breaking up fights on instinct alone

[Mr & Mrs Kirkley]

If a dog breaks up fights on its own without being trained to do so, does that mean the dog is capable of being trained for personal protection? I'm just curious because I had a dog years ago that did that. If she thought two people were fighting, first she would get between them and bark. If that didn't work, she would grab the arm of one of them and refuse to let go until they stepped back. I've also seen a few stories where other people had dogs that would do that too. I'm just curious.

[4TheDawgies]

No not necessarily. Training a dog for personal protection involves a stable temperament, a clear head, the appropriate and balanced drives to do the work, the nerve to handle the work, and the correct training to teach the dog, with the correct handler to use it correctly.

[Emoore]

No. If you're talking about verbal arguments and not a physical attack it means the dog needs to learn it is below the humans in the hierarchy. If two humans that the dog knows well are arguing, it's not the dog's business. You'll never catch a lower-ranking dog breaking up a disagreement between two higher-ranking dogs.

Obviously I'm not talking about an altercation between you and a random person on the street. Although even that doesn't mean the dog has the "stuff" for personal protection.