NI's/Utes and Gaurding. Behaviour

I posted this on the Yahoo NI forum but only got 2 replys.

Basicly what im wondering is if I ever encountered a bad situation wopuld Jess protect me?

I did not get my NI for a gaurd of any sort (although it certainly works as people cross the street when they see me and my 'wolf' coming thier way ) but it would be nice to know if there is some sort a a protection instinct in her.

She barks at noises outside and if a cat or something comes too close to her house, yet the one time my hubby came in after midnight (he had been on holiday for a week) she took one look at the dark shape of the big man coming in at night and hid under my duvet cowering!

Maybe this is because she was only about 12 weeks old?


Has anyone ever had a situation where thier NI/Ute gaurded them outside, or in?

well at 12 weeks she would have looked to you for protection!! Having said that there is a border collie near me that has been attacking my 2 since they were that age, and Maelona (tiny though she was) growled right back!!! They mix well with people and dogs but if any dogs have a go at them they will have a go back, but there is never any biting at all. they do not chase joggers or people on pushbikes either, so there is no real aggression in them. They are not renowned for their guarding instincts as a breed as you already know. However if there is someone at the back at night Maelona will bark, and then it turns into a howl, and then Cariad joins in - I think any would be burglar/rapist would be put off at that point anyway.
Just seeing and hearing a dog that looks like a wolf puts these types off anyway, they will go where it is easier, they won't take the risk. If there is anyone jogging past me or coming towards me both my 2 come straight to me, one in front and one behind and just give people that 'look' so they are quite protective of me that way.

I don't own a NI or Ute - however I once remember a policeman friend (dog handler and instructor) telling me that whatever breed of dog you own, you cannot guarantee they will protect you unless they have been protection trained. There is just no way of knowing how your dog would react in that type of situation.

I own a GSD and two Border Collies. I would hope that at least the GSD and one of the collies would protect me if I was ever attacked, but to be honest I have absolutely no idea.

I doubt if your NI would protect you, mine only barks when she wants me to do something for her!

I'm not sure they would The trouble with Ute's as I see it so far is they are pretty submissive with their owners, I know if any thing worries Monster she goes straight behind my legs So if any big bad burglar came near us I think she would expect me to protect her

Mine would probably join in with the burglar and bite me lol!

I have two opposites Brodie (mum) is quite dominent. I know most think the NI as not being a guarding dog but she is different to most. Her son is the sweetest natured boy I have ever met when loose he is a baby, if he's on the lead he is protective.
Not all situations match the dog or the dog matches the situation.

Maybe I have the odd one out. lol

Jess has been attacked by 2 different dogs at a yound age, a Rottie and a Rodeshian Ridgeback, both times I picked her up and protected her as she was a tiny little thing, thank goodness no one was hurt.

Yet now if a dog growls at her and even trys to have a go, she stands there, tongue hanging out wagging her tail... she hasnt got the message that not all dogs want to play yet.

She tries to chase joggers and people on puskbikes or motorbikes, not aggressively but out of interest, she goes running with her dad so I think she wants to join in.

LOL SNAP!


Jess barks at me to get me to play and thinks, she has a right old moan if I ignore her, jumping up at me and barking, cheeky sod.
She also barks if she is sat on the sofa and has dropped her chew toy or bone on the floor and cant be a***d to pick it up herself...!

Problem with utes/N.I's is that they're ****e at protecting anything I don't wish to alarm anyone, but, if you want an Inuit/Ute to protect you, then you've got the wrong breed of dog. They're absolutely hopeless. The only thing Luca does is bark and 'woohoo' and then sits behind me

Brave dog that she is Thankfully I have 2 GSD's to make sure that I'm ok

yes thats exactly it

Skye will bark if he hears a noise he can't see but he is very friendly so I doubt he would guard unless he felt very threatened. He too tries to play with dogs that want to eat him for breakfast. He can be too friendly sometimes.

Just as I thought then, she wont be a good gaurd, glad it never entered my head when I got her.

If she ever feels threatened she hides behind my or my partners legs and trembles...

All them teeth for nothing...

Ha ha, but your main advantage is that you KNOW she has all those teeth for nothing - the would be burglar doesn't

Vienna is quite timid in places and situations she doesnt know. However when i am in the house and she has seen a reflection of me in the glass door, she stands in front of me (hackles up) and growls. So i think perhaps if she felt i was threatened she might protect me. But then again she is a big wuss so probably not lol.

Murphy (my lab) has and will protect me if it is dark and we are out walking. He has seen off several youths (who were probably up to no good) so i always feel nice and safe with him!

Loki has protected me from a GSD but when I was in a nasty row with some bloke he just stood there. Mind you the guy hadn't raised a hand to me or anything, just shouted a lot.

He has become quite alert when we pass by other people and he positively stares fixedly at people in the distance if they are approaching (or not!) so this might have the effect of putting them off if they were planning anything. But he remains a serious people lover.

However, any defensive behaviour is untested really so I don't know what he would do, although I feel he would do very little. The only time I've seen him look defensive is when we were on holiday with the new baby. The owner of the cottage let himself into the property garden and Loki went into stalk/watchful/glare mode and I'd never seen him like that before.

I think that they arn't territorial is the main thing - so no barking when the post is delivered etc - which I see as a really good thing. But I do still think they would act on body language. Keena barks at no one coming to our house in an ordinary way nor does the boy...But on the other hand we were befriended by a drunk who was a sometimes quite erratic in his behaviour and she was ok so long as he was acting 'normal' soon as he was acting 'off' she wouldn't let him touch her when he was trying to pet her and wouldn't stop barking and growling - really suprissed me and made me proud. (Kody was only 6 months old at the time and all he wanted to do was jump on the guy and take advantage of his drunken state and kiss him - but he was a baby)

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww! My baby!

The post, for Loki, is more a wonderful invention of mankind where chewtoys actually come through a little hole in the wall on a daily basis just for his amusement!!!

My NI's are both different. Otto is a big sloppy wus and greets everyone with a smile, but if you start flacking your arms around and shouting go away (we do his when the horses are squabbling to get in at the gate) then he imitates us. We tried it with a friend he had not met before and he does the same, he copies our body language, by keep jumping up on his back legs and barking and growling.

Lola on the other hand protects her space (she does not growl or show her teeth) its quite funny she barks, chunners alot and sometimes howls at strangers that invade her territory.