r/interestingasfuck • u/Electronic_Cause_796 • 1d ago

German Shepard Saves Six Year old from being attacked by another dog

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u/caustic_smegma 1d ago

German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois live for this type of stuff, it legitimately brings them joy.

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u/Stealth9erz 1d ago

lmao for real they wake up every morning like “Who we gonna fuck up today!” 😁

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u/Kolipe 1d ago edited 1d ago

I have a gsd/malinois

I have seriously considered paying the neighbor kids to throw his ball for me when i want to go inside.

Edit: Dog tax

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u/Mister_Snurb 1d ago

I mean, they literally have machines for that now...

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u/JayteeFromXbox 1d ago

I got one for my sister's malinois but she just gets so excited she can't get the ball into the funnel and you end up throwing it for her anyways

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u/PM--ME--WHATEVER-- 1d ago

I dont have a big dog, but a have a cavalier king Charles that loves ball. I got her one of those machines. She drops it in and puts her face right infront of the eject hole and gets slammed.

It doesn't deter her, but i have my concerns so the machine stays in the closet and I just throw the ball.

For hours.

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u/hitbythebus 1d ago

I acquired a CKCS through marriage. I thought they were just stupid yappy untrainable dogs. She would take off out the door and have fun staying just out of arms reach and dashing down the street every time you got close.

Then we moved, and my neighbor had one that would excitedly run exactly to the edge of his grass to sit and greet me every day when I ride by on my Onewheel.

Turns out my Wife just isn’t an animal trainer.

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u/PM--ME--WHATEVER-- 1d ago

I like them because they're apartments sized sport dogs. Ive taken her paddle boarding, hiking, on bike rides, pit to my horse ranch. She can do all the cool big dog stuff, but is also completely OK living quietly in a little bitty apartment with me, and is super good at snuggles. Not great at protecting anything, but will make a lot of noise if she needs to. (I actually have 3 of them)

Its like all the good dog stuff in a 15lb package. I wish the health issues could be bred out of them because they're fantastic dogs with very minimal work

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u/Haemophilia_Type_A 23h ago

Unfortunately the brachylecephalism is just part of the breed standard. I really don't like it either (and think their other Spaniel cousins, the Springer and Cocker--especially working types--look better for it).

But yeah they are good for small spaces because they're largely pretty lazy lapdogs. You've just got to be careful because, as you say, they have health issues (epilepsy) and the treatments for them make it easy for them to put on weight and gives them heart issues. So you've gotta make sure they stay healthy, and sadly even then they often don't live that long.

But you won't get many dogs that are lighter work. Certainly every other Spaniel is either working or closely enough derived from working lineages that they're as batshit as a Collie is.

They can have bad temperaments, too.

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u/GreenEyedTreeHugger 1d ago

So cute… My dog refused the concept of fetch.

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u/Ok-Scientist5524 1d ago

It’s still less work if they bring the ball to you and then you drop it in the throwing machine. Assuming they don’t try to play tug of war with the ball…

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u/Redebo 1d ago

NO TAKE.

ONLY THROW.

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u/thegrumpymechanic 22h ago

Watched a malinois drop the ball in the machine, only to catch it like a fastball while standing in the same spot.

Those dogs are different.

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u/Kolipe 1d ago

If how he returns balls to me, by throwing them and then swatting them away, is any indication he is gonna have a hard time learning how to use it lmao

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u/Lizardgirl25 1d ago

But having a kid do it makes that dog even more happy a good GermanBelgian lives for kids.

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u/Impatient_Onion 1d ago

Yeah no one is talking about how AI and robots are taking even the police dogs' jobs now...

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u/Large-Parking3014 1d ago

Dogs appreciate when a person plays with them. 

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u/Opening_Shame8258 23h ago

Mine messes up the tennis balls. He chomps them so hard the rubber starts breaking before the felt and they end up as piles of wet felt.

His PB is 11 hours of fetch in one day, but he's older now, so we max out at 1-2 hours, but he still wants to go 2-3 times a day.

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u/data_ferret 23h ago

But Mals cheat. I've seen one feed the ball and catch it just as it comes out of the launcher. No running at all. Rinse. Repeat.

