# Do other people just see your GSD and walk the other way? MOVED



## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

Does this happen to you frequently? Yesterday I took my boy Hunter on a walk and one this man asked me if i can walk the other way to not go near him. My dog was completely fine it wasn't like Hunter was barking at him or anything. And there was another time where a lady with her Boxer stopped until i past and asked " Is your dog friendly, I saw him starring at us from all the way over there" My pup is so friendly! I wish people weren't so scared of him


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

Yes. The funny thing is that when I see people coming towards us I walk Traveler off the path and when they are ~30 yards or so away, I put him in a down stay.

I had one guy cross the street when we were still a block away. When he got closer, I told him what I do so he doesn't have to worry if he sees us again. He told me I shouldn't be walking the dog at all. What???? "Don't you know they are vicious?" Yeah, Traveler, my therapy dog. Yeah, sure buddy.


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

Traveler's Mom said:


> Yes. The funny thing is that when I see people coming towards us I walk Traveler off the path and when they are ~30 yards or so away, I put him in a down stay.
> 
> I had one guy cross the street when we were still a block away. When he got closer, I told him what I do so he doesn't have to worry if he sees us again. He told me I shouldn't be walking the dog at all. What???? "Don't you know they are vicious?" Yeah, Traveler, my therapy dog. Yeah, sure buddy.


Some people just don't realize how sweet GSD's can be!


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## Thewretched (Jan 1, 2014)

Our pup is doing service dog work, so we will see people grab their children and walk away, or have the "I'm afraid of dogs" comment.. Like what am I suppose to do? Leave because your uncomfortable? Had a local restaurant say something about the dog before they were informed its against the law in my state to even ask what the dog is for. Now it's more of a habit to just ignore the rude and uneducated people. Focus on the big smiles and nice comments. 


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

The people that are truly afraid of GSDs will spot them a mile away, and do what it takes to avoid them. One of my neighbors is like this - because he was bitten a thousand years ago, so now he hates them all, lol. Whatever. The people who actually say things are just crabby idiots, and it's a waste of breath to speak to them. The one thing that's fun to do is to learn a phrase in another language, so they'll stop talking to you.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Some people are just genuinely afraid of GSD or large dogs.

I was entering a path at a park- dogs are welcome if leashed. There was an elderly couple coming the opposite way. The man clearly afraid. Rusty was walking beside me nicely, a lot of slack in the leash. I decided to turn around & go another way. The wife thanked my from a distance & said her husband is terrified of a GSD. 

I don't know- when in public I try to be courteous of others. Not everyone enjoys the company of dogs. 

I'm afraid of small children & avoid them


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

It may not always be your dog or the breed, there are dog reactive or human reactive even aggressive dogs out there whose owners have to be on guard at all times, or people are just nervous around strange dogs. 

Personally I ignore when people give Delgado scared looks, most calm right down when they see how well behaved he is. If they're willing to move out of the way and give us a wide berth or move across the street it just means more sidewalk or aisle for us to walk on


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## Oisin's Aoire (Jun 17, 2013)

Yes , all the time. I also have a large Mastiff and a large Boxer mix. I'm a small woman , people may worry I can't control them if they lunge.

A lot of people have been traumatized by irresponsible owners , many as children. I do not get upset if people are afraid , I try to be courteous and give them their space. If people are mean about wat I am walking , where , when etc I just laugh to myslef and shrug . What else can you do ? My hands are usually full , usually have kids with me too , I dont have the time or the desire to engage with them.

I had a lady once , she was from Poland maybe , and she was at the park with her little girls. My dog was on a leash well behaved at my side . We were sitting at a bench watching my 2 kids play on the park gear. She actually asked me if I would please put my dog in the car because she was bitten by a GSD as a child , was terrified , and did not want to let her girls play at the park unlessthe dog was safely "away" . She added the dog that attacked her was supposedly trained and jerked the lead out of the owners hand. I just replied that I was sorry that happened to her , but no I will not be removing my dog. Leashed dogs are allowed , if she has a phobia she will need to be the one to go somewhere else. She just stood there and asked why should she be the one to leave...told her because she was the one with an issue and could she please get out of my way as I cant see my 2 kids playing. Thanks. She left in a huff with her girls .

