# Can a golden ever guard it's family?



## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

I haven't heard stories about any Golden or Labrador guarding it's family. Don't they have any guarding instincts or feel that the pack is somehow in danger? What's the maximum a golden can do to protect?
I am just wondering..


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

sam has been known to lick an intruding stranger to death the moment they cross thru my doorstep. he's a dangerous one...


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

That's a good question. I really don't know the answer. Goldens are definitely not guard dogs. They're not going to bare their teeth when strangers come to the door or when their "pack" is otherwise disturbed. 

But who knows what they will do when push comes to shove. I hope to never find out!! Personally I wouldn't want her to try to protect me. She would probably get hurt, or worse, and then I'd have to kill someone :doh:


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## daddysgirl (Feb 27, 2007)

i believe Roxy would protect John and I. late one night walking her, all of a sudden Roxy started growling and barking, showing teeth. i turned around and two people were walking up behind me. no danger, they were just cutting thru to get to their condo, or so they said. i had never seen Roxy act like this, she is a big goofy loving girl, but i think if someone was trying to hurt John or I she would do something. Denise


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## winewinn (Jan 7, 2008)

Growing up I had a golden who was with me in the front yard when a couple boys were teasing me and started walking into our yard. (The one boy used to body slam me in about fifth grade -- that's all water under the bridge now -- he grew up to be a decent guy.) 

I told "Winnie" to "go get them!" and she was about ready to jump on them when I called her back. Not sure what she would have done, but she was a good dog -- probably knew I felt threatened. The boys left me alone after that.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

I truely think Lucky expects us to do the guarding. 

He will bristle and growl when someone walks by after dark though.


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## Old Gold Mum2001 (Feb 25, 2007)

My Barney used to, on the boat, in the car, and on walks. Guess he figured that anyone coming to the house was friend, lol


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

when the little yappy yorkie next door barks at sam thru the backyard fence, Sam comes running towards me and sits between my legs... i'm pretty sure he expects me to protect him rather than the other way around


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## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

missmarstar said:


> sam has been known to lick an intruding stranger to death the moment they cross thru my doorstep. he's a dangerous one...



You had me Laughing my @%$ out!!! That's so true by the way... But I remember reading in a thread, I can't remember exactly what it was about, that any dog EVEN GOLDENS can bite given the right circumstances! But what about Goldens??


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## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

I hear you  Goldens aren't the best dogs to be the house or family protectors.

This sign I found once, was in fact for sale in a "funny signs" section:


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Goldens can definitely bite in the right circumstance. I have no doubt whatsoever that Daisy would protect me from another dog. I don't have the same confidence that she would take on a human the same way.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Don't underestimate the defensive capabilities of your Golden. It is still a dog, and if push comes to shove can be very formidable when provoked. They're very quick and possess respectable jaw strength.


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## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

Jo Ellen said:


> Goldens can definitely bite in the right circumstance. I have no doubt whatsoever that Daisy would protect me from another dog. I don't have the same confidence that she would take on a human the same way.


 So what do you think will be the protection Daisy is gonna use? Have you ever been in such a situation?


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## Merlins mom (Jun 20, 2007)

Merlin's too young to really judge, but he's never met a person he didn't try to love to death!!  The only time he barks is when he's in the yard and someone walks/drives by on the golf course. He tries to sound mean, but it's a bunch of roo-roo barking! LOL!

His father killed a bobcat that entered the owners yard. Broke it's neck. I'm not quite sure what I think about that!


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy would use her teeth and all her strength. She would show no hesitation to fight another dog if it provoked her, either to protect herself or me. And unfortunately, I've seen her fight and she can be vicious.

Have I been in this position? Only with a dog that attacked her. Never with a dog that attacked me, thank GOD. But I still know she'd do whatever she had to and she'd fight to her death if she had to, to protect me from another dog.

I just don't see that same propensity in her to attack a human. I've never even seen her growl at a human, for any reason. I'm not saying she wouldn't, I'm just saying I don't have that same confidence.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Jasper is the epitome of a golden, gentle, sweet, loves kids, great with other dogs, just what you would want in a golden. That said, he has barked at people on our walks and continued to watch them after we have passed when he feels that we are threatened. And before I had Maddie put to sleep (she was a mentally unstable dog, long background and I loved her so much!), she attacked him for vomiting and he fought back and bit her good. She never attacked him again.