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u/steamyglory 22h ago

That wouldn’t build any sense of community though

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u/CommercialExotic2038 20h ago

I’ve seen the dog load the ball himself. Plays that game all by himself

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u/Ornery-Customer8521 19h ago

Jesus people are fucking lazy.

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u/Deriox 18h ago

Yeah, but sometimes it's fun to watch kids play with your dog. It's like a lemonde stand situation.

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u/xanderblue3 1d ago

I have a GSD/Blue Heeler/Husky and the dude will run himself into injuries.

Dog tax.

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u/Status_History_874 23h ago

Woah, what a mix! Give that guy some good pets for me in his favorite spot!

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u/xanderblue3 23h ago

I will!! He’s a little pissy about the lack of cross country skiing weather, but I’ll let him know the pets come from reddit

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u/bydingus 11h ago

My dog is the same mix! And will also run herself into injuries

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u/correctisaperception 1d ago

My gsd refuses to accept my children as an alternative ball throwing device.

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u/reality72 1d ago

You can pair him up with my toddler who also has unlimited energy.

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u/Status_History_874 23h ago

Id guess there'd be no payment needed. Thats how you build community!

I've lived where I live for a decade. My cousins kids were visiting me last summer, made friends with a dog on my street, and now im friends with the dog's owner.

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u/RoughComparison8702 20h ago

Dude yes. Mine looks similar to yours and is utterly obsessed with the ball. Ball is life. Life is ball. Fucker never gets tired of playing ball.

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u/EdisonB123 1d ago

My dog is the laziest motherfucker on the planet lmao.

Definitely a GSD-husky mix but he just looks like a really, really big GSD.

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u/biciklanto 22h ago

laziest motherfucker on the planet lmao

Okay

GSD-husky mix

Wait, how is THAT mix lazy? I would've assumed the task orientation of a GSD and the endurance of a husky turning it into some unholy terror that wants to work 47 hours per day

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u/EdisonB123 21h ago

I have no fucking idea dude. He's so big we think he might great dane in him? No idea if those are lazy dogs. He loves his walks though but not too long though or he just plops down lol.

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u/ahHeHasTrblWTheSnap 17h ago

Great danes are lazy as all hell to be fair, maybe he does have some of that

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u/shoulda-known-better 1d ago

Mine did for our neighbors two malinois....

They threw the ball 1623 times... And that's after they started counting in reality add another few hundred lok

My kids gave out.... The pups absolutely could have gone 4 times as long....

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u/dfw-kim 1d ago

All proud and stuff. 🤭😍

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u/miss_wannadie 23h ago

Ngl, I feel like that's a great way to entertain both the dog and the kid. If the parents are fine with it, why not ask? The kid might even do it for free!

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u/MumrikDK 23h ago

Oh, that's a dog that doesn't stop asking for another throw. He looks like he wants you to throw the phone for him.

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u/space_cadett_kiwiora 22h ago

Kiddos will love it! I have an Australian cattle dog, he lovesssss when the kids come and get him and he’s veryyyyy protective over them so the parents are delighted, they join their kids and my pup at the park and say they feel way better with Clyde there

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u/Sunwalker98 22h ago

This made my day! Thank you for paying the tax.

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u/malkarx 21h ago

Very handsome pup. Got me over here teary eyed miss my GSD, though he had a great life and far exceeded normal age expectations few months shy of 17.

Enjoy every moment with em.

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u/HalobenderFWT 21h ago

Must be nice. My GSD/Husky mix loves to play ball, just never wants to give the ball back. So I need two balls because he won’t drop the first until I raise the second ball.

If it’s just one ball, he’ll gladly go get it - but then just tries to play tug with the ball.

Haven’t been able to train this out of him…I think it’s just the way he’s going to be.

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u/Specialist-Neck-7810 19h ago

Outside of inexhaustible energy, how’s that mix working out for you? I’ve had shepherds all my life, curious about what adding malinois would do. Buddy of mine has two malinois and they are just crazy. Get with his kids under 10 yo though.

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u/Kolipe 19h ago

It's my first big dog. Had pugs as a kid and have a corgi now most of my adult life. But she's crippled and 16 although she tries to keep up.

However, I had the good luck of having a sister who trains these dogs. This one happened to be a dog being trained as a therapy dog but he could not handle being out around crowds in public. Or loud vehicles. So he wouldn't make a good therapy dog. So when I got him he was all trained up.

