Protective Newfie?

[hemingway]

Hi Everybody. Just curious...

As Hemingway has matured, he's become more protective of me, particularly when my husband is working late. He is more alert and barks at just about any sound he thinks he hears, and charges to the front windows to check it out. Then, when it's bedtime, instead of coming upstairs like he does when both my husband and I are home, he waits at the foot of the stairs. When my husband does finally get home, Hemingway barks a very loud, very deep and scary bark....until he realizes who it is.

I actually quite like that he feels the need to be more alert when Doug is away at night. Maybe he's picking up on my energy? I'm sure I give off some uneasiness. Was wondering if anyone else has this experience with their newfs. Would love to hear some stories.

 

[DAWNMERIE]

Sounds like Zeke to a tee, and then when Myra decides to chime in it's really cool cause she has a very manly bark

 

[anya]

I normally take both Eden and Anya on walks and Anya is in the lead. One night, this was a few years ago, I was just walking Anya. For most of our walk she was beside me. Then, a block over from our house, there were about 3 or 4 men walking together. Anya dropped behind me (to cover my back). I had my guard up, too. But then the men walked into the street to pass us and their conversation was all about day care. Well, I certainly relaxed but Anya kept up with them, pace for pace until she was in front of me. We turned the corner to head home, the men kept walking but Anya would not take her eyes off of them until we were safely farther up the street. I often wonder what she would actually do if I was attacked...and hope never have to find out.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

I would like to think Snuffles is like that when he and "Grandma" are alone. Now earlier this week, I was in the backyard/basement for some reason. Mom and Snuffles (teathered) were on the front porch. Just as I was locking the basement door to come back around up front, I heard Snuffles barking away. So I ran around the house thinking Snuffles saw a bike go by. It was the water meter reader fellow talking to Mom from the side of the porch. Per Mom Snuffles saw the guy approach the corner of the porch where the outside display is, and started to bark. Best I can tell Snuffles didn't go to the end of his tether to get to the fellow, but did stay close to Mom. Not sure what he would have done if Mom wasn't there though.

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

I've never been in a situation where I needed Elvis to protect me, but he's never tried to do it anyway. One time about a month ago he started barking at 4am, which he's never done. We ran downstairs to see what was going on, and the cats had knocked something off the table. I think he'd alert us if something wasn't right.

 

[smy0527]

My Jetta will stand between me and any dog or man that comes near. My Sophie is a barker, but only at night and outside. We have figured out that she is protecting us from those terrible scary airplanes that pass over our home every 10 minutes or so....head uip to the sky, tracking their pace, the full length of the yard until they are out of sight. Only at night, never during the day!

 

[ardeagold]

Cole will actually block me with his body (in front of me sideways) if a strange man starts heading my way in public. And he'll tense up. Once he knows it's "okay" he'll sit and be petted, but only briefly, then he's done and wants me to go. At dog shows, or in his comfort zones, he's not like that at all. He's never aggressive (although at times he's barked...but not a snarl/bark), but he's definitely alert. If it's a woman walking up, he's all slobber and kisses.

 

[Brandie&Maggie]

Maggie will protect me outside the house. She will get in front of me and body-block any strange dog or man, but I know she gets her cues from me, because she only does this when I'm nervous. She's very friendly to everyone, except when we encounter someone or something that makes me wary.

She barks when anyone comes to the door until she knows who it is. I'm not sure what she'd do if I were ever really threatened but I'm sure it would not be good for the offending person.

On a funny note, my husband rides motorcycles. He usually leaves his helmet in the garage at night when he gets home, but one time he came in the house with his full gear on - helmet, jacket, pants, boots - which makes him look about 50 lbs bigger than he is. Maggie flipped out - got in front of me, barking, pushing me away from the door, never taking her eyes off of him. Then he took his helmet off and called her. She ran over all slobbery giving him kisses. He sure fooled her!

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

Mila's gotten gradually more protective of me as she's been maturing. I think I posted about it a little while back...lemme go look.

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

Here it is! http://www.newf.net/Forums/showthread.php?t=105062

 

[YorkvilleNewfie]

She's also been crazy alert since being home with me on isolation. More alert than I've ever seen her. Every time a car door closes outside, or someone walks down the street, she hears it and is staring out a window, hardly breathing. Very tense and alert.

 

[cmorgan.1505]

Thor is not protective, but if something is not in it's right place he alerts us for sure. He went crazy at my husbands birthday balloons and went crazy over the halloween gravestones that I brought inside. He lets us know when something is not right. I think the older he gets the more protective he will be.

 

[jane]

I've experienced this with my newfs. My first boy & I were walking when a pack of dogs came around the corner. He blocked me with his body, growled at the dogs and they turned and left. From that point on he would not let me walk him in that direction unless my husband was with us. My second boy became very protective when I was pregnant with my first child. He became very uneasy with men. When my ex and I divorced he became even more protective. Then there was my Roger...He was protective in a very subtle way. Mostly with my girls.
Newfs are extremely sensitive and feed off energy easily. I think it is great to have a newf like that!

 

[hemingway]

I love these stories. Thanks for sharing! I love that he is sensitive to my energy and is on high alert when it's just the two of us. Makes me feel safer knowing not many people would want to challenge that bark! Thank goodness for the bark of a newfoundland!

 

[Jager's Mom]

Bear is too goofy to "protect". But Jager used to to what we called "perimeter" at night time. He would go from window to window looking outside...he would do this about 3 times each evening (from when it got dark til he went to bed). I guess it's kinda like what the pyrs do in the fields...but he did it in the house.

 

[blaue_augen]

It's not a newf story, but ...

When I was growing up our dog (a mix) was super protective when my parents weren't home. If any adult or teenage boy came over, he would always stay between us and the visitor. He was fine when kids came over. If my parents were home, he would still bark, but he wasn't on high alert like when they were away.

Hemingway is smart and knows when he's on duty.

 

[Bucephalus]

Good boy, Hemingway!

Bo barks at weird noises, but isn't more protective when I'm home alone. On walks, though, he'll lead me away from people or places he thinks might be dangerous, but I think it's more of a selfish instinct (because he's a scaredy dog).

 

[ElvisTheNewf]

Um, yea, Bo and Elvis could fit over the title of "Scaredy Dog King". That morning he was barking at 4am? I was way ahead of my husband, running down the stairs to check on Elvis because I thought something was wrong with HIM, not something in the house. Carl finally yells at me to stop because "some one could be in here, you fool!!!"

 

[victoria1140]

Beau was highly protective.

My brother had never met him and one day he came around and I didnt hear the door bell. My brother knew I was home and so climbed over the wall and came up the garden.
All my brother saw was a huge shadow move, a deep growl and large teeth. He froze and shouted me and once Beau knew it was ok he settled down and relaxed. My brother said he pitys any burglar in our house with our tribe

 

[Brandie&Maggie]

Um, yea, Bo and Elvis could fit over the title of "Scaredy Dog King". That morning he was barking at 4am? I was way ahead of my husband, running down the stairs to check on Elvis because I thought something was wrong with HIM, not something in the house. Carl finally yells at me to stop because "some one could be in here, you fool!!!"

Hahaha!! :roflmao: