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The doghouse

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Original poster

anyone have any stories of their dog protecting them?

84 replies

vinobell · 05/06/2018 18:34

I'm just curious - i have a GSD, still a baby at 1.5yrs, and he is such a big softy i really wonder whether he would ever act to protect me.

when walking earlier, i had to go past 3 young men - felt a bit intimidated by them as they started shouting at me- but they backed off when they saw him - as he is a big boy.

it got me thinking whether if it came to it, DDog would ever protect me. he is a beautiful loving boy, but really just such a gentle softy I'm not sure he ever considers anyone as a threat? he has had such a charmed life he thinks everyone is a friend! has your dog ever stepped up when required?

OP posts:
Funclesmuck · 05/06/2018 18:36

My old boy “protected” me from every single letter that came through the door. However, people coming in just got a massive hello! He was useless

AnneElliott · 05/06/2018 18:39

My friend has a dog that is protective of her. He won't let you walk next to her on the street (he pushes in between you) and he stands in front of her if people raise their voice.

No way would anyone get anywhere near her - he simply wouldn't allow it.

SoddingUnicorns · 05/06/2018 18:39

We have a staffy cross and she’s the dopey-est, most chilled out dog I’ve ever met, I’ve only heard her bark once in 7 years! But when I was heavily pregnant with DS2 a random GSD came running at us with its teeth bared and our dog (on the lead) went batshit! Snarling, growling, straining at her lead and made herself big. I got the fright of my life! Thankfully the other dog did too! As soon as it bolted she just carried on walking like nothing had happened Grin

She’d sleep under the bairn’s Moses basket when they were wee too, and if anyone that wasn’t me or DP tried to lift the baby she’d have a sniff. When SIL (nobody likes her) tried, the dog positioned herself so awkwardly that SIL couldn’t reach the baby Grin

Original poster
vinobell · 05/06/2018 18:42

same - he barks incessantly at the windows when he sees birds in the garden and looks very fierce ridiculous with his hackles up Grin

but we have had house renovations going on and tradesmen can come in and out with the spare key without him ever meeting them before/questioning it. he was young when they started so i guess unfortunately, strange men letting themselves into my house is normal for him...

my DH says it would be a different story if i was distressed, altho I'm really not convinced DDog would even understand...

I'm hoping someone has a story to prove me wrong!

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friendlyflicka · 05/06/2018 18:45

My larger Italian Greyhound barks at Tall men without dogs when out with me. It sounds more hysterical than fighting, but I think it is to protect all of us.

witchofzog · 05/06/2018 18:46

I used to work with rescue dogs. We had one called Dave (such a good name for a dog!) who was so traumatised he would walk backwards to get away from people. He soon turned into a beautiful bouncy dog though who loved other dogs and people.

One day I was walking him on an isolated road when we came across a drunken flasher. Dave went apeshit growling and snarling and the guy shouted at me to keep that fucking thing under control. I do think Dave sensed how sinister the man was as he had never shown an ounce of aggression before.

I adored Dave and hope he is still happy somewhere as he found his forever home not long after that

Original poster
vinobell · 05/06/2018 18:46

sodding i love that about your SIL Grin i hope my boy does the same with mine! (nobody likes her either..)

sorry you had a bad experience with a GSD, in general i find them to be a really affectionate gentle breed - but i suppose there are stories about every type! i love staffies btw Smile every staffy I've ever met has been a softy!

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JesusInTheCabbageVan · 05/06/2018 18:48

Mine heroically tries to protect me from any unsupervised food.

Original poster
vinobell · 05/06/2018 18:48

witch dave sounds awesome, hope he has a happy home!

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TropicPlunder · 05/06/2018 18:49

A neighbour sometimes walks my dog for me, the dog is very close to him and his family (I'm abroad, very communal life here). He was walking my dog with his 2 year old son, when a guy came and grabbed the little boys arm (just saying hi, playing apparently. It's normal here). My dog apparently really went for this man. Was on a lead so no harm done . I was surprised to hear the story but kind of proud. I don't like strangers grabbing kids unannounced, and neither did she!

Changenameday · 05/06/2018 18:51

My cousins dogs are the most docile terriers ever and don’t do anything but when someone tried to break in through the window whilst my cousin was two floors above they went so nuts barking and growling that he came down and stopped it! They know if something isn’t right :)

MumOfTwoMasterOfNone · 05/06/2018 18:52

Yes and he's a cocker spaniel Grin there have only been a few people he doesn't like, but he has made it very very clear.
He's fiercely protective of our DC, more so the youngest who is 2. He guards her all the time he is with her, including at the bedroom door!

