She Went Immediately Into Defense Mode
“I had a Great Pyrenees who was the definition of gentleness. She could run full speed through a field of baby chicks and wouldn’t harm a single one of them.
One day, I accidentally cut a guy off while driving. There was a big tree on a corner, I looked as best I could but didn’t see him. It was an honest mistake
This guy followed me home, a journey that took a good 15 minutes. I pulled up my drive, and my dog, as always, ran out to greet me.
I got out of my car, turned towards the guy and started yelling at him to get off of my property.
My dog became a terror demon. Snarling, barking, darn near choking herself on her own hatred for this guy.
He threw his truck in reverse and took the heck off. My dog chased him to the edge of the property and came trotting back so proud of herself.
She got so many treats that night.
You don’t mess with a working dog’s family.”
Stopping A Car Thief
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“I woke up one night to my dog standing in the bedroom doorway making a low growl that I had never heard from him before. I got up to check on him and he ran for the front door, which he never goes to unless someone is at the door because he gets let out the back.
I followed him to the door and just from the way he was standing and the low growl he was making, I figured some animal was probably out in the yard. I was just going to open the door a crack to peek out but the second it opened, he forced his way out and took off through the yard barking.
I just stood there for a moment, not sure what was going on. We didn’t have any predator animals I needed to worry about, so I thought it was a deer or raccoon he was after until I noticed my car in the driveway had the interior light on from when a door is opened. I grabbed my cell phone and went outside and my driver side window had been smashed and the door was still slightly open with things strewn along the driveway leading off into the woods our house was next to and where my dog had taken off towards.
I tried calling for my dog, afraid the person had a weapon on them, but he didn’t come back, so I called 911. My dog finally showed up before the police arrived and he seemed fine; he just wanted to go back to bed. When the police got there, they went off searching the woods where whoever had broken into the car had run and they came back with my work bag that had bite marks on the side and had been left laying on the ground.
My dog knew someone was breaking into my car out in the driveway while inside the house and it must have interrupted them when I opened the door so they took off into the woods with my dog right behind them who latched onto my bag and held on until they dropped it. The only valuables I had in the car were in my work bag, so thanks to my dog, I was able to get all of that back.”
The Smallest Dogs Can Have The Biggest Bark
“I was actually pet-sitting. I used to work for a home boarding program, so I was looking after this little demon of dog for about four days. This thing was tiny, fluffy as all get-out, and had the most shrill, constant yipping I ever heard. It was exhausting. Anyway, I wasn’t able to sleep and it was about 4 am. The dog had been barking and I ended up just getting up for a while. I was alone in the house because my roommates were on vacation, and little did I know that they had been spreading the exciting news around at all of the local bars. We think that someone must have heard they’d be away and took that opportunity.
Someone broke in through the garage door into the kitchen. The same room in which I had the dog corralled. I heard four heavy boot steps into the house after the crash of the door opening and then basically just screaming from the dog. At first, I thought the intruder might be doing something to her, but it turns out she was just freaked out, and she was also a lunatic. In the end, I was so relieved that she was there because she scared the home invader off before I ever had to deal with him. I guess he realized someone must be home and didn’t want any risk.”
He Heard The Bell Toll
“I had gotten home late from work and was sitting on my front porch talking to a friend on the phone. It was almost 12 o’clock at night. It was summer time which is important to the story because the guy walking by my house caught my attention because he was wearing a hoodie and it was 85 degrees outside. As soon as he saw me look at him, he threw his hood up so I couldn’t see his face as he walked by me. This didn’t sit right with me so I said my goodbyes to my friend and went inside to shower and go to bed.
Because I lived alone in an old beach cottage with terrible locks, I had a put a decoration on the back of my door. It was a metal sun with bells on the bottom. I had it in case someone did try to break in, I would hear the bells and Yoshi, my 100lb lab, would take care of the rest.
I had gone back into my house, locked all my doors, and settled in for the night. I had just gotten in the shower when I heard the bells clanging off the back of my front door. I heard Yosh bark. This was a definite aggressive protection bark. I scrambled from the shower in enough time to see Yoshi run and hit the door full force. The guy never made it through the door and at the last glance, he was running down the street. Without Yoshi, I don’t know what would have happened. He protected me on a few occasions. He’s been gone 10 years and I still miss him every day.”