Oh well?? Aside from being firm yet polite there is not much you can do in these situations.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I have never been asked to walk in a different direction with my GSD but I have seen people cross the street to avoid us or people create a bigger distance between us. I have heard people say "what is that" while looking at him. To those who have never heard of a black GSD or have seen one I often get the comment "is that a wolf" he is much larger and more intimidating in person.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

I used to walk Pyrate to the post office every morning. One of the clerks there is totally afraid of big dogs and Pyrate was tall and when in good health around 110 pounds. One of the other clerks who knows me asked her to meet Pyrate. Pyrate laid down and rolled over for her to pet his belly on the first meeting. She petted him then and again every time she saw him, eventually getting kisses as well. The post mistress told me if I was ever in line and it was taking a long time that Pyrate was welcome to come wait in her office because she missed her dog. The original lady who was afraid eventually told me she had been bitten as a child but when she met my dog she just knew by the way he was so gentle that it was safe. Now she will pet Raina as well. She told me she knows now that my dogs are always going to be gentle with her and it makes her feel safe petting them. I'm glad to be able to provide a good GSD example for her so she could get passed her fear. She retired this year and came around and said a special good bye to Raina because she said she would miss them most of all. Pyrate's been gone now for a couple years but I still miss him too. Some people sadly never get over the fear so it is best to just give them space. I will walk off the path and put my dog in a sit when I see someone coming on a bicycle or even walking. Most appreciate it.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Lol yes, and unfortunately for them, my guys love a good scared person and enjoy throwing a good deep bark or 2 at them. 

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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

People see my GSD's and walk right to me to ask questions


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Hunter4628 said:


> Does this happen to you frequently? Yesterday I took my boy Hunter on a walk and one this man asked me if i can walk the other way to not go near him. My dog was completely fine it wasn't like Hunter was barking at him or anything. And there was another time where a lady with her Boxer stopped until i past and asked " Is your dog friendly, I saw him starring at us from all the way over there" My pup is so friendly! I wish people weren't so scared of him




Might be the mood iam in today but honestly I would have said "no" my friendly pup has every right to walk down the side walk or road with me.

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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Yup! Frequently! I_ try_ not to let it bother me as it is "their" issue. My girl is on a leash and well under my control. If they have a fear, legitimate or not, it's not my problem. 
I will admit that there are times when I'm _in a mood_, that it bothers me that my dog is judged for her breed or size, not for the good girl she is. 
That said: I do respect the fact some people probably have a reason to fear dogs of all shapes and sizes. I personally don't trust small dogs, been bitten by a couple. I don't try to avoid them but I do watch their body language very closely. 
I love dogs...but I am respectful that not all dogs will love me...or my dog. Thus, I also understand when others show hesitation or fear when it comes to my dog. It is what it is! It's not personal.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

I lived there for 30 years, nothing like that sense of entitlement to tell other people what to do.

Otto does tend to draw the nervous go walk in the street reaction. He has a huge DDR head and a has a very intimidating stare. LOL I don't think anyone would dare say something like that to me when I'm holding his leash.

Venus is black so she's had a few people look at her all scared and go around but usually she gets a smile. She's a dainty female with a friendly face, wags her tail and looks kindly at people (unlike Otto!) When she was a younger pup people would get her the 'it scares me' look as they're going around her and she'd actually look a bit concerned like why doesn't that person like me?

Morgan didn't really care to meet people but nobody was really ever afraid of her. She was also a small female wtih a pretty face. She used to get a lot of people complimenting her that she looked like someone else's dog.

Luther used to get rude stares. He didn't like it so he'd give people something to be scared of if they made a rude toned remark. I took him in when he was 2, took about a year to teach him that was unacceptable.


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

Thank you all for taking the time to share!


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## AKIRA3 (Jul 17, 2013)

No, but our Doberman coming down the sidewalk was like Moses parting the Red Sea. His looks were very intimidating.


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## DixieGSD (Aug 22, 2012)

I've never gotten asked to walk in the opposite direction. It used to bother me tho when people would cross the street, or pull there children really close to them and tell them to stay away from THAT dog. That was even when Dixie was 4 month's old :/ But now I have just accepted the fact that alot of people think GSD's are a big, bad breed and just don't like them and that because they had a bad experience with one or two there all the same even tho your's is friendly and trained. I do have alot of people admire from a far, and haveing all the sidewalk space is nice sometimes  lol


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## daisyrunner (Dec 5, 2013)

Not yet, he's only 12 weeks  My parents had GSDs that were protection trained (not sure what else, it was before I was born). My father used to tell me about how he would take the one dog down to Camden (NJ-bad bad city), and everyone would walk on the other side of the street.

My neighbor on our cul-de-sac has an Afghan hound that he has no control over and it lunges at everything, including cars. I stay far away from that dog.


