Guard Dog? I wish.

[VTbxrFan]

I also think they are smart and they know when to be on guard -- and I believe dogs pick up on the nervousness that people give off if they are doing something they aren't supposed to. My guess is that Hanna knows the routine at home - she knows the sound of your husband's car at night, and the sound of him walking to and opening the door - that's nothing for her to be alarmed by. I used to live on a first floor apartment, so we could hear all the cars coming and going from the parking lot -- Dallas very quickly learned the specific sound of my boyfriends' truck (and there is nothing especially unique about it that gave it away to me). Dallas didn't pay much attention to other cars, but as soon as he would hear my boyfriend's truck, he'd be bouncing around at the front door waiting for him! He also adjusted to the everyday sounds of people coming and going in an apartment and ignored those, but an unusually loud noise or something late at night always got his attention. I always felt safe -- he still isn't a big barker, which is fine with me -- I get peace and quiet when I want it, but he always alerts me if something suspicious is going on!

 

[BooBoo & Riley]

If it makes you feel better, we used to think our BooBoo was too friendly and a complete softy too...he is now 17 months old and since a few months ago, he is now very alert every time there is noise outside the door.

If someone comes to the door and rings the doorbell, he'll just bark once or twice if I'm not in the room, almost as if to tell me that there's someone at the door. (as if the door bell isn't loud enough already)

But if someone trys to turn the door knob before ringing, he'll start this very low growl, followed by a deep bark that is very different than his play bark. Yesterday his god-parents stopped by and walked up to the door and grab the door knob thinking it was open, and BooBoo gave them the full growl/bark thing until I opened the door and he could see who they were. Then he started kidney beaning them...

When he was younger, he would just stand near the door and watch curiously when someone came to the door like that.

 

[mshifflett]

I don't think that kind of dog could be considered either a 'watch' or 'guard' dog. That sounds more like an uncontrollable animal with no common sense. Maggie does the wiggles thing as well when around people that she thinks are safe, but is quick to stop and re-examine the situation if she feels so inclined. Any boxer breeder will tell you that boxers have an inherently strong 'guarding' instinct and are loyal to the end to their families. I wouldn't want Maggie to be like the dog that you are talking about either, not with the amount of law suits these days, but I have yet to see a boxer that was not cautious and protective.