except that one guy he went Cujo on when the jerk came up to my car. His response to that one man was so visceral that my pal the sheriff, who loves dogs and was always threatening to steal my golden as best dog ever, was worried he'd have to shoot the dog if he broke out of the car.

To be honest, EVERYBODY hated that jerk, even his brother, who my dog simply adored.

If a golden says NOPE, that person has no redeeming traits. Trust the dog.

i once had a dobbie for a very short while. (sadly slipped by me and got hit by a car.) a couple wks after i got her, my sister brought a guy over and that dog sat next to me, growled so quietly only i cd hear, and gave him the stink eye the whole time.
guy turned out to b a super asshole.

yesiree. dogs know.

My long ago doxie/terrier cross was tolerant of some of my beaus over the years, and downright openly hostile to a couple of them. His impressions always turned out spot on. He adored the man I eventually married, but was long gone when that guy went bad, so I had to learn the hard way after 20 years of marriage and the personality change so weird a nurse pal insisted he needed to be checked out for a brain tumor.

I hold most dogs' opinions in high regard. It's like they can smell trouble.

So sorry you lost your dobbie too soon. That had to hurt. My sweet golden has been gone nearly 14 years, and I still cry.

that 1 hurt esp bad. she was the 1st good thing that happened to me after my 1st divorce. saw her get hit, but couldnt go to her, cuz i was alone w a toddler. neighbors jumped out, tho.
she’d been an expensive pup, $800 in 78, a blue when those were still new. but had been through 3 homes. mostly tied to a tree. i’ll never know what the problem was. she was good as gold w me.

My dogs and cats judgement of character. Wouldn't surprise me that there is an underlying smell to evil. I have met people that my senses have told be to sneak away and make sure that person isn't following.

I like that name!

as a 3 month old running the streets, he grew up to 80 lbs and had this frighting "COME PET ME" bark
that scared people until they figured out he only wanted petting. Loved everybody and all other animals.
5 times in his 13 years he stood next to me and growled at people I thought I could trust, had little to do
with them after Rommel showed me they couldn't be trusted. Some days his one ear never stood up.

That only growled once in his whole life. He was 12 or 13 by then. It was an acquaintance of my husband. Never let that person back in my house again.