This is a post from the Lab board I belong to. Now don't get a bad impression from them just from this post. It's a very busy board with something like 3,000 members, so there's all different kinds of people and opinions. Most of them are terriffic people. Even this person is nice, just misinformed. This just happens to be one of the breed-predjudiced people who have very set ideas about certain breeds of dogs, and will not be persuaded otherwise. All Great Danes are sweet, most other Giants are mean. Especially Mastiffs.
A friend of mine has a black lab, Shelby. She has had her since she was a puppy. She is five years old. She was an only dog until a dirty, big homeless dog followed her hubby home one day. The best we can tell he is a Rottie, German Shep mix - they named him Charlie. He has fit right in his new family. He is a true lover.
When I first met Shelby she acted down right EVIL. Growling and barking at me (certainly not a greeting like my dear lab gives). Charlie on the other hand was a lover. I can't even fathom a growl coming from his mouth.
WELL, last night my friend's DH took the dogs out on a walk. It was pouring the rain. DH didn't put the dogs on a leash. Well, they walked up by the neighbors house (on the sidewalk) and out runs TWO Mastiffs! Shelby (the lab) goes RUNNING in fear. Big Charlie jumped right in front of his Daddy, hair standing up, teeth gnarling to protect him. It is a good thing too. One of the Mastiff's lunged and got Charlie in the neck. The other was trying to get in on it. Finally the owners came out and tried to pull the Mastiff off, but not before another bite wound in Charlie's side. The owners thought it would be safe, "we didn't think anyone would be out". Can you imagine if it had been a CHILD?
Luckily, Charlie is okay, a little sore, but OKAY.
It is so funny because they always thought Shelby would be the one to protect them, if a situation ever arose. Our dogs can surprise us.
Needless to say, Charlie is getting extra treats and extra hugs and kisses now. LOL!
Now the way I read it, this guy came up to these dogs yard, with his dogs unleashed, in the dark, in the pouring rain, and when the Mastiffs tried to warn them away from their yard, his dog challenged them.
How were those dogs (the mastiffs) supposed to read that situation?