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## Shining Star (Jan 7, 2007)

*Golden's are Good Guard Dogs .*
*They will bark and alert you if there is something they don't think is right or*
*normal to there environment.*

*But If you think they are going to attack the intruder forget it its not going*
*to happen.*
*It isn't in there nature.*
*Now If a strange dog comes in the picture thats a different story.*
*To the Golden its there house and there yard and they will protect it*
*from the strange dog or cat or squirrel or skunk.*

*Attack Dog - NO*
*Guard Dog - yes - But only Bark or warn you something isn't right.*

*Thats the way my Golden is.*


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

Joe said:


> I hear you  Goldens aren't the best dogs to be the house or family protectors.
> 
> This sign I found once, was in fact for sale in a "funny signs" section:
> View attachment 18436


I have that sign on my back gate...LOL
However, when the meter reader came last week, I've never seen bigger chicken then these three Golden's of mine, they ran as fast as they could to get in the house. Some protectors..LOL









​Fuzzy Butt's​



 
It's a Girl!!


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## PJD001 (Jul 28, 2006)

My husband when he was growing up had GR cross cocker spaniel who looked almost completely Golden. he grew up at a ski resort. One day the snowmobile broke down away from where he lived. they had to leave it there and come back later. He noticed after they got home that the dog was missing, they found him an hour later, back down at the snowmobile asleep on top with 3 inches of snow on him guarding it. he used to growl if someone went near his bike or that snowmobile. He was the most placid beautiful dog ever, but very protective of his masters property!


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## MILLIESMOM (Aug 13, 2006)

_Millie is very protective of our house when someone comes to the door or walks by. She sits quietly in the car but if someone walks up to it and looks in or touches it she bares her teeth and means business. There is no doubt in my mind that if someone tried to hurt John or I or break into the car or the house. They will have 63 pounds of golden fury on them._


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## Eclipse95 (Jan 2, 2008)

I can't imagine my goofball being protective. He just loves on anyone coming into the house. He will bark occasionally if someone is walking by with a dog, but it isn't really a "I'm going to hurt you" bark, more like a "Do you want to play?" bark. When we meet someone on our walks, he is very loving and just wants to be their friend.

Honestly, I'd much rather have him be a total lovey dog than a protective dog. That is my husband's job - LOL. Although I do walk him alone in the dark all the time (early morning and late night) in secluded areas (our neighborhood), so it might not be a bad idea to invest in mace!


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

> _They will have 63 pounds of golden fury on them._




And goldens have BIG teeth. I would NOT want a golden retriever to attack me. I would be very scared.


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## Griffyn'sMom (Mar 22, 2007)

I think if the need is there they will come through for you.

My Jake was the biggest mush - never bit anyone but one time I answered the door at dusk and there was a man and a young man with him - my husband wasn't home so it was just me and Jake and I felt uneasy. They were selling something but Jake took a dislike to them and barked and growled - he sensed my fear. I have no doubt that if they tried to get in Jake would have bitten them. As they turned and walked away I patted his head and said "good boy Jake, good boy". 

Jake was also very protective of his family when he was in the car with us.

Now Griffyn is another story - if the wind blows too hard he tucks tail and runs for the house - but he is still young - give him time.


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## TheHooch (May 9, 2007)

River is pretty good about barking and she is outside and someone comes up but the rest would help the bugalars load the van up with goodies!!!


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## AtticusJordie (Aug 15, 2006)

Atticus and Jordie are your typical Goldens--sweet, gentle, sometimes-clueless, blah, blah, blah.

I've mentioned this incident before in other threads--the short version is that a strange dog tried to come after Atticus and my partner David. David was really panicky that the dog (about Atticus's same size) would tear Atticus apart. In one series of moves, Atticus had the other dog on his back and his mouth, teeth bared and growling, at the other dogs throat...... David was stunned. After the other dog backed away, Atticus came back to David and sat down beside him, calm as can be............

Jordie is our 'barker'. He has two barks. The first bark is his 'clueless' bark--he barks at chipmunks and squirrels (whether they're actually there or not) or as we say, "he's barking at hallucinations"--since we can't see anything that he is supposedly barking at. His second bark, however, is his "get out and look at this, there's something really wrong out here..." bark. It's happened only a few times, but it's distinctly different from the first bark. The last time he did that was 2 in the morning. I got up with a heavy flashlight and found him at the front door (inside), looking outside. I snapped on the outside light and there stood our neighbor, panicked, trying to get into our house to ask for my help (his wife was having a severe medical problem and he didn't know what to do). 

Jordie is a good watchdog; Atticus would protect us against attacking animals. 

Against humans------------hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Not too sure about that one...