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## daisyrunner (Dec 5, 2013)

Traveler's Mom said:


> Yes. The funny thing is that when I see people coming towards us I walk Traveler off the path and when they are ~30 yards or so away, I put him in a down stay.
> 
> I had one guy cross the street when we were still a block away. When he got closer, I told him what I do so he doesn't have to worry if he sees us again. He told me I shouldn't be walking the dog at all. What???? "Don't you know they are vicious?" Yeah, Traveler, my therapy dog. Yeah, sure buddy.


That's crazy! That's like someone seeing you with your child and saying, "Dont you know they are all brats?"


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

We have a scary breed. Shouldn't be that surprising.


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

Ive never been asked to walk the other way. I have had people cross the street. When walking, if I see my dog is making people nervous or a small dog owner coming down the same side, I will give them plenty of room and put Dex in a sit stay. I get quite a few comments on how well behaved he is when they pass by and alot of thank yous. There is a rare few that will give dirty looks or say I shouldnt have a vicious dog out walking, but its far between.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

I've never had a problem with my guys. I've always given people and dogs a wide berth. If I see someone approaching us and can't cross the street , I give a wide berth have Rock stand behind me my other dohs would sit.

Usually get a thank you and "nice dog" as they go pass.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

This reminds me of a Mayhem story. 

May is not real fond of small kids running up to her. I was out walking with my friend and her sheltie and as we came around the turn at the park a family is coming toward us. Kids immediately yell "doggies!" and run toward us. I turn around and walk May 20 feet or so off the path to avoid this and call to the parents that she is not really very kid friendly. I thought I was being polite and protective of my dog. Wrong! I was walking my vicious creature that had no business in public. 

No lie- dad says if she is not good with kids she has no business being out. Kathy saw red and gave him a blast about his uncontrolled kids being allowed out in public parks. 

People are afraid of many things. I try to be polite and if see someone is noticeably afraid I give them more space, just like I gave my dog more space. But for someone to suggest that I turn around or because they are afraid - not my problem, they can turn around.Or someone suggest my dog should not be in public....... WRONG ANSWER.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

AKIRA3 said:


> No, but our Doberman coming down the sidewalk was like Moses parting the Red Sea. His looks were very intimidating.


I fostered a Dobie for a couple of months. I got the exact same thing. With a GSD, I may get a person or two walk another way or wait till I pass. But with the Dobie, they'd leap out of the way. Walked him along the seawall one time and people would actually jump on top of cars. He was dead quiet. Friendly as all get out. I dunno.


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## HarleyTheGSD (Feb 13, 2012)

Actually, they do just the opposite. People see me walking my GSDs, and they practically run to us. When they do this I am polite as possible and say that it's not safe to run up on a dog you don't know. One should ask before approaching.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Kayos and Havoc said:


> This reminds me of a Mayhem story.
> 
> May is not real fond of small kids running up to her. I was out walking with my friend and her sheltie and as we came around the turn at the park a family is coming toward us. Kids immediately yell "doggies!" and run toward us. I turn around and walk May 20 feet or so off the path to avoid this and call to the parents that she is not really very kid friendly. I thought I was being polite and protective of my dog. Wrong! I was walking my vicious creature that had no business in public.
> 
> No lie- dad says if she is not good with kids she has no business being out. Kathy saw red and gave him a blast about his uncontrolled kids being allowed out in public parks.


LOL Kathy you should have PETTED THE CHILDREN. I love to pet children who just run at my dogs. 9 - 11 year old boys are rated for the best reaction. Each one teach one.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I've pretty much stopped worrying about what other people think and do, so long as they are far enough away that they are unlikey to try anything with one of mine. 

Today, I had Odie at the vet and they were taking blood. She couldn't get enough out of her left rear leg. So she switched to the right. And she is poking and poking. And poking the dog to get the blood. She said a few times, I am not worried about her. 

So I said, well she is fully attack trained. At this point she was trying to get blood out of her neck, and poking away with her face right in Odie's teeth. She looked at me. I told her, well I didn't, actually I'm not sure how to get her to bite -- well, I think I know. She said, let's not practice now. LOL! 

At one point, I told her you don't have to worry about the dog, you need to worry about the owner! 

But she was just having trouble getting the blood to come out. And Odie wasn't complaining. 

I guess the way I look at it, if someone wants to put some distance between themselves and my dog. All the better. They are nervous, and it is probably better for them to stay away. I've only had one person yell across a parking lot, telling me to keep the dog away. That was 7 years ago, and this site was not all that sympathetic toward my feelings of incredulity. The dog was 4 months old, a puppy, mostly black, but his ears were up. The guy was huge.

