New Dog Defends Couple From Burglar Just Hours After Being Adopted

[iscooterliberally]

Source: The Chronical-Telegram

HILLSBORO, Ohio — A southwest Ohio couple who adopted a Saint Bernard to save him from being put down say he saved their home from burglary a few hours later.

Rubert “Lee” Littler says he was taking Hercules outside Wednesday night when the 135-pound dog started growling, then charged after a man running out of their basement. The dog bit into the man’s ankle as he climbed a fence and got away. Police say the home’s phone and cable lines had been cut.

Read more: http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/11/11/new-dog-defends-couple-from-burglar-just-hours-after-being-adopted/

---

I don't have a Saint Bernard, but I do have 3 big mutts that I got from rescue groups and the pound. I don't even have to lock my doors. If your aren't on their 'list', you ain't gettin' in! ;-)

[EFerrari]

1. I've never been afraid to be alone in the house since I got my Labs.

Best security investment ever. :)

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. no dogs but cats at least let you know someone is outside with their body language

[EFerrari]

28. I used to walk around Berkeley and Albany at all hours of the night

to take a break from homework with my dog in a huge ugly collar. The only thing I had to worry about was not letting anyone close enough for her to lick them. lol

[TorchTheWitch]

34. if you happen to be looking at them

I've never known a cat to give a shit whether there was someone outside or not. Maybe your cat alerts with their body language to the presence of someone outside the house, but it's hardly universal and it sure isn't going to do anything for you if you don't happen to be looking at them at the time.

I think it's safe to acknowledge that cats are just worthless as a security device, but that's ok. Nobody gets a cat with such a benefit in mind, and it doesn't diminish a cat's worthiness as a pet that they can't by the nature of their species provide any of the working benefits that dogs can.

[Lasher]

40. Mountain lions are cats.

I'll bet onea them would make a fine security device.

[Cherchez la Femme]

50. One of my cats growls when someone's outside

otherwise he never, ever growls.

The doberman, however, never makes a peep even if someone knocks or rings the doorbell.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

54. That's because the Doberman wnats to get them inside and kill 'em.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

57. Good one....

... and if anyone gets inside with the doberman, they better hope they have some peanut butter/meat balls to keep them occupied while closing the door.

[Dutchmaster]

52. all cats are the same, just like all dogs are the same.

glad you figured this out for us. thanks.

[distantearlywarning]

53. Wow, really? Ours have a very obvious behavior change when someone approaches the house.

They can hear people coming up the front steps from way in the back of the house. They clearly act interested and sometimes alarmed - their heads and ears go up and swivel in the direction of the sound, they will sometimes move away from the front door in an unhappy way. The way they react to someone approaching the house is clearly different from their alarm reactions to other stimuli. We have been correctly warned by them on so many occasions about someone coming to the door that we now pretty much give them the immediate benefit of the doubt when we note that type of behavior from them, and go check it out. They are also aware of the difference between strangers and people they have met a few times and react differently when it is a friend coming to the door - I suppose they remember certain people's voices and the way their footsteps sound.

It really surprises me that anyone who ever lived with a cat never noticed those sorts of reactions to different people coming to the house.

Our cats also understand the differences between the sounds of the different settings on the security alarm panel because they have associated them with different parts of the daily routine (for example, they know that the sound of the code for "going to bed at night" means that they're going to get the last meal of the day and they come running when they hear it). And one of them also knows what different types of cars sound like - my husband drives a Scion XB, and recently one of our neighbors got a Scion XB of the same model year and now one of my poor cats keeps getting confused when my neighbor drives up and parks across the street - he runs into the living room all excited thinking his human is home from work. :-) They're not stupid. If they were feral kitties, it would be to their benefit to remember what certain people sounded like (mean people who chase them off, strangers who might hurt them, the nice old lady who brings them food) so they can make good decisions about whether to approach or hide. I don't know why it would be such a stretch to believe that house kitties might be able to learn those kinds of signals also.

On the other hand, I have no illusions whatsoever that they would protect us from a burglar. If someone broke in, they would hide under the bed and watch him as he stole all our stuff. Kitties are thoughtful, wary, and interested in learning about the nature of people they interact with, but they are not particularly protective or willing to put themselves in harm's way to guard the household.

[pasto76]

60. we have a city park across the street - I always know when anyone is over there

day or night. The Hounds of War, as they are called in my house, dont always bark or growl, but when they get up from their beds at night - which is unusual - they are going to lay in the living room I guess so they can hear better.

