Do you think every dog has the natural instinct to protect their master?

I've lived with dogs my entire life, most of them have been amazing, very sweet. The dog I own now is a gorgeous, very sweet, well-mannered wolf mix(I believe he is mixed with Akita, but I think something a little smaller is also mixed because he's only 65lbs, and that is healthy). And there isn't much wolf in him, just enough that only experienced people can notice it.Well, I myself am wary of strangers, and even family and friends. I have severe trust issues, though I trust my dog with my life. Well, the front door made a noise(you know, when the house creeks sometimes and adjusts itself or whatever), and he jumped up and growled and looked very intently at the door. No one was there, obviously.The thing is, he's a very loveable dog, even with strangers. I've noticed that he is watchful when they're far off, but if they stop to pet him, he wags his tail, folds his ears, the general signals of a dog who enjoys being pet and loved on. When our doorbell rings, he doesnt bark(can't say the same for the chihuahua), but he does run to the door, very alert. Very watchful of the person, until I greet in a calm tone, then he backs off a little.He's never been trained at all to be a gaurd dog, and even though my dad doubts he'd really protect us, I think differently. I think that every single dog in this world, from the gentle giant Great Dane, to the yappy chihuahua, has a natural instinct to want to protect its master. What do you think?PS: I also know that Japanese Akitas were bred for protection, so, as another question, do you think this also plays a part in his natural alertness and wariness? I also think the wolf plays a part, but I like I said, he's not skittish, just watchful and alert.This is a repost, because something went wrong with Y!A, and I'm not sure if the question was posted or not.Hmm... That's interesting. And now I can definitely see the point.Do you think MY dog would protect me?(directed at everyone)

Its a myth that all dogs will naturally protect their human owners.Some dogs might join in and run around barking and nipping if their is a physical fight between humans but not a lot will naturally wade in if its owner is physically attacked or threatened. That's why dogs are "trained" to be protection dogs as its no good relying on them to back us up in a confrontation. Also a dog has to have the right temperament to be a protection dog. A dog that has no courage and/or has a nervous or over friendly attitude would probably back down if a confrontation got too heavy for it to handle, whereas a "hard" dog would take all the flack an attacker could give it. Unless your dog has been tested in a mock up situation where you are seemingly attacked and has shown what he is made of, don`t rely on him to protect you apart from barking. A lot of dogs show dutch courage.....not to be mistaken for real time protection.

No I dont believe that all dogs are capable of this... I believe the guardian breeds are quite capable, however I dont believe that a cocker spaniel or basset hound is going to jump in if Im being mugged.Case in point, I have an Alaskan Malamute male... the oil burner guy came to service the burner a few months ago... I told him on the phone to enter through the basement door. He shows up, enters through the basement door and the Malamute just laid there, didnt even care to see what was going on.... its not in his breed's qualities to be aloof of strangers or be a guardian. Im guessing if I had a Presa Canario or a Fila Brasiliero, I would have had a dog barking at the basement like mad.... but not the Malamute.PS- (add) OF COURSE the Akita is naturally alert and aloof of strangers and also can be quite dog aggressive and has a high prey drive. It is a guardian breed and the guardians (and fighting breeds) have these traits. They are much more pronounced in a guardian breed.... Think of it this way and it all falls into place: every single dog, "from the gentle giant Great Dane to the yappy Chihuahua was bred to do a job.... in some cases it's protection work and guarding, in others the job is simply to be a companion to a human... some herd, some hunt, some kill rats, some track, etc. Those breeds that guard are naturally watchful, wary of strangers, etc.Perfect example.. our Malamute is a VERY friendly dog, makes a VERY bad guard dog. I will walk him down the street and he will go up to strangers, smell them, lick them... in doggy terms, he says hello! When I walk the South AFrican Boerboel, he actually steers clear of strangers and IF one does stop me on the walk to ask what breed he is or say how beautiful he is... he will ALWAYS station himself between me and that stranger, and keep eyes on the stranger at all times. He does this because he's a guardian who is protecting his master from what might be trouble.... its just in his nature.

I think that every single dog in this world, from the gentle giant Great Dane, to the yappy chihuahua, has a natural instinct to want to protect its master. What do you think?I think only certain breeds come with this natural instinct, and even then, the dog's personality comes into play too. Some dogs can be taught to protect, obviously...but no, it's not a given with every dog.

Most dogs have some territorial leanings. Some more so than others. Would your dog protect its territory - you included? You have to know your dogs to be able to answer that. As one of the previous answers responded. Do you have a 'hard,' or 'soft,' dog? Sometimes when the owner is very dominate the dog will look to him/her for protection and sometimes the dog has had his natural instincts heightened by outside influences and he/she will bite an intruder (friend or foe - doesn't matter). I think most people would like to believe their dogs would protect them. And deep down you know the answer as most people do. I have one that probably would and one who is iffy. But I know what I would do to protect my home and my family (and my dogs) and that's all that counts.