My feeling was that people need to get over their fears and not expect the world to cater to them. But the general feeling of the site was that some people have phobias, and I guess they are to be pitied and not expected to get over a possible episode that they have had in the past.

Personally, I think it takes a lot of guts to tell someone to not walk somewhere or not bring the dog in a certain direction, or that they should not have that kind of dog or the like. I think a phobic person should go ahead and cross the street or go the other way. That's fine. But when they get loud-mouthed about it, then I think it isn't such an evil thing for us to think they need to get over themselves. 

Ah well, I think it is probably a good time to get my moon chart out and see if it has anything to do with how fractious I've been feeling lately.

ETA: Darn! Can't blame the moon either.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I agree with Courtney's mentality....

Plain and simple...some people are genuinely scared/intimidated by GSDs and other large dogs.....it does not matter why they are scared, simply that they are. As an owner of this breed (or similar ) which evokes this fear in some folks we have a few choices we can make.

1.) do nothing at all and simply go about your business.

2.) enjoy this fear others have and conduct yourself as such and fan the flames...and by doing this, you only make the fear more real...even though you understand your dog is perfectly gentle in this particular situation. It's almost as some folks get off on having some folks fear their dog...like it is some kind of badge you wear because you have a "scary" dog.....speaks volumes of the owner and their ego. I understand there are times when one wants certain humans to fear their dog...nothing wrong with that but that is not the theme of this thread.

3.) you can be an ambassador of the GSD and help some of these folks through their fear because many times their fear is based on misconceptions and/or a bad situation they might have experienced. Too many times the exception versus the rule is what creates the sweeping generalizations these fearful folks live by...You have an opportunity to change this attitude which exists out there with too many folks...given the chance.

So, do as you choose, obviously but your actions will either perpetuate this false reason for others fearing your dog or do your best within reason to temper their fear....remember, what you do to allay this fear others might have of your GSD will only make it easier for those to come who will own a GSD in the future. Perhaps, the insurance companies and their actuaries have good cause for their policies regarding certain dog breeds such as the GSD....perhaps you as an owner can change this.

" It is no wonder as Forbes Magazine indicates the German shepherd ranks No. 4 on a non-alphabetized list of 11 of dog breeds that most insurance companies resist insuring. What insurance companies don't resist is issuing an umbrella policy such as a canine liability policy, according to Dog Bite Law. This comes with an additional price tag."

SuperG


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

Kayos and Havoc said:


> This reminds me of a Mayhem story.
> 
> May is not real fond of small kids running up to her. I was out walking with my friend and her sheltie and as we came around the turn at the park a family is coming toward us. Kids immediately yell "doggies!" and run toward us. I turn around and walk May 20 feet or so off the path to avoid this and call to the parents that she is not really very kid friendly. I thought I was being polite and protective of my dog. Wrong! I was walking my vicious creature that had no business in public.
> 
> ...


Wow it's crazy how some people can say that our dogs don't have any business being out..!


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## fredh (Sep 10, 2013)

When I walk Jake I'm afraid of the "Designer Rats" (Pomeranian, Shi Tzus) ect and their reaction to my GSD! LOL


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

fredh said:


> When I walk Jake I'm afraid of the "Designer Rats" (Pomeranian, Shi Tzus) ect and their reaction to my GSD! LOL


Haha, most of the time it's those kind of dogs barking at my GSD on walks


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## nktigger99 (Aug 22, 2006)

I would like to give you another perspective.....on the mother grabbing their kids....my kids are horrible at approaching unknown dogs. I have talked to them till I turn blue but I still have to be proactive most of the time with the twins mostly....they are 2. I grab them and make sure they stay away from all unknown dogs. I can't risk my kids getting bit just in case the dog turns out unfriendly. It really isn't about the breed or size of dog at all...little dogs I am usually more cautious of.

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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

nktigger99 said:


> I would like to give you another perspective.....on the mother grabbing their kids....my kids are horrible at approaching unknown dogs. I have talked to them till I turn blue but I still have to be proactive most of the time with the twins mostly....they are 2. I grab them and make sure they stay away from all unknown dogs. I can't risk my kids getting bit just in case the dog turns out unfriendly. It really isn't about the breed or size of dog at all...little dogs I am usually more cautious of.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes true I know what you mean.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

Unfortunately this is something you will have to get used to and try not be offended by it. Our breed is either loved or hated, there is no middle road, I think because GSDs have been a very popular dog for many years and in the case of Australia, where there was a ban on importing GSDs which wasn't lifted until the late 1970's so GSDs were interbred and possibly quite badly bred and were known as Alsatians! Many people owned one and the type of people you encounter today that own a little pom or white fluffy probably grew up with one and had a bad experience.

