Why you need a dog who can respond appropriately to a threat
Well trained dogs are a force multiplier. In a tense situation would an aggressor be more likely or less likely to attack if you had a dog by your side? In situations that could turn confrontational, almost always a person or group of people will entirely back off or at the minimum slow down or second-guess their attack when a dog is present. Why? People fear the weapon that is their teeth. People fear their speed. People fear a dog’s natural instinct to kill.
Now notice the term well trained in the title. A dog that is not well trained could actually be a liability in such situations. Their instability could cause the canine to 1. Turn around and bite you, 2. Flee from the scene, leaving you now unprotected, or 3. Engage in an attack when you don’t want him/her to or engage too early.
Sometimes, barking and growling deter the threat and other times it can amp the tension up. A calm dog, poised to attack is a hidden weapon. In most situations, the aggressor will pay much less attention to them and will be surprised when you call the dog to action if the need arises. If your dog is under control and giving off the impression that it will not attack, you’re holding a clear advantage… surprise.
Furthermore, you can think of well-trained dogs as multi-layer security assets. Besides the element of surprise as discussed above, the two main examples are using a dog as an A. deterrent, or B. weapon. The security layers added by a well-trained protection dog cannot be overstated. Besides the benefit of a visual deterrent, being able to use your dog to help you in a worst-case situation increases your chances of survival.
Protection dogs as a deterrent
The very presence of a dog at your side lessens your appeal as a target by predators. Criminals want a soft target and having a dog at your side, even if it’s a small yapper, makes them think twice before engaging you. The bigger the dog, the more the attacker hesitates.
The second way a protection dog can act as a deterrent is through a “watch” command in which the dog barks and shows aggression to the would-be assailant. 90% of the time this will stop people in their tracks.
I used JL as a deterrent coming back from New York at a gas station in South Carolina at 0500 in the morning. I noticed a lady in a tattered and stained white dress going to the different truckers in the parking lot. Ash and I took turns going to the restroom and the lady went up to Ash on her way in. I tried to duck the lady on the way out but she caught me and asked for money. I told her I couldn’t help and made my way to the car.
It was Ash’s turn to drive so I settled down in the passenger seat and didn’t think much of the lady. Next thing I know, the lady was standing at the driver’s side window, face almost plastered to the window she was so close. I still remember looking over and seeing Ash jump. With both my girls in the car I was taking no chances and calmly and quietly gave JL the “watch” command.
She reacted the way she should, focusing in on the threat and let her know in no uncertain terms she was ready to go should the need arise. The intense barking made the lady back up, just the way it was supposed to. We quickly exited the parking lot and got back on the road. I’m pretty sure nothing would have come of the encounter but you never can be too safe with your loved ones in the car. I for sure, wasn’t taking any chances.
Protection dogs as a weapon
As much as we love our dog our dog isn’t a pet. JL’s main purpose in our family is to protect our family. Should the need arise, it is her job to engage with the aggressor to give me and my family time to escape a violent encounter. That is the job and duty of a protection dog, to protect us in any way she can whether that means taking down a threat or buying us more time to escape.
Let me be very clear here that deploying a protection dog is a series thing. Just like drawing a gun from a holster, you have to be willing to deal with the consequences of your actions. Should the first two deterrents, visual and a watch warning, not work, the dog should be deployed as a last chance effort to protect yourself.
From there you should retreat and regroup. Hopefully your dog makes it, but in the end if he or she doesn’t, losing your dog is better than losing your own life, or worse, watching your child’s life vanish before your eyes.
Well trained dogs are a force multiplier. In a life or death situation what tools are you armed with to protect yourself and your family?
Stayed tuned for next week’s post regarding the “full mouth, bite and hold” philosophy and why it’s suicide for your dog to learn it.