[Politicalboi]

66. Cats can attack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJl5WeDN2I&feature=related

LOL!

[Arugula Latte]

69. Our neighbor came into our backyard one night looking for his dog.

My elderly kitty girl started growling, which totally freaked me out until I realized it was the neighbor.

[newspeak]

72. unless it's a siamese cat

my uncle's sister had two siamese cats who would get on top of high furniture and jump on your head to attack. When I first came over their house, she told me not to move because the cats were on the bookshelf ready to pounce on my head.

[Merlot]

36. So true! The cat I share a domicile with...

sits up straight and stares whenever someone or something is outside. I've seen him wake up from a sound sleep and rush to the window. He also makes his "rounds" of all windows at night after eating.

[tblue37]

37. My kitty alarm system alerts me when someone knocks at my door. Since I am

severely hearing impaired, I cannot hear a knock, but their ears go up and they head toward the door, even when we are in a backroom, and that is how I know when someone is at my door.

When someone is just hanging around in the yard, they alert me to that, too.

[valerief]

56. Yeah, but you can't tell if it's a raccoon or prowler. nt

[supernova]

2. My little rattie shakes up the neighborhood

:D

He goes outside and announces to THE WORLD that THIS IS HIS YARD, DAMMIT!!

:rofl:

edit: Congrats to that St Bernard and family. :-) I guess the police are looking for somebody with a limp? ;-)

[eShirl]

3. GOOD BOY Hercules!

:loveya:

[iscooterliberally]

4. It' helps to have an Attack Cat too!

:headbang:

[eShirl]

6. sweet :) Not like our cat; she feels discretion is the better part of valor.

[iscooterliberally]

9. Your cat is beautiful!

My cat took more to the dogs than she did to the other cats. She likes to sit on my front porch and guard my house. She chases off the local tomcats that come by and try to get into her catnip plants. :evilgrin:

[dmr]

24. That's cute

We had a neighborhood Tom that would lounge in our catnip planter.

He drove our two girls batty!
:rofl:

[CountAllVotes]

8. very true!

One of my cats growls when anyone comes around the house and if they go so far as to ring the doorbell or knock on the door, her hair stands on end and she goes into hiding under the bed. :rofl:

I'm glad to know this St. Bernard was adopted into a home that needs him! :D

:kick: & recommend!!

[Omaha Steve]

5. We had two Saints and a mixed Saint

All three were great dogs. We got one as a pup and he grew up with our kids. No doubt in my mind they were protectors too.

K&R!

Edit. Our current family has 3 rescued dogs. Luka, Sweetie Darling (former ASPCA rescue dog of the week), and Dug. Dug's previous owners moved out of their apartment and left him behind with no food, water, or way to survive.


ASPCA SUCCESS STORY OF THE WEEK: PLAYING IT BY THE EARS



When Sweetie Darling first left Hearts United for Animals—a no-kill shelter near Auburn, NE—the bone-thin rat terrier doggedly held her ears back and only wanted to huddle in her new dog bed.

Thankfully, new parents Steve and Marta Dawes were intent on their pup’s happiness. After bringing her home, they talked to her constantly and invited her to play. “At first Sweetie just sat in her dog bed and stared at us!” Marta recalls. “She couldn’t figure out what we were doing.”

But a breakthrough occurred when Marta offered Sweetie a small piece of roast beef. “Her ears came to attention,” recalls Marta. “It was the first time we had seen her with her ears up, and it totally transformed her from looking scared and abandoned to looking alert and interested in life.” Sweetie jumped out of her bed and approached Marta for her treat. “After that moment, the sad look disappeared,” Marta recalls. “She began looking more at home, gaining weight by eating anything she was offered and running all over the house with our two other dogs.”

Now, nearly two years later, Sweetie Darling runs the house and—her proud mom informs us—she’s earned the nickname "the Duchess." “She barks imperiously at us to move the cat so she can sleep on the couch,” says Marta, “and if she somehow gets out from under the covers in the middle of the night, she barks for someone to cover her again. Since we’re completely under her spell, we do what she commands!”

The Dawes hardly ever see Sweetie with her ears down now. “She even sleeps with them at attention!” laughs Marta.


