# What the heck? Or, Ranger's scary side...



## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

How long have you had Ranger? 

If it scares you imagine what it would do to a real intruder.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I've had Ranger 11 months and one day! May 15th will be exactly one year since I adopted him! 

Actually, he did scare off an intruder once. There's a storage room attached to my basement suite with a window to the outside and it's where I store Ranger's food but no one ever comes in that door. One night Ranger jumped off the bed and was doing his creepy growling thing. What really scared me though, was the that he was running from the three windows to the door and back again. He was PATROLLING the entrances to the basement. That's when i saw the flashlights in the backyard. I called 911 right as Ranger finally stopped in front of the storage room door and upped his growling even more. I've never been so scared in my life - there was NO reason for Ranger to be at THAT door since no one ever comes through it. 

The cops finally got there and sure enough, that window had been broken and there were footprints in the dust in the storage room. Even crazier, Ranger was growling at the front door when the cops got there and I let him out. He instantly turned into the happy, tail wagging dog that he is. Cops couldn't believe it was the same dog that had been growling at them behind the door. Thank god for Ranger! The next day the landlord got an alarm system installed. That's the whole reason I wanted a protective dog in the first place - I live in a sketchy area!

Of course after that experience, the next time he growled at night I thought it was the same thing. But no, it was just the sleeve of a white sweater that was hanging out from my closet door...


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## Claire's Friend (Feb 26, 2007)

Of course after that experience, the next time he growled at night I thought it was the same thing. But no, it was just the sleeve of a white sweater that was hanging out from my closet door...
Don't forget about those scary leaves that fall off the tree !!:curtain:


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

I have to laugh a bit at your stories!! I'm glad you were safe but it's good that he's so observant. That may save you someday!! I can somewhat relate now that Max is a grown up with a really deep, very loud and powerful bark - if not a growl. Now that he's taken to barking at dogs, the people who are walking the other dog get nervous and scared of Max and aren't worried very much about my other dog who isn't barking at their dog. Even though Max sounds pretty scary, they should really worry the other way around as Max wouldn't hurt a fly and Willow, a bit questionable. The best is when he gets a good bark on, it must be so deep that it vibrates his ear drums because he'll bark, shake his head. Bark, shake his head. Bark, shake his head. I've never seen a dog whose own bark bothers them so!!


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## Noey (Feb 26, 2009)

Noah knows when to use his growl. Scout - not so much.

Scout will growl at shadows as well. The other night he was growling at my closet, I had his big stuffed Eeyore in timeout under a towel. He only noticed the towel and an eye looking out. So he spent about 30 minutes looking at me and growling at the closet. Noah finally came into the room and Scout was brave enough to point Noah to the closet. Noah walked in and pulled Eeyore out from under the towel and all was well in the world. 

I know Noah thinks he is a big baby...but I think he likes saving the day for him as well.


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

You have a great watch dog! My two girls watch the house too. I hear that growl from Bailey. She is very protective of our house! She does not like anything coming into our yard, especially the back yard. There was a man in our backyard looking at the roof and Bailey was growling and showing her teeth at him through the window. I had to leash her up when he walked in the house.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Oh, I've heard that growl. Luckily very rarely and always with cause.
It is an unforgettable sound once you've heard it and frankly, if I was an intruder I would need to think long and hard before risking exposure to the source of that growl!

Once in the middle of the night, I heard that growl. I was 'what the heck' and opened my bedroom door - next thing I heard was 'holy sh*t" and pounding footsteps out the front door!

Another time, unknown to me, when I stopped home for lunch there were some low lives downstairs at the gun cabinet . again the growl and then the stealth mode kicks in as the dogs decided less noise, more action.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

I know the sound. It is utterly scary because you know there has to be something there to be causing your dog to be up in hackles with such a guttural sound. Casey has only done it a handful of times- always for a reason. Smart doggies.

It sounds like you have the perfect watchdog. I'm sure that the shadows/sweater sleeve growls were nerve racking but thank goodness he is so perceptive because he obviously knows when something isn't right. WTG Ranger!


