The Boston news video of Lilly’s story. Good pup.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/319363/28/Dog-pulls-owner-off-railroad-tracks
““He then saw the dog come around between the train and my mom and take the hit of the train.”
This is called “blocking”.
In dog body language, the dog attempts to present itself as a intermediary between bickering pack members.
It works very well with other dogs; trains, not so much.
Some dogs naturally defensively “block” their owners from perceived threats and if the threat goes away, all is well.
If the threat persists, the dog goes to the next level which is the offense.
This story, though it had a happy ending for the woman, makes me sad because the woman’s addictions cost the loyal dog her leg.
As usual, the dog pays for the owner’s “sins”, whether it be this case or owners not properly socializing/training them which results in inappropriate aggression or attacks.