[midnight804]

good morning all,
I was just at my aunts place. Both of my aunts have long been doberman people. I always remember wanting to go play with the big dobes when I was a kid. Seeing as how they both live close and I have always loved dogs, I have been dobersitting anytime they needed me too for years.

This morning I was walking doofus (yes thats his name) and some lady from across the street started raving at me about "...killer dog gonna eat some children....blah blah blah...liability laws...blah...you should go to jail when your dog kills someone..blah blah...blah."

So I told doofus to down stay and then go belly up ( we call it dead bug) and said my standard response to people like that: "Don't worry he's cool for now...I just fed him his breakfast baby so the bloodlust should be under control. for now."

Sadly Its not the first time some poor ignorant person has verbally assailed me on the street while walking a dobe. No one bothers when I walk my border collie mix. Lame as it is I, and both my aunts, realize its going to happen again. Its really not their fault as these people are obvious either terribly misinformed or irratitonaly biased against dobes.

I don't even try to change their minds or reason with them as I prefer to just have a very well behaved dog do the convincing for me, and both my aunts have their dobes super well trained. I tend to just issue a command to the dog, say one of my generic super sarcastic responses and keep moving.

How do ya'll respond when someone says something like that re: your GSD? It probably doesn't happen as much as with my aunts dobes, but I'm sure it still happens. thanks,
-c

 

[Lola1969]

well, let me just say I think your response is BRILLIANT!

I think there is no changing people's minds who are that ridiculous. Nothing you can do but to ignore.

 

[DSudd]

I havent really had anyone tell me Rocky was a killer. The most common thing I hear is he is beautiful but scary. We ran into this a few times while on vacation. When Rocky and I were walking, if anyone approached from either direction, I would take him off the walking/bike path, put him in a sit, and make him wait until the others were past us. I figured by showing he was well behaved it would make a difference but the same people we ran into almost every day still had the same reaction.

I am sure ignorance might be part of it but IMO it is also breed sterotyping.

 

[Lisa&Diesel]

No one ever says anything to me but some people cross the road to get away from my GSD. And yesterday at a dog show as we were comiing out the ring a Jack Russell snarled and went for Diesel's face. Diesel didn't growl or snap back he just lowered his head and backed away.

I got no apology from the owner and to make it worse all the people with little dogs started to pick them up when we walked by! As if it was Diesel's fault!!

 

[elrombo]

Hi

I have two shepherds which are walked a lot. I run into all different kinds of people. I ignore most people and will go out of my way so my dogs don't have to deal with such stupidity. Like the post before mine, most people cross the street. There are a few who walk straight at me so I move my dogs to a safe area.

Why do young adults run around like they are crazy and almost run into the dogs and when they finally see them they scream like they were attacked? Oh, why I am complaining. The little children, I would say around 5 years old, bark at my dogs and the parents don't say anything.

I think the little dogs are more of a threat than big dogs. I was bitten when I was 11 and it was a Boston Terrier, LOL!!

I feel better!

Sandra

 

[littledmc17]

personally I think people are like that because they are jealous of you. They want what you have and they can't.
I just ignore people unless they have dogs.

I agree little dogs are the worst

 

[Brightelf]

This is fear biting in a human being. "I am scared of your dog! Rarr-rarr-rarr!! Now I'm embarrassed that my fear shows! Rarr-rarr-rarr! You and your dog MUST be horrible, to reveal my fears so clearly! RARRRRR!!" etc.

 

[midnight804]

I totally agree with all of you...two of the funniest bumper stickers I've ever seen are "If my dog has to be leashed in public so should your toddler" and "My dog is well behaved in public, why aren't your kids?"

 

[selzer]

midnight804, I love that response. I want to use it. I know that when the situation arises, though, my tongue gets tied, and I usually just move on or say something stupid like, "whatever."

 

[Timber1]

This is precisly what I do; and when Timber sits I get compliments on well behaved the dog is.

 

[Guest]

My usual reply is to ask them if they knew how many dog attacks happened in this country in which a human was killed vs how many times a human attacks another human and kills them. In that light I say, they're more dangerous than my dog is. They have no answer other than to realize the truth in that.

 

[Wolfie]

Well if someone is scared of Yukon going after their small dog, I reply with "He doesn't eat little dogs, they get stuck in his teeth."

If they don't have a dog and are just freaking out I will try and calm their nerves or ignore them.

Yesterday I took Yukon to an off leash area that is near a river and this old man comes walking towards with us his little poodle mix, as soon as he saw Yukon he started ranting about how I shouldn't be there, why don't you get a job blah blah blah, I couldn't understand him too well, he was kind of mumbling his words. The last thing he said was "It's not like I see you here everyday!" I replied "Thank god for that!!" and went on with our walk.