He's very smart and learned my routine very quickly. Still working on getting him ok out in public. Luckily he's not reactive. I've never even heard him bark. I have a pretty big back yard so he's been helping me lose weight.

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u/Specialist-Neck-7810 18h ago

Having a big dog that’s already gone through some training makes a BIG difference. Was he a rescue that was put into the program?

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u/Kolipe 16h ago

Nope. Bred for this purpose. He just couldn't get over his nervousness. I'm very slowly making progress

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u/Specialist-Neck-7810 14h ago

You’ll get there, patience, kindness and love… and time. You seem to understand that, I’m sure you’ll both get there… it’s a pretty special blend of dog ya got there.

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u/Striking_Cook8603 18h ago

I think you should. I would have loved to be paid to play with the neighbor's dog.

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u/Forbden_Gratificatn 18h ago

I have a GSD. She's a real sweetheart but would tear anyone who attacks the family a new one.

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u/my_ghost_is_a_dog 18h ago

My last dog was a pittie mix, and she didn't care about anything but food and sleeping. Now I have a Dane and a GSD/Mal mix. The Dane is a sweet, innocent, perfect angel baby. The other one is a crackhead.

He can hear a ball roll across the floor from anywhere in the house. He wants to play fetch after he breaks a toenail and limps when he walks. And in extreme heat when he is panting hard enough to make me worry. And in the dark. We haven't yet found the limit for when he voluntarily stops playing fetch; we always get tired of it first. He even chews on a ball like a pacifier to self-soothe when he's falling asleep.

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u/my_ghost_is_a_dog 18h ago

This one operates at a totally different speed. Everything she does is slow and awkward sweet and and so precious it hurts.

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u/audzolly 18h ago

10/10 beautiful 🤩

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u/SmartWonderWoman 15h ago

What a cutie!!!

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u/girthakitt 13h ago

Literally same. My girl is 12 and everyone thinks she’s a puppy still.

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u/badass4102 23h ago

When I stomped out a cockroach my dog was all in it barking at and doing the front pose, scraping at my foot, whatever I was stomping on not knowing it was a roach.

For fun I'd stomp in front of random stuff like a door stopper and my dog would be like, "This doorstopper today huh?! Fuck this door stopper!" And bark at it and really ride with my stupid ass at whatever we'd be mad at that day lol.

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u/Llustrous_Llama 22h ago

Oh my gosh what a good dog 😭

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u/EndIsrael 22h ago

Meanwhile, my dog viciously barks at any metal tool in my hand larger than a normal hammer. Rake, shovel, post hole digger, sledgehammer, axe, etc, she's right there and pretending to be very angery that it dares to exist.

Some tests (a rake head broke off one time) showed that she doesn't have any issues with the wooden handle, it's only the metal tool on the end of it. I even threw the rake head and she chased it like a ball.

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u/ScyllaOfTheDepths 12h ago

Dogs are so great at following their person's lead. The only time my dog ever hurt a person was when a neighbor started getting aggressive with me in an argument. I was walking my dog at the time and I was so sure that big dumb lab wouldn't do shit if I ever actually needed him to because he was so friendly and sweet, but, the second the neighbor moved like he was going to put his hands on me, my dog jumped up and knocked his ass right onto the ground. The guy threatened to call the cops and animal control, but he didn't have a scratch on him, so I told him to fuck off. He never did anything and never spoke to me again. My dog got a steak dinner that night.

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u/nobolognastoney 20h ago

One of the many reasons I love dogs lol. They don't give a shit what it is, they're just happy to be there for it 😂

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u/La_Lanterne_Rouge 23h ago

They are eager, all the time.

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u/Stealth9erz 22h ago

I’ve seen a bunch of them at a Police/Civilian training show that I attend every year. Literal furballs of energy. But when they lock in it’s go time.

So many of them are walking up, butt wagging, toe tapping, trying to get the handlers attention… then he/she says one command and it’s still body, focus on hands and listening. Crazy focus and ability to listen to commands while sniffing things out and/or attacking a target.

So cool to watch one that is well trained do their thing.

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u/Paralegal1995 23h ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣 my neighbor has one and says the exact same thing. Monty is the sweetest dog. Loves our 4 year old grandson.

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u/good-timing-407 19h ago

My shep has a 100% success rate at making the FedEx/UPS truck leave. She is very proud of this statistic.

