Are My Dogs Attracted to Danger? Yes.

Hi, I’m Allison! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my three mixed-breed dogs from Thailand, Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic.

Many humans are attracted to danger because it is thrilling. Amusement parks have made billions by creating rides that make your heart plunge below your large intestine. People are always looking for the latest gory horror film that will make them never want to sleep with the lights off again. People scuba dive with sharks, jump out of planes, and race motorbikes as if trying to break the sound barrier. We do it for the thrill, the adrenaline kick, to feel alive.

What about dogs? Are dogs attracted to danger on the same level as humans? My dogs certainly are! I wish I knew why…

Fear No Predator

Living in Thailand made the Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic aware of other creatures. And, wow, the creatures they would encounter! We had the run-of-the-mill chickens, frogs, rats, and ground squirrels. But there were some animals I really wished they would avoid.

Snakes

Have you ever seen documentaries about orphaned orangutans learning to fear snakes from their human caregivers? If you haven’t, I would check it out because it is adorable. Knowing what is dangerous is an important skill for them because, without their mothers, they would not know that snakes equal danger.

So, why didn’t my dogs pick up on this knowledge based on my or my husband’s reactions to snakes? Couldn’t they have just left them alone? Nope! Anytime they find a snake, chaos ensues. Rat snakes are the most common ones, and while they are not venomous, they will bite when provoked. Naturally, our dogs went after them like it was a game. Thankfully, none of them got bitten. I wish I could say the same for the snakes.

But rat snakes were not the only serpents they encountered. One day, a 7-foot-long Burmese python came slithering onto our balcony. Again, it was not a venomous snake, but pythons are known for giving life-ending “hugs.” And, of course, Manic lunged at it. Don’t worry; we grabbed him and locked him in the house until the snake was relocated.

Monitor Lizards

In my humble opinion, monitor lizards are intimidating. They can run up to 12 miles per hour, which is much faster than the average human. Monitor lizards can also climb trees and swim. These reptiles are equipped with razor-sharp claws and a tail they whip when threatened.

All of these traits mean nothing to my dogs. These creatures are child’s play to the trio! They go after monitor lizards, even when they get tail-whipped by them.

Miscellaneous

Besides snakes and monitor lizards, the dogs have fearlessly pursued scorpions, porcupines, and even a millipede. Okay, so millipedes are not dangerous, but it was a bit entertaining to see Manic dance around the lone millipede, barking his head off.

Whether they crawl, swim, or have fur or scales, Jelly, Lorraina, and Manic considered them fair game. Sigh.

Do They Do It for the Rush?

I have previously written about my dogs attacking, and sadly killing, small mammals in the USA: squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, and groundhogs. But what was the point of going after dangerous animals? Are they doing it to protect me and my husband? Do they understand the danger that some animals pose to people?

Perhaps I am anthropomorphizing my dogs too much. I do that quite often—assuming my dogs think about danger in the same ways I do.

Maybe they do it for the rush? People do risky things all the time for that reason. Do dogs enjoy adrenaline like people do? I think that sometimes they do. When my dogs stick their heads out the car window, I like to think they get a rush from feeling the wind blowing through their fur.

This is the type of “danger” I can handle them experiencing. But snakes? Ugh.