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## eirepup (Apr 14, 2010)

Your lucky you have a GR that would scare away an intruder Finn would be more likely to lick them than bite or growl . . he can be a bit funny about growling too he used to be afraid of umbrellas and would growl at people with them ha


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

We call that our "junkyard dog" growl. Fortunately once she goes to bed for the night she hears nothing, sees nothing and just sleeps. If she ever DID start her junkyard growl, I would have a heart attack!

I think Ranger needs some extra biscuits!


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

That's Lucy. If anything is out of place at night, she gets all growly, especially when Bart's not home. Last weekend I had picked up the rug in the half-bath downstairs to mop and left it on the toilet. That night, Lucy was patrolling while we slept, and saw it, growling like crazy.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I feel very lucky to have such a protective dog. My friends/parents are constantly amazed at what he does and knows. For instance, he knows that during the day people can come in and out of the yard and it's not a problem - whether he's outside or downstairs. Once it's past 10pm though, if that gate opens Ranger is letting me know.

I have to share one more story: I was in a little rural area with the (ex)boyfriend and was walking Ranger while ex was visiting his sister. Ranger and I were walking along a street when a car full of guys went past, hooting and hollering at me. I ignored them and kept walking but the car pulled a u-turn and pulled up in front of me on the street. I stopped walking and these guys were making nasty comments and being generally unpleasant. Ranger was sitting calmly next to me until one of the guys' opened the car door and put his foot out. Ranger exploded! Growling the "junkyard dog" growl (i love that term) and hackles up. Barking in a way I've never heard him bark before and lunging at this guy. Guy quickly closed the car door and they drove off. Ranger and I kept walking and 3 minutes later ran into a stranger who asked if he could pet him...and Ranger was his normal self, lapping up the affection. I always trust Ranger's instinct for people now. And if I didn't have him...I don't even like to think what would have happened.

Glad to hear there are other protective goldens out there! My childhood golden was a good watchdog but never would have hurt anyone - just big barks. I was worried when I got Ranger he'd be the same way (I'll admit I wanted a dog for security along with companionship) but turns out he's got great instincts.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm not sure if any of my boys have those protective instincts....I've never heard them growl other than at each other!!! I'm sure if I was in your predicament, my guys would just want someone to come and pet them.....I could be wrong but have to yet to experience that. I would hope they would try to protect me!!!!!


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

My Maggie was a great watch dog and Hank is becoming one as well. He has his 'big boy' bark/growl now and would deter an intruder I'm sure. I don't want an attack dog, just one that alerts me when something isn't right.

When Maggie was still alive, I was at my parent's house, which is across a large field with my house in full view. The UPS truck came with a delivery and the screened windows were open. Maggie was barking at the delivery guy, I saw him throw the package on the porch and run back to his truck. She never liked men in uniforms for some reason even though DH wears a uniform.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

My Shadow growled at my neighbor's table and chair once. It suddenly appeared on her front lawn and he didn't know what it was. He also did the same when a plastic bag was blowing on another lawn. I don't make to much out of it and once he knows it's not going to "get" him, he's fine.

Shadow has a bark that could knock your socks off...


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## FinnTastic (Apr 20, 2009)

Ranger has great instincts.


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## CrystalG (Aug 12, 2009)

It's nice to know that our dogs will protect us if needed! My Max does that growl at shadows too. It's funny when it is time for the trash cans to be at the road. We put them out the night before and when Max is outside doing his 'business' he growls at them! LOL silly pups


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Yeah I feel so much safer knowing I have Ranger around. My mom doesn't like it when I don't have him around me at my place (the rare times). He's much more of a growler than a barker. He has his "I don't know about this" growl like when he sees a blanket moving on the other side of the fence, his "alarm" bark which even sounds like an alarm "whoo whoo whoo" and that's usually to let me know something out of the ordinary is happening, like when someone was trying to break into my dad's jeep and his "junkyard" growl where he knows (or thinks he knows) there's a serious threat or danger nearby. I like it so much better than my bro's dog who just barks at everything!!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Ranger*

I want to congratulate you on adopting Ranger! He is absolutely stunning-he looks like a Flat Coated Retriever and mind you I am no expert.
http://www.fcrsainc.org/
If you look on FCRSA they show pics of Flat Coated Retrievers and you can see what they look like. Whatever Ranger is Golden Ret./Collie Mix, Flat Coat, he is just gorgeous!!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks Karen519! I think he's a flattie cross too (no undercoat)...just don't know what with! I was thinking golden since his head/body is more golden-like than flat coat but I have no idea. The rescue society had him listed as a golden/husky/shepherd for some reason. One of these days I'll get a DNA test done on him and see just what the heck he is!


