What Would Your Dog Do?

[tdierikx]

My two greyhounds would welcome an axe murderer into the house

Hahaha! I can see Stan opening an eye from his bed and then going back to sleep from all the energy expended...

T.

[mita]

I know how our dogs would behave if someone came in the house when I was alone. Someone did, one night, when I was going up & downstairs with washing, with back door open. How they behaved fitted with their breed, Tibetan Spaniels, because being alert dogs was one of the reasons they were kept in the Tibetan monasteries.

I heard nothing as I was in a bedroom sorting clothes. But the 2 Tibbies went racing up the hallway, barking as if they meant it (they're not yappers.... when they bark it's something important). I followed them & found a bag of items inside the doorway ... stuff taken from the downstairs storeroom. A thief had been coming into the house, heard the dogs & took off into the dark outside. But where?

The Tibbie girls kept going, around the side of the house & barked at the driveway next door. There was a young bloke with torch in his hand, going down towards the footpath & under a streetlight. So I got a very good look at him & could later give the police a good description.

The police said this bloke had robbed a few houses that night .... but our little dogs were the only ones that caught him in the act.

Another night, they broke into the same barking that means business. We turned on outside lights & couldn't see anyone.

Next morning we found my car door damaged where someone had been trying to break in. Disturbed by the dogs' bark, he'd fled.

The Tibbie girl next door is also great at alerting, when there's good reason. Her fenceline adjoins the driveway of our neighbour who has racing greyhounds. And she keeps watch on his house when he's not at home. Several times, she's alerted me to strangers in his driveway & back of house.... & I've gone to check.

A couple I know have made a good dog 'team' to guard their property.... he's a builder with a lot of tools & equipment. The wife's Tibbie alerts to any strangers on the property. The husband's Dobe (who's really a big sweetie) then ambles out to see what she's on about. The sight of the Dobe ... & the sound of the Tibbie acting as an alarm.... deters people up to no good.

Edited April 22, 2013 by mita

[~Anne~]

Out of general interest:

What breed do you have and what do you think they would do if a stranger entered your yard/house unnanounced while you were out? Would their behaviour be different if they were alone and not with your other dogs?

How do you think your dog/s would behave if an unwelcome visitor entered your home while you were home?

How do you think they would behave if this person became physically confrontational with you?

Of course, we can only guess unless the situation has arisen in the past, but I would be interested to know how people think their chosen breed would behave.

My dogs (both Pugs) would rush up to the person with glee to anyone walking in to my home. Boof will bark at people on the other side of the door and the minute they walk in the house he jumps all over them in delight.

I am not sure if either of them would react differently if they were on thier own. I suspect not.

I think they might get a little excited if the person became physcially confrontational with me but even that I cannot be sure. Apart form wanting to join in the games sometimes, mine have never really worried about squeals and physical rough housing.

[BoxerB]

My Boxer is pretty fearless and would put on his big boy bark.

Anytime he's startled or something is not as expected he throws away the whinny high pitched, "please let me play with every dog in the world" bark, and brings out his very low, very slow "I'm a 200kg beast" bark.

The first time I heard it he was outside by himself and something caught his attention. I thought some huge dog had gotten into our yard. Went outside and he's angled in a stacked pose staring at the back fence, and with a very very deep sound letting off one slow loud bark at a time. Had the biggest that's my boy smile on my face!

As to how he would react, I can see him waiting and summing up the situation before doing anything. If I or anyone he knew was there, it would death by a thousand licks and nothing more. If we weren't around I have no doubt he would react differently. Have never seen him go all out aggressive straight off the bat with anything, so really can't imagine someone jumping the fence for example and him running straight in to attack. It's definitely not in his nature.

Good luck to whoever wants to give it a go against a Boxer who's been fed raw and demolishing bones from very young. If he does decide to bite his jaw would be crushing.

[minimax]

Both my pugs would bark their little heads off whilst covering the stranger in licks and kisses, then run and get a toy so the stranger/murderer/burgler could play with them :laugh:

[harley]

What breed do you have and what do you think they would do if a stranger entered your yard/house unnanounced while you were out? Would their behaviour be different if they were alone and not with your other dogs?

Border Collies. I will only comment on my 3, the rest are Tailwags.

Delta and Charlie love absolutely everyone and everything. When I lived in Sydney my house was burgled, a few big duffle bags worth of stuff stolen, including the desktop computer and laptop. They accessed my house through the backyard (where my dogs had free-range), climbed in through the kitchen window, and then left via the back door. Knowing my dogs they probably greeted them with kisses, showed them where the computer was, and Charlie probably would have continually dropped a tennis ball at their feet the whole time.

