Would your cocker protect you if needed?

[Jan/Billy]

A weird thing has just happened.

Have just taken Billy to our local country park. It's a really beautiful place but there are some bits that are a bit isolated & I tend to avoid if I'm on my own (ie just me and Billy) for personal safety reasons.

On the way back to the car I took a short cut along the river, a bit more isolated than I am usually am confortable with but I wanted to avoid the ducks that were bathing in the sun.

 As Billy and I were walking Billy stopped still, riggid, his tail went right up & he was growling. His eyes were fixated on one of the bushes. I froze with fear as I  didn't know what he was growling at but knew deep down there was something there. I was frightened & cursing myself for the short cut we had taken.

Billy then did the weirdest thing, he continued growling - no teeth showing - more like a warning growl, and he then put himself infront of me   it was like he was protecting me & saying "your not walking any further  there is danger ahead"  

When I looked towards where Billy was looking, I saw a man in the bushes   I panicked, didn't know whether to scream or not. The man heard Billy growling and shouted "it's ok, it's ok,  i'm looking for a stick"  

Anyway, his sons ball had gone into the river and was stuck, he was looking for a long stick to reach it with.

As soon as billy saw this man and myself talk he immediately relaxed and was fine as he knew he was n't a threat.

I am quite fascinated as to how he knew that this man could possibly be up to no good? Dogs aren't aware of rapists and murderers so how did he sense the difference between this man in the bush and a man walking past? As humans we know of the dangers but dogs don't so why was he wary???

I am just very curious to their ways of thinking

Do you think if this man had been a mugger or something that Billy would have tried to protect me?

I didn't think cockers did this kind of thing? I thought only dogs trained to, would protect owners?

It would be interesting to see if he had done the same thing if OH had been with me  

[CarolineL]

Wow! I really dont know if Hurley would protect me.

I have only ever seen him growl once when a our mini cat Mo tried to steal a bone off him.... 

I would imagine that Hurley would more likely try and be their new best friend as opposed to protecting me   

Glad you are ok though - it can be quite unnerving walking on your own, as woman, at times - particularly if the area is isolated.

Nice to see that Billy would try and protect his mum if she needed it though!! 

[Steelygirl]

Aw bless him.  I don't know about about specifically the cocker breed, but I remember when I was little my mums dog who was as soft as a brush one night started growling and put himself in front of my mum, just like Billy did. It was dark so my mum didn't have a clue what was happening, but there was a local man drunkenly  coming towards them on an isolated country lane (he was harmless). He was rather drunk and to the dog must've seen sinister! My mum couldn't see him and so was worried, but as soon as she knew who it was said hello and the dog stopped growling. He didn't let his guard down until after the man came right up to them and my mum was obviously OK with him (ie no threat)

A normally couldn't care less attitude dog did indeed turn into a protector, so I'm sure billy would've tried to protect you should the man have got any closer, or seen to be more of a threat.

Just shows he has a deep affection for you!  

[Krisdt]

Dont you jsut love em  Loki wont let a man walk too close behind me if its just the 2 of us on a walk. He stops and refuses to budge until the man has gone past. strange he doesnt do it with women just men.

[Beth]

I think Jarvis would, he's so soft with people normally but he has a scary bark when he needs it.

One of our neighbours locked themselves out and had to climb to an upstairs window to get in and Jarvis went mad, would not stop barking at him and had to be taken inside to calm down!
He also took a HUGE dislike to a bird watcher we met once on a walk, stood still woowooing at him, and was not going to make friends. Poor bloke took of his hat and binoculars in an effort to calm him down, but Jarvis was not fooled for a second.

I think if anyone tried to break in that he'd bite them, even though i don't think he'd ever bite anyone he knows. I do feel much safer with him around.

[Cazzie]

I think dogs have got an amazing sence. My mothers JRT used to growl one of my fathers employee's and then try and bite him when he left the house. We could never figure this out until many years later after the dog had died and the chap didnt work for my father anymore that he infact used to indecently assault woman. So I alway's trust the sences of my dogs.

[Nicola]

They might, particularly Tilly. Generally they're really friendly and love everyone but there sometimes is the odd person they don't like the look of and they will both start barking so I think that if we were in that situation and I felt threatened they would sense it and would probably bark at them. They do it with people walking past the house and when the doorbell rings although if they actually come in they get the usual licky wag fest greeting 

[Aggie]

Well done Billy

I have serious doubts if my 2 would do anything, but I live in hope.

This may be utter gibberish but years ago I was told that cockers with Billy's colouring often had an extra sense- you never know!

[Jan/Billy]

I have serious doubts if my 2 would do anything, but I live in hope.

So did I until today, I still think had anything happened he may have legged it though 

This may be utter gibberish but years ago I was told that cockers with Billy's colouring often had an extra sense- you never know!

Right that's it, he's coming with me later to pick out my lottery numbers 

[*Jay*]

Clever boy Billy  

Vegas probably would but no chance with the other 4    I had absolutely no fear out walking in isolated areas when Brook was alive as I know no-one would have been able to hurt me

[Jan/Billy]

I had absolutely no fear out walking in isolated areas when Brook was alive as I know no-one would have been able to hurt me

aw 

[silke]

Clever boy! Our first cocker, Bobby, was definitely protective of me, when I was out alone with him.  He once barked at a man who stopped the car next to me and asked something. On walks in the park he used to stick closer and not spend quite as much time sniffing. 

Silke

[Ben's mum]

What a star Billy is

Ben is usually a bit of a wuss, if there is cows he walks behind our legs and when someone tried to break in last year he was first up the stairs onto the landing to be safe

but a few weeks ago he was out with OH who was sat down admiring the view on a hill in the middle of nowwhere, when a german shepard dog tried to attack OH, Ben ran between OH and the sheperd and just stood his ground snarling and barking till the dog backed down.  (the owner apologised said he didn't know anyone was around....I ask you!)
For Ben this was unusual behaviour, either he wants to play or he will go for other dogs but usually snap and run away, but he didn't move and Steve said he really meant it.  He was trembling all over when the other dog had gone, so I like to think he really was protecting him
Bens mum

[*Adele*]

Aw what a clever boy! I've no idea what Chloe would do, she'd probably lick them to death! 

[pinkcarys]

Aww, what a brave boy Billy is!   

This may be utter gibberish but years ago I was told that cockers with Billy's colouring often had an extra sense- you never know!

This is a quote form Lesly Scott-Ordish's book "Cocker Spaniel".  "Black and Tan...show the orange spot over the eye which ancient folklore in Tibet suggests gives these dogs magical powers of perception.  They are supposed to be able to warn their owners of impending doom or disaster." 

So it must be true!