Wow, I’m so sorry for your loss, I cannot even imagine. Dogs can be extremely sensitive, it sounsd like they were just trying to cope in their own way and just wanted to protect their family after that.
Yes the dogs knew something was wrong and they were protecting us. It was comforting in a way but I was pretty sure they were not going to hurt anyone. I would love to have another Rhodesian but that breeder, who’s dogs had come from South Africa when he moved to Texas, has stopped breeding.