Is it natural instinct when a dog literally dies saving the owner or others?

[Danielle93]

It seems they can be more than just a friend.

I've been reading about some saving their owner or others in the family from a fire while the poor dog didn't make it out, them take bullets for us, getting in between a wild animal trying to eat us or getting us out of the way of an upcoming vehicle and them taking the full impact.

Example (the dog didn't die but got injured badly):

Is it the dog's natural instinct?

[NikolasGLT]

What you're seeing and being fed are the exception cases, your average home dog won't do something like that and most of them are actually cowards, except for the bigger sized dogs or attack dogs.
It's not natural instinct, some dogs (the exception) develop such strong bond and love their owner so much that they are willing to die for them.
But again, the usual dog won't do anything remotely close, they would either just casually bark like they always do or run away.

[NamerOfStars]

Yep. It's pack instinct. Most dogs, unless they're trained otherwise, won't react in a hostile way unless they see YOU doing so; they're looking to you for direction, and if your actions say to run, they'll run.

[Kori1236]

It’s a pack instinct. Dogs are pack animals and we humans are their pack. Now I can’t say my dog would defend me from a wild animal attack he’s not very brave and runs away from the sprinkler. But I’ve also never been in that situation where I’d need him to so maybe he would. I do think if I were to get injured while hiking that he would do his best to get me help.

[exitseven]

A service dog saved a local cop a couple of years ago. The dog died a hero but it probably had more to do with the dog not knowing that a gun could kill him.