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I am 99.9999% sure my dog would protect me. In a way she already has, though she didn't get a chance to bite. One night walking home from the corner store/gas station, a guy came out of the shadows & approached me, came directly towards me in a way that made me feel very uncomfortable. He said something like, hey, is your dog friendly? As he was already reaching out towards her. I didn't even have time to give an answer, because Riley lunged at him with her hackles raised and an unearthly growl. The guy took off. I don't know if she picked up that I was uncomfortable, or if there was something about the guy that set her off, but I was grateful that she was with me.
i take bailey on all sorts of errands with me..... one evening, we stopped at a grocery store and when i came back out 5-10 minutes later, there was a guy circling my car, trying to pet her (his story) ..... she was having NONE of that and was barking and growling like a dog possessed..... lucky for him, i think, that he didn't stick his arm in the car......
My big dog? Yeah, he would take on anyone who messed with me. My little one? She is a good watchdog. The slightest noise at night will send her running to the door and barking, she won't do anything about it, but she will make damn sure you know what is going on. However if we are walking or what have you and she is uncomfortable with you for whatever reason she gets scary looking. She is only 15lbs, but I wouldn't mess with her on a bad day.
My German shepherds would protect me. Before I got my first GSD, I had a part blue heeler dog that can, would and did protect me, from people and other off-leash dogs. I never got the heeler for protection purposes - it's just how she turned out. She was an all-around farm dog who would take the reins of my horse after I'd ridden and lead the horse to the barn. One of the funniest and most touching things I've ever seen.
I never thought I could love a dog like I loved her and was devastated when she died. But by then I needed a dog who had protective instincts. Long story as to why, but it was a definite and fairly urgent need.
It was almost like my heeler's spirit sent me to the right pup. I'd done some research, talked to some people since I'd never had a German shepherd before then. I did not want some dog who would see everything and everyone as a threat. Although I don't have children, my place is a kid hang-out.
The pup I got had breeding from both German stock and Canadian GSD stock, and she must have gotten her size from her father, because she is over 100 pounds, and not over weight. I had been told that generally females are people-protective and males are territorial. Of course these are only generalities but in the case of my dogs - I since also have a male GSD - it proved true.
I haven't had a moment's fear ever since my female GSD grew up. She is good with children, shows no aggression whatsoever to people who come visiting. Children have ridden on her back, pulled her tail and when she has enough, she goes off to her private place. And she'd also been in the position of protecting me - without needing to bite - most people run when they see a big dog like that.
My male dog is very people friendly, a clown of a dog, and I used to think that he wouldn't be protective until I had a large BBQ and he refused to allow adults in the house where I was by myself, preparing food - stood in front of the door and barked threateningly - but let all the children pass by. It was the bark that caused me to notice and see what he was doing. Once he saw that I saw and I told him it was okay, adults were allowed to come in.
They have not had formal protective training. If they are socialized properly and to many situations, and become part of the household, given the fact that herding and protectiveness is a core part of their personalities, they should act in accordance with their protective instincts.
Their lines are working dog lines, not show lines, which may also make a difference. But I do not encourage anyone to approach the dogs with a pat on the head without my being there to make an introduction, regardless of the fact that there has been no problem.
Small children in particular move fast and have high-pitched voices that can seem threatening to dogs since they don't behave in predictable ways. And I don't ever want to be one of those people who has a tragedy happen to anyone and be on the news saying, "I never thought s/he could do x,y,z."
Needless to say I'm a huge fan now of German shepherds but due to all the problems affecting the breed due to inbreeding and improper breeding, I'd do a lot of research before getting another GSD. Papers for a dog don't necessarily mean anything. There are bad breeders who are registered breeders.
skye is still young (11 months) but i have no doubt if a situation arose where she felt me or my wife were in danger, she would attack. she is very friendly and the most loving creature you could imagine but she is also very smart and she will know if she needs to attack.
I don't expect my dogs to protect me. They're not trained to do so, and I consider it my job to protect them. However, they always alert me if someone is in our yard and that's comforting.
same here. sadie is certainly a good watch dog and would wake us up if someone was breaking in, and hopefully deter them as well, just by making noise and being a big black dog. but if they got in i think she'd just come running up to them wanting to play and be petted.
i am sort of unsure if she would protect me if a person was being threatening to me. i was more sure that she wouldn't the last time i posted in this thread, but maybe she might. she does get kind of agitated when my husband tickles me (i am super ticklish), but never to the point where she bites or anything like that. she just comes running up and barks.
I have two dogs, a greyhound and an english bulldog, neither of my dogs are trained for protection. My greyhound pays no attention to anything and if something fishy or scary was going on he would just run and hide. My bulldog on the other hand is a VERY good watch dog, if she hears anything funny or see's anyone in the yard she will alert us and bark.
As for would they protect us, I don't think so. Protection goes far beyond simply barking/growling at someone, it steps into the relam of can or will your dog continue to assert himself on an individual while he(the dog) is being hit or struck at. There is a huge difference between Spot will bark or growl at people and Spot will take down and hold onto an intruder no matter what.
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