Bulldog Sees Windshield Wipers For The First Time And Turns Into A Guard Dog
The job of a guard dog is truly unmatched. The best guard dog breeds can help you feel safe, patrol your property, and even act as alarms. Something not on your list of things that gets your guard dog activated, though? Windshield wipers. That's right, one absolutely hilarious TikTok video, with over 13,000 shares, just captured a bulldog's first run-in with these seemingly harmless car parts. If you ask him, windshield wipers are enemy number one.
@motek_ He only barks when he's terrified lol
Beans the bulldog has lived in the desert for most of his life and had never seen windshield wipers before, according to his mom. That might explain why this football jersey-donned tough guy promptly started barking in his owner's ear the second she turned on the wipers on a very rainy day. His owner says Beans "only barks when he's terrified." New Beans supporters sounded off in the comments that perhaps his barks were more protective than fearful. As one viewer joked, Beans might have been thinking, "Don't worry Mom, I got us!"
Was Beans terrified, or just being a good guard dog?
Are Beans' fans right that this is simply a case of a "guard dog activated?" Well, the answer might be in the type of bark heard in the video (Did you know a dog's bark can reach 80 or more decibels?). A 2004 study in Animal Behaviour found that lower-toned dog barks with little vocal variation tend to be in response to disturbances (like a stranger at the front door). Higher-pitched barks, on the other hand, vary in vocal range and are usually in response to a dog wanting to play or feeling isolated. Beans' barks in the video are, indeed, pretty monotone, and seem to better match the first description.
What about Bean's owner calling him terrified? Fear-driven, anxious, and territorial barking are all considered defensive, and can exhibit similar characteristics. What makes Beans' bark more obviously territorial is his body language. Veterinarian Monica Tarantino wrote on PetMD, "If it's just territorial barking, then the body posture may include having the ears and head at attention and the tail straight. This is the dog's way of indicating that they are larger and may bite."
Beans shows us how surprisingly random moments can reveal that you have a potentially great guard dog on your hands. But don't forget! Once you see the potential, then you'll need to train your dog to protect you, regardless of its breed.