Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Would your dog protect your home?

131 replies

Frequency · 11/10/2022 15:54

I've ended up down the YouTube rabbit hole again...

I know mine wouldn't protect my home. He didn't meet my brother-in-law until he was over a year old when my brother-in-law walked in unannounced while I was sleeping off a night shift. My dog greeted him like a long-lost friend. He would bark if he heard someone trying to get in but once they were in he'd be besides himself with joy.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
SenecaFallsRedux · 11/10/2022 17:21

Mine makes a lot of noise. She's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and they sound bigger behind a closed front door than they look. But she is very much a people dog, and thinks that everyone is there to pet her and tell her what a pretty girl she is. So no, she would just follow an intruder around, expecting to be petted.

Work2live · 11/10/2022 17:21

Our Staffie has a ferocious bark that I’ve heard once in the two years we’ve owned him… and that was when he was attacked completely unprovoked by a cat 😂

I like to think he’d bark like that if he saw someone trying to break in, but I think it’s more likely he’d greet them like an old friend.

Creatingusernamesismygame · 11/10/2022 17:22

Frequency · 11/10/2022 15:54

I've ended up down the YouTube rabbit hole again...

I know mine wouldn't protect my home. He didn't meet my brother-in-law until he was over a year old when my brother-in-law walked in unannounced while I was sleeping off a night shift. My dog greeted him like a long-lost friend. He would bark if he heard someone trying to get in but once they were in he'd be besides himself with joy.

Yes, mine won’t let anyone look at our house never mind enter it. I’ve got 2 GSDs. The female is so over protective and faithful. The male, would be over joyed if an intruder/stranger came on to my property. Thank goodness though, when both dogs are together, the female commands him to protect. If he doesn’t listen to her she puts him in his place 🤣🤣🤣 together they are mean if they feel like any of the family are at threat.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dogs
listsandbudgets · 11/10/2022 17:24

We are waiting to find out she's not very old!

Creatingusernamesismygame · 11/10/2022 17:24

10speckledfrogs · 11/10/2022 17:03

I have a German Shepherd who would defend the house - tried and tested unfortunately. We are rural and had an intruder a while ago. Luckily he was seen off by the shepherd. He is very very protective of us, especially the child who he is literally glued to and follows around the property while she plays. If the barking doesnt see them off the resulting munchies would. He loves the postman and our nearest neighbour's though, and can be called to heel in any situation even when guarding. He isn't aggressive in general and is very sage and level headed. We take him everywhere even to the fair and have zero issues. Outside of the house his protectivness seems to consist of blocking and standing on front of us while looking alert. He happily accepts pats from strangers after we talk with them for 30 seconds.

Our St Bernard cross though.... He would bark and growl and maybe charge if need be but is far too easily distracted by food so all it would take is for an intruder to throw a biscuit and protecting would be over. Its just not in his nature in the same way as it is with the German Shepherd. He was also badly abused in his previous home so the minute someone raises their hand near him even to open a cupboard he cowers. That's no good in a guard dog, you need a brave dog with no sensitivies wjo listens to commands instantly, but he is a sweet pet who we love despite the quirks.

My female gsd sounds very similar to your gsd. So loyal and protective over our DC too.

GeorgeorRuth · 11/10/2022 17:25

Our girl thinks everyone is her best friend. She might jump on them in excitement.
We have nurses visiting DH frequently, we put her in the kitchen but most ask to give her a pat. and bring treats People are wary though if they see her in the garden. I do wonder if she would react if someone broke in at night though. Although I can walk her at night unaccosted, even the local druggies avoid us.
Akita cross dog.

Original poster
Frequency · 11/10/2022 17:32

I love Akitas but I'd be wary of entering the house of one unless it's people were present. Past experience tells me they are very protective of their people.

OP posts:
MightyAnts · 11/10/2022 17:38

Absolutely, she is a rescue who never had a voice, now she is a geeza dog until she knows you
Postmen love her as she collects the letters from them, they think she is great

Nongatron · 11/10/2022 17:39

@listsandbudgets omg totally adorable I love cocker spaniels!

BoudiccaVibes · 11/10/2022 17:40

Hahahahahahahaha

isittimeforteayetmum · 11/10/2022 17:41

My dog barks like mad if anyone dares walk past out house or god forbid knock at the door, but when SIL walked in after not meeting him before, he was just wagging his tail. She stroked him and he ran off for an excitement wee in the garden.

