Some do act that way for sure, but I also get a lot of "What a beautiful dog" and then they tell me about the shepherd that they used to own!

 

I get that maybe 4 times each day when I walk her , but some people are just so annoying the way they act when they see her

 

Not really. Mostly they say "That's a beautiful dog, can I pet him?" When there were two of them people would cross the street to avoid us, but I think it was more because they were worried about the crazy 130lb lady walking 160 pounds of dog!

 

I have seen people cross the street, and I have been the person crossing the street.

When I am the one doing the crossing it is becasue of

A. I don't know if the dog is well trained and will get riled up if I am close to it.

or

B. I have my son in the stroller, and I don't know if the dog is friendly, and I don't know if the owner is going to try to contain it if it sticks it's face in my son's face.

or

C. If someone is walking their dog coming towards me, I cross becasue Jackson doesn't really care for other dogs invading his space. He gets very upset and I would rather avoid a hassle, that's for sure!

For instance on point B, at our old place, there was this idiot walking his black lab on a flexi lead, and all of a sudden, his dog was sticking it's head in my car, in our driveway, which was at least 15 feet from the sidewalk where the owner was!!!!!

I don't know if people cross for the same reasons, or if they are scared!

 

It seems nobody is happy with how people treat our breed.

People have barked at my dog.

People have stared at amy dogs.

One little kid snuck up from behind in the check out and full body hugged my parents' GSD.

Some come up and thrust their hand toward the top of the head, and then comments about the dog being shy.

Others will let their dog run right up and sniff your dog in the face.

Others pick up their little dogs.

One little kid jumped up and ran screaming away from my puppy while we were walking in the pet store.

And one humongous man yelled from across the parking lot, asking if the dog bites, and telling me to keep it away from him -- Rush was four months old.

The point is, half of us are perturbed when people are too freindly toward our dogs, and the other half are perturbed when people avoid our dogs.

People who move out of our way and avoid our dogs should cause us no consternation. THEY have a problem. If we react to it, we make their problem our problem, which is totally not necessary. Do not give them the time of day.

The people who think they are God's give to dogs, who ignore warnings and requests, and open kennel doors, shove hands in open windows, pet dogs without permission, and let their dogs run right up to ours -- these are the people we need to get all hot and bothered about.

If someone makes no comment, but walks across the street to get away from your dog Killer, enjoy it. People who dislike or are that afraid of dogs would not make for a good socialization experience anyway.

Lastly, while you may be an awesome owner and your dog very well behaved, there are many people who let their dogs jump up on people, and who have very little control over the dogs. Thank them for these people's response.

 

I have had no issues. I am told he is pretty, cute, cool. He's only 5 months old, though. But I will be completely honest - I am a 24 year old petite woman. Turn on Nancy Grace to see how we fare in this world as of late. I have never walked any of my other dogs alone, they are all small toy breeds, and a corgi. The last time I walked my corgi alone, a very out of place pick up truck for this subdivision with nasty looking men in it drove past me very slowly and leered. 3 minutes later - they came back and passed me again, slower. I was so afraid I started going up a driveway in case something happened.

I have no fear whatsoever walking Remi without a friend or cousin. People compliment him, but they also keep their distance, and wearily so. That pleases me. I don't want anyone to be afraid, not at all, but I don't want anyone to think they'd be capable of snatchin' me in his presence, either. Let's face it, that truck would have only passed once if it had been a full grown Rem and not a calf-high corgi with a friendly smile.

Bottom line: I'm happy if you like my dog, and I'm not offended when you don't. That's the beauty of a GSD to someone like me.

 

I really could not care less ... I don't let my dogs go up to strangers and I don't let strangers come up to my dog.

 

Me too

Actually, I am the type that doesn't really like to have people I do not know in my personal space so the fact that most don't want to go there when I have Madix with me is just perfect for me. And when I'm training, I prefer to be left alone as well.

Even people that won't come up will frequently comment that he's pretty. I always say thank you and leave it at that.

 

I get way more 'what a beautiful/big dog' comments and people requesting to pet him than people making fearful remarks. It's probably because if you even look at my dog, he gets all excited and visibly friendly. Or maybe they are just too scared to even make a bad remark .

