What Would Your Ideal Dog Do?

[Sue & Waldo]

After Cindy has made dinner and cleaned up there is always the ironing.....

[Black Bronson]

I don't expect anything. My dogs aren't trained to guard or in PP work, unless they were, it's really impossible to have any realistic expectations of what they would do

Correct Even having a dog with natural defence and fighting drive, if untrained in defence and getting into a scrap, you won't control them at the height of aggression and could easily result in serious consequences one way or another.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Black Bronson

[Gayle.]

Gaylek, do you think that Dusty would go for the throat due to breed or instinct or just based on your relationship?

All three but leaning towards relationship.

[Lucy's mama]

I expect them to alarm bark, which they do. Then if someone walks into the yard anyway, they lick them, roll over for belly rubs etc. or run awy if they think the peron is a threat. Banjo sounds deadly serious when he warns someone away so not many people will call him on it I think.

Lucy had one guy who used to ervice our home treatment plant who she hated. I had to loock her up when ever he was here as she'd follow him around growling. She even climbed onto a table and jumped off the verandah to growl at him. Very Very VERY odd for her. We stopped getting him out because a) I didn't trust him and b) it was an accident waiting to happen.

I do not want Banjo to be protective to the point he will bite either and discourage anything but barking at strangers approaching the yard. He has twice shown some protectiveness when we pass men on our walks and I have been discouraging this by putting myself between him and the man, putting him in a sit in the heel position, then continuing when he is calm.

[saradale]

I would have expected and really appreciated a bark to warn us that some lowlife scum was breaking into hubbys ute last night. The only night that I've crated my old boy in with one of my girls to keep him a little warmer, rather than on his bed by himself in the cold, and some mongrel breaks into our car.

Didn't get a bark or even a whimper from any of them!!

[aussielover]

I don't expect anything. My dogs aren't trained to guard or in PP work, unless they were, it's really impossible to have any realistic expectations of what they would do

Correct Even having a dog with natural defence and fighting drive, if untrained in defence and getting into a scrap, you won't control them at the height of aggression and could easily result in serious consequences one way or another.

This is why I would NOT want my dog to try to protect me.

Clover used to growl at dogs if she was sitting close to me and she would growl at scary looking men, people wearing big hats and disabled people (very embarassing).

[Monah]

I like the dinner idea peigirl

My two girls would not protect anything, and I do not expe3ect them to. They warn bark when we are at home, but I have been reliabley told by friends that when they knock on the door, my dogs don't make a sound if we are out!!! So I guess they are only 'brave' when we are home! When they bark if we are home, people who do not know them are very frightened of them.

However, I have had a protective ACD and have a protective BC. Both very under control, but, would and have protect if there is any type of threat. This has not been a trained response and no damage has ever been done by them to animal or human and both dogs were and are always under control. The good part is that I felt very comfortable when nanny ACD was with the kids and now when BC is with my daughter as I know they are safe.

When we had wolfies we were robbed! Thanks to my mum telling the robber that they would not hurt anyone!!(came to the door 'looking' for someone).

One time my male was approached by a couple of kelpies who meant business whil we were walking, had never heard him growl before, he let out a very very low growl for about 3 seconds, the dogs RAN. I've never seen anything like it. Another friend who had a littermate was attacked by a gsd and the wolfie 'threw' it and unfortunately broke it's neck. After that I never underestimated the power of these dogs who are very gentle and sooky and loving, but if really pushed are able to be protective.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I don't think a person has a right to expect anything from their dogs in a dangerous situation. I am my dogs' protector, not the other way around. I appreciate that they can hear cars in the driveway before I do but I don't expect them to. I would never leave one out tied up somewhere on guard duty, anyone can get past a dog if they are serious.

I think if a person has trained a dog for protection work, then they may be able to rely on certain behaviours that they have trained. However, if the behaviours don't pan out as they wanted then they either picked the wrong dog or buggered up the training or buggered up the decision about trying the dog in that situation. So they still can't "expect" the behaviour from the dog as something owed to them, it's all about how the human has or hasn't set up the situation for success.

We sometimes consciously use our dogs' behaviour to send a message but again, that's us controlling the situation not the dog protecting us.

[B-Q]

I suppose I don't expect Buster to protect me but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He's wary of strangers to start with but has never been pushed past his threshold. I do feel much safer with him though.