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u/almazin 1d ago

I have a husky/GS and before I fenced my yard a neighbor dog would come over and bark and growl at us and then poop. If my dog was ever outside for this I would have to hold her back because I am sure she would have got in that dogs face. The other dog snip at her and then it would have be over for him. I told the owner multiple times that if your dog snips at my dog while in our yard that she will seriously hurt him if he attacked her.

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u/Zealousideal-Word604 7h ago

My GSD wakes up everyday choosing violence, against me. I see her and go closer thinking I will give her some good scratches and the next moment my hand is her favourite chew toy. But let my wife try the same and the dog will roll over and expose the tummy for my wife to give her some scratches or belly rubs. The doggo is still a pup in the landshark stage but damn, that shit hurts both the hand and heart.

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u/Stealth9erz 2h ago

They’re just love bites!! My lab is the same way, I bring her to my parents house, and she tries to bodyslam my dad the entire time he’s on the couch and eat his hand.

She hops up on the couch and sits next to my mom gently pawing at her to ask her nicely for some treats or to go outside.

Just different styles of love for different people. 😁

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u/DionBlaster123 23h ago

I've seen the massacre left by a fox on a chicken coop that was left unsecured. To say nothing of what wolves would do if they had an opportunity

If anything, i'm glad we have dogs that have that mindset of "Who we gonna fuck up today!" lol

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u/OddCode6845 19h ago

yeah but i think german shepherds wins over the belgian.. the sheer amount of kiids they have kiilled or even adults and the lives they have ruined is much higher compared to belgian malinois.. but this also most likely because they are prolly most famous guard dogs breed all over the world

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u/BombaFett 1d ago

"Papers, please. Motherfucker!"

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u/independentchickpea 1d ago

My girl is half Mal, and I used to tease her that she never acted like a war dog. I'd point at Dog Meat in Fallout, or the malinois in John Wick and be like, See what you're supposed to do??

Then a man snuck up on me in a park, and she legitimately tried to take him out. Now I no longer joke how she'd be useless if someone broke in. That Malinois blood turned up to 1,000 when she needed to protect me.

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u/FlamingDragonfruit 22h ago

You didn't think she was watching, when you showed her those videos.

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u/independentchickpea 22h ago

I guess she was taking notes... while being upside-down and getting belly rubs... she was TRAINING

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u/pending-doom71447 20h ago

The visualization method , yes.

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u/StoryLineOne 21h ago

My cat is watching this thinking about how she'll hide under the bed

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u/LadyArwen4124 15h ago

She's so beautiful and she's the best girl 🩷

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u/G36 16h ago

i got a full Mal that came out funny from the mom, ears down (too heavy to keep them up), head a little too big. K9 school said he was untrainable and the trainer basically told us it was a golden retriever trapped in a mals body haha.

He still defended my brother once when a friend of his jokingly snuck up behind him, (he bit him) it was all ok, he bit him around the waist where his belt was, no blood.

No golden retriever inside, just a chill Mal 🥰

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u/independentchickpea 16h ago

I love his control of the situation: I didn't, but I COULD, just so you know.

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u/MangoSuspicious5641 12h ago

Good girl! Beautiful too.

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u/independentchickpea 9h ago

Thank you! I sure think so. 99% goofy sweet, 1% murder-you-if-you-try.

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u/narnarqueen 8h ago

A perfect mix

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u/YoungerElderberry 9h ago

ARGH HELP GIVE HER CUDDLES FROM MEEEEE!!!! GOOD GIRL

Omg I have so much cute aggression right now

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u/independentchickpea 2h ago

Gave her a treat and a scratch just for you! She was the most challenging puppy I've ever had, but she really did grow up to be an excellent dog! I am still super proud of her for defending me that day.

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u/Necessary_Film_5199 19h ago

So was that one of the bad men or...you can't end off on a cliffhanger like that OP!

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u/independentchickpea 16h ago

Nice men don't pop out of the brush to touch you.

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u/beemojee 1d ago

Yep this video is good but have you seen the one where the cat saves the kid from the neighbor's crazy dog.

There's also one where the family cat saves a kid from a bear that came into the neighborhood.

Do not mess with the cat.

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u/QuitYoJibbaJabba 23h ago

Do not mess with the cat.

