Dogs & Loyalty

[Mikeandrach]

We’ve got an Australian labradoodle, he’s 9 months old.

I doubt he’d scare an intruder but his loyalty to our kids (8 and 4) is unreal. He’ll check up on them both at bedtime several times then wait for my 4 year old girl to settle, once she’s settle she gets into bed with my son for half an hour or so, then goes and lays between both rooms until he takes himself to bed at around 11pm

When we go for walks he walks alongside the kids, not us. He will sit next to them on the sofa and play with them far more than us. Both kids were terrified of dogs, even when we met him at 2 weeks old they were nervous. When we visited again at 6 weeks old they were crying all the way home. We collected him at 9.5 weeks old and they’ve been inseparable from day one. If we tell him to get mummy/daddy he looks at us as if we’re idiots.

If we tell him to get Charlie or Emily he goes and finds the relevant kid.

He clearly adores them both

[Twin mummy]

I know our two labs would protect us as there have been 2 situations when they have. First time I was walking them in a woodland part of our local park and a man had set up a tent and was seemingly passed out in front of it with his trousers and underpants around his ankles both dogs went mental, luckily they were on there leads but their hackles were raised and they were growling and barking. I called the police and he was know to them, so glad it was me and my dogs who found him and not some little children.

The other time one of our girls was in the kitchen when a workman from next door lifted out one of the fence panels, the dogs both ran out barking and hackles raised and made sure he didn’t get in the garden.

[Twin mummy]

Even our old cat was very protective when the girls were little- if I had one in the double buggy and went to get the other the cat would appear from nowhere and sit with them until I came back out!

[returnplanning]

Originally Posted by wobblywibbly

had a visit from the local arboreal and ferrous metal agents yesterday, they declined to get out of their transit to ring the bell due to my hounds two shouting obscenities through the gate... good job girls

I have a great Dane and Rhodesian Ridgeback and am very rural.

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Rhodesian Ridgebacks have very strong guard instincts, they are definitely good guard dogs.

[keith1973]

When I was a young boy I was walking my staffie and a group of older boys approached me asking me for money. sally at the time was out of eyesight she must have known something was up as she came running round to me and started growing at the group. They soon backed down I’d never seen her do that before in fact she’d embarrass me by begging for food of strangers at times I’d never been so glad to have her around.

[wobblywibbly]

Originally Posted by returnplanning

Rhodesian Ridgebacks have very strong guard instincts, they are definitely good guard dogs.

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yes although they both consider anything within sight of the garden to be in need of guarding, including the road and the surrounding fields

[PoohBears#1fan]

My 2 are the softest things ever but I know they'd protect all of us if they needed to.

Cooper, my eldest years ago surprised me on a walk once when he'd seen a group of lads ahead of us not doing anything suspicious, but he obviously wasn't happy about them, he seemed to make himself bigger, get closer to me then this huge big boy bark, the likes that I'd never heard from him came from nowhere as if he was warning them off.

Tazzy our pup has taken it upon herself to guard the house, sleepy and soppy all day but if the doorbell goes, she's there giving them what for!

[Pumpkin Pie]

The Dalmatian we had (my husbands before we got married) would certainly protect us. We were standing at a bus stop with him once and a drunk came up to us suddenly and said “I bet your dog would attack me if I tried to hit you” (or something like that) and proceeded to pretend to hit my husband - well it took all my husbands strength to hold our dog back to stop him attacking the man. Luckily he was on a lead. It happened so quick even the drunk got a fright and quickly disappeared!

Another time my husband was standing behind me while I was sitting on a chair. My husband was tapping the top of my head while he was talking (no idea why and it was not hurting me or anything) but our Dalmatian quietly walked over and gently wrapped his mouth over my husbands arm and pulled it away. It was a warning not to hit me.

Maybe these stories make the dog sound vicious but he was not in the least - in fact he was a big softie but obviously would defend anyone in the family.

[kenzo]

we have 2 golden retrievers, if they were together they would definitely attack and have went for a person shouting at me
However if they were alone, the oldest probably would, she has some er "balls" for a female dog. The youngest no chance, she gets her bravado from the other dog if we are alone and she hears something in the garden she comes running in and jumps on my head trying to get behind me then barks, as she never barks she then scares herself even more, she is an absolute wuss without back up

[SussexFamily]

Not certain if our boy would be protective when out walking but he is an excellent guard dog. Last night I heard a low growl from him then it increased and next thing he’s bounding down the stairs to the front porch. I looked outside and there was a young badger sniffing about ... then I realise what excellent hearing dogs have...

Here is the boy in question...