Has anyone's dog ever protected them from being attacked?

[CatnipTea]

I think my two large dogs might be a deterrent, bark loudly and look aggressive but would they really be any use if attacker was determined?

Have been pondering this as I live in Colchester where there have been 2 apparently random knife murders recently. Somehow can't image my dogs risking injury to protect me. Hoping someone can tell me I'm wrong and that they have an instinct to protect their owner.

I've been mugged when with my staff, she was licking my muggers hand while he was digging though my pockets looking for my phone.

[Hmm]

My old collie would have for me or the DCs. She wouldnt have bothered so much for DH

Our current springer - nah, she would be too busy running in the opposite direction, the wimp that she is.

My mums JRTx border would ,but then she would equally attack someone who was trying to hug me ,she just wants to bite ! My dog would probably get excited and jump up a lot but definitely not bite anyone.

My old boy warned off a couple of dodgy blokes when I was walking home from parties through the red light district. He also saved my friend from a gang who surrounded him in a phone box. Didn't have to do more than bark and growl though as was a big gsd x Rottweiler.

I think my current oafs would protect me too although they've never had to. They are noisy at the best of times and that is a good deterrent.

JohnSnows - horrible experience for you, but perhaps your dog didn't see that as an attack. Maybe would behave differently if attacker was a crazed knife murderer and you were screaming?

Yes, when I lived in the city 20 or more years ago. I had a very big fear aggressive boy, but had trained him to the point of ignoring everyone else in favour of me and it was by then extremely unusual, if not unheard of for him to respond to strangers at all.

We were walking towards the exit of our local park one evening (winter, so already dark) when a rather menacing chap stopped, squared up, blocked the exit and stood there staring at me/us, before starting to walk deliberately towards us in a very aggressive way. It was very obvious he was about to do something nasty.

We had already had some problems with people we felt were interesting in getting hold of our dog for dog-fighting purposes (notorious area and someone had even broken into our house to try and get to the dogs) and I think in retrospect his aim was probably to get the dog, but he hadn't reckoned on my lad being so protective of me. First he shifted so that he'd put himself between me and the attacker, then he reared up and went absolutely ballistic at him. The guy tried to stand his ground, then tried to bluff it and get closer, but didn't stand a chance and ended up panicking and running away. I have honestly never been so scared in my life, it was horrible and left me shaking like a leaf.

My first ever dog - enormous long-coated GSD bitch was very protective, but always in a quiet understated manner. When walking alone her at night or in lonely places I always felt that she was hyper-alert and that made me feel safe. She was a rescue we'd found almost dead under a hedge at about 7 years old and we discovered by accident, when a friend was messing around playing with her, that if you grabbed her collar and said 'attack' she did indeed rear up and bark furiously - presumably someone had had a go at something akin to schutzhund with her at some point. Needless to say we never did that again, but I did feel had I ever been in a dodgy situation she would have protected me.

Interestingly, my other dog was a GSD cross, so maybe it's the guarding side of their nature that made it more instinctive for them.

I have had 5 other dogs of varying breeds over the years and I don't think any of them would have protected me instinctively. My current two would probably run away and being Lurchers, would be out of sight in seconds.

Moosemama - wow, what a brilliant dog you had!
One of my dogs is a belgian shepherd malamute, so I like to think he might have a go at an attacker. When we first got him he used to growl at strangers on walks, stand in front of me and try to stop them coming near. After lots of training he now, like your dog, ignores everyone apart from me. But perhaps the instinct to guard is still there.

If dh touches me the dog goes mental and attacks him. If I start squealing about something (eg I've stubbed my toe) the dog decides dh is to blame and attacks him.

When we're out on walks he "sees off" large dogs if he thinks they're a threat. I'm sure if someone came up to us and I started screaming the dog would try and get them. He's only 4kg though so not sure how effective he'd be, but he sounds nasty and has sharp teeth which he's not afraid to use.

My Collie would, she's very protective of me. In fact all the dogs I've had growing up, mainly GSDs and Collies would. The GSDs I'd feel comfortable walking through dark alleys in dodgy areas with. One of ours caught a lad that had escaped from the local borstal when my mum was walking them at night. She didn't touch him just stood in front growling if he dared move. The police dog handler was very impressed.

My boxers not so much.

My previous GSD, yes, she would stand behind me and growl under her breath if some random person stopped me to ask directions etc.

I always felt she would protect me when we were out walking through fields and woods. If we saw joggers when she was off lead she immediately came back to me and then wandered off again once the 'threat' had passed.

My mum had a spaniel and it wouldn't let anyone in her bedroom, I stayed over once and went to take my mum a cup of tea in the morning and the dog went mental.

Catnip Oldgirl, who we lost to cancer last year was a Belgian Terv x Border Collie and she would have been hopeless. She'd have gone all wiggly at anyone who approached us, she just loved people.

My old Akita saved my life once.

He was very aware and smart. My friend had been walking with us and had to walk across a dark field alone. I sent the Akita with her, when she got to the end of the field she was going to whistle and I'd call Cujo back.