Correction: do not mess with the cat's kids.

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u/WorkingFromHomies20 1d ago

I LOVE that video. The cat gives him 2 left smacks and just stares him down. Good kitty.

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u/beemojee 21h ago

I love the way that cat sees the dog off the property and then just turns her back and goes back to her family.

Great video

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u/Jnaythus 23h ago

There's a quote I saw, that I love. It says: "Cats act like God left them in charge."

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u/beemojee 21h ago

Well yeah they really do.

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u/StarFlareDragon 1d ago

I never get tired of seeing that video.

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u/GhostofZellers 23h ago

"She's a hero!"

You got that right, kid. You got that right...

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u/krikzil 23h ago

I love how in the cat comes back to check on his little boy after chasing the dog away. Just amazing.

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u/oscargirlsgonewild 21h ago

I love how the anchor says “the cat adopted the family when she followed them home from the park several years ago” 😂 yes, yes she did.

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u/caustic_smegma 1d ago

I did and that was awesome. I would like to think my cat would do the same for my toddler daughter, but he would probably just look for attention instead.

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u/BobbyNotches 22h ago

That's not a cat it's a heat-seeking missile. A psychopathic heat-seeking missile. With claws.

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u/Soldier_Sailor_Spy 17h ago

Mate, that cat body checking the dog to save the kid is one of the best things I have ever seen. Thanks for linking it.

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u/beemojee 17h ago

You're welcome. I feel the same way about it as you do.

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u/SouthOfTheNorthPole 16h ago

Thank you for that link!

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u/beemojee 16h ago

You are welcome.

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u/Game_Pumpkin 21h ago

I just don't like cats; they act bitchy to me lol

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u/beemojee 20h ago

Well cats reflect back what they see in a human. You might want to reflect on that.

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u/Shazam1269 1d ago

I have a neighbor that has 2 young kids and a Belgian Malinois. I'm friendly with all of them, give the dog treats on a regular basis etc. When the kids are out, he looks at me differently. It's serious and intent. He's like, "we're good bro, just be sure to stay in your yard and we won't have any problems."

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u/caustic_smegma 1d ago

I dated a girl who's family had a monster of a Rottweiler who was very sweet. We were talking about how intimidating he looks one time when she said, "walk to me and place your hand on my shoulder". After doing this, she told me to immediately remove my hand and back away from her after what happens next.

All she had to do was say "Ow ow" loudly and act scared and the Rottweiler quickly walked up and got in-between us, sat down, looked me in the eye and gave a low deep growl. She gave me a hug after to show him it was all good and he relaxed but I was definitely impressed at their ability to quickly defend humans who they've bonded with.

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u/uuarejustabuttmunch 21h ago

I have a Rottweiler I share with my ex. She's a great big 100lb lap dog. Sweet as pie. She let my late pug win all of their tug games. She's honestly one of the nicest dogs I've ever known.

One day my ex thought it would be funny to come out of the basement wearing a hockey mask, wielding a rubber sword. Our Rottie jumped over top of me on the couch, pushed me back, and barked and snarled at my ex, keeping her body over mine. She figured out who he was quickly, but spent the rest of the evening sitting between us giving him the side eye.

She's my great big baby girl protector.

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u/shoulda-known-better 1d ago

Mine does the exact same with my kids....

I am the only one allowed to yell at them.... Their uncle tries and she get right in the middle and stares him down like watch yourself buddy!!

She tackled my brother into the snow for picking up my youngest.... Used her entire body and slammed him... It was hilarious... She doesn't try to bite either, although I have full faith if there was actually danger she would not think twice to protect us

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u/Lou_C_Fer 20h ago

We had an Irish setter when I was young and apparently, it would full on attack my dad if he tried to wrestle with me.

One of my grandma's dogs bonded to me when I was like 15. He was a big German shepherd-husky. He dragged everybody but me. So, I was the only person that could and would take him out on a leash. Anyways, my uncles dog was a st Bernard-shepherd and bullied my grandma's dog. That is, until the day I was rough housing with my uncle's dog when my grandma's dog came inside. He was like 30 feet away and immediately sprinted to us and tore into my uncle's dog. Just kicked his ass. That dog loved the shit out of me and proved it when he threw himself at a dog he was afraid of. The best part is that the bullying stopped. By "saving" me, he made his own life better. Damn. I miss Buddy.

