Will An Untrained Dog Protect Its Owner?

Most dog owners are going to take the time to train their dog. This will include teaching them basic skills and eventually looking towards focusing on protective skills that will help keep the family safe. However, it is always important to learn more about the dog’s natural instinct with its pack. Will an untrained dog protect its owner?

An untrained dog can protect its owner and will have a natural instinct to do so. However, some untrained dogs may hesitate to respond to what is a perceived threat and that’s where training becomes important.

In general, if there is a life-threatening situation and the untrained dog is bonded to you, they will step in the way as soon as possible.

Key factors include:

  • Type of Threat
  • Dog’s Health
  • Strength of Your Bond

This is critical when it comes to figuring out whether or not an untrained dog will take the time to keep you safe. Some will do so and others aren’t going to be as quick to react.

This is why it is important to dig deeper into learning more about your dog’s natural instinct.

This guide will go over the question, “Will an untrained dog protect its owner?” and also focus on factors that will play a role in whether or not the untrained dog protects you.

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Factors to Consider With Untrained Dogs Instinct To Protect You

1. Your Bond With The Dog

It’s important to think about your bond with the dog before anything else.

The dog has to feel like they are a part of your pack and that you are their best friend. If that type of bond has been crafted, they won’t need to be trained to keep you safe.

It’s going to be natural to them.

When a dog feels like their pack member is under threat, they will want to step in as soon as possible. This is their way of ensuring their pack stays safe as a whole.

This is key when asking, “Will an untrained dog protect its owner?” because those who have bonded well are going to be more likely to do so.

Will an untrained dog protect its owner

2. Type of Threat

It is also important to think about the type of threat that comes along with something like this.

A physical threat is going to get a dog to react quickly. They will realize something is off and if they have bonded well, they will take the time to step in.

Of course, this is not as certain of a thing as it would be with a trained dog. Most trained dogs will know which cues to pick up on and that makes it easier to rely on them.

However, even an untrained dog can pick up on specific cues as they would in the wild.

Dogs tend to focus on protecting their pack members and territory so any physical threat will often be warded off due to their natural instinct to do so.

If you are wondering, “Will an untrained dog protect its owner?” it is best to realize a physical threat is one the untrained dog is more likely to react to.

Another threat would be a stranger that walks into your home.

An untrained dog will see this as a natural threat because someone has entered their territory. This can also become a problem because sometimes a person is supposed to enter your house and the untrained dog is going to start getting upset.

Will an untrained dog protect its owner

3. The Dog’s Health

Your untrained dog’s health will also have a role to play.

If the dog isn’t healthy, they are unlikely to step in. They won’t be in the right condition to do so even if it is their natural instinct to protect those around them.

Aging and/or ill dogs will not put themselves in harm’s way even when there is a threat and that is when they tend to separate themselves more to keep the rest of the pack safe.

This tends to happen with a lot of aging dogs as well.

They will look to others that are stronger than them in the pack to keep everyone safe. In this case, you would be the stronger one.

It is important to focus on this when you are judging an untrained dog’s ability to protect.

Related Questions

1. How Can I Tell If My Dog Will Protect Me?

A dog that is standing alert, has a stiff body, and is growling will often step in when it’s time to protect you. This is a sign they are willing to engage and are going to do so when the opportunity arises.

2. What Dog Breeds Will Protect You?

Some of the most protective dog breeds include Rottweilers, Bullmastiffs, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherds. However, each dog is a unique personality and some will naturally protect their pack members including humans.

Final Thoughts

Will an untrained dog protect its owner?

Untrained dogs are willing to protect their owners but it comes down to instinct. Some are going to have it and others won’t know when to protect.

This is why training is a must.

However, it is still possible for untrained dogs to keep you safe in most situations due to how they are.

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