# Dog Senses



## BabyHusky (Jul 21, 2008)

Random thoughts...

my pups love everyone. As much as I wish they were a bit more protective...they aren't. Someone could be robbing my home and they would probably wag their tails. every now and then, i run into someone my sibe pup hates. she'll growl, bark, etc. For some reason, I automatically dont like that person. i've always heard that animals can sense things and maybe thats why...

anyone else? (yes...i am bored at work)


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

I used to have 2 Goldens that would help burglers carry the stuff out to their truck. :smile:

Dogs are very good at reading body language. I think when they meet someone they don't like, its the body language that says something the dogs don't like. People say things with body language that they have no idea that they are saying. When body language and verbal language convlict, believe the body language.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

My labrador loved everyone in the world except the UPS driver. I have no idea why the UPS truck sets off dogs. Most of my chows were absolutely fine with people but I'd have 300 pound repair men take one look at the chows and actually RUN from my back yard! So the dogs never actually had to make noise to protect me, people just assume they are going be eaten by chows. I did have one big boy Chow that probably would have protected me from anyone and I lost him this year at age 4 to a bad reaction to sedatives after surgery. He was a big baby but at 80 pounds and looking like a solid black bear, nobody messed with me when I walked him. The only person he ever growled at was a trainer who wanted to see if he was "dominant' when he was a puppy and suddenly leaned over him and tried to hold him down. He never let that trainer near him again . This was an AKC judge and certified trainer who I thought would have known better then to come up behind a chow and lean over the back of him and scare the daylights out of the poor puppy but you never know. She admitted she didn't trust Chows and always thought she was going to get bit. She was very partial to certain breeds, I guess from being and AKC judge and the dogs were really responsive to that during the classes. We don't go to her classes anymore!


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

RawFedDogs said:


> I used to have 2 Goldens that would help burglers carry the stuff out to their truck. :smile:
> 
> Dogs are very good at reading body language. I think when they meet someone they don't like, its the body language that says something the dogs don't like. People say things with body language that they have no idea that they are saying. When body language and verbal language convlict, believe the body language.


My Golden was the same way. She loved everyone and would probably let strangers in the house just so she could get more attention. But one day when my ex was getting nasty towards me, she jumped up and grabbed his arm. Really surprised me because I never expected her to do such a thing. 

I used to have a GSD who was very in tune to people, he could sense good and bad people as soon as he met them. One time a couple came to our house to buy our car, they both seemed like nice people and we let them in while we signed the title etc. The dog let the wife in, but wouldn't let the husband go much farther than the front door. The dog didn't growl or show aggression, he just stood in front of the guy and wouldn't let him go past but the wife went into the living room and the dog was ok with that. 
Someone told us a few days later that the man who bought our car was a troublemaker and was even arrested once for animal abuse for killing cats!! Obviously our dog knew this guy was not very nice.

The GSD used to pick and choose who he'd let in and who he'd watch closely. Usually he was a great friendly dog, but sometimes he'd just watch some people a bit more. I'm sure if anyone tried to break in or hurt us, he'd never allow it.


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

chowder said:


> My labrador loved everyone in the world except the UPS driver. I have no idea why the UPS truck sets off dogs. Most of my chows were absolutely fine with people but I'd have 300 pound repair men take one look at the chows and actually RUN from my back yard! So the dogs never actually had to make noise to protect me, people just assume they are going be eaten by chows. I did have one big boy Chow that probably would have protected me from anyone and I lost him this year at age 4 to a bad reaction to sedatives after surgery. He was a big baby but at 80 pounds and looking like a solid black bear, nobody messed with me when I walked him. The only person he ever growled at was a trainer who wanted to see if he was "dominant' when he was a puppy and suddenly leaned over him and tried to hold him down. He never let that trainer near him again . This was an AKC judge and certified trainer who I thought would have known better then to come up behind a chow and lean over the back of him and scare the daylights out of the poor puppy but you never know. She admitted she didn't trust Chows and always thought she was going to get bit. She was very partial to certain breeds, I guess from being and AKC judge and the dogs were really responsive to that during the classes. We don't go to her classes anymore!


One of our dogs is 1/2 Chow 1/2 GSD and strangers won't go near her! She just has to bark and give someone the evil eye and they don't think twice about coming into the house or near us. When we bring her to the kennel to be boarded, she's great with the people there. We tried to have a petsitter come over while we were gone, but she doesn't let anyone come in the house when we're not home!


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