Protective Behavior


            With a dog’s fierce loyalty and unconditional love sometimes comes some pretty protective behavior over their owners. It’s this devotion and dedication that can make a dog a good watch dog, and man’s best friend.
My mom feeds Buddy and Magic, and for that Buddy will follow her to ever corner of the house to make sure that she is never alone and always safe. Buddy is a bit over-the-top in his adoration, but Magic keeps a special eye on the hand that feeds too – although not nearly as clingy! If my mom leaves they wait by the door and perk up to the sound of a car pulling in. They exhibit some of the same behavior to me too, now that I am forever associated with their walks! But they don’t limit themselves to their loving owners.

Buddy protecting his ball from an eager Magic!

Buddy and Magic can get fiercely protective of our yard! They run rings around the yard - chasing cars and warding off deer.  But when you take them outside of the confines of the yard, they are suddenly less intimidating and no longer bark at innocent passersby. Buddy and Magic take the defending of their owners and their home very seriously!
But Magic also takes her bones and toys very seriously too. When we give Buddy and her a rawhide bone, she instantly goes into protective mode. She shields the bone with her paws and body so that no one can come near it, and growls at Buddy when he playfully advances. If given the chance she will steal Buddy’s bone and hoard it with her own, but the funny part in all of her defensive antics is that she will hide the toy or bone under couch cushions, just so that Buddy won’t find them! She might sound mean, but you have to give her credit for being smart! And I can’t blame her for not wanting Buddy to steal her bone or toy; it’s kind of like when your sibling swipes your clothes or baseball cards.
It’s pretty amazing that dogs can love so limitlessly, when you think about it. Does your dog follow you around all day or show any funny protective behavior? Let me know in the comments! I would love the read all about you and your furry friend.

With the National Dog Shows hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia coming up in November, I bet some of those dogs and their owners are feeling a little protective of their titles. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend, filled with some exciting agility demonstrations and a lot of beautiful dogs to meet and learn from! Check out the links on our page for more information – you will definitely not want to miss this event!

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