Whip on the other hand comes across as incredibly protective, but its mostly driven by fear and insecurity as we so rarely have anyone visit he just hasn't been exposed to it. I was on the toilet once when I heard him alert barking in the yard. Knowing we had visitors I rushed out there but he had already tried to have a nip at the heels as they tried to access the house via the back door (still not sure why they didn't come in through the front door or why they ignored this dog barking at them with his hackles raised). All our dogs are crated inside when we are not at home, but given the chance I don't believe he would allow anyone into the house. Out in public he has no fear of strangers and no desire to protect the car or our belongings.

How do you think your dog/s would behave if an unwelcome visitor entered your home while you were home? How do you think they would behave if this person became physically confrontational with you?

Interestingly enough, my over-the-top friendly, we-love-everybody dogs Delta and Charlie showed me a different side one night. I had an old uni friend visiting from Melbourne and he had come for dinner. The dogs had been loving on him all night and playing with him while we had dinner and drinks. It got quite late and I told him he may as well stay the night rather than heading off, and he slept in the spare bedroom. At about 2am he opened my bedroom door with one express, unwanted purpose. Both dogs instantly moved on top of me and all I could hear was their growling and see the whites of their teeth. Even when they knew who it was they didn't let up until he closed the door again and went back to bed. I think if I was once again put in a position that caused my heart to start racing or if I was to feel scared at all out on a walk, I would think they would behave similarly. Something I never would have believed until that night.

Whip, I would feel perfectly safe walking down a dark alley at night with :) He is great with others and loves attention in public and at agility trials etc, but I don't think he would hesitate to protect me if the need arose.

This gave me goosebumps.

If you don't mind me asking, what were the dogs like later in the morning with your uni friend?

[Dame Aussie]

If someone came in while we were out Lili (Aussie Shepherd) would bark and growl but I think she would just avoid them more than anything.

Mosley (anatolian) would probably eat them alive, that's if his barking and growling weren't enough to convince them it wasn't worth the risk.

If we were home and threatened, same deal.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Aussie3

[DeltaCharlie]

What breed do you have and what do you think they would do if a stranger entered your yard/house unnanounced while you were out? Would their behaviour be different if they were alone and not with your other dogs?

Border Collies. I will only comment on my 3, the rest are Tailwags.

Delta and Charlie love absolutely everyone and everything. When I lived in Sydney my house was burgled, a few big duffle bags worth of stuff stolen, including the desktop computer and laptop. They accessed my house through the backyard (where my dogs had free-range), climbed in through the kitchen window, and then left via the back door. Knowing my dogs they probably greeted them with kisses, showed them where the computer was, and Charlie probably would have continually dropped a tennis ball at their feet the whole time.

Whip on the other hand comes across as incredibly protective, but its mostly driven by fear and insecurity as we so rarely have anyone visit he just hasn't been exposed to it. I was on the toilet once when I heard him alert barking in the yard. Knowing we had visitors I rushed out there but he had already tried to have a nip at the heels as they tried to access the house via the back door (still not sure why they didn't come in through the front door or why they ignored this dog barking at them with his hackles raised). All our dogs are crated inside when we are not at home, but given the chance I don't believe he would allow anyone into the house. Out in public he has no fear of strangers and no desire to protect the car or our belongings.

How do you think your dog/s would behave if an unwelcome visitor entered your home while you were home? How do you think they would behave if this person became physically confrontational with you?

Interestingly enough, my over-the-top friendly, we-love-everybody dogs Delta and Charlie showed me a different side one night. I had an old uni friend visiting from Melbourne and he had come for dinner. The dogs had been loving on him all night and playing with him while we had dinner and drinks. It got quite late and I told him he may as well stay the night rather than heading off, and he slept in the spare bedroom. At about 2am he opened my bedroom door with one express, unwanted purpose. Both dogs instantly moved on top of me and all I could hear was their growling and see the whites of their teeth. Even when they knew who it was they didn't let up until he closed the door again and went back to bed. I think if I was once again put in a position that caused my heart to start racing or if I was to feel scared at all out on a walk, I would think they would behave similarly. Something I never would have believed until that night.

Whip, I would feel perfectly safe walking down a dark alley at night with :) He is great with others and loves attention in public and at agility trials etc, but I don't think he would hesitate to protect me if the need arose.