SJ


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## kerribear's golden kids (May 17, 2007)

My 4 would protect us anyday! They have after all 2 Mastiffs & 2 Danes that have taught them how to do this!! 
I trust all of my dogs to protect us in any situation!
Nemo the most! Just last night we had a guy over who adopted a dog from us, we are pet sitting, I brought out our dogs for him to meet him and Nemo went right for the man's woobies (sorry guys) not biting just a FIRM HEAD BUTT into them, then when the hubby told Nemo to Relax, off he went to run after the pack...
No growl, no bark just slammed right into him...I felt soo bad! 

But yes mine would protect us in a heartbeat... The Mastiffs & Danes have taught them well....


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## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

kerribear's golden kids said:


> My 4 would protect us anyday! They have after all 2 Mastiffs & 2 Danes that have taught them how to do this!!
> I trust all of my dogs to protect us in any situation!
> Nemo the most! Just last night we had a guy over who adopted a dog from us, we are pet sitting, I brought out our dogs for him to meet him and Nemo went right for the man's woobies (sorry guys) not biting just a FIRM HEAD BUTT into them, then when the hubby told Nemo to Relax, off he went to run after the pack...
> No growl, no bark just slammed right into him...I felt soo bad!
> ...



Well you kinda gave me hope that my German Shepherd will teach My 2 GR to do all the work.. That's nice to hear.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Whether or not Brooks would actually attack anyone, I have no idea. However, he definitely considers our home his property and barks menacingly at someone who tries to come up our walk when he's outside alone. An insurance guy was barked at that way, and we said (as typical owners would say) "Oh, he's very friendly".
The guy replied, You could have fooled me.
So we always stay by Brooks when we are expecting people.


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## Lisa (Sep 25, 2007)

Heidi36oh said:


> However, when the meter reader came last week, I've never seen bigger chicken then these three Golden's of mine, they ran as fast as they could to get in the house. Some protectors..LOL


I had a meter reader incident last week also! Except with the opposite result. The guy came through the woods (dumb idea). My 3 Goldens went charging over to the edge of their invisible fence line and they definitely let him know it was THEIR yard and he wasn't getting in. Very impressive show. 

I have never seen such a dumb meter reader. 1st of all, he kept coming AT the dogs - which they felt was threatening. 2nd of all, he pushed his meter-reading device towartd them - again - another way to threaten the dogs. 

It all happened so fast. I didn't even know it was the meter reader - because he was skulking through the woods. Usually they enter through the front yard or the driveway. Then, the dogs ran up to him to let him know not to come in the yard .... he should have slowly backed up. I thought the guy was a weirdo with a stun gun. I pounded on the window and flew out there. Needelss to say, I called the electric company and the gas company about meter procedures. 

The dogs are only out if I am at home... normally when the meter reader comes, they enter in the front yard (dogs aren't in the front yard), the dogs bark to alret me to what is happening, I call them in, then the meter reader does his job. That's the normal scenario. BUT... What a STUPID guy to sneak through my woods! I hope he learned something that day! (No, the dogs didn't bite him... but he did eventually back up - out of their yard and back into the woods... )

So, in my opinion, Goldens can be protective. They are dogs. Dogs can bite. It's just not their typical nature to be as protective as a German Shepherd (for example)... but they still can do it.
Lisa W


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

I saw an episode on 'Animal Planet' once where a golden protected a family from an intruder. Put a good bite on the guy. It was suppose to be a true story. I Can't imagine mine doing so. She does bark when she hears a strange noise, but thats about it. 
:slamdoor:


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## MurphyDawg (Jan 27, 2007)

Murphy would definately protect me if someone was to threaten me, I have seen him in action. He would not do so unless provoked but he takes his duty seriously. I asked his breeder if he was an unusual Golden and she said that his Grandmother had the same protective instinct and that they don't look for trouble but they will make noise if they feel their pack is is in danger.

We used to live in a townhouse that had a problem unit 2 doors down from us. The people who lived there had wild parties and did drugs, they threatened people who confronted them about the noise, I suspect they were dealing drugs as well. Murphy hated them, I think he always got a "bad vibe" and always would stand at the window and growl at them if they were skulking around the back of the units. Twice they tried to vandalize our house at night as payback for us calling the police, both times Murphy poked his head between the blinds and gave them a toothy snarl and they would walk off.

One night I was taking Murph out for his nightly potty walk and as I came back to my unit 5 big guys walked out from behind a parked car towards me obviously high and looking for trouble. Murphy was sniffing behind a bush out of sight saw me stiffen up and positioned himself between me and them. I have NEVER seen that posture out of my sweet golden and hope I never do again! He leaned forward, tail up, fur up, lips rolled back snarling...one guy took a step forward and Murphy started barking/snarling. They wisely turned tail and walked into the house. 

