Has Your Dog Ever Protected You?

[Lab_Rat]

We had a strange dog hanging around a year or so ago, we have no idea where it came from. While my sister was babysitting, this dog appeared at the door late at night, which set our two off big time!! My poor sister was understandably worried - she thought there may be a human with the dog!! Our ridgie girl ended up sleeping in the doorway of the bedroom where my sister was sleeping............on the cold hard floor.............in the middle of winter, when usually she is snuggled up under her blankies on her comfy bed!!

I have no doubt in my mind that she would protect anyone of her humans in her house!!

[cmkelpie]

When I was younger my border collie would 'protect' me all of the time. If I was ever playing outside with friends or family etc and screamed she would fly between me and the other person and just stand there. She never growled or tried to bite, but would always position herself between me and the other person. She is old and arthritic now but I am sure if the need ever arose she would try to again

[*Oscar*]

I walk my 2.5 year old daughter and 7 month old golden often and whenever someone gets close to us he will always place himself between my daughter and the stranger. If my Daughter is out the front waving off my OH pooch will be sitting right next to her until she comes in.

[Tubbles]

My first Rottweiler was large and scary looking but wouldn't hurt a fly. He loved kids, people and other animals including dogs,cats and even a goat.

In those days you could walk your dog off leash almost anywhere.

I was walking along the crest of a curved road when a car pulled up with 5 males.

They all proceeded to get out of the car and started walking towards me. I wasn't really paying much attention as I assumed they just wanted to take a walk.

My Rotty ever curious came bouncing up the hill after hearing the car door. No barking, just a friendly goofball wanting to say hello.

It was only when those guys raced back to their car and took off with their wheels screeching that I realised I might have been in danger.

The irony is that he just wanted to be friends, but they saw a Rottweiler and fortunately for me fell for the "he must be aggressive" stereotype!

[Skitch]

Our now elderly cattle dog X bully breed has protected our family from break ins/vandalism attempts on several occasions throughout her life! The most memorable instance that comes to mind is the time I thought we'd never see her again because she chased the person back up the side of the house (we heard her snarling and barking and the man screaming!) and out the gate that they'd left open when sneaking down and attempting to crawl in through my sisters window. Luckily she came back but she was gone for nearly an hour! Hopefully she taught that guy a lesson.. it was so scary

[Malamum]

I've never been placed in a situation where it has been necessary.

[sparkycat]

I was at a dog park and got knocked to the ground by a young bouncy male golden retreiver - my Finnish Lapphund told him off so forcefully that he tried to hide under a park bench.

I had to pull her away and put her on the lead and even then she kept telling him that she was not impressed with his behaviour.

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

My old boy Aussie (now at the Bridge...nine years ago he passed), when I lived alone in Darwin in my early 20's, would protect me when necessary. One night I had just gone to bed, probably about 11 pm or so, with Aussie beside me, neither of us was sleeping at that stage. I thought I heard someone in my garden but assumed it was either a possum or cat. Then it went quiet so I assumed whatever it was went away.

About an hour later, Aussie stood up on the bed, hackles up. He didn't make a sound...which frightened me, he just stood there really stiff and alert. I couldn't get him to relax...and when I listened closely I could hear something scratching on my back door. At the point I realised I wasn't imaginging things, Aussie leapt off my bed and dashed into the hallway, growling and snarling, barking and snapping. I got out of bed and put my head around the hallway corner in time to see someone dashing over the back fence. Aussie's noise had scared the burglar off. After my heart slowed to normal, I rang the Police and they came out pretty much straight away. They fingerprinted the door and other spots...and while they were doing that another Police unit had been driving the streets and they found the culprit trying to get into another place about 2 kms down the road. Same MO and everything. He was using a flat-blade screwdriver to try to force open sliding door locks.

I will always be grateful to my dogs which have protected me, and I hope they continue to do so.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Edited to remove account.

Why ?

Because I did not consider the title properly. I don't think my dog acted in an effort to protect me, I think he acted out of his own interests and in the protection of his territory.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Lo Pan

[Tim'sMum]

My ACD (who died 8 years ago) Jed protected me twice.

The first time I was walking him, off lead on a fairly rough isolated bush track when a man ran past us both...he was in full jogging clothes. Neither the dog or I took much notice of him. He must have stopped, turned and ran back towards me, although I was unaware of him until he was right behind me....and my dog went for him. He yelled and I spun around. I called Jed off and clipped him on the lead but not before he left two red grazes on this bloke's leg. He yelled that he just wanted to ask me the time. He could have called out instead of running right up behind me?

The second time, I was walking Jed quite late at night, about 11.00pm as I had been out and had a busy day. I was just past the local shops and heading home when two young blokes appeared in front of me, having come out of a narrow laneway at the end of the shops. One asked me if I had a light....a strange question when I wasn't smoking and didn't have a bag or handbag. I said 'No' and started to walk on when he stepped in front of me again and the other one was standing to the side. Jed stepped in front of me, lifted his lip and gave the most gutteral ferocious growl I have ever heard from any dog. The young bloke in front of me yelled at me to 'Call my dog off!'. Ummmm not likely! I told them to b***er off or I would let the dog go. Being big brave blokes....they bolted.