Hoppinggreen · 05/06/2018 18:52

We have a soppy Golden Retriever who loves everyone but one evening DH was out and me and the dc took him out to the grass area at the front of our house for a last wee at night
A man came up the road and Ddog shot in front of my son and started growling at him, he was determined to stay between us and the man.
He also got a bit aggressive when the gardeners mate ( who he doesn’t know) came around the side of the house, he wasn’t too growly but he was determined to get in front of me and not move even when I told him it was ok

maxiflump1 · 05/06/2018 18:53

My auntie had a big gsd dog when she was younger and was walking r in the park one night. Whilst the dog was off doing its thing a weird guy approached my aunt and started talking really weird sexual stuff to her. It was getting dark and she was very nervous and all of a sudden the dog appearered and when mental at the man. Aunt says she had never seen him behave like that before but she genuinely believe the dog picked up on her unease. It worked as the male legged it with the dog at his heel. She later heard that someone had been assaulted by a male with a similar description in the park a few days before. She says the dog def saved her from something sinister

ColourfulOrangex · 05/06/2018 18:54

My mum had a dog de Bordeaux and when we took him for a walk with my DS in his pram when he was a baby if anyone walked up to the pram or near us the dog would position himself between the person and pram protecting my son, big soppy thing he was but big and dribbly Grin big old bark as well

weaselwords · 05/06/2018 18:55

I used to have a Rottweiler x GSD who was famous for protecting people. He was so well behaved and mellow, unless someone threatened you and he never misjudged the situation. He would never bark at the door, until someone knocked it, where as my current idiots spend their lives staring out the window, barking at everything.

My friend looked after him for me, while I was on holiday. This was pre mobile phone days, so he took the dog out to make a call from the local phone box late at night. The dog was too big to have in the box, so he had the lead through the door with the dog outside when he got surrounded by a gang who started threatening him. My dog kicked off at them and they scattered like cockroaches.

Another time, I leant him to my friend to walk her home through The local red light district. We’d often get kerb crawled, despite embracing grunge enthusiastically and not looking like prostitutes and they could be pretty persistent. She got followed by a guy who was quite insistent about talking to her. As soon as she got nervous, my dog started to snarl and the man beat a hasty retreat.

I miss that dog so much. My current pair would run away from any trouble and leave me to die.

mustbemad17 · 05/06/2018 18:55

My Shih Tzu protected us from burglars once! The soppy springer hid under the bed 🙈 nothing got taken as he chased them out the garden & across the green...he came back covered in blood (thankfully not his) with a strip of trouser leg in his mouth. Very proud day!

mustbemad17 · 05/06/2018 18:58

One of my rescue fosters protected me from getting a hiding from exp once too. She was a very nervy dog, obviously been beaten herself in the past, but after a bit of shouting & shoving from him she launched herself at him when he went to thump me. He kicked her so hard the poor soul, but she never backed down. Thankfully was the last time he did that as got rid!

Northernmum100 · 05/06/2018 18:58

I too had a GSD who was a lovely well socialised dog and didn't bother with anyone when out and about, except for one occasion.

I was walking him along a canal path on my own and a man on his own walked towards us. I don't know why but my dog started growling, hackles went up and he stuck close to me until the man walked past. I can only think he sensed something I didn't and it never happened again. That said, he was a big dog and a lot of people crossed the road to avoid usGrin

EmmaGellerGreen · 05/06/2018 19:00

My dopey cocker spaniel “protected” me from an equally dopey but also huge and bouncy labradoodle. The big dog jumped up at me unexpectedly and I sort of stumbled and squeaked a bit. He chased him away snarling and snapping and then wandered back looking very pleased with himself.

Original poster
vinobell · 05/06/2018 19:02

weasel Grin your post made me laugh.

if there was any trouble, if I'm honest i think my boy would just stand there and watch! Head tilted and a "What are you doing?" expression as i perished.

loving these replies tho... dogs really are so special. well, some are special, and some are special

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Hamandcheesebaguette · 05/06/2018 19:02

One of mine definitely would, although he has never needed too. DP once jokingly (not hard!!!) Punched me in the arm when we were both sitting on the sofa and Dog1 launched at him growling and sat inbetween us with his teeth bared. And they're usually best friends (he really is a "mummys" dog though, I had him long before I met DP)

Dog2 is honestly the softest sappiest dog I have ever known. If somebody broke in she would just be like HELLO FRIEND ARE YOU GOING TO PET ME!!!! If somebody attacked me she woukd probably run in the opposite direction like she did at the weekend when she saw a butterfly.

Original poster
vinobell · 05/06/2018 19:06

we had GSDs when i was a kid - and as a teenager, our family dog used to jump on the bed in-between me and my first boyfriend if he tried to kiss me Grin i still think my dad trained him specifically for that ...

i wonder with the current one if he is just emotionally not as aware, a couple of times I've been crying and he just stares at me not understanding why I'm making strange noises!

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BlueEyedBengal · 05/06/2018 19:07

When I was little aged about 4/5 yrs old I had a terrible home life my mother had left my father and she and I had to live with my gran who hated children. My only friend it seemed at the time was Petra, an elderly Alsatian. I used to run away all the time. Sometimes I would get to the park a mile up the road Petra would come after me and find me she refused to leave my side and I would hold her collar and she would guide me back home. I remember the police being at the door a few times as Petra walked with me up the steps and into the house. As I grow she was always at my side my brave protector, I would disappear to get away from things and she was always there , no lead just a collar to hold on to. She was the one thing that made life hold together always there to say it's ok I'm here. Petra lived till my 10th birthday and the day after she had a heart attack and died soon after. There has never been a dog that could replace her since. I still miss her.