So would our ultra friendly young terrier defend us against burglars? Or would he just be delighted to see them?

[Isaidheyhoney]

Probably a naive question, but I thought experienced dog people might have some idea if he would sense danger and be protective in spite of his lovely nature! Our dog is REALLY friendly and will go to anybody. I wondered if he would make a fuss if someone actually broke in and started taking things. I think he would bark - but his tail might well be wagging.

Also, I've wondered what he would do if one of us were actually attacked while walking him. Sorry to be thinking grim thoughts, but I had a panic at the weekend where dd went missing for a bit with the dog, and many things flashed through my mind.

I think the main advantage in having a dog is a deterrent. You don't know how might react to a burglar so neither does the burglar - he'd probably find it easier to just go and burgle someone else.

We have an ultra-friendly lab x springer who makes a hell of a noise when someone approaches the house and I'm fairly certain that if one of us were attacked while walking him he would join in the scrap. Unless the attacker gave him a steak, then who knows? Fingers crossed it will never happen!

I agree- a dog is always an unknown quantity for a potential burglar/ attacker. our two stoopid beagles would be delighted to see a visitor shimmying in a window in the middle of the night- but they would show their general happiness and excitement by baying at the top of their voices and waking up the whole house

having said that, I have often wondered what The Mutts would do if anyone attacked me while out walking- probably they would carry on sniffing whatever scent they were onto, and make the most of the fact that I was unable to insist they return!

I bought a JRT after my house was broken into on the advice from the Police that it is a noisy dog you need. Not a viscous one.

Apparently most burglars are not afraid of dogs biting them, but the noise they make with their constant barking is a deterant. Mainly because when people hear a house alarm go off, the think nothing of it. They might get a bit knarcked but that's about it. When they hear a dog barking they get mightily pissed off and report it as a noise complaint

I think my dog would defend us. But I don't know. My parents house was broken into when they had a doberman and the dog welcomed them into the house and never so much as whimpered. As a reward they left all the meat from the fridge in her bowl.

I wondered about this, ours can be quite noisy and leaps around in the large picture window looking fairly mad but I suspect her tail wags.

We were out in the woods one day when she was about 6 months old and there was a man out on his own and I didn't feel completely comfortable about him. Don't know if she picked it up off me but she let out a quiet growl, which is the only time she has done this. However she then sat and waited for him to pass as we had been practising her doing. So I'm not sure if she would be any good but live in hope.

We were burgled in the middle of the night , dog came upstairs to wake me.
I went downstairs cos I thought she needed to wee and assumed she would trot down with me ..but she just watched me go down refusing to budge.
Burgler was downstairs !!!

So she didn't bark but I suppose she did tell us something was up.

ggirl laughing here at the stealth of your dog sneaking up to wake you so YOU could chase the burglar Obviously a smart creature!

LOL at all these responses. I thought I was just being dog-ignorant, but it turns out no-one knows if their dog will defend them! I must admit I have a notice in the window saying "Caution: dogs running free". It should really say: "Small lazy puppy snoozing in armchair".

Well I do volunteer dog walking for our local rescue and often walk a particularly lovely, friendly waggy tailed dog. He loves everyone. However when I was out and about with him a few weeks ago I got approached by a drunken man who was trying to expose himself and the dog went crazy barking and growling. He has never done it before nor since.

I love that dog and wish I could home him

Thanks, Notalone, that was really what I was hoping to hear. I think our dog would be confused and anxious if a "bad man" approached any of us, so hopefully he would bark and jump around a lot - and hopefully growl menacingly as well. It's just difficult to imagine when he loves people so much.

You are very good to do volunteer dog walking. Sorry you can't have your favourite one at home, though .

Our lab is the softest idiot around but can be fierce when she thinks we're being threatened - the hackles go up, feet get planted and she barks so hard her front end lifts off the ground! If someone actually challenged her she'd run a mile, but she definitely acts the part! She sounds massive too, even though she's quite tiny for a lab - DH calls it her rottweiler bark!

We had a Sheltie when I was young, who did once alert our neighbours to a burglary by barking the place down. The neighbour cleaned for my mum, so knew that the dog should have been in the house at that time of day. He wouldn't have hurt anyone though.

The next time we were burgled, they beat the dog . We're guessing he barked wildly, so they hit him to shut him up. He was badly bruised but OK. However, a few months later, someone came to the house to deliver a parcel and the dog went insane, biting a chunk out of the parcel. My dad doesn't think the delivery man was one of the burglars (the police were pretty sure they knew who had done it, just couldn't prove it) but wondered if the delivery man smoked the same cigs or had the same aftershave or something as the person who'd beaten the dog.

I don't think he'd have defended us if we were attacked - he used to hide behind us if another dog had a go at him!