But I got a german shepherd because I wanted a deterrent. If I wanted a friendly dog people would flock to, I'd get a breed that wasn't used for PP or criminal apprehension. People crossing the street is a sign that his looks are a reasonably effective deterrent, because his personality certainly isn't.

 

some people are afraid, some say she's gorgeous, some say she has great manners, but most don't pay any attention. If i see someone looking at her, i'll move to the other side of the street. Also, if i see someone coming with a dog I move to the other side of the street (even if i don't have a dog) because i don't know how it acts, i don't know the owner. We don't use walks for socialization, skylar is learning to ignore everyone on walks, we use agility, rallyo, daycare, etc. for socialization, with dogs we can trust. So, i really don't care if people are afraid or love her, most of them I won't let pet her, and we certainly don't greet other dogs just walking along.

 

People are scared when they see my dog behind my fence haha. She's a monster. She's large for a GSD and has the most ferocious bark.

 

I hope so.

I dont live in a good neighborhood so when I walk my GSD I do not let anyone come near us. If they ask if they can pet him I say "No, he will bite". The last thing I need is the scum in my neighborhood knowing that my dog loves everyone.

If we are walking somewhere else then everyone is allowed to pet him.

My neighbors all think he is mean except the 3 neighbors that I actually talk to, they know he is a sweetheart but they do not tell the others that.

My next door neighbor got his house broken in twice within 2 months, they are an older couple that doesn't have any dogs. People know that there are 2 girls in their early 20's at my house but they also know that a GSD and a Rottweiler live there, so they dont bother us.

 

Brilliant lol people where I live know nothing about our gsd , in a way after hearing this I'm sort of happy now because if anyone pulls into our driveway or knocks our door , or comes into our house , shes first to know and she's first to meet them!

 

It has been both ways. Some people cross the street, probably because I weigh in at only 110 pounds and Pyrate weighs 108 and Raina weighs 90 and is very fluffy so it probably looks like they are as big as me. Both of my dogs are trained to walk at my side and will stand off the sidewalk and go to a sit on command when a bicycle or a person with a stroller is going by. Then there's the people that have to come and tell me how they had a GSD once and always loved them, etc, and want to pet my dogs - sometimes I let them (depending on the person) and sometimes I just tell them not to approach. The ones I really hate are the ones that try to tell me how to train my dogs. I usually say something like "That's interesting" and then just move on. I watch my dogs body language to gauge whether I want the person anywhere near me. If I'm in my home town where we have very little crime I walk late at night and never worry when I'm accompanied by one of my furry kids. If I go to Miami I carry a gun to protect me and my dog. I've met very few people that I like as much as my dogs.

 

I agree. People don't normally see the good side of a GS though. When they see them on TV as police dogs, they are almost always in some type of attack or aggressive mode, as junkyard dogs, they are made aggressive, etc. They don't understand the intelligence of these dogs and how they are not like you see on TV.

 

Are any of you afraid of snakes? I'm not, I have one, and I could go on all day about how nice and wonderful and cool and not slimy she is until I'm blue, most people are still going to be afraid of them, and won't touch one. It's going to be the same with these dogs, and I think we're going to have to accept it. I can honestly see where someone who has only seen GSDs on TV taking down criminals and baring it's large teeth would make people nervous about them in real life, and I just don't see a reason to be aggravated by someone's natural fear. Would it be great if everyone knew what great dogs GSDs were? Of course. But nothing in this world works that way.

 

This past summer, a woman in Muslim dress ran across the street crying when she saw Wolfie and I walking towards her. He was 7 months old at the time. Strangely, that struck me as amusing. I have had people cross the street or go way into the grass when they see us coming. I'd rather have that than the people who just stick their hands out, grab Wolfie, whistle at him, or let their dogs jump all over him uninvited.

 

We sometimes get folks who look anxious, but we mostly get "what a beautiful dog" and "look how well she behaves" comments. As stated elsewhere in this thread, the folks who are afraid, back away, or cross the street to keep their distance don't bother me at all: they wouldn't make good socialization prospects, and why would I want to force my dog upon someone for any reason anyway?

 

People walk away from Ozzy, and he's a Pom. One person made it seem like I had a rabid hyena at the end of the leash. She went across the street, then cut around the block and went around some other way so she wouldn't have to even be in his presence anymore. Obviously, this person was just afraid of dogs.