They left a few moments later before the police could bust them. I have no doubt that I probably would have been beaten up that night had my dog not been with me. Soon after that we opened a police file, and listed our home and moved within the year. They never bothered me again after that night, they would see the dog and look away. Murphy got a big treat and lots of loving and praise from myself and Dh who was on night shift when this all went down.

Most people who know Murphy would not belive that he could behave like that. He is sweet, welcoming and loves most people. The few people out there he doesn't like I tend to take him seriously...he has never been wrong! He is a different dog in our new place, he barks at the mailman but that's about it...he's a total couch potato! I think he just knows who to ignore and who to tell off Smart dog!


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Maggie would no doubt protect me.... the others would jump in after Maggie went first... but if Maggie wasnt around the others would lick them to death.


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## lhappytwenty (Nov 6, 2007)

*not the best guard dogs.....*

Our pup Ranger, is about 9 months old. We were recently robbed--they took everything--and the little fella didn't even bark! Now, whenever I come home, he sneaks around through the kitchen to see who it is first...then he'll come out. 
I think there's definitely a difference between protecting you and protecting your property though. I can't imagine Ranger letting me get hurt--he'd step in then. For some completely pointless things like computers and ipods... (ie. things that don't matter to puppies!) he'll roll over. 
Goldens are very smart though. I imagine that you could train them to protect. Their loving nature sorta goes against this though...


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## sharlin (Feb 26, 2007)

I forgot to put the doggy door in a week and a half ago and when I got home Rusty had one of the gardners frozen in the middle of the yard - some barks, but mostly puffed up like a lion and some serious, serious "I'm gonna eat your ass if you move" growls. Rusty has taken on the Alpha role from Kady in the dog dynamics and he takes that role as serious as can be. All I can say is if someone walks in the front door without warning, chances are they ain't walking out without some missing parts.


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## chessergang (Jan 21, 2008)

Newton may perhaps grab the robbers pantleg and try to pull him down to the floor to play! 
He's only six months old but has shown NO sign of being protective at all. That's okay though... I have a gun for protection. I have Newton to be part of our family!


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## beargroomer (Jan 2, 2008)

missmarstar said:


> sam has been known to lick an intruding stranger to death the moment they cross thru my doorstep. he's a dangerous one...


lol. yup, sam sounds almost as dangerous as gaius.  an intruder will definitely drown to death in gaius' saliva...


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## Misslane&lois (Nov 18, 2007)

Lois is my hero and protector, she saved me twice, i mean.
When she was 6 months, a man wanted to rob me and lois defended me!!! she bared her teeth hehehe!! and last summer a man tried to came in at our home and lois bared her teeth again and the man went out very scared.
And when my fiance walked with Lois, a dog tried to bit my fiance and Lois defend her and that dog bite Lois in the face

LOIS IS OUR SUPERHERO

Lois' mom (the real one hehe) uses to do the same.
susan (lois' mom owner) has moved to another house and she guards her new house.
i think that there are exceptions! and it depends your golden's behaviaour.


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## gandalfluvgolden (Jan 10, 2008)

They were said the most helping dog to thief to find and carry your money, jewelry, and silvers.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

I guess my Cooper wasn't a "typical" Golden (if there is such a thing!) He flat-out did not like strangers, at all, period. He was a very good watchdog and very protective.
He was a big boy (110 pounds) and had one of those big, deep barks that I swear could rattle the walls! Thankfully, he was never put to an actual test, but judging by how he reacted when a stranger came to the door, I have no doubt that he would have done whatever he felt necessary to protect me.


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## Big Mamoo (Jul 4, 2007)

Our first Golden Sandy once almost went through the storm door when a neighbor showed up looking for one of his kids. She went nuts at him. He's the only person I ever saw her do that to. On several occasions we would hear him yelling at his wife and kids from across the street. He was not an upstanding member of the community and Sandy wasn't having him stay around our house. I think they can be very protective. I would hate to have all 80 pounds of G-Dog after my ass. Hope we never have to find out.


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## kalkid (Feb 22, 2007)

I was wrestling around with my 20 year old nephew and it got fairly heated and Daisy went postal and bit his arm. Then again as I've mentioned Daisy isn't fond of most other dogs or people to begin with however definitely not the typical golden attitude. If I got into any confrontation I'm positive if she had the option she would definitely engage whatever the attacker happened to be.


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