Would your untrained family dog protect you or your family from an intruder?

[Bear44]

Most dog attacks aren't from "properly trained dogs". My Judo instructor (Retired Marine Sargent) is who taught this. He claimed to have used it on a big old shepherd mix in Vietnam. He said it jumped up on him. He blocked at the throat with his right forearm/elbow and was able to grab a paw as he pushed back and unbalanced the dog...hung on to the paw and came down hard with his left and snapped the paw...and the dog wanted nothing more but to get away after that. It's not like we had the opportunity to try it out on real dogs so this was all talk. Just like, you can't actually train a dog to fight through fatal gunshots. I'm sure every scenario is unique and nothing is 100% either way...but it's better than just letting one rip your throat out. Ya gotta try something besides screaming and flailing.

Yes, but it's best to try things that are actually likely to work.

Also, you may not be able to actually train a dog to keep coming after taking a gunshot, but you can sure as hell train them to keep coming through gunfire and harsh "physical input".

 

[Stuckon22]

That was an escalated correction probably mixed with some territorialism. It had nothing to do with protective behavior.

BTW, and not to be too blunt, the reason I know this is because your son is still alive. If the dog that went after him weighed more than 35lbs and had him by the throat, the only reason he's not dead is because the dog did not want him to be. The shake was part of the correction. Pack mates do it to each other all the time. If the dog's intent was to kill, he would have gotten a MUCH deeper bite before he started shaking.

Dog weighed maybe 25 lbs, no history per the owner of any behavior even remote to this, animal was put down. The dog was intent on doing damage, why? who knows. This was tough on my kid and wife for the last 3 years.

 

[Bear44]

Dog weighed maybe 25 lbs, no history per the owner of any behavior even remote to this, animal was put down. The dog was intent on doing damage, why? who knows. This was tough on my kid and wife for the last 3 years.

Yeah, OK. At 25lbs, it could have been a full on attack. The dog was either crazy or just mean as hell. Crazy means that all bets are off as far as figuring out motivation for the attack. Crazy is just that, crazy. However, he was probably just a mean ass dog that decided your son was a puppy from a competing pack. In nature, though adult pack members will put their life on the line to protect the puppies of the pack, they will kill any puppies from another pack that they can get ahold of. I would also SERIOUSLY doubt the claim of no previous behavioral problems.

 

[zombie_apocolypse]

are you joking I got a 79 lb blue pit that all neck and teeth she pulls my truck out of mud holes.
when she want to eat she knock the door down and comes back with a 150lb buck in her jowls .
and at the first sine of trouble she will jump up and go hide in the bed under the covers and poke her nose out if she don't flat out piss her self first .

 

[Laufen]

Yeah, he would kick ass.

 

[jhenry30]

My boxer is 85 pounds of kick ass when I'm not home. She's super protective of her Mom and the house. If I'm home she barks and growls then looks at me like dad shoot it

 

[ga_rspec]

My 85 lb chow, rottie, German Shepherd mix is very protective of our house and persons. Most people cross the street when we walk him and when they pass our house because he sounds so mean. My wife has had a close call or two with repair guys who were being sketchy and the dog knew it and was on point

 

[oldford]

My beagle is the best alarm system. Stay off the yard. I've seen him scrap with plenty of critters. Whooped on a full grown chow before ac handled it. But I have nearly zero faith the little guy would attack a man.

Also if you see this in the morning bear, what's your take on "dogs being racist"? Que from the owner? Scared of something away from their norm?

 

[offbeat404]

my chihuahua and papillon mix rings like an alarm the minute someone approaches the door. it's a completely different story once you open it though

 

[atljetmech]

Probably not and I wouldn't expect that of him.
His job in the intruder dept is to provide early warning for me and/or my wife and then let us handle the problem.