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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Does your dog make you feel safe?

52 replies

hoppingmad · 19/03/2014 11:31

Just that really. We have a gsd, a great big fluff ball and muck spreader. She does bark occasionally and can look very menacing if you are a leaf or a cat (cat must be a minimum of 3 feet away).
Someone coming up to the door or even walking straight into the house can do so safe in the knowledge of either being ignored or greeted with licks & tail wags.

Luckily we didn't get her for security, good job as she'd be crap. Unless we got burgled by a tree or the local moggy

Anyone have an equally useless canine companion?

OP posts:

topknob · 19/03/2014 12:52

Almost 6 yr old GSD female here, she makes me feel so secure. If she doesn't like someone there is a reason which generally makes me not like them either. We get quite a few deliveries a week and she barks at the door but once I open it out she goes and says hello, except for one driver, she cannot stand him and carries on barking after I open the door and growls I have to shut the door when he calls now. She also makes me feel safe at night. I few times I have heard her growling in the late hours and I know there is a reason so I just wait for a while to see if anyone tries to break in. They haven't so far.

WeeClype · 19/03/2014 12:56

I have 2 GSD and always feel safe with them.....apart from the time I was home alone and I heard a noise from upstairs and both looked at me as if to say "you go 1st"

AdoraBell · 19/03/2014 13:01

Love the photo Nursey

AdoraBell · 19/03/2014 13:07

And your GS Topknob

x posts

One of mine behaves like your's, there are few people who she doesn't like and she cannot relax near them.

TwllBach · 19/03/2014 13:16

I have a collie and she is another one that barks at people walking up the drive. I'm not sure how she would react to be honest, if I was threatened or if someone broke in. She'd definitely bark to alert us... I think that's why she makes me feel more secure, because she's like an early warning system!

Saying that, I took her for a walk around dusk a couple if years ago and passed a shifty looking man, but thought nothing of it. About ten minutes after, I hear running footsteps, turn around and this man is running towards me, but he wasn't a runner, IYSWIM? My collie got down in like a hunting position and snarled at him. I've never seen her do anything like that, before or since. Turns out, he said that he just wanted my number...

Greenmug · 19/03/2014 15:09

No. He's big but he's rubbish at being scary.

Owllady · 19/03/2014 16:46

No
I have been followed by a man recently. Well he waited for me several times, has followed me and I have even found him outside my house. I have had to report it to the police. I am having to take extra preparations at home and I have had to change where I walk.
The dog makes no difference to how I feel about this. She is my companion and pet, she is not here to protect me

chickensaresafehere · 19/03/2014 16:59

We have a three legged greyhound,who spends all day in bed & if someone broke into the house would barely lift her head to see who it was
And a very elderly deaf&nearly blind JRT,who could very easily be distracted by a large sausage if she spotted you!!
So no,they don't make us feel safe but they make us feel loved

tabulahrasa · 19/03/2014 17:00

Don't get me wrong, I think my dog would be useless if I was using him as protection and I wouldn't pick a breed or get a dog for that reason at all.

I just think that his mere existence scares a lot of people - I tend to like big dogs and for some reason mine have all been mostly black and I've always had random comments from people about big dogs being scary...with this one though I get baby eating comments and workmen asking me to move him off pavements so they can get out of gardens (he was on lead and about 8 feet from him at the time) and people crossing the road to avoid me because 'oh, that's a big dog'.

It's not like he's out of control or running up to people or anything, he's never off lead...he just scares people, even while he's in a nice sit.

VivaLeBeaver · 19/03/2014 17:02

My dog's small but quite aggressive.

He mainly protects dd but also me. However if he has to choose he picks dd. I playfully swatted dd on the bum once and she squealed and the dog bit me.

If someone was really attacking us or broke in the dog would go mental. He sounds really scary when he's snarling.

VivaLeBeaver · 19/03/2014 17:04

Here he is.

Frettchen · 19/03/2014 17:07

Nope. He weighs a bit less than 12kg and is frightened of new people.

My previous girl did though. She was a slight lab x, so she wasn't likely to take out an attacker/burglar, but she had a great bark which she would demonstrate when told to, she would happily use it at the slightest sign of aggression. Also, so was wonderfully well trained (by my brother before she came to live with me) so I knew she'd not leg it if anything bad were to happen - if I fell down or something.

Frettchen · 19/03/2014 17:11

Meant to add - I make him feel safe though... When I first got him he was absolutely terrified of everything and his confidence has bloomed since then, so it's seems sort of fair.