OH used to worry about me walking the dog at night, but wasn't concerned after that.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Tim'sMum

[Tilly]

A fair while ago I was walking our elderly rottie (retired security dog at the time) along a dark section of the local bike track when he started growling and put himself across the front of me. It was around the time of a lot of assaults in parks - so I was immediately caution. I was a bit hesitant as I wasn't sure what he was growling at and was debating if I should take another path that lead me towards a bushy area … so I gave the dog permission to react (his nasty bark) and called out with: “Can you please stay where you are and we will go around you – I have a security dog with me and I didn’t bring his muzzle” … next minute 3 young men took off in the opposite direction. I don’t know what their intentions were and I was particularly glad I didn’t get to find out.

Not so long ago I was on my way home from walking our two GSD's (one dog nearing retirement and the new in-training security dog) when I had just come around the corner from the park and was heading up the street near the local school. As I was walking along a group of about 20+ youths appeared out of a side street. They were spread over both side of the road and were kicking over bins, kicking letter boxes etc as they came towards me. I didn’t want to go back towards the park as it was away from houses/people but I didn’t think I would be able to get into the gate leading to the school grounds to get away from the crowd. I decided to go up the embankment to the school fence and secured the leads of both dogs onto the fence, put them into a sit and grabbed them by the collars. Both dogs were beautifully behaved. They remained in the sit position and intently watched everyone and growled if anyone came too close. A couple of the guys mouth off a bit towards me but the dogs seemed to put enough fear into them that when I asked them to keep their distance as there were security dogs – they actually listened. I was shaking when they actually pasted and quickly took the boys home to an extra special treat.

[geo]

Good dogs you have their Tilly! I know our girl is very friendly with strangers, the boy not so much.. I have absolutely no idea how they'd react if something were to happen. Though at night time they're alot more alert and weary of people.

[percyk]

my dachsie was protective but i guess thats not good leadership on the humans part...isnt that right?

we have one dog here who constantly looks around if there is someone following us on a walk...cute but a nuisance lol

i doubt hed bite,,,but you never know

[geo]

Also I do want to add something in-regards to Parkeyre and Bundy's mums comments, I don't want to be that politically correct person, but it wouldn't of mattered if the man/men were Indigenous/aboriginal or not as the events would of been terrifying no matter what race the men were, it just came off that there was extra to be fearful about because they were indigenous/Aboriginal, there was just no reason to put a persons race in the story.

Depends where you live and who's responsible for most crimes and attacks in your area, which can lead people to fear some races more than others.

Same as a lone Aboriginal walking alone at night may fear bumping into 5 white fellas, or females being followed by men etc..

[dianed]

Last year my gsd Pepper distracted my hand raised fully grown pet cow when she decided to play a bit rough. I was able to roll under a fence to get away. She jumped on the cow,s back and took hold of its back leg, she is only a little shepherd in size but I remember each morning when I give her a pat and tell her she,s a good girl.

[dandybrush]

gosh i've never needed my boy to protect me...but i dont know if he would he is just too friendly

[Dory the Doted One]

Dory protects me from anyone that might steal my attention away from her.

Dogs in the past have done wonderful jobs of looking scary. Fortunately I have never had to test out their protective abilities. Scare factor seemed adequate for most occasions. I did have one dog, who was very friendly but on a handful of occasions took exceptions to a few people in a pretty impressive display of scary dog. Even the hair on the back of my neck went up when she did that deeeep, rumbly growl from the guts, with a very hard eye and a body to match. Found out later in nearly all cases that there was something off about all of them. One guy, I found out was fond of touching women inappropriately....never got to experience that, my dog hated him on sight and sound, but was embarrassingly friendly with nearly everyone else.

[raineth]

aww there are some good doggies aren't there?

My rescue boy, Digby, doesn't bark when people knock on our door ... unless they are religious people coming to preach to us - Does that count?

I wish he would also bark at the austar people; alas i can't have everything.

[Aidan3]

I don't think my dog acted in an effort to protect me, I think he acted out of his own interests and in the protection of his territory.

Good point. Although I suppose it leads back to that "there are no selfless acts" debate.

A friend's Maremma attempted to stop her daughter from going out the back door by trying to herd her away from the door. The child continued and opened the door, so the dog pushed past, picking up a snake from the back step. The snake bit the dog and he died. I consider that to be a selfless act, but I can't think of too many others!

[tikira]

As a child my grandfathers Border Collie saved me from stepping on a snake. He simply herded me away from it.

Years later we were both 13 years old and my uncle came to visit. I was in the kitchen and Snippy let him past. But Ron was a joker and when he saw me spill milk as he surprised me, he made a grab for me to play fight. Bad idea. Snippy nipped him, then stood between us growling quietly until I called him off.

I loved that dog so much it still hurts 35 years later.

Thanks for the stories everyone.

Di