Was He Protecting His Brother?

[lovemesideways]

Something really interesting happened at the dog beach on the weekend, and Im not 100% sure of why it happened. This is about just friendly discussion on what you feel are the reasons behind the various dogs actions!

So I have my Working line GSD Roscoe, who is 1 years old, doesn't really have any value for other dogs except for his brother Riddick. He is a young dog though so will occasionally get excited by another dogs toy or someone elses game of Zoomies :p! My almost 3 year old Labrador Riddick has a great love for any and all other dogs, but hes got great manners. He will recall away from other dogs on 1 word, doesn't barge up to strange dogs, and always approaches or doesn't based on the other dogs behaviour.

I went to the beach on Saturday late afternoon so it was pretty quiet. I always do my best to avoid any and all other dogs, because I'm there to play with my dogs and let them play with each other. I dont let them play with strange dogs and I dont let them approach strange dogs. I was down at the very end of the beach and a woman is walking towards me with her 2 small dogs and large labrador cross (im guessing). Roscoe is chasing his ball and Riddick is just doing his thing, sniffing and peeing on stuff. I move further down the beach away from the lady, but she keeps approaching me and her dogs are way ahead of her. One of the little dogs charged up to Riddick, whose body language changes instantly. He was not comfortable, ears pinned, hackles raised a little, tail straight out behind him. I know his body language and this was basically him saying "Im really not sure about this dog" and hes ALWAYS right. I hear a growl from the little dog, and its friend comes racing up to join it also growling. Riddick whines, takes a few steps away and then moves to bolt back towards me as the 2 little dogs arc up growling and barking (for 0 reason, they approached Riddick who did nothing but stand there).

At the moment I start to run towards him (I don't care they're little and couldn't do much damage, I will ALWAYS protect my boys!), I see Roscoe come racing past me. He cuts between Riddick and the other dogs, effectively shouldering both the 2 small dogs out of his way and away from Riddick. Then trots back to me with his shoulder right against Riddicks, right up until he was infront of me, at which point he ran off to retrieve his ball that he dropped. The little dogs retreated, looking startled and confused. And I was able to cut past and move away down the beach with no further incident. Roscoe was back to his usual complete lack of attention for other dogs and brought me his ball. Riddick stuck near me for a little while then went back to doing his own thing.

Now I found this really interesting, I like to think that Roscoe was protecting his brother by diffusing a bad situation, but is that humanising something that could have been completely by accident? If Riddick sniffs another dog, Roscoe will often check it out on his way past and maybe have a sniff as well. This is pretty much the only time he'll pay attention to another dog. Yet it seemed to be more than that, he ran behind Riddick, cutting off the two little dogs, and then stayed right next to him.

What are you thoughts?

[megan_]

While I don't think it was an accident I do think you might be humanising (which I do all the time).

It is very hard to say without being there and knowing your dogs, but my guess is that Roscoe's temperament is more "quick to anger" (not in a bad way, but doesn't tolerate nonsense) than Riddick.

I could imagine a similar situation with my two (except Lucy is never off leash). Fergus is very well mannered, reads dogs really well and is a lover-not-a-fighter. If a dog carries on he looks at them with a WTF? expression and comes to me. He isn't interested in correcting other dogs. Lucy is the fun police and will tell any cheeky dog just where they can go.

Edited August 27, 2012 by megan_

[RubyBlue]

Dont see why not. They are a pack after all. When Dyson was younger Milly was quite protective over him with strange dogs.

[lovemesideways]

While I don't think it was an accident I do think you might be humanising (which I do all the time).

It is very hard to say without being there and knowing your dogs, but my guess is that Roscoe's temperament is more "quick to anger" (not in a bad way, but doesn't tolerate nonsense) than Riddick.

I could imagine a similar situation with my two (except Lucy is never off leash). Fergus is very well mannered, reads dogs really well and is a lover-not-a-fighter. If a dog carries on he looks at them with a WTF? expression and comes to me. He isn't interested in correcting other dogs. Lucy is the fun police and will tell any cheeky dog just where they can go.

Hmm I'm not sure. Roscoes temperament is not like that. Hes had dogs big and small have a go at him, jump on him to try and make him play, nip at him or growl. His reaction is always turn away and ignore. He's not submissive, he just doesn't give a shit. Hes never once reacted to any other dog in any way. Thats why this was out of character and so interesting to me. Hes had a full grown entire male malinois race up to a fence going off his nut, and Roscoes reaction was to just wag his tail, lick the other dog and say hello :D (hes entire too btw!)

[Bjelkier]

Dont see why not. They are a pack after all. When Dyson was younger Milly was quite protective over him with strange dogs.

I agree.

I'e seen similar reactions from my dogs.

[moosmum]

I would guess yes.

My dogs were selected for a natural protective instinct and we see this sort of thing a lot but its not always a strictly protection thing I've noticed.It seems like they are a well disiplined pack who have learned to work together,and with us. They seem to recognise our social rules and work with us to enforce them.

