mentioned, good home security and lighting is your best defence.

Hi Aidan, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to teach Pete to bark on que, but considering he is such an infrequent barker at the moment I don't know where I'd be able to start from. The only time he let lose with his barking was in response to a cat he ran into!

[Aidan]

Hi Aidan, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to teach Pete to bark on que, but considering he is such an infrequent barker at the moment I don't know where I'd be able to start from. The only time he let lose with his barking was in response to a cat he ran into!

This can make it tricky, a little excitement coupled with frustration usually does the trick. I taught one dog to bark by putting a chair in front of a door so that he couldn't get past then waited on the other side with some food, ready to click. Excitement + frustration = bark. An old trick used by Schutzhund trainers is to tether the dog, then wave a tug toy around just out of reach. These dogs are already trained to tug and are mad for it so they are excited and frustrated.

So if there is something Pete is mad for, you can probably think up a frustration scenario which will cause him to bark. It doesn't need to be much, just be ready to capture it. A clicker makes this much easier.

[mita]

The value I've found with our small tibbies is that they'll pick up something is wrong....& will give an alert. So we can look into it. And they've never been wrong, when they show the signs of 'something is really wrong'.

Lass in our family who lives not far from Bundaberg... where a child's been abducted from her bed & killed... gave me a good example.

In the middle of last night, she padded quietly down the hallway, to check on her 8 yr old son. In the darkness, so she didn't disturb anyone.

As she came close to his bedroom, she heard the strongest, deepest, 'I mean business!' growl. It was coming from Rosie, an elderly mini-foxy that they'd adopted years ago from the AWL. Rosie sleeps on the child's bed. No way a stranger could have got into that room, before little Rosie made one hell of a racket.

She had to reassure Rosie, 'It's OK, it's Mum!' Tail wagged, then.

But she said she's never heard a sweeter sound, than the little dog sounding a threat & an alert to protect her 'person'.

Edited February 23, 2010 by mita

[Pete.the.dog]

Hi Aidan, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to teach Pete to bark on que, but considering he is such an infrequent barker at the moment I don't know where I'd be able to start from. The only time he let lose with his barking was in response to a cat he ran into!

This can make it tricky, a little excitement coupled with frustration usually does the trick. I taught one dog to bark by putting a chair in front of a door so that he couldn't get past then waited on the other side with some food, ready to click. Excitement + frustration = bark. An old trick used by Schutzhund trainers is to tether the dog, then wave a tug toy around just out of reach. These dogs are already trained to tug and are mad for it so they are excited and frustrated.

So if there is something Pete is mad for, you can probably think up a frustration scenario which will cause him to bark. It doesn't need to be much, just be ready to capture it. A clicker makes this much easier.

Ohh ok, for some reason I thought it would be bad to get him barking that way, but if others are doing it I don't have any guilt around it, thanks for that

[Jed]

I have a question relating to this thread. I have read several responses (and not just in this thread) about how a dog is more of a deterent, and may not actually folow through with a "protective" attack, is this breed specific, or does thus apply to all dogs? How about Mastiff breeds, which are guardians by instinct?

Dogs bred to guard are more likely to step up - whether they would actually do something protective depends on the dog, and how confident he is, and how strong his instincts are.

Some "non guarding" breeds are quite protective -- my cocker boy warns, one girl would wag at anyone, and one would collapse at an intruder's feet, anticipating a belly scratch. but they were bred to be retrievers after all!!

Probably Pete would bark if someone strange entered - he would be a watch dog. Usually a dog barking is sufficient to warn off most intruders

Mita

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.

the perfect set up.

I guess your tibbies at home forget the mastiffs aren't right behind them for back up!!! Didn't the spaniels give warning, and the mastiffs did the business? Hope they never look behind them to check for mastiffs when they are chasing someone

[poochmad]

Our Field Spaniel has a great deep bark (quite surprising for a dog his size) so when he barks at night (which is very rare) it is nice to know that people would think he was a much larger dog than he is. He has woken up and growled a few times, which puts you at ease and when I've been home alone and had a tradesmen come into the house, he put himself between me and the guy and barked. I was a bit nervous, so I guess Henschke picked up on that.

Our female Fieldie is a scaredy cat and runs away whenever Henshcke barks. So I'd be just as happy for her to stay out of harms way.

On saying that, I don't think he would physically attack anyone (not that I'd want him to), but he would definitely bark at someone which is what you're after anyway.

[Cosmolo]

I wish i could teach my big boy to bark on command I have tried every kind of frustration under the sun and while he gets very excited and frustrated, not a sound comes from his mouth!! ;)

[Christina]

They can do. You won't know until it happens.

2 suprises with mine in the past.

I had a Dalmation that never even barked when someone was at the door. Silly boy who loved everyone.

One day my male flat mate, who he loved, came home & said Did you watch the 3 muskateers last night.

He said it was great. On guard. He lifted his arm as though he had a sword in it. Messing about.

My dog jumped up & grabbed his elbow in his mouth.

A Great Dane I had was also a gentle dog. He did bark at anyone at the door momentarily. Very friendly.

One night I was away all night. When I arrived home in the morning he had knocked stuff off the work surface, left paw prints & gouged a bit strip of the gyprock wall out next to the window there. Great big claw marks down it.

When I looked outside the window their were footprints in the bark at the window.

Someone must have got a big scare. He was as big as a horse.

[Red Fox]

Kei is quite a good watch dog and will bark at anyone who comes on to the property, or anyone hanging around near the fence. Being a large deep chested breed he has a pretty decent bark on him too.

Generally his size and his bark are enough to put people off - Oh, and his habit of standing on his hind legs up against the front security door and barking his head off if it's night time and he can hear people but not see them. Drunks and wandering teenagers tend to clear off pretty quickly when I turn on the light and they see the outline of a dog standing up nearly 6ft tall ;)

But if push came to shove and Kei was being threatened I think he would run for the hills

Hopefully with Pete his size would be more than enough to scare of an intruder. Even if he simply wandered quietly around the corner it would be a bit of a shock for someone not expecting to see a dog

[mita]

Mita

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.

the perfect set up.

I guess your tibbies at home forget the mastiffs aren't right behind them for back up!!! Didn't the spaniels give warning, and the mastiffs did the business? Hope they never look behind them to check for mastiffs when they are chasing someone ;)

Jed, it's not very flattering....but our tibbies think we're the mastiffs!

[beccaul]

I was VERY suprised by my girl. She is a quite large Alaskan Malamute and LOVES everyone. The other day, my husbands cousin came to pick up a trailer. He didn't tell us or knock , he just started hooking it up. She went crazy barking and jumping around. Even when I called out that it was fine, she barked non stop at his offsider , who was trying to talk to her!! Maybe she knew something we didn't!!!

[Ons]

my golden retriever Onslow really surprised me a few months back. He is a barker but not a protective barker.

My niece was staying the night en route to wherever she was going and had a friend with her. Ons knew Melissa but not the friend. Melissa turns up at midnight so I let Onsy out to go say hello. He started barking this ferocious bark and his hairs stood up, he was in full alert mode. As soon as Melissa said "hello Onsy what's wrong" his whole attitude changed and it was tail and body wags. But it gave me some confidence that he may be able to step up to the mark if need be, of course I wouldn't rely on that.

My coolie I wouldn't trust if someone was attacking me. i think he would go full on. He has growled at some men when I have been walking him, a kind of "back off and don't go near my mum" growl. One thing that I feel safe about is that if there was a stranger that they would be too busy looking at what the huge golden retreiver was doing and not notice the littlier dog behind what he was doing. and he would be the one I would be afraid of.