When a woman realizes that her man is protective it makes her feel good but this might not always be a good thing. There may be some serous underlying problems the guy is having and hence he is being protective. So, why and when does a guy behave in such a way?

Insecurity
Sometimes the guys realize early on in the relationship that they are not worth you and that you are too good for them. They know that they are not at all qualified to earn your affection and hence will always be on the guard. This sense of insecurity makes them over protective of you and they also do it to keep other competition at bay.

Genuinely loves you
Your guy realizes that the two of you are a perfect match and does not want others to influence your relationship. He may also be aware that the neighborhood is rough or the school has some really nasty characters as students. To see that you don’t get affected by such unsavory elements he becomes protective of you.

He does it for himself
When a guy makes it his mission to protect you all the time then he is probably doing it for himself. Guys that have a low self esteem generally do this as it gives them the feeling that they are doing something worthwhile. This is serious problem and you need to appreciate it and help him overcome it.

Past experience
The guy must be coming out of a bad breakup where his girlfriend left him to be with his closest friend. He has lost trust in the world and feels that he will be wronged again and hence becomes over protective about you. This problem can be addressed if you seek help from experts.

Genuinely cares for you
A guy that genuinely loves you and means well will also be protective but will not overdo it. He will leave you to take the call but will definitely warn or caution you if you are doing something that might harm you in the long run.

Control freaks
Some guys although very loving and nice like the relationship to progress the way they want. They do not appreciate the fact that the girl is mature and quite capable to take her own decisions. Such relationships cause a lot of hurt in the long run. If your guy is a control freak it is better you dump him before it is too late.

Your real knight
He is a guy that does not control or tell you what to do but comes to your rescue whenever you need him. Such types of guys make good boyfriends/partners/husbands. They will act protective only in face of real danger otherwise you are very much free to do what you want.