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The doghouse

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Original poster

If you were to get attacked whilst walking your dog what do you think your dog would do ?

173 replies

summergone · 30/10/2022 07:42

I walked my dog on a usual route yesterday thinking I would get to the end of the unlit off road bit before it got too dark but I didn't . I came across a man who spoke to me but he made me feel really uneasy and my heart was actual racing . This is not like me I'm not an anxious nervous person at all . As I walked away I was thinking if he had attacked me what would my dog do? I'd like to think she would know I was in danger and would pounce on him and protect me but it got me thinking . What do you think your dog would do ?

OP posts:
Strawberrypicnic · 30/10/2022 08:41

My dog is a greyhound, I think he would at least growl and bark if a threatening person tried to get physically close to us. I don't think he'd actually attack someone though. He is very big so I hope the growling would be enough to put someone off. I think about this when walking alone as well (I'm female).

caramac04 · 30/10/2022 08:43

Most would be attackers will be put off by a dog as they are unpredictable but at the very least are likely to bark and attract attention.
My Staffie I’m sure would protect me and I’ve often got my sons big, mostly black GS and as a guard breed I’m pretty sure he would too.
on the other hand if a ball was thrown they would probably chase it….

QuicheQuoche · 30/10/2022 08:43

One of my dogs is very, very protective and would attack someone. Actually a man last week when it was dark was acting in a very suspicious manner and he then crossed the road to walk behind me, my dog had clocked him and was staring at him.

My other dog had never really shown protective traits before but last winter I was walking down a dark alleyway and there was a group of about 5/6 older teenage boys coming the other way. My dog went nuts, rearing up and barking at them. I had to pin him against the wall and say ‘It’s ok, I’m holding him’ so they could pass and they went from being bolshy to scurrying past with their heads down thanking me.

I have leads I use in the dark that go round my waist so my hands are free and a very powerful head torch. If you look directly at it it’s quite blinding so I would shine it in an attacker’s eyes.

isthismylifenow · 30/10/2022 08:43

summergone · 30/10/2022 08:33

@isthismylifenow omg that's horrific but how faithful and heroic of your old dog

He will always be a hero in our eyes.

Actually I got all emotional typing that out, I think it's one of those things my mind tries to file 13 away, every now and then something prompts it.

If someone has asked me before how he would have reacted, I would have said I wasn't sure. Like I have said about my Lab now.

So tbh, I think we don't really know how they will react, until the times comes. Let's hope we never have to find out through.

pilates · 30/10/2022 08:44

Bark and probably nothing else. He is small.

FirkleingFree · 30/10/2022 08:45

I've wondered this too. I think my Patterdale cross would defend me, he's got a bark from hell which definitely gets noticed, especially in the dark as he sounds huge. He's also got no fear and no concept of his size, and is protective of his humans - he gets wound up by play fighting at home (there's now a ban on it!!) so he would definitely identify aggressive behaviour in a stranger and get in there.

DominoBlue · 30/10/2022 08:46

Mine doesn't like men. If a man walks too close behind me, he turns around, deep deep growling and hackles up, if they don't get the hint I have to hold his collar as he will start small lunging movements and that sure makes them move. If its a man I know and like and greet in a truly friendly way as opposed to a polite friendly greeting, he stays relaxed but watchful. If I hug someone he ignores them.

He hates people fighting and barked ferociously at a group of teen boys playfighting. They were terrified but laughed when I explained and now walk past very respectfully and say hello to him. I think I should patrol school corridors with him, that would make for a very peaceful atmosphere.

He gets between my kids if they are playfighting and pulls the sleeves off the "agressor".

Basically, I don't have a doubt that he would defend me until death. And the kids. He's a collie and he considers protection his business.

Original poster
summergone · 30/10/2022 08:47

@isthismylifenow not surprised you get emotional thinking about that . I can't talk or type about my old dog without a massive lump in my throat and she never saved my sons life !

OP posts:
Lorrymum · 30/10/2022 08:48

My little mini schnauzer is constantly on the look out for "assassins" at every turn of our walks. She barks and puffs herself up if someone even speaks to me.
She then walks around me to check I am okay.

iloveeverykindofcat · 30/10/2022 08:48

But of these 2 (family dogs, not mine personally but I walk and dogsit them), the cute petite ginger lady would give her absolute best defense, although she has a wonky eye so not the best with targets. The large majestic tricolour lad would screech hysterically and collapse.

If you were to get attacked whilst walking your dog what do you think your dog would do ?
LumpyandBumps · 30/10/2022 08:48

thelobsterquadrille · 30/10/2022 07:56

Probably lick them to death and mug them for biscuits HmmGrin

Brilliant 😃

Jarofhoney · 30/10/2022 08:50

I have a small terrier who is normally timid and kind, however...

A delivery man came into my house and my dog would not stop barking directly at him. My dog is a barker but normally friendly with strangers. He really did not like this guy, which made me suspicious of him as well.

A bird swooped down on me and he put his cat-like paws in the air and CAUGHT it and pawed it to death, then barked manically at the sky.

