Why do my dogs defend me ? Answer this... You people who think your so dog savvy?

Question

If its not because I am their pack leader...ever over used words.

Then WHY?

There has been a few times that my dogs have come to protect me.

All of my dogs were "death row" dogs and were scheduled to die! Is it the strong bond that makes them so protective over me? Is it because I can see their souls through their eyes.

My dogs are MY DOGS and I NEVER compare or call them my children. They are treated like dogs with tons of outdoor exploring and activities.

I have never trained them or had them trained to protect me, I always socialize them, love them and treat them with kindness and respect and they all have boundaries and limits they must follow.

So...
Why would my 140# Mal-kita mix squeeze out of the car window at a grocery store to defend me from some man who is about to rob me?

Why would my border collie defend me? I dropped the leash and she ran from the man, just as I tried to do. He grabbed my arm and I let out a scream, my dog ran back and sank her teeth into his leg, and he left.

There is a 3rd time, but it occurs in my front yard with a friend who was around my dogs since I got them. She was drunk and pushing me around when my dogs came to defend me.

My dogs are not vicious or attack dogs and I take them for long hikes and long romps to play at the dog park.

Answer 1

I think what people mean by "protection trained" is that they won't protect you on COMMAND, any dog that is BRED to protect will protect-- but only to a certain extent.



None of my dogs were bred to protect, nor were they trained to, but I have a eight pound toy poodle who has, on several occasions, jumped to defend.



My Australian Shepherd/Pyrenees mix saved my life on several occasions, I'd be blind if he wasn't with me. He jumped to defend me against an attacking lab, an armed burglar, a purse thief and what the police to be a rapist.



He wasn't trained to protect, but he was steeped in faithfulness. Any dog that has the drive and ability to protect will.

Answer 2

1: You're humanizing your dog to the point it makes you look less intelligent. Do you honestly think your dogs realized that they were on "doggy death row"? Do you think they had any way of knowing they were scheduled to be put down? Because: They didn't. They don't speak English, they didn't hear "death row" and shudder. That makes their bond with you no weaker or stronger than a dog rescued from a no kill shelter.



#2: Who robs people in crowded grocery store parking lots? Sounds like that happened in your head. But granted it didn't, how'd the dog push down a car window to squeeze out? Go out to your car and push down on the window as hard as you can, manual nor electric windows will budge an inch...but let's assume it was down far enough for him to squeeze out...I find it almost possible for a half akita mutt to bite somebody because most Akitas are fear biters. If the man imaginary or not had hit the dog, it would've ran and watched you get kidnapped, raped, and or robbed just like any other Akita or Malamute.



#3: Dogs don't love, they don't have wives and families they take care of out of love. They stick together out of pack drive, again, you're humanizing an animal.



#4: Your dogs are poorly trained and dangerous, you're lucky your friend didn't sue you for having such out of control mutts.



#5: A FEMALE Border Collie protecting somebody? Most female ROTTWEILERS and GERMAN SHEPHERDS from working lines are unsuitable for even light protection work. The odds of a male BC being tough enough to protect somebody is 1,000,000,000 to 1. The chances of a female BC being able to protect some one is exactly 0.



#6: This was fun, and you're more full of it than used Pampers.

Answer 3

Look who's back...what happened to your same question last night?

Ok, once more, before I read what anyone else has said...your dogs will NOT protect you, wrong breed and no training, I told you that last night.

Dogs do not, ever, start a fight, protect their Alpha, decide when, where or how...that is the Alpha's job and if you have proper structure in your pack, or understood pack structure, you would not be sitting here screaming about this right now.

Just like last night, dogs for protection work are bred, raised and trained for that purpose and they cost thousands of dollars, even as "green" dogs.

Lastly, dogs do not protect "out of love", that is indeed a human concept, they protect because they are trained to do so and require certain drives to be in order for that to happen.

The chances of your dogs having these drives...none!

Please educate your self on pack drive, the drives required for protection work, dogs that qualify for that job, then we can talk again.

Hope I helped.

Answer 4

I think most people would agree that dogs can mourn so why not love? I don't agree with the ones that say they can't love. If they couldn't what would be the point of bothering with giving them affection?



Yes dogs are pack animals and when there is a threat to the pack they don't leave one to deal with it, they deal with it as a pack.



There are multiple cases out there where everyday pets defend and protect their owners. I don't agree that they have to be trained to protect, they do it out of love for you and the pack you've created.