This gave me goosebumps.

If you don't mind me asking, what were the dogs like later in the morning with your uni friend?

I heard him get up pretty early in the morning and both dogs clambered on top of me again but not in the same way as before. They just snuggled in close but stayed pretty relaxed. Had he opened the door again I suspect they were ready though. I wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to him so I just stayed in bed and he knew me well enough to assume I would still be asleep and left without saying goodbye. I don't know what the dogs would have done that morning but I'm guessing he wasn't going to take that chance either.

[Chequeredblackdog]

My two greyhounds would welcome an axe murderer into the house

Hahaha! I can see Stan opening an eye from his bed and then going back to sleep from all the energy expended...

T.

No no, Stan would welcome them, but only after making them open the fridge for him first! :D

[Niques]

He (labrador) would positively explode with excitement. Unexpected visitors make his day. He rarely barks, so I wouldn't even get that as a deterrant. His tail might fall off from wagging so hard :laugh:

That's during the day; he becomes oddly serious at night. He has consistently given a warning bark everytime someone has come through the side gate at night. He sleeps with me at the front of the house and will perk up and stand at the window if there is human noise close to the house (including just neighbours' guests returning to their cars).

He doesn't even run away at night. An open gate during the day and he is gone - places to go, people to see. On the two or three occasions he's had the opportunity to escape at night, he just trots out to the driveway and comes straight back inside when asked. It's interesting.

I've no idea how he'd actually react to an unwanted person though.

[megan_]

If I was home, Lucy would not let a stranger just waltz in - they wouldn't even get to the front gate without her alerting me.

If I'm not home then they would be scared but not put up a fight. 99% sure they would run into the bedroom.

I was robbed twice in my old house and the neighbours didn't hear anything. The thieves also left the laptop which was in plain sight in the bedroom (hence I think the dogs ran into the bedroom).

[Polgara's Shadow]

Vulcan (SBT) loves visitors - unexpected or not. Australia Post couriers regularly tell me they look forward to dropping things off at our house because they get such a friendly welcome.

I don't know what he'd be like if someone turned up that meant us harm or were planning to steal - but I don't hold out any expectation that he would behave any differently.

I've gone out of my way to raise him to be both dog and people friendly - I don't expect or want him to be my security.

[coogie]

I have two Shar Pei, I have no doubt the girl would bite in both situations, and equally no doubt the boy would not bite in either, but would bark as he retreated if alone. He would probably follow behind the girl if she was there but still not bite. The uninvited stranger part has been tested but not the getting physical part because she bit before that point and I don't think that was the person's intention anyway. She has never displayed any inclination to bite when off the property and is very social with everybody when out and about, which is often. I must confess I have mixed feelings about her being apparently, very willing to bite an intruder,on the one hand I always feel safe but I worry if someone was determined to take something they would hurt/kill her. She NEVER has access to the front of the property when we are not home. There is absolutely no innocent reason for anyone to access the back of the property where she is contained very securely.

[huski]

Some dogs might growl or show their teeth or occasionally even nip an intruder if they were threatened but realistically very few dogs have the nerve and drive required to actively engage an intruder. There's also a big difference between a dog that will bite someone because it is confident and a dog that might nip or bite someone because it's fearful.

My beagle barks at people walking past the house and would probably bark at an intruder whether I was there or not, she wouldn't bite someone though. My Malinois is a different story but she's trained and knows what she should do, as well as having the right genetics, for engaging someone who is a threat.

[W Sibs]

Emmy - JS

She is very territorial and she has ran a few people out of the house a few times So, I honestly don't know if she will bite or not if I'm not there. But, she will try her hardest for people not to go into house whether I'm there or not. I'm not entirely sure if she will protect me though, just because I'm usually the one that protects her from strangers. I've never been in a position where she had the need to protect me.

Skeeter - Samoyed

He is still young, easy going and funny fella. But, I have seen him in guard mode a few times. Usually late at night when he hears something outside that's not familiar... he has a really deep growl and bark that send shiver down my spine. One time, he did that and came sat on me and staring intensely at the window. I have a feeling that my boy will protect me if anyone will hurt me. But it's not in his genes to hurt anyone at all. I love that he is a gentle giant. I mean, he barks at flys if they land on his treat till they go away instead of going over to get the treat.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

when the gas meter man came and just went through the back gate where the dog was - he got barked at all the way to the meter at the back fence, and all the way back but evil hound kept a safe distance from him.

