I think I shared this story, but Rose once stood in front of my front door and growled and champed when a repairman tried to leave. She showed no overt aggression upon his being here working (though she's never terribly fond of a male stranger in the home initially), but when he grabbed his bags to leave, she stood in front of the door and was quite serious about his attempt to exit through it. I hadn't thought about this until I recently had a guy over to buy a chameleon. She ran right in front of the front door and barked as he stood up to leave. She went to her crate on command, and was fine after he was gone, but the behavior seems odd. Someone once told me about a dog breed that was known for this, but it isn't American Bulldog, and this isn't a taught behavior.

It also isn't a behavior I would mind if I'm not here, so I have no desire to outright correct if she would be a worse guard dog for it. As much as anything, it's perplexing. Her low exercise regimen while on her meds has her more excitable than usual, but the first occasion was probably 2 years ago. FWIW, to memory, she was much more serious about it the first time. This time no growling, just barking and tail wagging -but definitely blocking the exit and staring right at the guest. I have friends over regularly, and on football Sundays, there is a weekly rotation of guys that she doesn't "know," and she is happy to have the company. I can't think of anything this fellow did that got her on alert, except he was a really loud talker. But that didn't bother her while he and I were talking, and during a typical football game there is all sorts of cheering and noise, and at worst she hops up and seeks out a toy.

One of my favorite things about this forum is that the strangest questions seem to always be something that others have dealt with. Hoping this one falls into that category.

I know someone who said his Great Pyrenees (outside) did the same thing when a stranger went to the door and no one was home. The unfortunate guy have to wait to leave until the owners came home, he said that the dogs were very pleasant until he tried to step off the porch.

 Quote: Chip Bridges

One of my favorite things about this forum is that the strangest questions seem to always be something that others have dealt with. Hoping this one falls into that category.

Can't say that I've been exposed to anything similiar. The only thing I can think of is maybe that he didn't 'hang out' or there was a longer than norm exchange at the doorway that she took note of?

I've had one that did that. I never understood why he did it. He was a dobe FWIW.
I always said that he wanted to make sure I knew that he was actually working, not just laying on the couch all day. lol He 'trapped' my cousin for three hours once while I was at work. Never bit, just growled and blocked the door. Weird coming home after work and finding your cousin sitting on the dryer (smoking MY cigs IN my house) with a dobe babysitting her. At least I knew where all the cigs were going..... good boy!

 Quote: Debbie Bruce

I know someone who said his Great Pyrenees (outside) did the same thing when a stranger went to the door and no one was home. The unfortunate guy have to wait to leave until the owners came home, he said that the dogs were very pleasant until he tried to step off the porch.

Someone I worked with several years ago had a Pyr. One night she and her husband got home after work and dinner to find several police cars waiting for them. It turned out that a man had broken into their house and their Pyr and let the guy gather up all the items he planned to steal. But the dog would not permit the man to leave the house. The guy actually called the cops, who went into the house and cuffed the guy. But the Pyr would not allow them to take the guy out until his owners got home and gave the ok.

My min poodle was great at this! Sweet as could be to entering and visiting, but as soon as "strangers" tried to leave he'd jump like a pogo stick and bark like crazy in front of the door. We trained our regular visitors (the kids friends, mostly) to put him in his crate before heading for the door. Once he got used to that command from that particular person he was okay allowing them to leave. But if it were more than one person, like a family, forget it. We'd have to crate him until they were gone.