Wow. I wondered when/if a protective instinct would kick in. Bosco only barks in play and once at a sexy pittie girl at the park. It was the funniest "Hey, baby!" bark, and I swear she smiled back at him. Her person was walking laps and the situation repeated itself several times. A dozen dogs would pass with no response from B, and every time that girl passed, he perked up and barked.
Men.
Luckily, until his instincts kick in, I have Junie, my Catahoula girl. She's a marshmallow 99% of the time, but she's a fierce defender of her family and property, and so far her instincts have been dead on. On a walk around our small town just after dark, she resisted when I turned down a dimly lit side street. I teased her a little about being afraid of the dark, but after asking her to come with me twice and her putting on the brakes, I was a little apprehensive myself. The next afternoon, I learned that two teenaged boys had run away from a training camp a few miles away and stolen a car on that street just after dark. (They were caught joyriding just over the state line. Smart. Escape, steal a car, then drive recklessly and get caught!) It was eerie, though. Did she hear them? Did they hear us and hide? Did she sense their anxiety? What would have happened if we'd interrupted them? They were just kids, but still.
Maybe B will learn from his 45-pound big sis. I don't walk after dark without her, even in my safe little town. I can't say I feel as secure with him yet.
Amanda