Vizsla Owner Testing if She Would Protect Home Takes Unexpected Turn

While vizslas might look the part of a guard dog, they aren’t necessarily the first canines to come to mind when thinking about protecting the house and one owner proved why this dog breed shouldn’t be hired for the job.

In a hilarious February 17 Instagram video shared to the account @sadievizsla, the dog owner snuck up on her dog Sadie in the darkness of the house. She said she wanted to test if Sadie would protect the house.

Sadie peered around the corner calmly at first, eyes aglow in the video due to the bright light in the dark setting. It looked like she was on alert, but when she spotted the “intruder” she couldn’t have escaped fast enough. The dog skedaddled out of the room and straight up the stairs without making a noise, save for her feverish nails scratching for traction as she headed for the stairs.

Her reaction wasn’t quite what the owner expected.

To be fair, most people would have booked it like Sadie did if someone sneaked up on them in a dark house. That’s straight out of a horror movie.

The owner immediately felt bad for scaring Sadie and made sure the dog knew it was her. Based on Sadie’s tail wagging, it’s safe to say all was forgiven. But she probably won’t be hired for the job.

Orvis’ Vizcsla education page says, “Innately gentle, Vizslas don’t make the best guard dogs. Though they may bark excessively out of boredom or agitation, they don’t usually bark to sound the alarm.”

The February 17 Instagram video had over 2.6 million views, 304,781 likes, and 731 comments as of Tuesday. People were cracking up over the dog’s reaction.

“Not even a bark. Warn the others?” wrote a shocked viewer.

Another wrote what went through the dog’s mind: “Dog said, ‘I’m out.'”

But some viewers are coming to the dog’s defense: “Looked like she was running to get you.” Maybe she knew a bark wouldn’t be enough to warn her owner.

Newsweek reached out to @sadievizsla via Instagram for additional comment.

Guard Dog Vs. Watchdog

Many people are quick to interchange the terms guard dogs and watchdogs since both are trained to protect their property, but the truth is that the two types of dogs are very different in handling potential dangers.

Guard dogs and watchdogs both alert their owners in different manners. Watchdogs are known to be very alert and hyper-vigilant. They will listen for unusual noises or movements. If they notice something out of the ordinary, they typically alert their owners by barking, which can also scare away intruders. Watchdogs generally won’t pursue action or chase away an intruder. They expect their owners to take care of the situation.

Guard dogs on the other hand might bark at an intruder, but if that warning is not enough, they will intervene.

Newsweek previously shared a list of the best guard dog breeds according to experts. The list includes Australian shepherds, Beaucerons, boxers, rottweilers, mastiffs, German shepherds, Doberman pinschers, and cane corsos.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup.