# German Shepherd saves Atlanta family-Link



## Jelpy (Nov 8, 2009)

Dog saves Atlanta family from road-rage gunfire - CNN.com

so sad. 

Jelpy


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Yes...very sad... up world we live in.

I hope the family at least finds some solace in their loss that the dog is gone rather than a human family member...it still sucks obviously.


SuperG


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

He was a true hero dog. Too bad he had to give up his life. I hope they find the killers.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

What a screwed up world we live in


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

OMG, can't stop crying..... Let us all hope they get those ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ soon!


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

I can't fathom how people can become so angry driving that they're willing to take someone's life over a perceived slight, smh


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## Waffle Iron (Apr 3, 2012)

I'm proud of the dog. He's an honorable GSD. He was very brave and did what he realized he had to do.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

So sad. 

I do not understand people sometimes. Why the need to take our anger out on someone else? 

I was driving to agility class yesterday. Drove up on a vehicle driving slower them me. I signalled, past on the left, signalled and moved back the right lane. The vehicle I passed, sped up and proceeded to tailgate me and I could see the driver shouting throught my rear view mirror. Scared the crap out of me. Why? All I did was make a legal pass because he was driving slower than I was. Nuts.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I find it very sad the dog died, I truly do. But I'm deeply saddened that we are so accustomed to shooting each other that the media focused on the dog and not the fact that some random person tried to execute an entire family.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Kayos and Havoc said:


> So sad.
> 
> I do not understand people sometimes. Why the need to take our anger out on someone else?
> 
> I was driving to agility class yesterday. Drove up on a vehicle driving slower them me. I signalled, past on the left, signalled and moved back the right lane. The vehicle I passed, sped up and proceeded to tailgate me and I could see the driver shouting throught my rear view mirror. Scared the crap out of me. Why? All I did was make a legal pass because he was driving slower than I was. Nuts.


I was going to work and passed a person on the highway. They were in the passing lane and going much slower than I was so I passed on the right. I got almost to my exit, they charged ahead of me, cut me off, slammed on their brakes and then sat thru an entire green light until it turned yellow and sped away. Meanwhile, traffic is backed up all the way to the highway. I was terrified with no way to go and stuck behind these two punks in traffic. Took a picture of their license plate just in case.

People are completely off their rocker.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

I don't know why people feel the need to romanticize this kind of thing. The dog was in the wrong place at the wrong time (for the dog) and caught a stray bullet. It didn't jump in front of a bullet on purpose out of a sense of duty or selflessness. The dog had no clue. Sad yes unfortunate of course, but people get the wrong idea about what a dog is from stuff like this.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Baillif said:


> I don't know why people feel the need to romanticize this kind of thing. The dog was in the wrong place at the wrong time (for the dog) and caught a stray bullet. It didn't jump in front of a bullet on purpose out of a sense of duty or selflessness. The dog had no clue. Sad yes unfortunate of course, but people get the wrong idea about what a dog is from stuff like this.


THANK YOU!!! Glad someone said what I was thinking.


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

Really? and you know this beyond absolute certainty?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Baillif said:


> I don't know why people feel the need to romanticize this kind of thing. The dog was in the wrong place at the wrong time (for the dog) and caught a stray bullet. It didn't jump in front of a bullet on purpose out of a sense of duty or selflessness. The dog had no clue. Sad yes unfortunate of course, but people get the wrong idea about what a dog is from stuff like this.


I really don't know if I believe this. Dogs in general have wonderful senses and know things way before a human. A good example is when the eagle or owl tried to grab my holden pup. Midnite was hovering over the pup and got to him right as this thing swooped down. I caught a glimpse of it as it was swooping back up. I did not see or hear anything and my pup would have been dead if Midnite was not there.

You really can't win with some people. The dog took a bullet, the kid is alive. No one really knows what that dog sensed or felt he had to do. I think its wrong to assume whst the dog did or didn't do. Police dogs do it daily and they aren't trained to jump in front of a bullet, they just do because they are loyal, just like this dog was.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

While I don't think this dog seen the guy with a gun and jumped in the way of a bullet, I do think the dog was probably acting instinctively getting between the family and thug resulting in the dog getting shot. Still a hero in my mind.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

llombardo said:


> . I think its wrong to assume whst the dog did or didn't do. Police dogs do it daily and they aren't trained to jump in front of a bullet, they just do because they are loyal, just like this dog was.


You sound like you are assuming the dog did jump in front of the bullet. But you say it's wrong to assume either way.

I find it hard to believe that an untrained dog recognized a gun and jumped between the gun and the family. A trained dog might recognize a threat and do that but the chances of an untrained dog doing so are slim. Could he have? Sure. But it's not like anyone can ask him if that was his intention.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

ken k said:


> Really? and you know this beyond absolute certainty?


Yes I know with certainty.

The dog cannot possibly understand or comprehend the concept of a firearm or that a projectile was coming out of a particular end and that it's flight path would be toward the girl the dog just happened to be in front of. The dog probably just had barrier aggression toward something weird happening outside the car and just happened to be in front of the kid if even that. 

How many of you have had dogs bark at you through car windows? It's conditioning not protection. Dog sees something novel dog barks. Has nothing to do with protecting you or your property.


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## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

I didn't read all of this, heard of the story though. Regardless of how the dog jumped there, I'm very saddened for the loss of a heroic life, happy that someone was saved, and overall praying for the best outcome for all involved.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Baillif said:


> Yes I know with certainty.
> 
> The dog cannot possibly understand or comprehend the concept of a firearm or that a projectile was coming out of a particular end and that it's flight path would be toward the girl the dog just happened to be in front of. The dog probably just had barrier aggression toward something weird happening outside the car and just happened to be in front of the kid if even that.
> 
> How many of you have had dogs bark at you through car windows? It's conditioning not protection. Dog sees something novel dog barks. Has nothing to do with protecting you or your property.