Yes I understand pack structure. Dogs live in the moment. When their pack is under attack they will defend! If at the time the leader lets them know that they will handle it, they back off. You don't have to be an expert to realize this is true. Just paying attention to the real experts will tell you this.

Answer 5

I am really not understanding the question, other than sensing that you have quite the attitude going.



Dogs look at us as their pack... their family. They protect us because they love us. Seems an easy concept for me to grasp.



My dogs are not vicious or attack dogs either. In fact, my male is a show dog and is encouraged to be friendly to everyone. And yet when we are out walking alone, he will instinctively put himself between me and anyone he perceives as a threat.



I *do* call my dogs my babies. Nothing wrong with that. They are spoiled but not TOO spoiled, if you know what I mean. They know I am the alpha b*tch in our pack.



I think you need to reword your question a little more clearly.

Answer 6

FLP Fila is 100% correct.



Anyone that truly understands pack structure and drives of dogs knows that dogs look to alpha for protection, not the other way around. A dog that attacks in defense is doing so to protect it's own behind. Some dogs may instinctively protect their pack but do so for one reason: To ultimately protect themselves as they need to pack to survive, especially if they do not have a strong leader to look up to.



I am not one that believes dogs are devoid of emotion. I think they do feel affection for their pack members, but I also know that dogs are driven by drive and the instinct of self preservation rather than emotion.



I have one dog that is moderately protective, he may even act aggressively if need be, but I know it would be in his own defense if I was incapable of defending him and the rest of the pack. Many dogs have the instinct to protect just from breeding but that needs to be nurtured and reinforced through proper training in order to be reliable. 99.9% of pet dogs do not have what it takes to naturally protect anyone but themselves and the dogs that do are dominant/aggressive and wouldn't be able to be handled by the average pet owner.

Answer 7

This is frikin unbelievable.



No dog that is properly bred and raised without formal protection training should bite another person! End of story.



No dog with any respect for its pack leader will go ahead with something without the approval of said pack leader. Especially a bite! Dogs of lower rank in a pack DO NOT protect the alpha. Do not make the mistake of thinking your dog is protecting you or anyone else. That dog didn't act out of anything other then defense or fear. 98% of dogs are not suitable for protection work of ANY kind and the dogs that protect 'naturally' are few and far between and are bred, raised and trained to do so.



Your dog is NOT protecting you. No pet dog will "naturally" protect in a meaningful manner. You as the owner need to correct that behavior. Do you understand dominance? You do realize that your dog thinks its his job to bite without consent? WRONG answer!



Does ANYONE here understand pack structure? Does ANYONE here understand proper protection and bite work?!

Answer 8

Has it ever occurred to you that dogs are capable of love as well? You respect them, love them, they will do the same. It is how it is in the wild. Dogs come in packs, they will defend their members because they are FAMILY. You are their family, and they will defend.

Answer 9

Dogs like humans always defend the ones they love. My dogs do. Not very educated on this are you?!

Answer 10

I don't really understand what you question is... To me, that is what you dogs are supposed to do. Dogs naturally defend their leader. It sounds like you are doing all the right things with you dogs. Congrats on having such good protectors!

Answer 11

I think you've gotten too close to the mountain...and ventured too far from reality.

140 pound, WHAT? Maltikadoodle?

Answer 12

uhh..because they love you?

This can be compared to the way humans think...

Like, if you saw your mom being pushed around or robbed, you wouldn't just stand there and watch right?

Your dogs sensed you were in trouble and they protected you.



I don't really understand the question...it's pretty much common sense...?

Answer 13

they protect you because they love you =] and thats BS that anyone would say dogs would not protect you unless you trained them. I too saved one of my dogs (lab/bordercollie mix) and anytime my husband and I "play fight" my dog will growl at him and bark and has even went as far as grabbing his shirt and pulling his away from me, its because she thinks he is hurting me. its as simple as this.. you take care of your dogs, and they take care of you!

Answer 14

I disagree with you FLP...

Where do you get your information from and who gave you 3 T.U. for such a stupid answer.



Dogs as far back as forever ago have been used for PROTECTION, amongst other things like hunting.



Protection comes natural to certian breeds and will defend their owners without need for training.



...



I believe your dogs were protecting you because they felt you were in distress.

Answer 15

Girl, they protect their family. What's the big deal?

Answer 16

Dogs always defend the ones they love, dumba$$.

I can't believe you don't know this.

I'm seriously considering quitting yahoo answers.

Answer 17

they treat you like there master and they will do anything for you... it is just instinct

Answer 18

Because they love you.