Bonding

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If a person can't bond with other people (for a myriad of reasons), what are the odds he can bond with a dog well enough for the dog to protect him from shady people?

I think it depends on the dog. Some dogs are trained to be protectors or to provide other services & they can be protective

What you mean by "shady people"? It's possible that the dog will come to your defense if he or she detects that someone is being aggressive towards you, but I doubt that manipulativeness and mind games are something a dog would pick up on.

Sometimes, dogs help and sense things as well as being loyal to somebody who needs help. I read about it, and found out that dogs are very good at being service dogs. They are able to protect and help people who cannot fully care for themselves.

Very good odds.

What do you mean by bonding?

If you mean attachment, I think people tend to have the same attachment style cross-situations. Attachment to parents, romantic partners, children - even to God - although there is some cross-situation variability, the attachment styles in each situation are correlated.

However, if you're wondering how well the dog will bond with them, I'm guessing pretty good. Dogs are biologically programmed to form strong bonds with humans relatively easily. Unless you've got a former stray or a dog that was severely abused in a prior home, most dogs will bond with pretty much anyone who engages in regular friendly interaction with them.

More tricky would be getting a dog who is both wary and assertive enough towards strangers that they would a) recognize the danger, and b) have the courage to intervene. Certain breeds tend to make better guard dogs than other breeds - research the breed you're considering and see how they rate.

Bonding with a dog is completely separate from bonding with people. Even bonding with other animals is unrelated to bonding with dogs. In general, dogs are easy and they get attached very quickly. I walked a neighbors dog once. Took her out in the snow to 'do her business' and get some exercise. Just once and the dog was crazy excited to see me every time since.

A dogs ability to protect you from other people has more to do with the look and sound of the dog. It could be the gentlest dog with you but look scary to other people.

Study the 'Dog Whisperer'.
He makes it clear that the dog will follow/obey/protect their 'pack leader'.
If you can project 'calm and assertive energy' you will have what you need with your dog.

Google 'Dog Whisperer' and it will help you.
Take care.

I guess what I mean is there are two parts to the human-dog bond. The dog's feelings to the human, and the human's feelings to the dog. I'm not sure which part the OP is concerned about.

You'd be surprised what dogs pick up.

This one reporter who was friends with Ted Bundy, before he was caught as a serial killer, says the only one she knew who didn't like him was her dog. Everyone else found him charming and friendly, but her dog was freaked out by him.

I think it's several things:

a) dogs have a better sense of smell, which can tell them how you're feeling as well as what activities you like to do

b) dogs are genetically selected for good people-reading skills (a lot of research has tested dogs on social perceptual/cognitive tests with humans - dogs are even better at reading humans than chimpanzees are, and far better than tame wolves matched for socialization experience)

c) people are less deceptive with dogs (many manipulative people will show their 'true side' when interacting with someone who can't fight back or tell anyone - for example my grandma had a neighbor who she caught kicking her dog when she wasn't looking, and suddenly knew why the dog hated him)