I for one never thought my Golden would never defend me, but maybe she would, hopefully I will never find out.
I have just been sent this link, and thought I would share it as it just shows how courageous our dogs can be, no matter what the breed.

http://www.asylum.co.uk/2010/01/05/heroic-dog-saves-11-year-old-from-cougar/

What a brave golden,i suppose instinct kicks in.

I never thought our golden retriever would ever protect me but she did. On evening in the summer we were going for a walk around the streets in a housing estate it wasn't dark when i heard someone walking behind me. I didn't think anything about it i was just wondering who is was but i didn't look behind me but carried on walking, when my goldie stopped & turned round & growled at the person it was a man in his 40's, the man crossed the road & carried on walking, but our dog was still growling at him as he crossed the road & all the hair was up on her back I have never seen that person before or since, & when i look back on it i realise she was protecting me, she was only young at the time about 8 months old.

That story so touched my heart, rather upset but I can be a numpty with a sad story with a happy ending!
thanks for sharing..

Ahhh, bless her. I hope the dog makes a full recovery. How lucky for the family that the dog was there.

I think dogs will protect  ..I remember years ago I was waiting for someone  with one of my roughs who was very much my dog and the sweetest boy ..a man began walking towards us.. my boy looked at him and barked  aggressively then he stood in front of me and showed him all his teeth with his nose right back the man stared at me and made a quick exit turning around and walking away ...my boy watched him go then turned around to me jumped up on his back legs and tried to kiss me as if to say didnt I do  well I got rid of the nasty man. He did this one other time in his life in a similar situation . He adored people and loved to be fussed so this reaction to both these men was so out of character I am sure in his eyes he felt the need to protect me .

I saw this piece  on aol brought a lump to my throat.. 

It now saddens me to see the conditions that she is being kept in whilst recovering, also apparently she received a fractured skull during the attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkuRQ83b7Q4

Oh how sad she has to live outside by the look of it,after all she has been through...some people have no heart.

How sad that it doesn't look as if she actually as much of a home life.

It certainly doesn't appear as if she is kept as a pet, not in my terms anyway.