They Got Their Man
“A guy had robbed a convenience store in the middle of the night. The cops chased him into my neighborhood but it’s a big neighborhood, so they lost him.
My neighbors trained police dogs. At this time, they had two German Shepards nearly done with their training living with them. This criminal chose their yard to hide out in.
They woke up to their dogs begging to go outside. Thinking they just had to pee, the wife stood at the back door while she let him out. They both ran straight for a bush in the corner of the yard and dragged a man out. They held him on the ground while my neighbor called the police. When the police got there, this dude was bleeding badly and barely conscious because of these dogs. Such awesome pups. I never felt safer than when I lived next door to them.”
Her Best Pal Saves Her From A Dangerous Date
“A guy was picking me up for a date. I had the BEST deaf chihuahua mix ever (deaf means no yapping) and he never made a sound until one day a guy came to pick me up for a dinner date. He was a friend of a friend but I really didn’t know him that well. My dog loved EVERYONE, except apparently this guy. I’ve never seen a more rabid, vicious, terrifying dog in my life. I thought he was going to take the guys balls off through his jeans. So, I didn’t go on the date.
A year later, I found out the guys in jail for dosing underage girls at raves and writing a blog about how to do it effectively. That was the best doggo. He got many a chicken nugget that day (his favorite).”
Big Trouble Sometimes Comes In Tiny Packages
“I know chihuahuas have a bad rep but my mom let me know that one time, when she was home alone with the dog one night, someone tried to get into the house and the dog wasn’t having any of it. Dog went on full crazy mode: barking, growling, charging at the door. Whoever was there left and my mom felt better sleeping with her 10-pound bodyguard! I gave the pup some steak the next day and thanked her.”
First Alert System
“My husband was out of town for the evening for work, the dogs were in the backyard, and I was making myself dinner. Suddenly both dogs started going absolutely nutso, barking like crazy, jumping against the back door, just making an awful racket. I had no idea what was going on so I opened the door and started to scold them for being so disruptive, but they both just barreled past me to the front door where they continued to bark. I tried to calm them down and that’s when I heard someone fiddling with the front door/lock. The dogs coming to the front door did not deter them. I yelled out that someone was home and then called 911 and turned on my speakerphone. I don’t know if it was me yelling or the 911 call, but they left.
It’s been almost two years and our Aussie is still very protective of me, freaks out when anyone approaches the house, and obviously considers me someone to be protected rather than listened to. But everyone’s hearts melt a little when we explain he’s freaking out because of the previous break-in attempt, and then he usually gets lots of petting and praise from whoever has come to our door.”
Who Knows What Those Men Would Have Done To Her
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“When my now-husband and I first moved in together, we lived on the bad side of a very large, very mean city.
My husband worked third shift at a hotel. It was nice, but the area was bad. As a result, there was a rather equal mixture of thugs and businessmen in the immediate area.
A few weeks prior, we had adopted a pitbull mix from the shelter. We’d gone in looking for a small puppy and came out with an absolutely massive 4-year-old that looked like a tall version of a pit. We were told they thought she was part American bulldog, part pit, and probably had some shepherd in there somewhere. They were a high kill shelter, and absolutely desperate to get rid of her, as she was the sweetest girl any of them had met. We mentioned we wanted her, but our apartment wouldn’t allow pitbulls, so they fudged the paperwork, and suddenly she was a boxer mix.
On my nights off, I would go to the hotel my husband worked at, (a dog-friendly establishment) hang out in the lobby, and chat with him until his coworkers showed up for first shift. Our dog would sit happily at my side, soaking up any attention any passersby were willing to give her.
I had just gotten there, it was maybe ten at night, and the last second shift worker was still there, so I was stuck waiting in my car. I was just sitting in the front seat, talking quietly to our newest family member when a deep voice called out, ‘Hey, sweetheart! Why don’t you come out here?’