During playfighting, he will jump on me to protect me and bark at the other person.

However, I have no idea if he would actually bite a person!!!

WowIlikereallyhateyou · 30/10/2022 08:54

I have 60 kgs of dog, most people get out of our way and cross the road anyway. I know he would protect me to the end, he hates strangers.

Usernamesarenoteasy · 30/10/2022 08:56

My big dog is a staffy/rottweiler cross. Soppy as anything and everyone he meets is his new best friend.

However. The only time I've seen him be remotely aggressive is when my ex was winding up my eldest in a nasty way. Ex grabbed hold of eldest foot, they screamed at him to get off, big dog threw himself at ex growling and baring teeth, and pushed him away from eldest, no biting or anything, purely a warning.
Big dog was got by both of us when still together so they do know each other well.
I have no worries that if big dog needed to, he would protect me.

Little dog however, would think it was a wonderful game 🤣

multicolouredbunting · 30/10/2022 08:57

I have a staffie and he's the soppiest of boys in the house with his family but I know if any of us were ever in trouble he would protect us. I'm not majorly keen on walking alone in the dark but if I've got him with me I'm not bothered at all.

Propertyporn · 30/10/2022 08:59

Sit patiently waiting for the attacker to finish the job then follow him home to start a new life. I've had him since he was 12 weeks old, yet he is the biggest traitor ever and constantly tries to join other families when on a walk.

Original poster
summergone · 30/10/2022 09:01

@Propertyporn that's hilarious!

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 30/10/2022 09:01

I think there would be a lot of barking and he might actually defend me.
A couple of times he has placed himself in front of me and barked aggressively when someone has surprised us.
Hes a Goldie so doesn’t look very scary but he’s big with a good bark

Plingston · 30/10/2022 09:01

My childhood dog would definitely have defended us. She was a mutt of unknown parentage. Looked a bit like a fox. Never aggressive and used to happily playfight with my dad for ages, just pawing and nibbling him. I'd never even seen her growl at another dog or person.

She used to react to post coming through the door, as many dogs do, but not particularly aggressively. She never tried to bite the postman's fingers or anything. One day, my mum was walking us to school with the dog and we came across the postman. We said hi and within a couple of seconds, the dog leaped up at his face, snarling, and tried to bite him. It was really shocking. We had her on a lead so pulled her away immediately but it was like we had seen a whole other side to her. We kept her well away from the postman after that, poor bloke!

sparechange · 30/10/2022 09:03

My head says they would do nothing or maybe run away, but my heart likes to think they would at least bark

Yellow lab is totally indifferent to our DCs but when they were toddlers, we were all having a picnic, with her lying on the grass nearby
A random dog was around and every time it came near us, yellow dog would get up and position herself between the dog and DCs
When it finally got close, she really barked at it. It was a very different type of bark she does at delivery men. It sounded much more ‘angry’, if that makes sense?

Black lab is quite anxious so I could see her being a bit more fear-aggressive if I was being attacked but she would probably freak herself out in the process because she is very soppy and gentle by nature

But I think the sight of them is enough of deterrent

a few years ago, we had a spate of moped muggings in the area. 2 kids riding a moped would spot someone, ride up on the pavement and either snatch their bag/phone, or pull a knife and demand a watch or jewellery

I was walking down the street with the dogs and clocked 2 kids on a moped without helmets and immediately knew something bad was going to happen
They clocked me and drove up onto the pavement and I knew I was about to get mugged.
Then the driver suddenly swerved back onto the road and sped off
Im convinced it’s because they clocked the dogs and didn’t want to risk being attacked by them

Titsflyingsouth · 30/10/2022 09:04

Mine would absolutely defend me. She's a soppy little thing normally but she has a very astute sense of danger - and she absolutely becomes the alpha of our family 'pack' when her hackles are up.

alwaysmovingforwards · 30/10/2022 09:11

Propertyporn · 30/10/2022 08:59

Sit patiently waiting for the attacker to finish the job then follow him home to start a new life. I've had him since he was 12 weeks old, yet he is the biggest traitor ever and constantly tries to join other families when on a walk.

😂 so relatable

BenCooperSuperTrouper · 30/10/2022 09:16

My black lab would be absolutely useless. He doesn’t even bark when tradesmen come up to the house when I’m home alone. Luckily he is an exceptionally large stocky lab so hopefully his size alone would deter bad guys.

happygertie · 30/10/2022 09:17

My dog would probably think it was a fun game and start jumping up and play fighting. He is the softest daftest lad but he is big and solid and looks mean so this would prob be enough for the attacker to think he will get eaten by my vicious dog!

BenCooperSuperTrouper · 30/10/2022 09:19

BenCooperSuperTrouper · 30/10/2022 09:16

My black lab would be absolutely useless. He doesn’t even bark when tradesmen come up to the house when I’m home alone. Luckily he is an exceptionally large stocky lab so hopefully his size alone would deter bad guys.

A very aggro bully cross lunged at him and me at the vet- luckily got pulled up short by his lead. My lab was just bewildered and took no protective action at all. I don’t think he even processed that the other dog was trying to hurt us.