So a dog that is working takes a bullet for his handler is a hero, but a dog that is not working is not a hero? Police dogs get shot all the time, because they are in the way, they don't jump in front of a bullet because like you said they don't comprehend that. It's all about getting the bad guy. It's no different in this case. This dog perceived a threat, which is what he is bred to do and reacted. That dog is a hero to that family and I would never personally take that away from him or them. 

My dogs don't bark at all in the car, but I can guarantee if the kids were in the car and some whack job approached Midnites whole demeanor would change and that is solely because of the kids. He has an intense bond with them and would react. I don't believe he would react the same way if it was just me at all. Anyone that has a GSD that loves kids will understand what I'm saying. That bond is strong and the loyality is off the charts. I see this side of Midnite every time the kids are here, nothing and I mean nothing is getting to them without going through him first. I have a feeling this dog had the same bond with his kids.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

> I don't know why people feel the need to romanticize this kind of thing.


Perhaps the general public doesn't need to turn this into a tale of a super dog. The kids will be able to feel a little better in their grief if they think their pet did this to save them.


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## clark77494 (Sep 5, 2014)

Baillif said:


> Yes I know with certainty.
> 
> The dog cannot possibly understand or comprehend the concept of a firearm or that a projectile was coming out of a particular end and that it's flight path would be toward the girl the dog just happened to be in front of. The dog probably just had barrier aggression toward something weird happening outside the car and just happened to be in front of the kid if even that.
> 
> How many of you have had dogs bark at you through car windows? It's conditioning not protection. Dog sees something novel dog barks. Has nothing to do with protecting you or your property.


A couple of months ago a Rottweiler broke off its leash and started approaching me. Ginger my GSD jumped in front of me and started showing teeth at the threat. I don't think the GSD that got shot perceived what a firearm was. The GSD knew there was a threat and simply jumped in front of the threat.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Even a working dog doesn't really know the real danger. In training they do nothing but win. They think they are going to win because that is all that ever happens.

Regardless of that the article leaves the impression the dog intentionally layed it's life down and that is false. No dog not even the trained ones do that. They are unaware of the mortal threat. Any personal protection trainer worth his weight in salt knows that. 

And as for what they were bred to do? Americans have been breeding protection out of GSDs for generations now. You're lucky to find one that will bite without heavy training.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Baillif said:


> *Even a working dog doesn't really know the real danger. In training they do nothing but win*. They think they are going to win because that is all that ever happens.
> 
> Regardless of that the article leaves the impression the dog intentionally layed it's life down and that is false. No dog not even the trained ones do that. *They are unaware of the mortal threat.* Any personal protection trainer worth his weight in salt knows that.
> .


Those sentences are so important


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## Waffle Iron (Apr 3, 2012)

It may be fine and well the dog can't conceptualize a firearm and the danger of a high speed projectile, but I feel more comfortable at night believing the dog sensed peril, sensed alarm from its owners, and protected the baby.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Plus lets remember a working dog is doing something it was trained to do. A dog like the one in the car that sees something novel or scary and has barrier aggression to a window is just doing whatever.

I slap a crate door for a nervy dog and it snaps at my hand through the crate and tries to bark and bite at me it isn't a vicious or brave or bad ass dog. It's just got barrier aggression. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdSVCcaV4Tw&feature=youtu.be

It's just a dog thing.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Baillif said:


> Plus lets remember a working dog is doing something it was trained to do. A dog like the one in the car that sees something novel or scary and has barrier aggression to a window is just doing whatever.
> 
> I slap a crate door for a nervy dog and it snaps at my hand through the crate and tries to bark and bite at me it isn't a vicious or brave or bad ass dog. It's just got barrier aggression.
> 
> ...


In every story printed and by the owners account...The dog was sitting in the passenger seat as they waited for the father to come out of the store. The dog blocked the bullets coming at the person(mom) in the drivers seat and the kids in the back seat, which means this dog stood his ground when he perceived a threat and in the process whether he meant to or not he took the bullets. In order to do that he had to be on top of them literally as the the guy shot at a completely different car. It doesn't even matter how or why, they are alive and probably shouldn't be and he is dead. I don't understand why anyone would take that away from him. This is what people say they are suppose to do, it's what they are suppose to do and when they do it it becomes impossible that they did?? If the dog did nothing and the kid was killed, we would be here talking about what a poorly bred Gsd he was.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

So I just watched the video of the interview with the family and witnesses. There were three guys, one started shooting and walked around the car shooting, bullet holes in every part of vehicle. The dog put himself in front of the mom as she was trying to push him so she could see where the gunman was. He was shot in the neck and if he wasn't shot, mom would be dead because the bullet was going right for her head. *The one window that wasn't shattered was more then half way up, the dog used his weight to push the window down and jumped out. The dog then CHASED the guys but collapsed and died*

This dog is a hero, because if he didn't chase them away, you can bet more shots would have been fired and people would have died.

It isn't even about taking a bullet, this dog went a step further and got rid of the threat, he truly did save his family, trained or not.


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## mthomas918 (Dec 29, 2014)

Okay, people we cannot tell what a dog is thinking. We can only judge them through their actions. So trainers look at the results. The dog new something was wrong.


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## Henrik Meurke (Jan 21, 2015)

I agree with you 100%.


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