At first, I wasn’t too worried. There was no way he was talking to me… but I quickly realized a group of very large men were walking toward my car.
‘Hey honey,’ the same voice shouted, ‘Come here. I got something to show you.’ They stopped directly next to my car. I looked down at my phone and pulled up my husband’s number. ‘Outside. I need help. I think I’m about to be mugged,’ I texted him. I don’t know why I didn’t call the cops. My brain just shut off.
‘Woman, don’t ignore me!’ He shouted and pulled open my door. I remember screaming. I remember being terrified, and absolutely certain that I was about to die.
And then I remember a streak of brown.
Our dog had leaped from her place in the back seat and laid across my lap. And my god, she was raising absolute Cain. She released a she-demon that, to this day, I have never seen rivaled by another animal. She snapped wildly at his hand. Her muzzle was pulled back to reveal sharp teeth. The hair on her back was raised. A deep, angry noise rumbled from her chest.
He had jumped back initially. I half expected her to bolt, and attack him, but she never did. She laid across me, using her body to shield mine.
Once he figured out it was just a dog, he reached for the door again. She lunged. I heard the snap of her jaws. She had just barely missed his hand. He stumbled back, and I took the opportunity to slam the door shut, and lock them.
The group stood around for a few seconds, as she continued to stare death at them. Deep, angry barks bounced off the interior of the car. I was sure I would be deaf by the end of it.
The lobby doors opened and out walked my husband. The group of them must have thought I wasn’t worth the trouble.
When we got inside, my husband called the police, and I showered our new girl with all the love she could possibly want.”
A Lifesaver and A Matchmaker
“My mom had a rottweiler in Estonia back when the Soviet Union was about to fall or just broke up, so crime was higher around that time. She lived alone in an apartment with her dog and was pregnant. Somewhere around midnight, someone was trying to open the door. Can’t remember if Mom or the dog heard the door first, but they went to the hallway to check what was going on. At that point, someone opened the door with a key and the dog noticed that Mom was scared, so the dog started growling and barking. The person was standing on one end of the hallway while Mom was holding the dog at the other end. Mom warned that she would let go of the dog if he got any closer. Then the guy started saying something like, ‘It’s ok, come here, come closer.’ He was curling/pointing his finger to come closer and talked to Mom in a tone like as if she was a child. The guy took one step closer and Mom just let go of the dog. The dog went straight after him, which spooked the guy right away and the guy ran back where he came from and shut the door. No one else had a key except maybe some maintenance person/owner for the apartment. She called my dad to come over and then they lived together after that.”
A Pitbull Lifesaver
“Not me, but my stepmom’s dog. Her ex-boyfriend/stalker waited until she was asleep and set her house on fire. Her pitbull dragged her out of her bedroom, through the house, and out his doggie door. Her ex saw her being pulled out and ran to toss her back in because apparently, he was really determined to off her. Her dog, the goodest boy I’ve ever met, mauled the you-know-what out of him and put him in the hospital. My dad, her next door neighbor at the time, heard the dog going nuts and ran out to help her. So the dog saved her life, got rid of her stalker, and found her a new man all in one swoop.
My dad also had the foresight to hide the dog in his house before first responders showed up. He just shrugged when asked about the torn up ex and said he was already like that when he got there, and he didn’t see a thing.”
Stopping The Possible Violence
“I had a ‘friend’ in my home that was dating my other friend. He tried to hit her so I jumped between them because I’m not gonna let another girl be in the same situation I used to be in. He ended up barely grazing my shoulder and my dog jumped off the couch, over a table, and grabbed the dude’s arm and started shaking it. Normally, he was the sweetest dog but if you tried to hurt me, he would succeed in hurting you. I loved him so much, I wish he was still with me. My current dog would have loved to meet him.”
He Treed A Criminal
“I’ve got a pitbull and she is the sweetest baby ever. Never even growled at anyone before. I had a peeping Tom come to my house one night and she was nudging me to let her out so I did and as soon as I opened the door, she took off toward the front of my house and had the guy up in a tree. I think he may have pooped himself.”