My next dog will be something massive!

Original poster

hoppingmad · 19/03/2014 17:16

Owllady that sounds awful. I hope the police catch up to him and stop it soon, must be very stressful

OP posts:

Blithereens · 19/03/2014 17:18

My family's dogs (giant gorgeous labs) bark like mad things whenever they hear anyone approach the house. They sound terrifying and if I bring anyone new around I have to warn them. Of course once you're through the door they just want to love you to death, but burglars don't know that!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 19/03/2014 17:22

My parents adopted a retired lab Guide Dog (they knew her owner for years)

But before she came to stay with them she saw off a would be burglar.

Of course they didn't know that this soft as butter little girl wouldn't hurt a fly. The noise, the teeth and the sheer protective instinct was more than a match.

daisy5569 · 19/03/2014 17:49

I have a elderly Basenji so he doesn't do barking, when he was younger if someone came to the door he would just run and stand there, no longer does this as he is a bit deaf. When people enter the house, if he doesn't like the look of them he will growl and raise his hackles and I'm sure he would nip fingers if he got the chance.
My old Jack Russell, who is no longer around was a brilliant house guard. For a little dog she had a big bark, however once anyone was in the house she would get so excited her whole body would wag and she wanted to climb all over them.
Between them they were quite a good team

Original poster

hoppingmad · 19/03/2014 18:09

So it seems if you want a dog that will alert you to people on your property get a small dog or a lab!

OP posts:

Greyhorses · 19/03/2014 19:39

I have two GSDs and sleep soundly :-)

My huge boy looks the part but really is a big softy, my little black one is much warier of people after being a starved and beaten by men cruelty case and I believe he would defend me if necessary as he gets inbetween me and strangers if they come too close (to which I warn everyone just incase!!)
He also looks like the dog from the omen films which seems to scare people.

They both create a lot of noise when people approach the house and I've never had anyone try and enter the gate when seeing them at the windows so they must deter people somewhat.

Luckily they are both the perfect family and children friendly dogs and are my big fluffy feet warmers!

I often wonder what will happen when my older boy goes and I am left with one whether I will feel less safe only having the one dog when I'm used to two?!

groovejet · 19/03/2014 20:26

No he doesn't make me feel safe and he certainly wouldn't intimidate anybody but he would alert us.

He is probably more protective of my dd's, for example late last night I heard him doing some low woofs due to next door coming back home when I checked on him I found him lying between dd's bedrooms, so I think in his mind he was protecting them.

Also the only time his recall has failed miserably was when I had left my dd's in the play park with friends whilst I popped into the next field to let him have a run off lead. He went tearing across the huge field to get back to them. Am sure he thought I had forgotten them.

blondiep14 · 19/03/2014 20:35

Boxer too. He goes nuts if anyone comes near the front door, barks if he's outside and can see a window cleaner etc.

I don't know what he'd be like if someone actually got in. I fear he's easily bought!

I don't think he'd let anyone near me if he felt I was feeling worried tho.

Definitely makes me feel safe.

NurseyWursey · 19/03/2014 20:42

I suspect if someone came into ours with a nice block of mild cheddar they'd be bought off, as long as the person wasn't working a hat or mask (they hate that)

They LOVE cheese. I don't give it to them, it's just they're big and clever enough to get into the fridge and it's the only thing they steal.

Aked · 19/03/2014 20:43

Mine makes me feel safe in that she has a very big bark for a medium sized dog. She barks at a lot, so if anyone were trying to break in at night, she would let us know! Unfortunately, once they got in, the only chance of injury would be getting whipped by a frenzied tail and the fact that she still hasn't learnt jumping up at people isn't a good habit!

TooOldForGlitter · 19/03/2014 21:58

Mine doesn't specifically doanything to make me feel safe but his appearance, at first glance, is off putting to some people. He is a very big black greyhound. I am almost 100% sure he would stand by wondering why we'd stopped walking if I was being knifed to death but his appearance and size hopefully makes knifers think twice

Bubble2bubble · 19/03/2014 22:14

In think its like they say about burglar alarms: given the choice the burglar will move on to the house that doesn't have one.
I like to think most muggers will move on from me walking 4 dogs if they have the choice,and take an easier target.
ddogs tend to stay very close and seem quite suspicious especially if we meet a man walking alone. I don't honestly think they would attack but they would certainly make a lot of noise if they thought someone was threatening me. And no one comes near the house without me knowing, which does make me feel safer.

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