# Would my dog defend me? Fight to the death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385 "2003-12-02T01:19:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385/21 "2003-12-03T16:00:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dignan \* > \*\*MixieArmadillo, I was being faceitous. I love my dog and I realize she wouldn’t put up much of a fight against anything (other than her tennis ball). > Another question: does it matter whether or not the dog is male or female? I wouldn’t think that dogs would play into human gender roles, but I wonder. \*\* 😉 I thought as much, but that’s a question I hear asked _all the effing time_, in full, straight-faced seriousness. About the male vs female thing, it seems that in general, with the few breeds that I’ve really researched, females have a shorter fuse, are quicker to call something a threat, and are much more opinionated. Males tend to be more laid back, fewer things set them off, but far more serious when they _do_ perceive a threat. In short, if you want a watch dog, get a female, if you want a personal protection dog, males generally are better judges of character. For instance, in my own particular breed, a lot of times females are constantly getting in scuffles and are more suspicious of people in general. Males generally love everybody, but in the rare times they _do_ perceive a threat, it’s a very serious reaction. ~mixie ---
**Author:** ![Flash-57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Flash-57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flash-57)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385/22 "2003-12-03T18:25:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MixieArmadillo \* > … females have a shorter fuse, are quicker to call something a threat, and are much more opinionated. Males tend to be more laid back, fewer things set them off, but far more serious when they _do_ perceive a threat. We are still talking about dogs, right? Because I’ve seen this tendancy in species other than dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385/23 "2003-12-03T18:41:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeVena \* > **26-pound cat** Woah. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385/24 "2003-12-03T18:55:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flash-57 \* > \*\*We are still talking about dogs, right? Because I’ve seen this tendancy in species other than dogs. \*\* Heh, I actually cut out an entire paragraph about how that tendancy seems to exist across the board, because I didn’t have any stats to back it up here in GQ–but yes, I’ve seen this in many species. Including humans ;). ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385/25 "2003-12-03T20:30:11Z")
I have five dogs. One is a 17 lbs dust mop dog part poodle part lhasa apso. I have three 40 lb shepard mixes and a 60 lb hound mix. Out of them all, last week I came in the back gate unexpectedly to see which of them would bark and which would defend the yard. The three 40lb dogs ran for cover. The 60 lb dog barked but ran to the far side fo the yard to do so, the teeny little 17 lb dog nearly bit my leg before he realized it was me…you just never can tell who is going to be brave. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385/26 "2003-12-03T21:31:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*I think my dog would go grab a beer and a bone and lie down to watch the show. \*\* Strangely enough, that’s exactly what _I_ did when my wife was out of town recently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-my-dog-defend-me-fight-to-the-death/216385.md?page=1)