We had a small stray wander in once who was terror ,attacking any of our dogs for no reason.The dobie put up with it and ignored it(the stray was only up to his knees) Then the terrier went for a small terrer bitch we had and and before I could rescue her,the dobie calmy walked over,picked up the terrier and placed him gently down 10 ft away.

Another has herded our old tiny boy under the car when they played zoomies and keep him out of harms way till the game was over,alert us to the ringing phone,straying kids and generaly help out.She brings it to our attention when things aren't as they should be.ie horses in the yard.She also did a similar thing for me,not another dogwhen a stranger pulled up on th road in front of our rural property ,jumped the fence and ran straight for me with no greeting.She ran straight for him till he pulled up and called a greeting that I answered,then escorted him to me keeping slightly in front watching his face and kept him at a walk. Another took to protecting the laundry on the line after getting in trouble for pulling it off herself.

So maybe not strictly protection but an enforcing of rules? I agree,its realy interesting to see those sorts of interactions and makes me ask all sorts of questions.

[Dame Aussie]

I'd say he was diffusing the situation yeah. I guess we can never really know for sure.

It's interesting, my boy dog LOVES all other dogs and people and my girl is a bit more take it or leave it with both.

We walk past this vacant yard most nights, nothing in there, till one night a Lab came rushing over to the fence out of the darkness and scared the crap out of me and Lili who I was walking. It got right up at her near the fence and was quite aggressive, I could tell it had scared her, and my boy was not happy!

He was trying to get at the fence and growling under his breath which he NEVER does at other dogs, so I think he was a bit shitty that this one had tried to have a go at her.

[huski]

I don't think that he was protecting him, I think that's humanising what happened. We all like to believe our dogs would protect us and our other dogs in a situation where we were threatened but that's unrealistic.

[Vickie]

I'd say he was diffusing the situation

Agreed. One of my bitches here diffuses situations, both here & at other places & she does a damn good job of it, bless her.

[persephone]

I like to think he was protecting a pack member .. our dogs will often shoulder bump another dog away if they are being rough with pups

[lovemesideways]

I don't think that he was protecting him, I think that's humanising what happened. We all like to believe our dogs would protect us and our other dogs in a situation where we were threatened but that's unrealistic.

This is how I feel Bec! I like to Think thats what happened, but I don't really believe it.

What do you reckon?

I'd say he was diffusing the situation

Agreed. One of my bitches here diffuses situations, both here & at other places & she does a damn good job of it, bless her.

Interesting! What sort of situations does she diffuse?

My parents Labrador Rover used to diffuse situations a lot, I saw it happen on a number of occasions. He would let any dog mount him and just stand there without a care in the world, yet when a fight would start to break out, he would barge between the two dogs and interrupt it. A dog would try and pick a fight, posture up to him growling, Rover was perfect. He would turn it into a game, or just turn into a sheep and ignore the other dogs existence 100%. Worked every single time.

[Aidan3]

In general, they try to prevent trouble. Good Roscoe! Sounds like a lovely dog.

[lovemesideways]

In general, they try to prevent trouble. Good Roscoe! Sounds like a lovely dog.

He really is Aidan! I'll have to bring him along to a class so you can meet him when I visit Tassie eventually :D!

[Vickie]

Agreed. One of my bitches here diffuses situations, both here & at other places & she does a damn good job of it, bless her.

Interesting! What sort of situations does she diffuse?

She will go & stand between 2 dogs that are posturing (I only allow this if I know the dogs).

She doesn't allow squabbles between puppies & seems to know which one to push away.

She will lay on the ground near puppies who are intimidated by her size.

She will lay between our cat and any dog she feels is looking at it the wrong way

She will lean against or lick people who are raising their voice

A couple of weeks ago, she cried to be let out of a pen in order to comfort a friend who had just received bad news.

I guess some would say that she's just bossy, but I think there's more to it than that. She always seems to know just what to do & how much to do it. My grandmother calls her Aunty, lol, since she's always looking after everyone.

[Diva]

I've seen confident, good-tempered dogs break up potentially hostile interactions like that, including two I've owned who would shoulder trouble makers apart with no fuss and in a way the other dogs just accepted.

It's a good skill for a dog to have, I think it speaks of excellent social skills and a sound temperament.

[persephone]

I've seen confident, good-tempered dogs break up potentially hostile interactions like that, including two I've owned who would shoulder trouble makers apart with no fuss and in a way the other dogs just accepted. <br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.600000381469727px; background-color: rgb(238, 242, 247); ">It's a good skill for a dog to have, I think it speaks of excellent social skills and a sound temperament.

:) yes.

Kinda like the friend you want at your side in a bar or somewhere :)

[Danois]

I see it as diffusing the situation. My dog and another used to spend a bit of time together - the other dog once intervened when my dog was getting hassled and inserted herself between Boo and the other dog. On another ocassion, a dog was bothering her at the beach and Boo went in and engaged it in play to diffuse the situation.

[lovemesideways]

So what would be the difference between diffusing a situation and protecting a "pack member"?

[Greytmate]

One achieves the other.

Calling the dogs brothers is anthropomorphic but your assessment may not be. I would have to see it for myself to give an opinion on what's going on.

[Cosmolo]

What greytmate said.