It was just me and the little lab waiting for the whistle when I heard this really fierce growling. A rotty, who I know had been trained to attack on sight was gunning straight for us. My Akita was right across the other side of the field.

Within seconds he'd come tearing across the field and had the rotty pinned to the floor by it's throat. I called him back. He let go and came to stand in front of me, snarling at the rotty and his owner, whose dog was still trying to attack me. The owner told me my dog was out of control

I am sure if he hadn't been there that rotty would've savaged me and the lab before it's stupid as fuck owner even realised what was going on.

When I was around 15 or so I was out walking with our golden retriever who was soppy as anything.

I was walking through a country lane and as I rounded a corner a jogger came towards us, I got a fright and the dog must have felt it as she immediately starting barking and growling at the jogger and would have gone forward to them if I hadn't had a tight hold on the her. I don't know who got the biggest fright, me or the jogger!

I know have my own golden retriever and I would have said he wouldn't do anything to save anyone as he's also a soppy thing but a few months ago I was with my DS and DH for a walk. My DS was run I towards some steps and fell and banged his head. My DH was around the corner and couldn't see us. As soon as my DS started to scream the dog just about ripped my DH arm off, wrenched the lead from his hand and came flying towards my DS barking. He got to him before I did and went straight over and laid down beside him and was nudging him with his nose.

When I got there and picked DS up the dog got up and was walking around me until he calmed down and I bent down to show DS to him. Never ever seen him do anything like that, makes me think that he might be protective if something were to happen.

I have had a succession of Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Many years ago, we experienced a home invasion (I am in the States) in the middle of the night, and Corgi the First raced down the stairs, teeth bared and chased the guy out the front door. When the police came, they were trying to keep from laughing surprised that a dog that looked like that could have scared the bad guy.

Corgi the Second, with teeth bared, got between me and a policeman who took a step towards me in response to a call I made when I came home to find the front door wide open.

Corgis the Third and Fourth would happily llck and/or follow anyone, friend or foe.

My mums old lab was soft as muck. However when my dd was born she took it upon herself to be babysitter. She would not allow anybody bar my mum and me near the pram and if my dd so much as squeaked she would let me know.

Interestingly, when my ds was born she was not as protective of him but did remain very protective of me up until she died.

When my younger brother was 3, he somehow slipped out of the house and went "walkabout." My parents realized that our Great Dane was also missing. The police found both of them about a half mile from our house in the middle of a field sitting contentedly in the grass enjoying the lovely day. As the police approached, the dog (who was the very definition of "gentle giant" with the family) got between them and my brother and turned into Cujo. They could not get anywhere near my brother until my dad got there.

Some lovely stories of protective dogs . But of course you never know for certain until crunch time. I wish there was a way of reliably training a pet dog to "detain" an attacker without turning it into a dangerous dog.

Our old GSD when I was a child. Softest dog ever unless I screamed, then she bit whoever was near me
I screamed once being pushed on a swing, she jumped off a balcony and broke her leg and still dragged herself over to me

We trained our dog to bark on the 'what's that?' voice command, so she can be vocal and it puts her on edge but she's more than likely to roll over and get her belly tickled

My last dog, border collie, I think prevented me from being attacked. I was walking him around a graveyard, broad daylight but deserted, a man stepped out of a bush with his hood pulled over his face and made to run at me but dog went nuts snarling and barking and the bloke ran off.

Current doggy, no chance, he'd be sniffing the attacker and hoping for a stroke.

I used to have a very friendly lab, but I was very surprise one day when a man suddenly appeared out of the bushes and she raced between us barking and growling baring her teeth very menacingly. I don't know if she 'saved' me that day but I would not have thought in a million years she would have done that.

I don't think my current dog would be so fearsome, but you never know!

My welsh terrier tries to break up arguments between the kids, and will bark at them if they shout at me. Or grab a trouser leg even. (He also doesn't like it when other people are arguing in the street, which is a bit awkward when you're trying to pretend you're ignoring it.) The other day I was trying to give same size as me) 13 year old ds a piggy back, and the dog was not at all happy about that and really wanted ds to get off me. So I do generally think that he would go for someone who was aggressive towards me. Not sure how much use he would be, mind you, but the thought's there.

I grew up with two fabulous staffies.

My dad got trapped in a field by a herd of bullocks who decided to charge towards him with only a skinny ditch between them. My dad saw he had no hope of outrunning them, so yelled and waved his arms to make them slow and put them off the attack.

Our female staffie was barking like crazy and holding her ground, dad looked round for the other dog and he was goooooooooooooone, up the field, through the stile and heading for home.

They were probably curious because of the dogs but it was one of those fields normally empty with a hill, by the time you got half way down only then could you see the annoyed bullocks on the run down towards you.

Later my parents got a lurcher. He wouldve been excellent if attacked by a mutant squirrel but otherwise no, he loved the world.

My mums collie saved me from a dog attack when I was 6.
Other dog chased my bike and knocked me over, had me pinned then ddog appeared out of nowhere and hot attacking dog by throat.
Ddog needed stitches in his face & attacking dog was PTS ( policeman neighbour witnessed attack, 2nd time dog had attacked)