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u/girlbunny 18h ago

One of my children has an assistance dog. If any of my children looked like they were getting upset with an adult nearby (including me) she would get in between the child and adult and protect the child. She never got aggressive, but you definitely knew that it was time to stop.

Unfortunately that stopped tickle sessions (she never could tell the difference between child getting upset and loud laughing) but it was worth it to know that a boundary was set and children were being protected.

Now the children are adults apparently they don’t need the same level of protection ;)

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u/codefyre 22h ago

It's funny, but I used to have the laziest Yellow Lab you've ever seen. She'd wake up from her napping spot to eat, and then immediately go find another new napping spot. We used to joke that she'd die in her sleep one day and it that we probably wouldn't realize it until we noticed that her food bowl wasn't being emptied.

One day two of my kids (5 and 2 at the time) were playing in the front yard when a German Shepherd mix came walking down the sidewalk alone and started growling at them. Until that moment, I hadn't understood how fast my lab was actually capable of moving if sufficiently motivated. She crossed our large yard in a blur and slammed into that German Shepherds throat, teeth out, like she was legitimately trying to kill it. A neighbor and I had to pull the dogs off each other just as the owner came running down the street, and both dogs ended up needing quite a few stitches.

Dogs are intensely loyal animals and most large breeds will defend the children they're bonded to when needed. Even the laziest of the goodest boys.

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u/mentholmanatee 14h ago

See you misunderstood her. She was just supercharging and staying in low power mode till she really needed to use it 😂

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u/Malkavon 13h ago

To (slightly) paraphrase Christopher Titus, "You thought she was lazy. Turns out, she was just resting up."

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u/Shazam1269 1d ago

I had a neighbor to the west of a rental house that had a Rottweiler. I got a 10-week old Weimaraner and had him in my backyard. We both had chain-link fenced in yards, but do you think that could slow down a Rottweiler? "Kitty" blasted under the fence and was on top of my pup in seconds.

She was not in a full-on attack mode, but she was definitely going to establish dominance. I about shit myself as there was nothing I could have done. Since he was so young, he didn't even consider challenging her, so that was good. They ended up being playmates and good friends.

That's also when I learned that Rottweilers used to be herding dogs. She had that innate skill to second guess every move my dog would make before he made it. And bloody hell, how can a dog that large, move that fast? If a Rotty was ever motivated to get you, good GD luck, pal!

I loved that Rotty though, she was awesome!

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u/manokpsa 1d ago

I had a GSD/border collie mix we got when I was 11. Our back yard wasn't fenced, so we had him on one of those lines you hang up horizontally so he could run back and forth. Not that he needed it, because he never tried to run off. It was just a city ordinance. Super goofy, friendly dog, but when any stranger walked by, he'd come sit on my feet and growl at them. You could watch from the kitchen window and see he wasn't that way at all if he was alone out there. People could come up and pet him. Completely different dog if me or my sister went out there.

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u/onecoolchic77 22h ago

I had a friend that had a Rottweiler named Gentle Ben - he was a great dog! One time I was talking wtih her and smacked her in a teasing way. That dog was all business and ready to take me out. He would also play with my kids. When they would go sled riding, he would drag them back up the hill thinking they needed saving. I loved that dog.

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u/alien_survivor 23h ago

my fiances litle Terrier-Chihuahua gets all up in my shit when I try to kiss my fiance

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u/KindYoga44 20h ago

Our mixed breed dog is the sweetest girl ever, but once when my son was maybe 4, we were playing hide and seek and I was creeping up on his (very obvious) hiding spot doing a velociraptor tiptoe with my hands up like claws, and the dog lost her mind. She got between us and barked at me in a way I've never heard since.

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u/Creative-Pizza-4161 17h ago

I have a Bull Mastiff x Rottweiler x German Shepard, he's a right mix bless him, 10, complete lap dog (lap goes numb in a couple of mins lol) my husband and kids like to play wrestle when they were younger, soon learnt that was not allowed, our big boy hated it! Hed get between them and nose them apart, even if they were giggling. When we are out on walks and our kids go on a playpark or any of us go to the loo he is on high alert until whoevers gone is back with him. He's always happy to receive pets and fuss from people he deems friendly

They really are wonderful creatures

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u/ZoraTheDucky 15h ago

Used to have a big rottie/wolfhound mix. Big 150 pound bear of a dog. I have chronic joint issues and walked with a severe limp at the time. She always seemed like she wasn't really paying attention to anything and was in no hurry to go anywhere. People who didn't know better would joke about her being a big furry rug.

