let me first say i hope this doesnt open a can of worms and that no one takes me the wrong way when i ask this, it is just something i wonder about dog behavior so i know what to expect, or at least have an idea...
with that being said, i often wonder since i baby chance and i train him to be nice to everyone and everydog, would he know instinctively what to do if he was attacked by another dog? would he be able to defend himself? no not kill or harm, just defend himself as a dog! or if we are walking and someone attacked me from behind or tried to hurt me, would he still great them as mr wiggle butt or would he growl or know something was wrong? i read about dogs warning their owners in a fire, or a burgler. chance half the time doesnt bother to get off the couch when i come home, so i know he is house guard, nor do i want him to be!!! please dont think i want my dog to be aggressive that is exactly what i train him not to be. i still understand his background and could more so judge what he would do if a dog attacked him than a person attacking me. i want to understand my dogs instincts as a dog and an animal to be able to better understand him and his reactions or possible reactions.
i hope i made sense, this is something i have always pondered since i watched my dad train his partner w/ lapd swat our dog King who was aust/germ shephard. i know what they can be trained to do, but i was very young and still wonder, is it easier to train them becuase of their natural instincts or is it purely training that they know the difference between a threat and just another person? King was trained on body language, etc just like we know if a dog gets stiff and that tail goes up (several different things to look for) they are nervous or may attack, he knew if someone was a threat vs a baby who may smack him with toy becuase they are a baby and dont know different. he knew the difference. he would walk around with a bird on his head that would peck, peck, peck and he wouldnt flinch, but approach my dad wrong, you would see a different dog. you would see a trained police officer ready to defend his partner!
i hope this comes across right, sometimes i have trouble putting my thoughts into words, so please dont jump to the wrong conclusion when you read this.