OS

[lunatica]

13. Nice story

[iscooterliberally]

18. She is a cutie!

I sometimes do rescue transports for a rescue group based in South Florida. Sometimes I have to go to the pound and pick up the dogs and then deliver them to other drivers so they can get to their foster homes. I sometimes get to see them transform right before my eyes. They all come out shaking with fear, but after they are in the back of my minivan for 5 minutes it goes away. I guess they get the scent of my dogs. My dogs are always excited when they get in the van because 99 times out of 100 we are going to the dog park. Thank you for adopting! :yourock: :fistbump:

[deadinsider]

7. They better make sure not to bring him near a bank... n\t

[zeemike]

10. I think we tend to think of dogs as dumb animals.

But my guess is that that dog new well these people just saved him from a death sentence and new that his job now was to protect them...
I am not sure how dogs know things like that but I am sure they do.

[jtuck004]

11. Dog says "I LIKE this place. Can I have another?"

Love my rescue dogs. Of the group the largest is the Anatolian Shepherd, about the same size and attitude as Hercules. The Chihuahua/Pomeranian has the same attitude, but she's more like having a pocket derringer.


Thank you for the post.

[anamandujano]

12. "If your aren't on their 'list', you ain't gettin' in! "

This whole thread is hilarious, and very sweet.

[bread_and_roses]

14. My three Goldens no doubt welcomed the burglars in ....

We weren't home, the burglars were humans, they were Goldens .... enough said. (alas, they are all gone now....how I miss them...I didn't have them for guard duty and we loved them dearly)

While this is a touching story, particularly because of the adoption angle (and good for the adopters for taking him in!) - they may not be so thrilled if Hercules exhibits the same "that's running like prey - bring it down!" response when a kid runs across their yard.

[iscooterliberally]

20. I know what you mean.

Having dogs is a great responsibility. Hopefully the new owners will take care to train Hercules well. I didn't get my dogs for guard duty either, they assumed that role on their own. I have taken them all through puppy school and private training except for my last one Samson. He's an older dog and doesn't run much. He is very obedient and comes when called. I love Goldens too. I see many at the dog park and they all seem to love people even more than they love other dogs. I hope that you get to have more dogs. I know what it's like to have to say goodbye to them. Dogs just seem to make everything better somehow. I'm sad for the dogs that I have lost to old age, but it's a kind of sad that I'm truly glad to have.

[Fuddnik]

44. My two Lab Mix rescues make enough noise to scare off a burglar.

But, if they happen to get in, he'll be greeted with toys and kisses.

[beam me up scottie]

15. Put a sign on my gate: "Please leave packages outside of gate or horses will eat them"

Yep, I turned my back to talk to a neighbor for just a minute and it was gone.
:rofl:

We're going to get a shelter dog (or three) soon, but for now you have to make it through 2000+ lbs of horseflesh to get to our house.

[iscooterliberally]

22. Aww...I miss the horses.

I used to live in a house that was in an orange grove right next to a pasture. Every now and then the girl who owned the horses would phone me and ask if I could run over and feed them. I always did. She had a large male horse that didn't like guys at all. I would ride him anyway and he would always try to run me under tree branches to knock me off. We also had a pit bull that would play fetch with the oranges that fell off the trees. He was the only dog I ever knew that would actually eat oranges. I hope that you get some wonderful doggies for your house!

[beam me up scottie]

26. What a wonderful place to live, it sounds like Camelot.

Thanks for the warm wishes, no home is complete without at least one dog.

And I hope you have horses in your future too.

:hug:

[yella_dawg]

16. When dogs are outlawed...

only outlaws will have dogs.

[iscooterliberally]

21. I'll be on the FBI's most wanted list if that happens.

:evilgrin:

[iris27]

17. 135 lbs. - that's small for a St. Bernard. I wonder if he's still a puppy, or if his troubles

before getting to the shelter took that much of a toll on him? Either way, he's got some growing to do - hope they're ready! :)

[AtomicKitten]

19. Good dog.

[Liberal_in_LA]

23. cool story

[applegrove]

27. I've known two Saint Bernards and they certainly do make good guard dogs.

[meow2u3]

43. I HAD a St. Bernard who was a protection dog

He literally saved my life when I was 19, protecting me from a gang of about 20 thugs. They thought the dog wouldn't do anything when they attacked me, but the doggie jumped on one of them, knocked him down, and the rest ran like hell!

Homer, the St. Bernard, was a huge 220 pounder with a bark that shook the house and a protective attitude to match. Sadly, he passed away a year later after he was brought to Texas from New York when we moved there. The 1980 Texas heat wave claimed him as one of its victims. :(

[applegrove]

70. Aww, poor Homer. Poor you for being attacked by 20 thugs.

[Quantess]

29. That's sweet, but I sure hope the dog isn't a habitual biter...

who bites at whim. Bitey dogs are only good when you want them to bite someone.