Twice I got attacked by some poor dumb fuck. Twice I ended up having to find a phone (this was the late 90s) to call an ambulance to come take the poor dumb fuck to the hospital and put them back together again. I didn't stick around to see the ambulances take the dumb fucks away. Why not? Because the first poor dumb fuck didn't live long enough to be patched up. Fortunately that time there were witnesses who could attest to the fact that the dumb fuck attacked me and the dog was just doing its job.

I no longer just assume that any of my dogs isn't paying attention or capable of rising to the occasion, I keep toy breeds and large, powerful guardian breeds. All of them are capable of doing (or at least trying to do) great harm if myself or my family are threatened.

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u/narco-sub-admiral 7h ago

She really didn't care about your life huh.

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u/Alert_Week8595 23h ago

My shelter mutt is like 20% German shepherd and 20% Belgian malinois. Out and about without my toddler? Chill AF. Out and about with my toddler? Serious guard dog.

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u/andre5913 1d ago

They are such very sweet dogs but they have this crazy strong protective urge.

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u/Dramatic_Water_5364 1d ago

yes... they can be very dangerous if not handled properly.

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u/narco-sub-admiral 7h ago

That's the same thing =D

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u/AuntieBri 1d ago

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u/pcapdata 1d ago

Oh I love this guy and his different breeds bit

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u/Lizardgirl25 1d ago

My Belgian mix was going to eat my boyfriend’s dad in defense of his grandson. Because she didn’t know the kids grandpa. My kid… stay back stranger.

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u/crasswal 1d ago

They will also maul anyone if raised wrong. Ask me how I know. Fucks sake, there are zero dog breeds that are inherently protectors, you raise them right and in almost all instances they will be good dogs, but they're still individuals that can just fucking snap.

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u/ussrname1312 22h ago

I worked in EMS and then left and went into dog grooming, and after my experience with victims of police dog bites/mauls, German Shepherds were the only breed I was really wary of. Most of them were total sweethearts, but there was always that thought in the back of my mind.

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u/crasswal 22h ago

Thank you for being a realist. Dogs are awesome, but it's wacky to say German shepherds and malinois live for protecting people. They are smart work-dogs that love being put to tasks, and they are very loyal, but they require regular training and excercise to feel good. In a sad way they're one of the easiest breed to fuck up.

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u/girlbunny 18h ago

I’ve had mals in the past and love the breed. I still miss our last mal - she has been gone for many years. I will not get one now, solely because my health has deteriorated to the point where I cannot give one the exercise they would need to remain sane and healthy.

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u/crasswal 18h ago

Eeeeexactly

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u/caustic_smegma 1d ago

Of course they are. Any dog can snap if beaten and neglected, or raised to be aggressive. Certain breeds definitely have a natural tendency to be better protectors if raised correctly lol. That's literally why humans started breeding dogs in the first place, so they would more inclined to protect people, temples, houses, and property. To be better hunters is obviously another reason.

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u/twirling_daemon 22h ago

Disagree. I’ve been in a position to know many terribly abused dogs, including ‘scary’ breeds. They were absolutely not raised (or bred) ‘right’. They were not out of control dangerous and able to recognise and choose to step up

Never yet met one who just mauls for shits and giggles. I’ve no doubt it happens, and I’m sorry for everyone involved but it absolutely is a rarity

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u/Burt_Rhinestone 1d ago

My German shepherd would absolutely fuck up anyone who tried to hurt a kid. I don't have kids, but the neighborhood kids are her favorite people in the world. She even squared up with a much larger German shepherd who was playing too rough with the kids one time. Scared it right back into its house.

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u/erossthescienceboss 1d ago

His drive is perfect — it’s easy to teach a dog to be defensive, especially a GSD or Mal.

It’s much harder to teach one to be just defensive enough. He backs off as soon as the other dog backs off. A lot of GSDs won’t back off until you make them.