I had a chat with him on the way out the front (with the dog safely behind the gate), and he said he was pretty dog savvy. The next gas meter man - was clearly terrified of dogs - so he saw the dog - and came back and rang the bell.

The dog goes off when the front gate squeaks if I'm not home.

My brother, the other day, came home when I was up the street at an open inspection. I'd left the dog in the yard and the back door open, so he and his son came in, made themselves a coffee, then hooked evil hound up to a lead and came out the front - and that's where I saw them. I thought she'd escaped - oops. And he said - she'd barked her head off until she'd taken a breath and recognised him.

She's nipped my brother and my lawnmower man - for trying to leave. So I guess it depends what a stranger did. I suspect if the stranger ran - the stranger would get ankle tapped.

She's a cattle dog x farm dog bitsa. Mostly cattle dog.

And she puts on the most fierce display for door to door sales people which I don't discourage. And for a while she was having a go while on lead at any odd male strangers that approached. Got to the point where I'd see them coming first and get her so she couldn't reach them.

If I was attacked - I don't know what she would do. She thinks it's fine to let other people yell at me, if I don't yell back. She did have a go at a guy in a wheel chair - whose wheeling looked like he was about to punch me in the head. but between us, she didn't connect.

[DeltaCharlie]

I went away for the weekend once and Dad, who lived round the corner (and had recently lived with me for a few weeks), came around each day to feed the animals for me and spend some playtime with them.

Delta and Charlie would happily greet him at the gate and loved his visits, his problems started when he tried to access the house. Not from the "guard dogs" of course, but from Rose, my entirely indoors Siamese cat!!!

He said she just would not allow him in the front door, hissing and scratching at him whenever he tried to open it. In the end he had to go to the shops and buy 3 bowls and some meat (as he couldn't access my fridge :laugh: ) Then he would feed the dogs outside, fill Rose's new bowl with meat, open the front door a crack and slide the bowl in

[dotdashdot]

Cleo's (Dalmatian) learnt to bark off the (slightly senile) SBT x lab that belongs to my inlaws. Whilst it's annoying when they bark, they only do it when something is trying to get to the gate (dog/human).

I doubt they would do anything if someone came in. Cleo's never growled at a human, she loves adults but children freak her out a bit. Can't say what she would do if I were threatened, we have a very close bond and she reacts off my body language but she's definitely not like the lab we've had since I was 10. Meg the lab would protect me from Mum if Mum and I were to muck around and tickle each other! But would let me "get" mum. She also hated drunks.

[disintegratus]

Mine are all mongrels. If no one's home, they put on a great show of barking and carrying on. On their own, Harley is not confrontational at all, and would bark from a distance. Bones I think would engage, but only if the person was acting oddly/suspiciously. Thundercleese would engage, but I think his reaction would be the same whether I was home or not: Big scary dog from far away, the best we can hope for if they made it inside the gate would be a nip on the bum then run away. Zehra would sleep through it, then if they made an effort to wake her up, would be all over them for belly rubs and pats.

They're very good when I'm home though. Most recently there was a guy wanting me to change electricity companies. I always go outside to talk to people at the front door, partly because 4 massive dogs, and also because I don't want them in my house. Anyway, this guy came to the door, and the rest of them went back and lay on the couches, but Thundercleese just stood intimidatingly behind the front screen door. Then when the guy wouldn't go away, eventually I had enough of being polite and just opened the screen door a little bit. Right on cue, Thundercleese gave him a low deep "you need to leave now" growl, so I held the door just a little bit open until he buggered off. I would never praise him for growling, but he couldn't have played the part better if I'd trained it into him :)

Physical confrontation: Again, Thundercleese is the only one I can count on to even try to protect me. My best mate and I were having a play fight in the backyard once, and it was getting quite violent, so Thundercleese ran up (he'd been barking at us for a little while), nipped him on the bum, then ran and hid behind me. It was kind of adorable to see this 40+kg dog trying to hide behind my knees!

[disintegratus]

Forgot to add - one time Nathan and I went camping and took Harley and Thundercleese who were both absolutely angelic the whole time (and being so deep in the scrub, the only time Thundercleese is allowed off lead when not in a yard is when we're camping). One night there were some very strange noises (in hindsight probably a roo or something) both of them went into full guard mode, standing in front of us very protectively but still being very obedient. I was very proud that night :) I'm glad it didn't escalate beyond an "unknown threat", because I think I would have ended up being very dissappointed (and probably serial-killed :p)