can untained dogs really protect? - Page 11

I think many dogs will certainly protect - it's a big part of natural instincts in pack animals.

When I was growing up, one of my uncles had a Scotch collie. This was NOT the Lassie type collie, though her colour was the same, but the original herding dog, before Queen Victoria made the pencil thin snout popular (rumor has it she bred her dogs to her borzoi). God, what I wouldn't give to have had a pup from this dog, but, unfortunately, she was spayed at a young age.

She loved kids, and would spend hours playing with us.

One day, my aunt was home alone, when a salesman arrived. He was very loud and aggressive, and Sparky didn't much care for him. She positioned herself between my aunt and the man.

In addition to being loud, this guy liked to wave his hands around as he talked, and this got Sparky upset enough that she began to growl.

"SHADDAP!" the man told her, and took a swipe at her with his baseball cap.

Before he could finish the move, Sparky had her teeth buried in his wrist.

My aunt glared at him. "Now, you ASKED for that! Don't complain!" She then took him into the house to doctor the bite.

I wish they could have cloned this dog! She did exactly what a good farm dog, or any good watch dog is supposed to do!

Sunsilver, the sighthound influence is not a rumor and is likely the source of the mdr1 mutation in collies. (this had an interesting perspective, however. I'll have to read it more in-depth when I'm not at work: http://m.pnas.org/content/101/32/11725.full)

I would disagree that a high prey drive dog is less or not able to do protection, a very high prey dog can also have a high defense and honestly a well bred dog should have enough of both. My girl is a crazy high prey bitch, however she has a nasty defense in her too. Her default setting is prey but as soon as anyone shows any sign of agression towards me she lights up and I know she is not kidding. My cousin reached into my car and that dog damn nearly took his hand from his body. I had to defend dogs with high prey because it is coming across as if in having that drive they some how magically lack the other

When I was only a year or two old we had 2 Gsd pups, they were about six months old. A male who left us for the police a few years later and a wonderful female who I grew up with. One day, my mother was home alone inside, having a shower, when she got out she could hear Gera and Gita going mad so she went outside, still in her towel, and she found two men with knives standing on top of our bird bath with the two puppies circling below. If you read this whole discussion as well as the other that was linked you know there is no yes or no answer, some dogs will, and some dogs won't. As for whether each individual dog that has been mentioned and notmtested I don't think you can know for sure until the situation arises. Max, my dog, will never under any circumstance snarl, growl, snap, ever, not at another dog or person, he is much too calm for that, but he will also never ever take a step backwards. If he is threatened or challenged he simply moves forwards. Would he protect me, I don't know, from what I've seen, he doesn't have a fear button, so id think so. Would I protect him, of course with my life. I also place alot of trust in his ability to read people, he has no personal issues he can I think observe more objectively than me, especially since his observation is objective and not a rational construct. I went to visit a girl I was seeing, there was another guy there. This other guy apparently wanted this girl and bore some good old fashioned animosity toward me, which I did not know at the time. Max simply stayed between him and I, if he tried to move closer to me, Max would block him with his body, if he tried to approach the girl he would do the same. Again, completely calmly, wouldn't growl or anything, he simply wouldn't let him get close to us. This guy obviously got rather irritated so Max and I went to the beach, and when i then subsequently heard about this guy it all made more sense. Those are kind of my thoughts, I think he would protect me, I think he is quite perceptive, but I could easily be wring on both counts.

If your definition of protection is a dog's trying to take down a threatening man who was coming into my campsite wielding a knife or doing a bark and hold at a stranger on a deserted jogging trial when he ran up on the handler and dog from behind, then it's been my personal experience that they can. 

sure SOME can and will truly protect, but most will not...

also varies greatly on what "protect" means....most dogs will "try" to protect, up to what their character limits are, but that can be highly variable...as in anything....

Yes they can.  Had a american bred (oh no showlines...)Dobe go through a sliding glass door after a meth head.  He had NEVER displayed aggression before or after this incedent.

he went after him, did he bite?