Are Golden Retrievers Protective?

Protectiveness is desirable for protection and guard dogs but may be problematic for family and therapy dogs.

A golden retriever is a valid option if you’re looking for a dog to protect you, your family, or your property from offenders and animals. But is it your best option?

Some golden retriever temperament traits make them excellent protection and guard dogs, but there are several pitfalls to keep in mind.

Loyalty

Loyalty is directly linked with protectiveness. Even the humblest people are ready to protect their loved ones, and dogs are no different in this regard.

Golden retrievers are some of the most loyal dogs and will never let anyone hurt their owners.

Golden retrievers quickly bond with people. They love to cuddle, look the owner in the eyes, lick their hands, and otherwise express their attachment. Furthermore, the golden retriever is a hunting breed.

Hunting dogs are bound to be loyal to obey the owner’s commands without hesitation and always return with prey. In other words, loyalty is rooted in golden retriever genetics.

Loyalty is only one of the traits that make a good guard dog, so a golden retriever may not be the best choice to guard your home. Goldens aren’t even in the top 20 of the most protective dogs.

However, a golden retriever will fearlessly attack a person attempting to cause harm to its owner during a walk or if someone breaks into the house.

Intellect

A protection dog must be intelligent and obedient. It must understand when a stranger doesn’t pose a threat and when the situation is dangerous by assessing human body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and environmental context.

Often, protection dogs must make quick, independent decisions to save the owner. However, they should also instantly obey the owner’s commands, whether to “sit” or “attack.”

According to canine behavioral specialists and American Kennel Club, golden retrievers are among the most intelligent dog breeds.

They’re also real obedience champs, regularly proving the right for this title by winning AKC Obedience Championships.

Canine intelligence is based on how well a dog can understand human body language and emotions, communicate its own needs, resolve non-standard problems, how quickly it learns commands, and how often it obeys the orders.

Golden retrievers excel at every point. They are empathetic, trainable, and have well-developed problem-solving skills. A golden retriever is unlikely to perceive a wrongdoer as a friend or attack an innocent person.

Confidence & Fearlessness

A protection or guard dog must be confident and fearless. Despite loyalty and intelligence, an anxious dog may hesitate to act even when its owner is in danger.

Fortunately, golden retrievers are known for their confidence. Like any hunting dog breed, golden retrievers have evolved to be courageous, always ready to run towards the target by the owner’s command.

If you Google “golden retriever protects its owner,” you will find numerous videos of dogs risking their lives for their favorite humans.

For example, a golden retriever from Arizona attacked a rattlesnake to save its owner, and a golden retriever Sadie protected her home from an invasion.

However, fear anxiety is relatively common in golden retrievers. Dogs with anxiety may be hesitant to attack a threat, but sometimes, the loyalty of golden retrievers can take over fear.

Are Golden Retrievers Aggressive?

A good protection or guard dog must have the capacity to be aggressive. It doesn’t have to be aggressive towards everyone, but it should be able to bark, growl, or otherwise scare an offender when necessary.

That’s the primary caveat with using golden retrievers as guard dogs. Yes, they are loyal and fearless, but they are loving, affectionate teddy bears at heart.

Look at the best guard dog breeds – German shepherds, Akitas, Tibetan mastiffs, Caucasian shepherds, and boxers, to name a few. All of them are at least a tiny bit aggressive, which, contrary to popular belief, isn’t always a bad trait.

Aggression is undesirable for a family dog but is essential for a protection or guard dog because it can save one’s life. Golden retrievers are among the friendliest dog breeds, always happy to encounter new people and animals.

They happily let strangers pet them, wagging their tails, and likely won’t suspect anything wrong if an intruder enters the house with a bag of dog treats.

Golden retrievers are so friendly because of selective breeding, genetics, confidence, and natural desire for affection.

Triggering aggression in a golden retriever isn’t simple. And yet, these dogs aren’t stupid. Remember – they have fine-tuned sense of empathy and can sense when someone means bad for their owner.

Physical Traits

Protection and guard dogs must have particular physical traits. They must be athletic, large, and, preferably, have scary barks to scare an offender without engaging in a fight.

If not for these physical requirements, chihuahuas would make perfect guard dogs – they are loyal, moderately aggressive, and way too confident for their size.

Golden retrievers are some of the most athletic and agile dogs, capable of running miles non-stop, which is essential for a hunting dog.

Goldens also have loud barks, but they don’t bark often. Because barking could scare off birds, golden retrievers evolved not to bark unless necessary.

However, when goldens do bark, they can scare anyone. The Guinness World Record for the loudest bark belongs to Charlie, a golden retriever from Australia.

Contrary to a popular misconception, golden retrievers aren’t large dogs. The golden retriever is a medium-sized breed. Still, they aren’t small either and are strong enough to protect their owner.

When Golden Retrievers Are Protective

Golden retrievers aren’t the most protective dogs, but they can be protective in particular situations.

Most golden retrievers will be protective of their owner if someone directly threatens them – think burglars breaking into the house or an offender pointing a gun.

Goldens will also protect their owners from barking dogs and other animals that may potentially harm them. However, if a person or animal seems friendly, a golden retriever is highly unlikely to express aggression.

Hyper-attached dogs may become overly protective of their owners, behaving aggressively towards anyone approaching. This is a severe problem that requires the intervention of a canine behavior specialist.

Female golden retrievers tend to be more protective than male dogs because of their parental instincts. They are extra protective over children, which is great if a child walks alone.

However, the dog should obey the child’s commands to avoid hurting someone innocent by mistake. Female goldens may also be protective over their puppies – some dogs don’t let even owners touch their litter.

Some dogs are protective over their belongings, such as toys, bedding, and food bowls. This problem often occurs in households with multiple pets.

Do Golden Retrievers Make Good Protection Dogs?

The difference between a protection dog and a guard dog lies in the protection object. A guard dog guards property, whereas a protection dog guards a person or an entire family.

Golden retrievers make excellent protection dogs. They are sociable and can safely accompany the owner in public places without threatening innocent people but can quickly assess the situation and detect danger when necessary.

Golden retrievers are loyal and fearless, so they won’t hesitate to attack an offender. Even a golden retriever that was never trained to be a protection dog won’t let someone harm its owner.

If the dog’s sixth sense is wrong, the owner can command it to stay, and it will obey instantly, provided the dog has received proper training. That’s a significant benefit for a protection dog that attends public places.

In most cases, walking with a golden retriever can help to avoid physical confrontation. Despite this breed’s cute appearance, a single bark should be sufficient to explain to an offender that they’ve chosen the wrong target.

Do Golden Retrievers Make Good Guard Dogs?

While golden retrievers can be protection dogs, they usually don’t make good guard dogs. Goldens are loyal to their owners and will protect them, risking their lives, but they don’t have equally strong feelings for the property.

Furthermore, dogs need time to assess the situation to understand whether it’s dangerous. When someone attacks a dog’s owner, it can determine that the person is dangerous instantly by the owner’s reaction and the offender’s body language.

But a person trying to break into the house through the gate may not seem as dangerous because it doesn’t pose a threat to the owner. A stranger can easily come close to a golden retriever wagging its tail and pet it.

Since golden retrievers don’t bark often and overall appear friendly, intruders are unlikely to be scared and can approach the dog to gain its trust or poison it.

However, a golden retriever can be trained not to let anyone close to the house. Aggression isn’t natural for goldens, yet you can teach your dog to bark whenever someone approaches your house.

Still, a golden retriever barking is nowhere as threatening as a German shepherd or pit bull simply staring at you because everyone knows about the breed’s friendly temperament.

Sources