Sometimes Ozzy goes up to people and they're hesitant to pet him, but more often than not, people get to like him. I think most people (particularly men) assume that he's going to be a yippy little ankle biter, but when they see that he's actually well behaved and listens and isn't a stereotypical Pomeranian, they get to like him.

 

We get both compliments and the people that will go out of their way to cross the street. We have neigbors across the street from us that my husband and I will usually run into somewhere in our evening walk. I swear one day the wife is going to trip and get hit by a car as she runs away from us. The thing is that Roxy could care less about people. She walks by our side and never says a peep. Since she is reactive with dogs, we will make a point to keep our distance when people are walking their dogs.

 

It seems like from what i've read on threads so far, some get upset when people stop to greet their dogs, some get upset when ppl avoid their dogs, so what would make both groups happier, would be a passerby who was completely indifferent to their dogs? Don't you guys ever stop to think that maybe it's hard to see a beautiful specimen of a well-known breed strut down the street and ignore it? Most would choose to avoid it (dog afraid) or compliment and pat it (dog lovers), takes a very strange, completely "cold" person to not do either...

Plus, there are members here who react strongly and often in a negative way when ppl stop and greet their dogs, so really, if i EVER avoid a gsd on a walk, i'd do it not because i'm afraid of the dogs but because i'd rather not have that dog's owner hating me the entire time...also, some ppl mention that they would cross the street if they saw someone else coming down the same street with another dog, how is it that THAT act is acceptable and even approved when normal, non-dogwalking ppl getting out of a gsd's way is not?

from someone who is GSD-less for now, and largely neutral, it's all slightly hypocritical =.= IMHO

 

It's different opinions between different people, not being hypocritical. That's like telling two people they are being hypocritical when one of them is an athiest and the other is christian. If one person didn't like it when people ignored their dog, crossed the street, and complimented their dog, then that's being hypocritical. As far as I know, there is no one in this thread that holds that view.

Most people I encounter walk by my dog without being friendly and without being fearful, I call that a normal, uninterested response, not a cold one. And that's how I react when I walk by a dog. I mean, it's a dog, what's the big deal?

 

I encounter people that are afraid of Max, and then the ones I like, as there petting him, they ask, "does he bite"?

 

I had a grandmother scared of cats. Seriously, wake up the house screaming "George...IT'S A CAT!". People sometimes have strange fears. I don't let it get to me. It's not my problem

 

Not my chair, not my problem... sorry, couldn't resist...

I think that it is the attitude of people that is the problem. People who approach and just grab hold of your dog aren't appreciated. I don't think anyone minds if people ask to pet their dogs? People who manhadle the dogs probably aren't appreciated, of course.

I think that people are hurt when people act terrified of what (to the owner) is the world's friendliest dog. It's more of an emotional hurt than anything else. It's the people who create a scene that I find offensive. I don't have a problem with people who quietly get out of the way, even if they cross the street. It's those who run in terror, often yelling some comment about allowing "those beasts" in public.
When Rayden was a puppy, one of the places I socialized him was the benches outside Wal-Mart. A little girl was petting him until her mother realized what she was doing. She screamed at the little girl, actually yanking her up in the air to get her away from Rayden. She created a horrible scene, ranting about GSDs being vicious killers and that it was a miracle that her baby was still alive. Mind you, Rayden was probably all of 15 lbs, if that much.

 

Not my chair, not my problem... sorry, couldn't resist...

Ha! That's what I say! No way... Stupid dresses...

 

Yep, mostly with Tanner, he is more intimidating looking.

 

How true Dainerra. We were at a craft festival and people were parting like the Red Sea. There was one girl who insisted on petting Jax. I just watched. The girl leaned forward and Jax leaned back. She finally just got up and walked to the other side of me. And then...as we walked through the crowd with my hands full...she leaned over and tasted a baby on her way by...SLURP...luckily the Mom laughed.

 

OMG Rayden and babies... don't even get me started. Babies send him over the top. If they are crying, he believes that it is his job to take care of them.

 

Unfortunately, our society has become very litigious. There have been people that reach out and grab dogs, and then sue because they were bit. I don't mind if people want to admire my dog, or love on him, just ask me first so that I can prepare him to not be startled.