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

I finally heard the sound. 

We've been letting Mojo sleep in our bed once in a while now. He was last night and I woke up to THE scariest sound he's ever made (and this little guy used to turn into demon dog when we'd take his high value treats away). 

Gary, who sleeps like a log, wasn't awake, but I was... and I heard it. _Dink. Dink dink dink. Dink. Dink. 

_I'm like... *** is that?

Our TV was still on and the light was causing all the junebugs in the neighborhood to kamikaze at our screen. Took a while to calm Mojo down, though. After the light was gone they stopped and we all settled down.


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

Flora gets very fierce with plastic bags. She gets all ruffled and lets out this deep growl and woofs at them. Once I show her it's a plastic bag she gets even more fierce and tears them to shreds!

I don't think Flora would ever make me a very good guard dog. : She literally will hide behind me when something scares her.

Mssjnnfer, your sig makes me almost cry.  Maxie was so pretty.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Sounds like Ranger is quite protective!

Our Cooper was a very good watchdog. He was raised with a particularly protective GSD, so he learned well! He didn't so much bark, as _roar_ at people. It sounded downright silly to us, but it scared the daylights out of strangers. 
And now Riley is turning out to be quite the watchdog, too. I've heard that growl and I imagine it would be pretty intimidating if you were the focus of it. We're in an apartment now, way in the back of the complex, so people don't walk by our unit very often. But when they do, Riley isn't happy about it. He thinks it's an intruder in his yard and will start that growling. People look surprised when they turn and see that it's coming from a Golden Retriever! And our GSD is usually at the other window, just staring at them, not making a sound.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

kdmarsh said:


> Mssjnnfer, your sig makes me almost cry.  Maxie was so pretty.


Awww, thank you! Don't cry! Maxie had a tennis ball fetish so I love remembering her like this! The one she had was an Air Kong squeaky one, so it was squeaking each time she chomped down. Adorable.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

LifeofRiley - that's usually what Ranger does - the creepy "I'm watching you" look - when people pass by the backyard. He only growls when he knows (I should put that in quotations) there's a threat to my safety. Unfortunately, he sometimes "knows" that the shirt that's crawling across the floor is a threat or the shadow on the wall is going to get me...but most of the time when he growls I'm going to be calling 911 shortly. 

He also caught a creeper with a camera hanging out by the playground one time. We were walking through the alley that runs parallel to the park to the left and fenced yards to the right. A bunch of kids came running up to us yelling "Ranger Ranger!" so they could pet him, but Ranger started his junyard dog growling and lifting his hackles. The parents grabbed their kids back since he looked like he was going to attack them, when he all of sudden lunged (and i mean LUNGED) to the right and pulled the leash out of my hands. He went right to a yard and was snapping at the fence when some guy who had been hiding behind it exploded out of the yard, scaled the fence and took off running down the street. 

Some dads chased him, caught him and found a camera with zoomed in pics of the kids playing. Cops were called and, sure enough, the guy was a pedo and wasn't allowed within a certain range of kids/playgrounds and definitely not allowed to be taking pics. It was the creepiest thing ever. All these incidents leaves me to believe that Ranger has a special sense to detect ill intentions or "evil". People I know sometimes don't believe the stories about him because they seem so far-fetched. I think Ranger "knows" evil because he spent 9 months being exposed to it every day.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Ranger said:


