Dog protecting pregnant owner video - what do you think?

http://www.heart.co.uk/news/today-youtube/dog-protects-pregnant-owner/

It's definitely very sweet that the dog wants to protect his owner, but I can't say that I like the video. Obviously the dog perceived the man touching his owner as a threat, so he reacted accordingly, but something should have been done to control the situation. If the dog goes out for a walk with his owner and somebody attempts, as many people do, to touch the baby bump, what then? No, the dog wasn't out-and-out trying to bite the man, but the situation still should have been calmed down.

There's also the worry that Staffordshire Bull Terriers/American Staffordshire Terriers and related breeds already have an unfair (in my opinion) reputation as 'aggressive' dogs. Yes, the dog was just protecting, but that's not how a lot of people are going to see it. It doesn't help the breed's reputation in the slightest sense.

The article mentioned that the dog is usually docile - fine. So, surely, you'd want to ensure that this remains the same? Teaching a dog control doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't still going to be protective, but it does mean that he won't be throwing himself around all over the place whenever somebody goes near his owner's belly.

I can't get the video to play for some reason, but it sounds rather irresponsible to put the dog in that position & then to find it funny!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6x-ibmc7H8

That's the video.

Right, just watched it. Horrendous!

At the end the dog does nip the man's hand - why the hell do they find that so funny?  

Yes, he definitely made contact. Obviously the dog wasn't attempting to injure, as his mouth very barely made contact each time, but that isn't the point.

Yes I've seen it and it makes me very uncomfortable, and something we really don't want from chance should it come to that

I think you can carefully discourage it, but that in that video they are putting the dog under far too much pressure.

Definitely and just thinking it's funny!

But you're responsible and wouldn't laugh if Chance did something like that.

Exactly!

Totally wrong and promoting the possibility of a horrible accident to someone that doesn't know , to me it is more tormenting the dog than anything else and for it to be filmed and promoted is disgusting

Unfortunately, some people seem to find it funny.

Uncomfortable viewing on several levels.

But - does anyone believe that a dog knows that his owner is pregnant and by projection is protecting the unborn child?

I don't think he was protecting the child; I do believe he was protecting his owner, who would have been full of raging hormones and scents that could have triggered the protective behaviour of the dog.

Good point!