Mommabear20 · 11/10/2022 17:58

Mine would bark their heads off, so they'd make amazing watch dogs, but I don't think they'd be very good guard dogs 😂 they're as daft as anything and will just roll over if they think they'll get strokes!

bubblicious3 · 11/10/2022 18:10

My Jack Russell would definitely protect the house, he thinks it's his job to defend us from everyone including the Tesco man bringing his treats 😬
I'm not sure how much damage he'd do but I think he'd give it his best shot. He has to be locked away for all deliveries and new people... My Lurcher on the other hand would run away - she as a total scaredy cat

XenoBitch · 11/10/2022 18:15

My dog would sniff them, check any bags they have with them, then go back to bed.
I have only ever known her to growl at a person twice in her life. One was a random lady in a train station, and one was a police officer in my house.

Londongirl78 · 11/10/2022 18:30

I have two Gsd's, female would bark and growl until a treat was thrown then she would be best friends with intruder, I actually dread to think what my male shepherd would do, he is extremely protective of me & my kids,
He looks the part & has a very loud bark but if he loves you he adores you & literally let's our cats walk all over him Smile

magicstar1 · 11/10/2022 18:39

I don't know. She's a rescue German Shepherd we've had for two years. She used to hide behind me, terrified if anyone came close, now she will stand between me and a stranger and give a soft growl, if she's unsure of them.

We got a trainer to help up settle her in the house with visitors, so now she lets them in and goes for pets and treats. But if a stranger rings the doorbell, she launches herself at the front door in a fury and gives the bark of a hellhound.
She's a real mixed bag lol.

HiGunny · 11/10/2022 18:50

Yes, I've a scaredy rescue terrier who barks at the slightest noise. He barrels to the door whenever anyone is there and tries to savage them through the window. He's well known to the local delivery/post men at this stage.

Mind you, I came in one rainy night with my hood up and despite barking savagely he ran away when I came through the door...as I said, scaredy cat.

We're actually working with a trainer at the moment to try and calm him down a bit.

NumericalBlock · 11/10/2022 18:57

Mine sounds ferocious and barks until the door is open then she's all jumping for joy at a new friend. She's bloody useless as a guard dog. She's a gsd though so looks scary enough that I hope any people trying to break in would be deterred!

MrsMacIsBack · 11/10/2022 19:01

The size of our giant breed and the extremely deep and loud sound of their bark and growl is enough to scare most sensible would-be intruders off. If we were at home and the intruders got in, then they would not be in one piece for long. If we were out and they got in, then some company would probably be welcomed with thumping tails - unless the intruders tried to steal them, as they would not leave home with strangers and would revert to protecting themselves from that.

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 11/10/2022 19:10

DDog 1 (who has gone to live with my SIL) would. She was only a terrier but she barked and barked and would probably bite unknown people.
DDog2 is as daft as a brush and wouldn’t so much as lift her head of the bloody sofa for an intruder.

Badger1970 · 11/10/2022 19:16

Our cocker would go mental and bark/heckles go up. Our sprocker would lie on the floor waiting for a belly rub.

CMOTDibbler · 11/10/2022 19:19

Ddog1 wouldn't give a toss. Ddog2 I honestly don't know - if I was in the house, and I was threatened, then they'd be counting their fingers afterwards as he would absolutely take care of them. He is incredibly protective and although usually anyone he considers to be ner do wells just get a very hard stare and watched (even if he has to walk along bent round to keep them in sight), he will put his hackles up, bare his teeth, and on one occasion got right down and barked. The man in question reversed at speed...

Purplehonesty2 · 11/10/2022 19:20

Our collie would make them play fetch until they wished they hadn't broken in

Our rescue dog however would probably tear them into little pieces and make a lot of noise while doing it!

user1471453601 · 11/10/2022 19:38

Our darling dog once saved (possibly) a girls life. At 3:00 am she barked so long and so loud she woke daughter and her partner up. When they realised dog was barking because a girl was screaming, daughter ran outside to find a man attempting to rape a young girl.

lovely dog is all of 12 inches from top of head to ground, so I doubt she could do much damage to a grown person, but my goodness, she's gobby. And trying to catch her is a mugs game. So I'm pretty sure she'd alert the household to anyone attempting to get in.

thefirstmrsrochester · 11/10/2022 19:39

My teenage Labrador is going to be useless at guarding the house as he thinks everyone is his friend. If an intruder came into the house he’d probably die from happiness at the prospect of what he’d consider to be a new friend.