Kirsten Dillon Behaviourist (2025)

23/08/2025

Saving

21/08/2025

It’s asking too much!!

21/08/2025

Taking a break from training and catching up on .

18/08/2025

When you help Indian street puppies find wonderful homes

27/07/2025

Who run the world?

26/07/2025

This is so true, it's something I see all the time.

One of the most common things I hear from dog guardians when describing reactive or aggressive behaviour is: “He’s just protecting me.”

It’s easy to assume a dog is being protective when they growl as someone approaches or bark at strangers on walks. It feels like they’re guarding you and it’s natural to find that reassuring or even flattering.

But in reality? That’s rarely what’s happening.

Most dogs who display behaviours that look like "protectiveness"; barking, growling, lunging are not acting out of duty or devotion. They’re acting out of fear, uncertainty, or poor socialisation.

In most cases, the dog is not saying, “I’ll defend you!” They’re saying, “I’m uncomfortable and I need this person/dog to go away.” It’s a survival strategy, one that’s often rooted in stress, insecurity, or a lack of coping skills.

Studies in animal behaviour and neuroscience support this. Protective or “guarding” behaviour in dogs is not equivalent to human altruism or heroism and is more often explained by resource guarding, fear-based reactivity, or territorial responses.

Van der Borg et al. (2015) found that dogs labelled as "protective" in household environments typically scored high on fear and insecurity in behavioural assessments.

Sherman & Mills (2008) noted that dogs who behave aggressively toward unfamiliar people or dogs while near their owner are often more anxious overall, and the behaviour reflects emotional arousal rather than purposeful defence.

Horwitz & Mills (2009) also emphasise that many owners misattribute fearful or reactive behaviour as loyalty or protection, which often delays appropriate intervention and support.

When we label a dog as “protective,” we risk missing what’s really going on.
If your dog is reactive around others when you’re nearby, ask yourself:

Do they show stiff body language, growling, or avoidance around strangers even when you’re not present?
Do they try to move away before they react?
Do they settle quickly when distance is created?

If so, this is less likely “protectiveness” and more likely a dog struggling to feel safe in their environment.

Dogs don’t owe us protection. Stop romanticising fear.

19/07/2025

Just reading a paper on canine aggression. Apparently in the US between 2-4% of dog bites require hospitalisation. Which considering that pretty much 100% of dogs have 100% ability to hospitalise us, shows remarkable restraint on their part. The rise in popularity of social media posts, including dogs looking ‘shameful’, ‘guilty’ or just dressed up like a clown, has put tremendous strain on the human-canine bond and we are damn lucky our dogs don’t use this legitimate form of communication more often!