“My German Shepherd, Dax, saved me many times not by barking but by his low throated growl, very scary and effective.”
That would be scary. When Cooper growls he is serious. When he barks, usually it is frivolous. Sometime he’s excited that dad is home but usually it’s just to tell us that turkeys or deer are in the yard.
Just like Cooper, Dax meant business when he growled.