They had an australian shepherd and a Newfoundlander... only the puppy 'growled' once in the blog. I have a Yorkie/Bichon who barks at his shadow that I got for next to nothing compared to all the lights they bought. Sorry if that sounds harsh.. Its past my bedtime. :what: I do think the information she is passing on about stalking and the dangers are valuable.
My Newf barks...at other dogs on the street. Won't bark at people, but will at other dogs. I had tree work going on; men and tree branches clumping on the house. She didn't care one whit.
Newfs are very, very laid back. They're also very friendly, and pretty darned sweet. They are not watchdogs; they will protect you, but it has to be an overt, incipient threat - someone in your face - and not just sounds around a house.
The ONLY time Grace (my Newf) has ever even been slightly aggressive was one time when I was at a pet store, and this woman went off on me...Grace didn't even growl then...just positioned herself between me and the other woman, and then advanced slowly, pushing the other woman back a ways.
Grace is intimidating simply because she's a big, big girl - head circumference is something like 26 inches - and weighs 140+ pounds. The instant someone says "hi" to her, she'll roll over for belly rubs, or push her head into their hand for ear scratches. I am positive that Grace would protect me in my home or in my car, but only if it were a face-to-face thing.
I can ***easily*** see how their Newfoundland Tessi didn't growl or bark or fuss. The threat was not inside, and was not in her people's face (as it were).
Newfs are incredible companions, full of love and joy. They are NOT watchdogs. They're just not built like that.
LadyL, I hear you, and I understand. But I think you're not believing the whole thing at all...and I don't understand why not. They're human, they're not WS'ers (and we do know more than the average person about personal safety...just by reading stories here), and they had no idea what they should do. To me, they're behaving appropriately for themselves, and are quick to admit their mistakes (and faster, I think, than they should be in some instances...guilt is all over that blog).
Dunno what else to say.
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Herding Cats