[flvegan]

38. Ignorant.

[wickerwoman]

68. Why is it ignorant?

Some dogs are definitely more territorial and aggressive than others, even within the same breed.

We had a Norweigan Elkhound growing up (kind of like a little husky for anyone who doesn't know; very close bloodlines to a wolf) who was not trained at all as a guard or attack dog and was the sweetest animal on earth with our family but who got *very* aggressive around teen-aged boys we brought home from school with us.

We had to give him away after he bit two other kids with no provocation whatsoever. They were really more hard nips, so we thought the first time was just a freak occurance, but there was obviously something in the dog's psychology or genetics that made him too aggressive for a family house pet.

I'd be happy if a dog I just brought home stopped a robbery by biting the thief, but I'd also be at least a little wary about that dog's future behaviour. That seems like a strange amount of territorality for a dog to show for a place he's only been in for a few hours.

[Quantess]

71. Thank you. I'm thinking of the German Shepherd I live with right now.

She is overly protective to a fault, and it's very unfortunate, actually. The dog is extremely strong and powerful and she would be biting people and other dogs every day if we allowed her to. She bit an innocent neighbor one night and ripped a hole in his pants, just because he walked too close and was intoxicated.

My housemate (a senior citizen) adopted her last year at age 8, so we can't blame my roommate for the poor upbringing. She has to wear a muzzle now when she goes out in public. I feel bad for the dog because she is very loving and wants to protect us, but she is overprotective x 1000.

She also plays rough and has bitten the grandchildren's hands (and my finger also, during fetch-play).

I have never known a dog who was this attack-happy. I am a dog lover, and I have a fondness for her, even though she can't be trusted, and we "can't take her anywhere", so to speak.

This dog would absolutely jump at an intruders' throat. So I suppose that's a plus...

[flvegan]

73. "That's sweet, but I sure hope the dog isn't a habitual biter...

who bites at whim. Bitey dogs are only good when you want them to bite someone."

Well, that IS convenient.

"I'd be happy if a dog I just brought home stopped a robbery by biting the thief, but I'd also be at least a little wary about that dog's future behaviour. That seems like a strange amount of territorality for a dog to show for a place he's only been in for a few hours. "

In other words, you don't know shit about dogs.

So again, Ignorant.

[wickerwoman]

76. Did you have anything substantial to add to the conversation

or did you just stop by to be personally insulting?

I don't claim to be an expert on dogs, but I've had canine buddies pretty much continuously for the past 29 years and have read a number of books on dog behaviour and training.

In the absence of any real information on your part as to why anything either I or Quantess said is ignorant, I have to assume that you have nothing really to say and are just stirring shit.

[Quantess]

77. I took that one off ignore for a minute, just now...

But his post was substance-free and not worth a reply. Oh well, now I know I'm not missing much. He can go back on ignore. :)

[glowing]

30. I have a boxer/ rot tie mix.. He's sweet and doesn't bite.

But he's big and his bark is really terrific.. which drives me nuts when the mail man drives by or one of my son's friends knocks on the door for him to come out and play... But yesterday, the ADT guy came to the house. He pounded on the door, much louder than most people would bother knocking for. Needless to say, that knock really drove the dog crazy. I could only open the door by a wee little bit to keep him from trying to get around me and a protect me from this intrusion. I told the man his services were not needed, I have an attack dog. No one crazy enough would try coming in our home to rob it.. They would choose another home on the street before dealing with my dog..

[bluesmail]

31. I've always had dogs, after having to put Peetie down

I was dogless till I adopted Sasha, a 3 year old border collie austrailian mix and what a great dog, aside from being oh so protective, she's a great dog and I feel proud to have rescued her. (:loveya: could not resist) I know she would do the same.

[ellisonz]

32. Good boy.

[a la izquierda]

33. I heard this on the local news...

my two dogs are the warning system for my big guy. This is why I don't need a gun in the house. I release the hounds, the bad guys are in trouble.

[TorchTheWitch]

35. It only takes a few moments for a dog to admit a new creature into their pack

And once they are admitted as a pack member they require the same protection and loyalty as any other pack member. With that in mind it shouldn't be surprising that this family's brand new family member acted to protect them.

[flvegan]

39. It's in the Molosser nature. No surprise here.

That burglar is lucky the dog was of the more patient types. Good dog, good folks for adopting him. Liberators, I dare say.