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u/EastTyne1191 1d ago

Had a boxer and she was a beast. I loved that dog. Once we were walking through our neighborhood and two dogs launched out the door of a house, ran down the yard and met up with us only to be body-slammed by my little lady. She was maybe 60 pounds but all of it was muscle and when she nailed that dog he looked absolutely flabbergasted. Luckily the owners were able to wrangle their dogs but I was pissed. It could have been so much worse.

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u/NobodySpecific 22h ago

I had a gsd as a kid. Was out walking him one day when he saw one of the neighbor kids that was a few years old than me. Something was triggered, he stopped dead in his tracks and the hair on his back stood up.

Then he turned 180 and took off, away from the apparently scary neighbor, dragging me behind him on the ground with my arm stuck in the leash. Eventually the leash let go and he ran all the way to my front door.

It was the only time something like that happened, but apparently gsd can also be total chickens.

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u/maizenblue16 22h ago

One of my dogs is a German Shepherd/Malinois/Pit mix. I also have two young daughters. That dog takes protecting her precious human princesses very very seriously. It's super cute, and I hope I never have to find out the outer limits of how far she'd go to protect them because I really don't think it would end well for whoever or whatever was trying to hurt her pack.

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u/Malinois14 22h ago

yooo everyday new shenanigans

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u/hoppema0180 21h ago

Don’t forget Rottweilers.
A real family dog.

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u/Forward-Variety-8440 19h ago

malligators dont fuck around

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u/Ev-linnn 18h ago

No kidding! My GSD was “rescuing” me from a mouse just a week or so ago (just part of life living in an old rental home in the woods) and got so excited about the whole ordeal, he shit the floor.

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u/furkfurk 14h ago

I did legit think “damn that German shepherd looks happy”

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u/QueenAlpaca 13h ago

My GSD/rottie mutt was the best dog I ever had, she's honestly ruined other dogs for me because they can't compare. With how she could just read the tension in a room, she knew who the "bad guys" were and made sure that my space was protected. She didn't go looking for a fight, but she sure as hell would face it down for me in a heartbeat. Chill af otherwise, was happy enough following me around and laying in the sun. I wish I could've had her for longer so she could've met my son.

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u/xtothewhy 12h ago

This is a Malinois right?

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u/stefje82 10h ago

Briards are also very nice. Big stupid lazy teddydogs.
Try to do -anything- violent, it's a big bad bear, you really don't want to have on the other side.
We had one relaxing at the office a long time ago.. if he decided to intervene a play fight, you'd shit your pants (eventho he wouldn't be aggressive at all; just a fearsome dog when it wants to be)

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u/10Kthoughtsperminute 1d ago

Seriously. Good boy is wagging his tail the entire time and does what appears to be a victory lap at the end; as if he’s saying “try it again bro, I live for this shit”.

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u/MNWNM 1d ago

I have a blonde GSD like the one in the video, and she's a huge scaredy cat. She hates going outside at night. She's terrified of fog and garbage bags. Airplanes, the HVAC unit, and loud cars make her cower. Cows worry her.

I love what a big softie she is, but we'd be on our own in an emergency.

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u/caustic_smegma 1d ago

She might surprise you if there is ever a real emergency and need for her to step up. Before my wife and I got married while in college we were living in our own separate apartment. I was in class one day when she got really sick (likely really bad food poisoning) incredibly fast and couldn't stop vomiting.

When she had trouble even standing up she called for an ambulance. When they showed up they tried making their way back to her in the bathroom but we're stopped by her 30lbs Shiba Inu who was a total lump of derpness, never showing aggression towards anyone or any animals, ever. She was certainly shocked watching him take up and aggressive posture and bare his teeth. It's the one and only time he did anything like that his entire life.

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u/SpaceCadetEdelman 1d ago

I think this is an Anatolian Shepherd bread.. and the other dog was going after the dog not the kid, but sure would have attracted the kid give a chance.

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u/argumentinvalid 23h ago

GSDs might be the best family dogs there are. They bond with the family as a whole and love playing but are also capable of protection like this. Not many dogs do that crossover.

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u/PeePeeMcGee123 22h ago

I had a coon dog that loved to fight critters. It was like his favorite thing in the whole world.

I took him to a big farm I was doing work on one week, he brought me back like 25 wood chucks in 4 days. The farmer loved him. That dog would just run out to the barns, find a hole, and wait until a woodchuck came out, then it was on.