How does a dog know the difference between an intruder and a friend?

Question

My dog will go crazy if anyone knocks at the door or opens the gate, he will bark and growl non-stop until they go away.

But I really don't know what he would do if an intruder entered the house without me letting them in. Would he just go and l**k them and jump up at them or would he attack to defend me and his terrortory?

And are all dogs the same?

Thanks!

Answer 1

This is why proper training is so important.  A properly trained dog will not go after ANYONE unless told to do so, or unless an aggressive action is taken by the person.  

An untrained dog, on the other hand, can freak out at anyone - friend or foe.  

As far as what *your* dog will do, there's just no way to know this and no safe way to test it.

All dogs are not the same.  

Answer 2

Depending on the dogs and what kind of training they may have received, some dogs can tell a difference between welcome and unwelcome guests.  My guess is that the dog can sense from the person entering the house whether or not he belongs there.  A true friend will be relaxed and happy.  Others may be nervous and scared and dogs can sense that.

Also, a dog can sense the owners feelings about the person coming in and react to that too.

Answer 3

not all dogs are the same...i believe he knows between a friend and stranger coz with friends your friends!you say hi and you know but with strangers they just pass and don say anything

Answer 4

All dogs are not the same.  However your question is exactly the danger of people teaching dogs to "attack intruders" or "guard" (i'm not saying you're doing this personally).  How DOES a dog know whether a stranger is a robber, the mailman, or great aunt edna who hasn't visited in years?  

My view is, they don't know the difference between one stranger and the next.

Answer 5

Not all dogs are the same, and it also depends on the dog and the relationship you have with it. Some dogs will guard property, others only those they see as pack, some dogs will see only humans as a threat, other dogs will guard against all living beings, others again will guard both property and pack, and yet others will neither guard nor protect.

My first dog would guard me, my father after he had surgery (my father was not living with us) and the car, but not the house. I'm quite sure that if she was alone in the house, she'd happily let burglars empty the place.

She never saw elderly people or children as a threat, and once let in a new elderly neighbour, watched quietly as he poured himself a cup of coffee and seated himself at the kitchen table, while I was in another room oblivious to his presence. He thought she was the loveliest dog ever. Same dog, however, was ready to shred a new young male co-worker who came to the house to deliver a file.

Bottom line is that you cannot trust your dog to know the difference between an intruder and a friend, which is why that you, if you have a guard and protection dog, have to ensure that the dog always defers to you and your judgement, and that you have complete control over it.