Montoursville resident Taylor Yeagle was home alone with her three children when, all of a sudden, a female neighbor began pushing her way through their front door.

“She was absolutely screaming ‘help me, help me,'” Yeagle told WNEP.

Yeagle knew the lady from next door. The older woman lived with her 41-year old son David Hill. Earlier that night, Hill had returned to his mother’s house under the influence. When his mother told him he would have to move out, Hill grabbed a large knife and began chasing her around the house and out of their front door.

In the video, Taylor gestures to the news crew, showing them the woman’s path. “She came down our sidewalk, around our sidewalk, and right up on our porch.”

Yeagle was shocked to see the frantic mother, but she immediately pulled her inside the home and locked the front door. “I took her to our room and shut the door and told her to stop screaming so he couldn’t figure out what room she was in.”

“I just hoped he didn’t come into the house. I grabbed my gun and I waited.”

It was clear that Yeagle was ready to defend her family – but little did she know that Hank, their two-year-old German shepherd, would also feel the same way.

Hank had been outside in the yard when the neighbor had run into the home – and though Hill had been close behind his mother, with the knife still in hand, Hank had decided this dangerous man was not coming anywhere near his family’s front door.

In the video, Jerrod Heil, Taylor’s husband, gestures to an area on the top of the porch stairs. “Most of the blood was right here,” he tells them. “There’s still a dark spot on the porch.”

“You can see there’s still five feet to the door, so our dog never let him get as far as the door.”

When police arrived on the scene, they located Hill in his mother’s residence. He had accidentally stabbed himself during the ordeal and was treated for his wounds. In the interview, Yeagle claims there’s more to the story. “Hank tripped him and the man stabbed himself on the way down,” she said.

Although the experience was scary, Yeagle and her family are all very proud of Hank. “You wonder what your dog would do if that were to happen at your house. Would he protect your or would he run?”

“He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He protected her and he protected us.”

While people often buy dogs to guard their home, it turns out Hank’s bravery is pretty rare.

In an old experiment conducted by KPHO, dog trainer and volunteer pet owners wanted to see how average dogs would react to an intruder entering their home. They had pet owners leave their home while they recorded how the dogs would react to the disguised trainer breaking into the residence. In the end, every dog ended up making friends with, or retreating from, the intruder.

The trainer says this is a common misconception amongst dog owners. “They (dogs) are not protective unless they’ve been trained to be protective.” In fact, he estimates that close to 95% of average dogs will not know what to do when it comes to a intruder scenario. But that doesn’t mean that, in certain breeds of dogs, these guard dog qualities aren’t more naturally emphasized. Renowned dog trainer Ceasar Milan lists German shepherds, like Hank, among the top ten best guard dogs.

German shepherds are bold, fearless, and extremely intelligent. In fact, the speed at which they can learn new commands is one of the main reasons why they’re often selected as working dogs. Their friendly, calm demeanor makes them a perfect addition to any family – but don’t mistake their kindness for weakness. These dogs can react quickly when they feel their home or family is being threatened.

We’d like to give a shoutout to Hank for bravely protecting his family. We hear that he was rewarded with many yummy hot dog treats.

Watch the video below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Sources: WNEP, FOX News, Cesar’s Way, Herald-Review, KPHO