[border_town]

41. I have two

Great Pyrenees and feel very secure with them. I drove from the Northeast to SC with them and wasn't at all nervous because I had them with me. :)

[Cid_B]

42. They balanced out this jerk...

An Evansville told Evansville Police Department officers he wants his girlfriend’s dog put down after it attacked him while he tried to scare his girlfriend with a Halloween mask Monday night, according to an incident report.

According to the report, police were called to 3030 Pollack Ave. about 10:30 p.m. Yeida told police she was in her bedroom with her Rottweiler, Hurricane, when Eggers came in wearing a Halloween mask and scared her. Hurricane attacked Eggers’ left arm, the report said.

Eggers told officers at the hospital he knew the dog was just doing its job, protecting Yeida, but that he wanted the dog put down.

A phone call to Eggers was not returned.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/nov/01/dog-takes-bite-out-halloween-prankster/?partner=popular

________________

[TBF]

45. Our lab is 90+ lbs. with a big bark - no one is coming in unless he approves it

love him!

[freshstart]

46. Great story!

I hear you on the "if you aren't on the list, you ain't gettin in." My rescued shep mix is the same way. Nobody gets in until I tell her it is okay. I shared the article with my favorite shelters. Thanks for posting.

[customerserviceguy]

47. Ahh, dogs

My favorite kind of people!

[backwoodsbob]

48. love my bernie

and they are VERY protective :)

[cate94]

49. I love dogs

Rescue dogs are always a special kind of awesome.

[babydollhead]

51. Our bird, , screams his head off when someone is pulling into the driveway or at the door

[postulater]

55. I have a goldfish. Goldie.

We never lock our doors. She keeps the cats safe.

[OnyxCollie]

58. K&R.

Now it's time to walk my dogs in the park.

Nobody ever messes with us.

[iscooterliberally]

78. Your dogs are beautiful!

I think one of my rescued mutts has some Onyx Collie in him maybe?

[pasto76]

59. Dogs are the ONLY animal on this planet that will gaze into your eyes

we have a unique co-evolutionary path that most scientists believe goes back more than 100,000 years. SO like, almost of all modern human history.

They know who their family are. Lakota wisdom says "treat your dog as a member of your family, and he will protect them like they are part of his"

We have 2 large lab husky mixes, both from the shelters. one for each of my daughters. They are, without question, the BEST form of security you can get.

When our baby was about 6 months old last Xmas, my parent came to visit. They way the dogs would post up in the room was awesome. The smaller dog (if 80 pounds is small) would sit between my parents and the baby, the big 95 pound dog would post post across the room on the left or right flank. They had the baby covered. When my parents would get too crazy and loud with the baby(especially with any big crazy arm movements), they both received an extremely low, all business growl.

And that's exactly why we have them!

[riderinthestorm]

61. Good dog Hercules! Lots of treats for you!

[DirkGently]

62. Excellent. We keep a pair of small Food Delivery Alert dogs. Invaluable when the doorbell goes wonky

[lumberjack_jeff]

63. They were home and the phone line was cut.

This was a foiled robbery, not a burglary.

Good dog.

[Nay]

64. It sure was. That 'robber' was going to do a whole lot more than

burgle the house.

And yes, GOOD DOG!

[evilhime]

65. You will never be alone

if you have a dog. All our dogs are rescues and they KNOW they are loved, wanted and belong and are glad to be here and not in the high kill shelters from whence they came. Everyday I'm happy for all the love they provide ;).

[Yavapai]

67. We have a rescued Rottweiler!

We live in an extremely rural area (nearest neighbor 2 miles away).

He never barks except there is someone/something out of place. If he alerts to something we go out with a gun to investigate.

He is the sweetest, most lovable dog we have ever had. We have several pet African Grey Parrots and a rescued Gamble's Quail who has the run of the house. He
has never attempted to harm them and the birds outside ignore him as they perceive him to not be a threat. Sherman (named after the WWII tank), plays with
the coyotes who wander into the yard.

We never fear when Sherman is here!!!

[Beacool]

74. Here's the smallest OWS supporter.

:D

[SoDesuKa]

75. Bomb-Sniffing Cats

Why don't they have bomb-sniffing cats at the airport? The reason isn't that cats can't sniff a bomb. They have very good noses. It's that when they sniff a bomb, they say to themselves, "Good think I'm not getting on that airplane."



Good Thing I'm Not Getting on That Plane