My nutty guard dogs!

[3-greys-and-a-mutt]

Just wanted to share a strange experience: Last night, my husband had been in bed with the lights on (upstairs) for about an hour, and all the dogs were sleeping on their dog beds on the floor. We had a baby gate up in the doorway. I turned off all the lights downstairs, and went up to bed. I reached the top of the stairs, rounded the corner to the bedroom, and Boo came running toward the baby gate, barking at me as loud as she could! Paula was a second behind her, and she stood there too, growling at me! I stood there in the hall, for a minute or two, about four feet from the gate, and they continued to bark and growl at me! Finally, I started talking to them, and they instantly stopped the ruckus.
Neither the bark nor the growl were aggressive in nature - they were more like "ALERT! ALERT!" For some odd reason, it seemed like they didn't recognize me for a moment??!!! It was kind of funny, actually!
Once, I had a towel wrapped around my hair, and I happened to say Boo's name in a deep voice - she was up in a flash, alert barking and bowing at me, the same way she was last night. I assumed that one of her trainers was a deep-voiced person???
This isn't chronic, and, like I said, it's not aggressive, and I feel as if I am in control of the situation.
Has anyone else had a dog that got so startled that they didn't recognize you? I'm just curious as to what triggers this goofy behavior!

[Snowy's Mommy]

Hi,

It's just that they take a second to recogize you ---don't worry about it.

That happens all the time when Snowy is on my bed at night and all the lights are out-----when my mom comes upstairs, for a second when Snowy sees her, he barks and growls like crazy until she says,"It's just me, Snowy!" Then he calms down...he just doesn't know if its an intruder or what....same thing for you--they are just being good babies and watching out for the family!

Very common!

[Rottie]

Oh yes, Iris does that to anyone who comes down the hall wearing or doing something unusual. It's so funny!

[Sudilar]

I always say to talk to the dogs so they know who you are in case they are startled or can't see you.

[Pam]

I put on a Frankenstein mask one Halloween and walked in the other room where my dogs were (Ashley & Whitney, now at Rainbow Bridge). They were so upset at the "stranger" who had someone gotten into their house without them knowing it! When I pulled off the mask both tails started wagging again!

[ownerof3dogs]

All three of my dogs do this. When someone open the front door too quik, they run full speed towards you barking and growling ready to pounce... then they realize it's you and they start wagging there tail. This behavior sort of makes me feel safe. I know that if someone comes through the door that they don't know and might harm me my dogs are going to be right there ready.

[shais_mom]

At least yours bark!!! Mine never barks unless she reallyneeds outside like pronto!!! And when she does bark its really high pitched like a little dog!!!
There have been times when my parents will come in and she is in such a zone that she won't even get up until they come into the romm, I don't think that she even heard the door sometimes.

[K9karen]

Yep, the same thing happens to me when I. for example come home early from work and touch the door! Cody, (probably sleeping) will growl, bark and push his paw through the mail slot like he does to the poor, defeated mailman. Once, I must have taken him by such surprise, I jokingly stuck my hand through the mail slot and almost got nipped until he smelled me. When I walked in, Cody's head went down "Sorry Kar". itoo, feel very, very safe!