> LifeofRiley - that's usually what Ranger does - the creepy "I'm watching you" look - when people pass by the backyard. He only growls when he knows (I should put that in quotations) there's a threat to my safety. Unfortunately, he sometimes "knows" that the shirt that's crawling across the floor is a threat or the shadow on the wall is going to get me...but most of the time when he growls I'm going to be calling 911 shortly.
> 
> He also caught a creeper with a camera hanging out by the playground one time. We were walking through the alley that runs parallel to the park to the left and fenced yards to the right. A bunch of kids came running up to us yelling "Ranger Ranger!" so they could pet him, but Ranger started his junyard dog growling and lifting his hackles. The parents grabbed their kids back since he looked like he was going to attack them, when he all of sudden lunged (and i mean LUNGED) to the right and pulled the leash out of my hands. He went right to a yard and was snapping at the fence when some guy who had been hiding behind it exploded out of the yard, scaled the fence and took off running down the street.
> 
> Some dads chased him, caught him and found a camera with zoomed in pics of the kids playing. Cops were called and, sure enough, the guy was a pedo and wasn't allowed within a certain range of kids/playgrounds and definitely not allowed to be taking pics. It was the creepiest thing ever. All these incidents leaves me to believe that Ranger has a special sense to detect ill intentions or "evil". People I know sometimes don't believe the stories about him because they seem so far-fetched. I think Ranger "knows" evil because he spent 9 months being exposed to it every day.


It does sound like he's a very good judge of character, too. 
That's one thing I love about Gunner. He's normally so friendly that when he does act a little funny towards someone, I figure there's a pretty good reason and I never doubt him.
His "I'm watching you" look is usually just sheer curiosity on his part, but I guess it's pretty unnerving (if you don't know him) to have a Shepherd staring at you.


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## lovealways_jami (Apr 17, 2007)

HOOSIER DOES THIS TOO. He lays on top of me and growls at the door. I dont know how long you have had Ranger but Hoosier has let up quite a bit. Weve had him a year! No idea what causes it, but it was for sure hard to wake up to. At first I thought he was growling at me, but then I realized it was always at the door!


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## luvgolds (May 20, 2009)

I think Harley is going to become a good watch dog...at least for the TV...
One time he was sleeping in the living room, I was watching TV and happened to pause the TV at the point where the picture of one of the recent terrorists was on the screen (mug shot type of picture). The picture took up the entire screen on the TV - it's a pretty big TV. Harley woke up and started growling and then barked like crazy with these big eyes staring at the TV! I had to press play to keep things moving to get him to calm down!

Another time a cartoon with a mouse was on and again, I happened to pause it where the mouse's head was taking up the entire view of the TV. Harley was sleeping, and must have woke up and started barking like crazy at the mouse!

In all seriousness though, he is turning out to be a good watch dog - as soon as the handle on the door turns he jumps up and starts barking, regardless of who it is. I kinda like that - makes me feel like I'll know if something is not right.


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## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

I know that growl! 

No one ever comes in through the back door but one day coming home from work I used the back door as I had misplaced my front door key.

I opened the door and started to walk in the kitchen when I heard that growl. Diesel was standing in the hallway, legs stiff, hackles raised all down his back, head lowered and lips curled back.

Then the light went on in his head and he realised it was just me and pranced over to meet me! I thought then that I would never want to break into our house! 

He also gets very growly at christmas when the neighbours put up thier moving reindeers in the garden!


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

I think that Ranger sounds like a fab dog who is very in tune with people. How great that he could root out that man hiding in the bushes!! I think you have a very special boy there (but you know that already, right).


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

OMG Lisa, I would wet myself! Funny though I've started walking my friend's GR and the first day I walked into the house, the dog barked at me all the way into the kitchen. Breathe, breathe!!!! I then put his collar and lead on and took him out. Well this morning, the barking quickly turned into whining at me because he knew he was going out to have some fun!!

Must admit I was pretty scared tho!! (but don't tell Billy the dog that...lol).



Lisa_and_Willow. said:


> I know that growl!
> 
> No one ever comes in through the back door but one day coming home from work I used the back door as I had misplaced my front door key.
> 
> ...


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

You must give Ranger many, many treats for catching that pedo. I bet that Ranger is much appreciated by the parents in your neighbourhood - I know I would be happy to have him around.

Mr. C has a good sense of knowing who is slightly off their rocker (wonder why he isn't barking at me 24/7 - LOL) and people who have been drinking when we go on our walks. No one is allowed to walk into our yard without him barking his head off, even people he knows - silly boy!!!!


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