My Doberman Didn't Defend Me
It is hard to say why a dog doesn't defend its master without knowing more about the dog, the owner, their relationship, the relationship the dog had with the attacker, and the situation. But, here are some thoughts:
Dogs that don't come from proven protection lines (meaning, the parents, grandparents, etc. all have been service police or military dogs) are not going to be as reliable in a fight. It is almost impossible to find a Doberman doing police work these days. They have evolved into being pets and watchdogs.
Owners can mess up a dog's ability to protect by how the handle the dog. If the owner doesn't trigger the dog's protective instincts, the dog won't attack.
The relationship between the dog and owner matter. If the dog has a bad relationship with the owner, why should the dog protect the owner? Dogs that are kept isolated in the back yard aren't going to be as bonded to their owners. Dogs that are abused won't be as bonded to their owners. The dog has to have a stake in the survival of the owner. That can only come through developing a good, healthy relationship between the dog and owner.
Dogs will also not attack some types of people. If the dog has a good bond with the attacker, then the dog is going to be less likely to attack. If the dog has no bond with the attacker, then the dog is more likely to attack. If you have a stalker, it isn't going to help you if the dog loves the stalker.
Lastly, the situation matters. Aggression is only going to be triggered if the right stimuli are present to cause the dog to do aggressive behaviors: territorial intrusion, threat to a pack member, etc. Those same situations that would cause a wolf to fight another wolf or predator are the same situations that would cause a dog to fight a person. If the dog can't perceive those stimuli, because of its breed or the situation isn't something that would trigger an aggressive response, the dog won't protect you.
So, that is it in a nutshell.
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