Our Mastiff, Our Hero

SPILL

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
149
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
I thought I heard my wife letting the dog out last night. Then I heard a growl and a thud and Bane came running up the hallway. I got up to look and my wife was asleep in bed with Bane positioned between her and the door. I walked out to the living room and there was an upturned coffee table and a man lying in the fetal position on my floor. Bane had incapacitated him then retreated to put himself between my wife and the intruder. He has never had any kind of guard dog training, he just did what came naturally, protecting the people he loves. I am so proud of him and just wanted to share the story with some fellow animal lovers.

20181016_065225.jpg 20190508_105235.jpg 20190428_061155.jpg
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Wow! Good dog!!

My dog, Misty, is a good watch dog, but I really doubt she'd be any good at protection. She's pretty much a chicken/ninny. She has a ferocious growl/snarl/bark when in the house and the "intruder" is outside, but if I open the door and let her out she goes running to them with her tail wagging. If push came to shove, I don't know if she'd protect me or not, however, I'm totally pleased with the "big dog snarling/growling/barking" that she does when she hears something outside.
 
Last edited:

jsheffield

Well-Known Member
Moderator
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2018
Messages
3,114
Location (City and/or State)
Westmoreland, NH
Our dogs look and sound fierce from the outside of our house, but are total sweeties (and chickens) once strangers come inside.

I've always figured that the appearance and sound of two big black dogs, along with cameras covering the driveway and front door, are enough to make potential burglars find a softer target... it's worked so far.

Jamie
 

Reptilony

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2018
Messages
935
Location (City and/or State)
QC, CAN
Wow that’s a good boy!! You must be super proud, how much does he weigh?
 

g4mobile

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2018
Messages
208
Location (City and/or State)
Fort Lauderdale, FL
That’s awesome!

I have a small dog with a big bark. I also have a personal firearm. As long as my dog alerts me to an intruder, I think I will be ok.
 

dmmj

The member formerly known as captain awesome
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
19,695
Location (City and/or State)
CA
That has got to be a scary sight to see come charging at you.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,268
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Very few dogs will actually engage and do battle with a bad guy. For all of their bluster and noise, most dogs that have not had substantial protection dog training will flat out not bite an intruder head on. I've seen some pretty aggressive mastiffs though, so I'm not too surprised by this.

Glad everyone except the criminal is okay.
 

Blackdog1714

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
4,666
Location (City and/or State)
Richmond, VA
Very few dogs will actually engage and do battle with a bad guy. For all of their bluster and noise, most dogs that have not had substantial protection dog training will flat out not bite an intruder head on. I've seen some pretty aggressive mastiffs though, so I'm not too surprised by this.

Glad everyone except the criminal is okay.

You are soooo right! Growing up our 1st Rottweiler failed protection training by hiding behind me when the sleeve came out!
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,268
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
You are soooo right! Growing up our 1st Rottweiler failed protection training by hiding behind me when the sleeve came out!
We used to see that sort of thing all the time at the protection field. People would bring out Schutzhund 3 dogs and snarling crazy house pets and warn us all how the dog was going to bite the crap out of us. The thing is, our decoys act like real bad guys and do real bad guy stuff. They don't do a stylized special protection dog dance. Until we work them trough it, a lot of good dogs are pretty intimidated an put off by it. Many refused to bite when offered an arm or leg, and many of them tried to run away wen the decoy didn't "act right". When we are done, those dogs are bad *** man stoppers under any real life circumstance, but still safe and handleable in every day life.

This is why its noteworthy when a dog without all that training and desensitization actually steps up and engages a real bad guy.
 

SPILL

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
149
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
Very few dogs will actually engage and do battle with a bad guy. For all of their bluster and noise, most dogs that have not had substantial protection dog training will flat out not bite an intruder head on. I've seen some pretty aggressive mastiffs though, so I'm not too surprised by this.

Glad everyone except the criminal is okay.
He normally loves just about everyone. The funny thing is there are two people that he has never liked but has always acted more afraid than aggressive towards them.
 

SPILL

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
149
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
Our dogs look and sound fierce from the outside of our house, but are total sweeties (and chickens) once strangers come inside.

I've always figured that the appearance and sound of two big black dogs, along with cameras covering the driveway and front door, are enough to make potential burglars find a softer target... it's worked so far.

Jamie
We lost our 11 year old female less than a month ago. I've always thought like you, that the sight of 400 lbs worth of dog would keep intruders away. There is a 91 year old woman living alone down the road and a couple with a newborn right behind me so in a weird way I'm glad he chose our house.
 

SPILL

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
149
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
Wow that’s a good boy!! You must be super proud, how much does he weigh?
220-ish. He just turned 3 so he's as long and tall as he will get but he'll put on some more mass over the next couple of years.
 

Reptilony

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2018
Messages
935
Location (City and/or State)
QC, CAN
220-ish. He just turned 3 so he's as long and tall as he will get but he'll put on some more mass over the next couple of years.

We have a 100lbs dog and we find him gigantic so it's hard for me to imagine a dog more than twice is weight, can he walk with a leash? Do you have to be extra carefull not to hurt yourself if you live with such a big dog?
 

New Posts

Top