The Shady Maintenance Man
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“While living in my last apartment, the maintenance person went to walk in without notifying us. My husband took a random flex day and was home. The guy half knocked, used his key, and started to open the door, despite our dog barking. Before my husband could react, our year old rat terrier charged the door and leaped off the floor to this guy’s face. The guy slammed the door and left. He didn’t even re-lock the door. My husband texted me and told me what happened and I called the property manager.
I was eventually told that the maintenance guy was supposed to go to the apartment next door, which made no sense because that apartment was empty so wouldn’t have a dog barking or a need to knock before entering. We moved out shortly afterward.”
The Voice She Heard Downstairs Wasn’t Her Roommate’s
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“I was fast asleep and my lazy doggy was asleep at the edge of my bed. My roommate’s dog was outside barking up a storm. I ignored it as my roommate’s doggo is always barking at something. I wanted a few more minutes to sleep until I let my roommate’s dog in. My roommate leaves his dog outside, as he leaves before me.
The usual thing is for my roommate to let my dog outside, too. But my dog was feeling extra lazy on this cold, fall morning and wanted to sleep in.
Thank goodness he did.
A few minutes later, I heard someone walking downstairs and two male voices. I knew it wasn’t my roommate and then they walked up the stairs towards my room, quietly.
My dog started growling and baring his teeth and then leaning on me. Two men were breaking into my house and they opened the door to my room. My dog took off to attack the two men.
I heard one of them yell, ‘Oh no!’ And they took off out of there, while my dog chased them.
I was scared that something bad would happen to my doggo. So I screamed his name, and he came back running to me.
He was lucky it was paycheck night. I got him a steak to share.
The scariest part of the story: there was a man going around breaking into women’s homes and attacking them.
I am a female myself, and all my belonging were down in the living room. My PS4, laptop, car key, etc. I was thinking the worst. It could have been just a robbery. But it’s still scary.”
The Dog Easily Sniffed Him Out
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“My family’s huge fluffy goofball of a Goldendoodle (looks like a giant, super fluffy golden retriever) scared the heck out of a prowler in my mom’s yard. Because my mom was rebuilding her fence, you could just walk right into (or out of) her backyard. Because of this, you had to take the dog out on a leash when he needed to go. We didn’t know if he’d bolt, but due to the very busy street she lives on, we’re not exactly keen on taking that chance.
One night, probably about 10ish, well after sundown, the dog wanted to go out, so my sister leashed him up and took him out. The dog apparently zeroed right in on the guy after a few seconds, who probably trying to steal copper or something from the AC unit he was next to. That big dumb fluffball can be one scary dog when he wants to be and apparently got between him and my sister and went nuts. The dude booked it, my sister ran inside with the dog and called the cops, then me and told me all about it. Cops started patrolling the area pretty hard and I went down to check things out and make sure they were OK. I don’t know if the cops ever caught the guy. Probably one of the local speed freaks. Have not heard of anything that serious since.”
Guarding The Homestead From Strangers
“I grew up on a farm and we always had dogs. At one point, we had three dogs. An older border collie/Norwegian Elk Hound, and two Aussie Shepherd/Border Collie/Great Pyrenees (brothers from the same litter).
I was out doing something in our yard when I was about 15 when an unknown vehicle pulled into our place. I heard it but I never looked up because I figured it was my parents or my uncle who lived up the road and just kept working.
All of a sudden, I had one of the Aussie dogs pushing me towards the house, eventually pinning me against it while the Border Collie was pacing in front of us, barking and growling. The other Aussie dog was growling and barking at the truck. The person in the truck tried opening their door and that’s when the dogs freaked out. Both the Collie and Aussie started jumped up at the truck, growling and snapping while the other dog kept me pinned to the house. The person never got out of the vehicle and ended up driving away, with the one Aussie chasing the truck out of the yard.
Once the truck left, I was released from the house and the pups went back to their normal loving self. I went inside and called my dad, who called the police to report a suspicious vehicle. I still have no idea what they wanted or why they were there just that my dogs were not impressed with them being there. They had never acted like that before, even with other unknown vehicles coming into the yard so they obviously didn’t get a good vibe.”