Dog Who Can't Stand Maintenance Man Immediately Switches Into 'Guard Mode'

One deaf Great Pyrenees was not happy when she woke up from her nap, only to discover that the person she despises the most had arrived: the maintenance man.

Since the video was posted on Maddie Griffin's TikTok account (@fifi_and_me_) on July 5, it has received almost 60,000 views. Griffin was happy to let her Great Pyrenees sleep when the maintenance man first came to her house, but it wasn't long before the dog's "guard mode" was activated. When Fifi woke back up, she immediately smelled that something wasn't right, and her canine instincts went into overdrive.

Griffin told Newsweek: "I'm so used to the guardian instincts of Great Pyrenees, that I forget it can be new to people. Fifi is super-friendly to everyone, even kids, but if someone gives me an icky feeling, like the maintenance man, she can sense it right away." Once Fifi gets that sense from someone, she won't hesitate to "go into protection mode." For the deaf dog, that happens every time the maintenance man pays a visit.

Owning a deaf dog can be difficult, and the VCA Animal Hospitals chain says that there are various causes for canine deafness. It can be a result of age, similar to how hearing deteriorates as humans get older. Other causes for hearing loss can be chronic ear infections, a genetic defect or a traumatic injury.

There will be changes that owners have to make, such as keeping their pets on a leash as they won't hear oncoming traffic or other dogs, and they shouldn't be woken up abruptly as they are easily startled. But VCA Animal Hospitals adds that a deaf dog will quickly learn to pay closer attention to their surroundings in other ways. Deaf dogs will rely heavily on their sense of smell to help them understand their environment.

After Fifi woke up and realized there was someone new inside her home, her instincts kicked in, and she instantly started sniffing around to find out who it was.

Griffin loves seeing this side of Fifi, and she can tell the difference between her barking at something outside, compared to a perceived intruder.

"She has a longer, louder bark when she's in protection mode, compared to when she's barking at a squirrel or a cowboy hat. She doesn't like those," Griffin added. "She's deaf, but her sense of smell is pretty amazing, so that's how she was able to tell he came in after the fact."

Many social-media users love how Fifi can be the ultimate guard dog, even straight after waking up from a nap. One person commented: "Big floofy guard."

Another wrote: "Just like my girls! I've got a 11Y[ear old] and a 4Y, they guard my 13W[eek old] kitten against the maintenance guy!"

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