We all have biases, but it is bad form to go around announcing them.

Mine is little white dogs, I've had so many charge and attack my different dogs over the years that I do not like or trust them.

 

Oh, I hear ya on the little white dog thing! I would get so many of them when I had the kennel. Used to call them 'multipoos' as most were poodle mixes. 🤣 Some were nice, some were little terrors!

 

We have a game called GSD bingo and if you hear/see any of the following you get to take out your imaginary card and give it a dab

"My dog was attacked by a GSD"
"I was attacked by a GSD"
Picking their small dog up
Picking their child up
Screaming and running (we have had this when Juno hadn't even approached a family and was a fair distance away)

Its a good way to pass a walk 🤣

 

I had a couple tell me "german Shepherds are unpredictable" yesterday.
I said "I know, I'm always having to watch over my shoulder...."

 

So far, all I have heard is "Oh, I grew up with GSDs", Usually after i tell them that she is a GSD as many don't recognize the sable coat as a GSD. It has always been positive.

 

many don't recognize the sable coat as a GSD

My two youngest GSDs are sables (just over a yr old now)
I get asked what mix they are. I tell them German Shepherd. They always come back with, 'and what else'.
If I'm feeling a bit salty I tell them "well... the DNA test said they are about 40% hellhound, but I don't like to mention that"

 

I've never had people make comments directly to me, but I have gotten the apparent fear moves: people crossing the street as we approach, hands above their shoulders when my GSD's approach them, even parents bringing their children in the house when we walk by (the kids are never afraid). It's probably understandable due to lack of knowledge, but I do realize there are bad owners and you never know what experiences they've had in the past.

Yesterday my wife and I were working our 8 month old GSD off leash in a huge empty soccer field park. Off in the distance I observed a couple with two children come to the parking lot, get out and go to the pavilion. The husband pointed in our direction and they all immediately got in the car and left. I can only imagine the conversation. She's just a puppy people

 

GSDs are on lists of the most dangerous dogs. On some of them, as high as 3rd most dangerous. Pit bulls are obviously pretty much always #1. To me, it's not always the animal. It's the owner. I sometimes feel the same way about children...

I had my boss give me an "are you serious?" face when I told him I got a GSD. He also proceeded to tell me what I just stated above and that he'd never have a dog off that list. It's sad.

My cousin has adopted 2 pit bulls and they are ANGELS. She trained them right and they are as sweet as can be.

 

This circumstance simply caught me "off guard".
The VAST majority of comments/reactions we receive are quite positive.

 

OP, you didn't know that all german shepherd owners are linked together through an invisible neural pathway? She probably wanted you to let us all know that we should say sorry. 😂

Ok jokes aside people are really weird. I don't mind that people dislike GSDs, I prefer to not have too much interaction with people when I'm out. Sorry, you went through that though, super awkward.

 

LOL!!! The running and screaming ought to get you the free spot in the middle of the bingo card.

 

Every person I walk past with mine or everyone who asks what kind of dog I have and hears German Shepherd seems to feel the need to tell me about their own experience or someone else's experience being attacked by one and how could I own such a horrible mean breed? I never even realized how bad their rep was until I got her, but I just laugh at them honestly. At least no one's gonna want to risk breaking in my house and we should be pretty safe on walks just bc of their bad rep. People always either cross WAY over, or turn around and run the other way! 😆

 

Everyone one seems to have a bad gsd story back in the day either their own sorry or their great great grandmother. It’s not that uncommon for peope to dislike certain breeds. It did what is it. Don’t let them put any shade on your day.

