When I was about 12 years old, I was standing in my family’s screened-in porch with our Border Collie, Nibbles, when a neighbor approached. He smiled, asked if my mother was home and then pushed open the screen door. Nibbles went wild — barking, snapping and throwing his full body against the back door.
The neighbor rushed down the stairs and left our property. I had never seen Nibbles act so aggressively. Later that summer, the neighbor was arrested and then convicted on 10 counts of child molestation. Nibbles had sensed something sinister in our neighbor and sought to protect his family.
Why Do Dogs Not Like Some People?
Dogs sometimes don’t like certain people, and their owners can't explain why. But scientists are increasingly learning more about dog behavior and cognition.
Since 2005, scientists have studied dogs more intensely, and they’ve gained greater insight into how dogs collect information to determine when someone is growl-worthy.