When our old girl Sophie (RIP) was younger she was a fantastic dog. She was some sort of bull arab type dog, every evening at dusk she would do a lap of the perimetre of the houseyard just to check then come back to the house for the night. She once defended my little sisters maltese mix who was being attacked by another dog. She got in, stopped the attack and then backed off. She also once jumped between my little sister and a lunging dog, no fight insued, the dog backed down right away.

She had perfect judgement, she never started a fight, she just finished them, I'd seen her stop dogs in theur tracks so many times just by standing her ground and looking at them. My sister and I used to take her out with us whenever we were alone from a fairly young age to keep us safe.

I don't feel safe without dogs in the house, all our dogs have always been somewhat protective but we've never really had typical people-loving breeds.

Edited May 31, 2010 by busterlove

[Monah]

Busterlove, your Sophie sounds just like my ACD girl Pindi, she would do the same and never had a fight. excellent judgement and skills When she got old we would take the other dogs for long walks without her, then pick her up on the way past and go for a short walk. On the first walk, we would get accosted, barked at etc by all the dogs, with Pindi, not one dog even barked! She had a quiet power and was highly respected.

[mita]

I would have expected and really appreciated a bark to warn us that some lowlife scum was breaking into hubbys ute last night. The only night that I've crated my old boy in with one of my girls to keep him a little warmer, rather than on his bed by himself in the cold, and some mongrel breaks into our car.

Didn't get a bark or even a whimper from any of them!!

Pssst! Want a tibbie? Ours only bark when there's a good reason. They gave that bark one night & we switched on the outside lights. Couldn't see anyone. Next morning, found the car door damaged from where a thief was breaking in. He'd scampered when lights came on.

Then there was the night, the tibs went flying up the hallway, giving that low growl bark. Found a bag dropped on the deck, full of things a thief had already nicked from the storeroom. He'd been on his way into the house.

The tibs tracked him in the dark & I saw him taking off down the driveway next door.....holding a torch he'd nicked from the storeroom.

Builder we know has the ideal team. His wife owns a tibbie that gives the alert if someone strange is on the property. He owns a Dobe who then wanders out to take a look...scaring any evil-doer off (who doesn't know the Dobe is a big sook).

Back in Tibet, the tibbies & tibetan mastiffs worked as a team, like this. Now....if only we also had a tibetan mastiff.

Edited June 1, 2010 by mita

[HeavyPaws]

Great Dane?!

Protect?!

She'd be like "Oh gosh this person is very loud, I really don't like this. I'm going home".

She warns other dogs away from me though. I patted a Jack Russell once, who bared his teeth at me, and she stepped over him, curled her tail over her back and gave a big deep rumble which made her jowls quiver. No bite, no lunge, just a "Hey, you, don't do that"

Luckily the owner wasn't one of those "OMG a big dog! Don't hurt my sweet lil poopikins baby!" and apologised for her dog's behaviour. She said he'd just recovered from an ear infection so he must still be a bit wary of his ears, so I tickled his belly instead, my girl calmed down, and all was well.

If someone was coming at me with a machete she'd turn for home, mother or no mother.

[Rach...]

just be a dog =) have fun, behave (most of the time) and just love being around me

I wouldn't expect either of mine to protect me but I know Maizy would if the situation came about

[Odin-Genie]

I would not want my dogs to protect me, or show any aggression whatsoever towards burglars. I would prefer that they quietly go outside and not bother the burglar. At least they would be safe that way. It is my responsibility to protect my dogs, not vice versa.

I have a back to base alarm system for burglars.

I wouldn't mind them cooking my dinner though

[Loraine]

If I was attacked I can just imagine that Zedley would hide behind me - he is sich a sooky boy. The toy poodle I have in foster is more likely to bite an intruder fiesty little beggar, he is

[voloclydes]

my dally i expect him to look purty and cuddle on the couch :rofl: .this he does well.

i don't think he could keep his mind on the job long enough to cook dinner, however coffee would be roolly nice!

the jrt does the mouse thing, yes he would fight to death if he needed to! which is a pain everyday, as he picks the fights and then won't back down.

as for the jrt making coffee he would so he could drink it.... although if he ever does get hold of one, OMG :D :p he laps the lounge room till ...... so he won't be allowed to even try it!