 

I have a small story that may or may not be completely accurate but I took it to heart: A Police K9 Officer lived next to me for a few years. He also trained GSD's for other municipalities. He once told me of all the burglary calls he had over the years, many victims had dogs. I was told he never once responded to a break-in to a home that had a GSD. His logic was most perpetrators check out the home before deciding to burglarize it. If they notice a GSD, they disregard the house. Take that story with caution as I don't have proof of his claim.
If it's true, then I don't mind the fear GSD's create in people. May be better than a home security system

 

I have a small story that may or may not be completely accurate but I took it to heart: A Police K9 Officer lived next to me for a few years. He also trained GSD's for other municipalities. He once told me of all the burglary calls he had over the years, many victims had dogs. I was told he never once responded to a break-in to a home that had a GSD. His logic was most perpetrators check out the home before deciding to burglarize it. If they notice a GSD, they disregard the house. Take that story with caution as I don't have proof of his claim.
If it's true, then I don't mind the fear GSD's create in people. May be better than a home security system

My house was broken into 6 days after I had new living room and dining room furniture delivered. They broke in the front door then pulled their pickup into the garage and loaded it to overflowing. A neighbor saw the truck and thought I was moving out. Anyway, when the sheriff deputies came they told me to either put up a strong gate or get a big dog. We put up an 8' cedar fence and a strong gate. Several years later and six months after my husband passed I got my first German Shepherd.

...and have had one ever since.

 

I appreciate all the kind replies.
I'm quite aware of the existing bias toward GSDs... I simply have not experienced any first hand, until now .
Most encounters have been very pleasant, usually including requests to pet Finn.
(our previous GSD lived 13 years, passed in 2016... never once did I encounter any negativity)
In the end, the recent event was really not any big deal... just caught me unprepared, I guess.

 

To add some understanding - look at the civil rights activities in the southern US in the 1950s- 1960s. It might give you some perspective on why the breed is regarded skeptically by some people.

 

I get why some people are often wary or even fearful of the breed due to police/military dogs etc but conversely they were also the first guide dogs, the first search and rescue dogs etc. it’s a shame human beings tend to dwell on the negative 😒

 

I agree with @WNGD on this one. I know it sucks having to hear the bad rep regarding our dogs but on the bright side the fear keeps the burglars at bay!

 

I agree, definitely one of the pros but also a con at the same time. As a young lady I feel much safer walking in public places by myself if I have Nadja with me. She helps me feel more confident in situations that would normally make me apprehensive.

 

A professor of mine had a house that backed onto a ravine. There was a string of burglaries on his street, and his house was the only one not broken into. He said it was because of his dog, a Sheltie. So dogs don't always have to be big to be a deterrent!

 

The burglar probably didn't want to get hearing damage while he took the time to break in and take stuff 😂 I swear shelties can breathe while they bark for hours!

 

I was at the vet today and a large chocolate labrador kept coming over to me and getting right up into me. I thought of this thread, and I thought about saying, "it's always the chocolate labs that try to bite me." But I didn't. You can get away with that shtuff if it's against GSD owners. It is true though. For some reason the brown labs don't like me.

 

Chocolate Labs always seem to be hyper and out of control. Never seen one that was properly trained. And they often use them to create doodles too, even more horrifying.

 

This might be a regional thing or a training thing.

90% of the time when people stop and talk, they tell me how awesome the german shepherd they had on the farm as a kid. There are usually tails of something heroic the dog did combine with a shaking of the head about how the dog was a hand full if it or a neighbor dog went into heat.

Ole is really reactive. Every single time we approach some people or another dog, I whistle him to my side for a heel and a couple of treats. Unless the other dog is particularly bonkers, Ole is more interested in my hand or the treat pouch than the person or animal.

I must be turning into an old guy. I sat on a lawn chair on the front porch for Halloween. All the knocks and doorbell rings put Ole on edge. As I sat on the porch, Ole Lay inside on the bed, cool as a cucumber, watching.

 

Deterrence was certainly not the reason we got our GSD, but I'll accept the side benefit.

 

hubby got our big-boy when my "last dog" passed away. 2 reasons. 1, he loves GSDs 2. as a walking partner for me since that is one of my favorite activities. He didn't want me walking alone. That is when I found out that people either love GSDs or fear them. Or some admire them from afar. To be honest, when I am walking my gal-dog and I see someone walking their German Shepherd, I will say Hi from a distance and we can chat across the street or park or whatever. And we don't share dog parks because if anything happened, no matter who's fault, the Big Bad German Shepherd will get blamed.

