A great many people think that if their dog is big, he will handle any situation and protect them under all circumstances. They often find out the hard way that this is not always the case. Why a dog fails to protect its master in various situations can be caused by a number of factors, these include the dogs character and breeding, (remember just because your dog is a nice dog and he loves you does not mean he is the right dog for protection.), the dogs training, or the lack of familiarity with a given scenario leading to a lack of any type of response in the dogs instinctive inventory. In some cases the dog may be simply afraid. The removal of fear is a key element in early training in dogs, they do not automatically come this way out of the "box". A dog like any other creature has self preservation instincts. Some of these must be overcome or suppressed to create an effective protection dog.