God, that would be awful, to have our dog harmed - I hadn't even thought of that. He would certainly be happy if kept quiet by the contents of the fridge, though! I think people are right that a burglar just won't know what a dog will be like, so should hopefully avoid a doggy household as too much potential trouble.

I dont think anyone could know unless the situation arose.

Our last dog was very woofy at the door, but soft as anything - he was a GSD and when we were trying to rehome our other GSD the police handler was desperate for my lovely boy. Not a chance in hell would I have given him up. His job was to bark, to alert - NOT to bite!

Anyway, one day I got locked out of the house and the bedroom window was open so next doors son climbed in and let me in. The dog could see me standing at the front door with the kids and was fine, then when next doors teenage boy was coming down the stairs this barking, snarling noise errupted - once the boy spoke to him and I was saying its ok, its ok through the letterbox he let him downstairs and opened the door for me. That made me realise how safe my dog made us feel, especially as DH works away sometimes.

My new 1yr old GSD is a rubbish door bell, he just doesnt bark, he watches to see who it is! Although I couldnt find my keys after a night out and he growled until DH came to let me in, this was at 3 in the morning and it gave me food for thought. The first time EVER I had heard him bark and growl like that. Nobody would dare come in our house!

I think Bella would bark, she would probably also growl....unless of course they produced a ball, in which case she would be putty in their hands LOL( be no point trying food though...she isn't the slightest bit bothered about food, but throw her a ball she'll be your friend for life!)

Interesting stories. I do feel a bit more reassured!

Our lab cross who died recently had a terrifying bark even though he would pee on the floor (really) from fear if a stranger entered the house and I wasn't there too. He was a rescue dog who came to us aged 2. Interestingly, we though he COULDN'T bark at first as it took him about 2 months to make a sound. Then he went bananas barking at someone in a dark blue coat in the woods. He often did unpredictable things like that and it made me very sad to think that he must have gone through a lot of hardship or abuse in his first 2 years to show this fear-based aggression.

Anyway, back to your original post, my dog would have scared the bejesus out of a potential burglar and would certainly have woken up our household and all the neighbours

I think also if one of us were out on a walk and got attacked, our dog would make such a huge noise and fuss it would bring everyone's attention for miles around to what was going on. Hopefully people who attack people know that!

Aw thanks Isaid - I have a dog already who likes being the only dog in the house plus I can't afford another anyway. I have become to attached to so many of these lovely rescue dogs and can't fathom who so many of them are rejected.

You are right to consider how your dog would behave when out and about because that might influence where you walk with them. There are loads of lovely walks near us that are very isolated that I don't use by myself because I am not sure if my own dog would defend me (he is ball obsessed and we always take a ball with us - sadly I think he would still focus on the bloody ball even if I were to be attacked). However, now I know what the dog in the rescue centre is like I am perfectly happy taking him to isolated spots because I know he would stand up for me if needs be. Hopefully though you will never need to dind out

Sorry - typed that super quick and my spelling is appalling!

I should think many of them are rejected because having a dog is such damn hard work, and a long slog, as I know to my cost! But obviously incredibly worth it. We got ours partly because we thought we would be able to let dd walk around on her own, but with dog, more than otherwise.

mine were rubbish. they bark whenever anyone walks past. they go mental when visitors come. the night we were burgled they were silent. they were shut in the kitchen though and bastard burgler only went in the living room.

I have a yorkie that would jump to the neck of a boxer if it was getting too near to me. Stupid dog, unless she learns karate she doesn't stand a chance.

I did also had the most gentle, child friendly, well behaved Spaniel, bless her, she didn't even bark... but once charged for a painter's heel on finding him unexpectedly in the house, again no barking, no warnings, straight action. Thankfully the guy was wearing boots.

On the other hand, I have some friends who had a huge German Shepherd (and a lot of break ins at their house). They will normally find the dog tied up in the garden, they assume the burglars had to tie it so the dog stop interrupting them while removing half of the house contents.

So IMO, unless they do something, you really can not know.

I was alone in a relatively remote train station when I was in my late teens, with my GSD.
I was approached by a group of three men. My dog slipped from behind me (I was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, my rucksack and her ) and stood, poised in front of me.
She didn't make a noise, just stared the group down 'til they thought better of coming any closer she had the presence not to need to go OTT!

However, at home we had several JRT's who were very friendly but 'saw off' any unwelcome visitors with lots (and lots, and lots) of noise.

I think most dogs have the instinct to know when an approaching individual ought to be deterred and most will step up to the role of protector when necessary.

Thanks, EcoMouse, that's kind of what I want to think. For example, if dd or I were feeling scared, I know our dog would pick up that feeling and hopefully feel obliged to react in a protective way.

Happily you can't tell from looking at him whether he might be able to do serious damage if he took against you.

oh yes, they can fear that, my yorkies get in full alert mode if they "feel" I'm feeling intimidated.... even if the perpetrator is a wasp.