 

no matter who's fault, the Big Bad German Shepherd will get blamed.

Very true. One time while down at the river with a bunch of family (and their dogs), a cousin of mine threw a ball into the river for Nadja, she was chased it into the river and had just climbed out of the water when my cousin’s lab attacked her because in her mind, Nadja had taken her ball. Of course Nadja took the blunt of the blame because only me and the person throwing the ball saw what happened leading up to the fight. Only a handful of people believed me when I explained what went down because “No way the lab would start a fight!”

 

Before I got Ellie, this was my personal experience with GSDs, one down the street jumped its fence and bit elderly women and her dog, another has HA. Another goes bananas at my dogs whenever we pass them and the owner seems impressed by this. My mom was running one day one skipped its yard and bit her. Two farm gsds with phenomenal temperaments and everything you would want in one. I don’t know what I’m trying to say here other than, in the wrong hands I could understand why these dogs would get a bad name.

 

Shelties can bark all day and not get tired. That is the only bad thing about the breed.

 

I used to train with this crazy lady whose breed was shelties. At first, I thought, "how cute, miniature collies, I'd love to have a miniature shepherd." Then I started paying attention to the yapping. Shepherds bark and sometimes they howl, and I love their howling, but can do without 70% of the barking. But a sheltie would last about 49 seconds with me. And if the process if shrinking a GSD turns their vocal cords into yapping, no thanks. Maybe these big dogs will help my mobility if I ever have that as an issue as I get older. Of course the majority of my mobility needs are taking care of the dogs. Sigh.

My sister was saying that when she goes to get a second dog, she is thinking about a small dog because of the older women that live in the home. I gave her an earful about how small dogs are smaller, but they are often more difficult to house train and do not necessarily have the same biddible temperament that shepherds have. But the pup's strength and size coupled with NE Ohio's ice caused them to go down outside. They do love their dog and I reassured her that in another 9 years, with patience and persistance, he will be the best dog in the neighborhood. She only laughed a little and said something about how I went from 2 years to 3 years the last time I talked to her. Well, I said something to the effect that we learn the most from the challenging dogs. The good news is that Kai loves me. He pees a little when he sees me, so we meet outside. But he is getting there.

 

As Finn quietly & patiently sat, awaiting his turn to greet, the woman-owner looked me straight in the eye, and proclaimed loudly:
"My dog was nipped by a German Shepherd".
Me: "I'm sorry to hear that".

I am with you, hard to hold back on the sarcasm or being inappropriate. We had a similar encounter. My boy was like 6 mos old and we were in the big dog area of the dog park. In walks a woman carrying two Chihuahuas. One of them is completely destroyed with massive scars and a missing eye and it is having a meltdown even before she put it down. Woman proceeds to tell us that her dog had been attacked by a GSD. I just took my dog and left. I so wanted to tear into this fool for bringing that poor animal into a big dog area after such an event.

 

Any dog can be taught a quiet command. This is my Sheltie "AJ's Little Hatch"(R.I.P.) who never barked excessively, with a neighbor's pup.I would love to have another, but it's increasingly difficult to find a decent breeder.

 

Any dog can be taught a quiet command. This is my Sheltie "AJ's Little Hatch"(R.I.P.) who never barked excessively, with a neighbor's pup.I would love to have another, but it's increasingly difficult to find a decent breeder. View attachment 593587

I love his beautiful, moderate coat. They don't seem to breed them like that anymore. Barky breeds can be easily taught to be quiet by never rewarding it with attention, treats or by not giving them anything they want at that moment of barking (starting asap after taking them in as pups)

 

The part I found most perplexing:
As she is taking the time/effort to inform me of her dog's previous unfortunate episode with a GSD (we were "parked" several feet away)-
7 other dogs are swarming her cowering pooch.
Priorities.