This is why obedience training is so important and especially training your GSD to ignore other dogs. An out of control, not trained German Shepherd can be scary and some ignorant people tend to think all GSDs are scary and don't appreciate or even recognise an exceptionally well trained, stable GSD.


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

People are much less scared of huge St Bernards, and much less scared of snappy terriers. But they are scared of GSD, because GSD is a wolf-like dog, and this fear is subconscious. For the same reason we are scared of snakes or rats. The fear of a wolf is instinctive in humans, and we learned to love his shape only through our culture.
Though, I can tell you, whether people are scared of your dog or not totally depends on you.

Instinctive fear is prominent only in children under 3 who can get a real shock, older ones are already capable of controlling themselves, so, keep your pooch away from really young ones and their protective parents. In majority of cases your dog can react on a big father running adrenaline, your dog may bark, but who would be scared - it would be the child.

Secondly, people take first look at your big pooch, and then they glance at you. If you don't look like a person who is in control of his dog - they would be scared. People are scared of a dog on leash in a muzzle much more than of a dog who runs off leash with a ball in his mouth. If you are looking relaxed, your dog doesn't bark at everyone who walks with a dog or without, then only some people may react, because they read your body language as well as your dog's. It happens, that well trained dog is much less feared.

But, some people feel unsure. Try to joke with them, silly questions like "Does he bite?" you can give an answer like " Oh, no! He never bites, he swallows the whole only!", or "Thank you, he had his dinner earlier".

And learn to distinguish pretended fear from the real one: Cynophobia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

I can't believe what I just saw! I just was on my front steps about to go for a walk, then my pup sees a guy walking barks maybe twice and the guy looked left to right and ran for his life! I don't even think he saw my pup by the way he ran so fast! What was that about ?! Who knows!!! Shocking!


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## David Taggart (Nov 25, 2012)

> What was that about ?!


It was Batman.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

SuperG said:


> I agree with Courtney's mentality....
> 
> Plain and simple...some people are genuinely scared/intimidated by GSDs and other large dogs.....it does not matter why they are scared, simply that they are. As an owner of this breed (or similar ) which evokes this fear in some folks we have a few choices we can make.
> 
> ...


Hey I go with #3 myself!:laugh:


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

David Taggart said:


> It was Batman.


 Probably! My goodness lol


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

No, generally people smile and make comments like "pretty", "beautiful", "gorgeous", or even "cute" - yes, really! It's extremely rare for people to appear afraid of them, although it's happened a couple of times over the years.


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## CJthePuppy (Oct 9, 2013)

Just yesterday I was at the vet with my boy and he wanted to say hi to a guy waiting in the lobby with his dog and the guy went off. Not saying it to me but loud enough for me to hear, that "you need to have control over your dog at all times" and that "some people don't know how to handle dogs." Keep in mind my boy didn't make a sound. There is no worse feeling...


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

CJthePuppy said:


> Just yesterday I was at the vet with my boy and he wanted to say hi to a guy waiting in the lobby with his dog and the guy went off. Not saying it to me but loud enough for me to hear, that "you need to have control over your dog at all times" and that "some people don't know how to handle dogs." Keep in mind my boy didn't make a sound. There is no worse feeling...
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



I feel sad for those kinds of people, because you must really have a bad and unhappy life to be the kind of person that is grumpy and tries to make other people feel bad.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I went through the people going the other way with my female when she hit about 8 months until about a year and a half. Now she is more mature and way more aloof. She acts like she doesn't see them, ignores them and I think they don't see her as a threat. My male sees someone coming and he automatically sits because he thinks they are coming to pet him, he is still very approachable and he is so big that people are more amazed then scared. In general people with smaller barky dogs tend to go the other way.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

CJthePuppy said:


> Just yesterday I was at the vet with my boy and he wanted to say hi to a guy waiting in the lobby with his dog and the guy went off. Not saying it to me but loud enough for me to hear, that "you need to have control over your dog at all times" and that "some people don't know how to handle dogs." Keep in mind my boy didn't make a sound. There is no worse feeling...
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



I'd have likely said..." hey, I'd love it if you would show me..would ya?"

SuperG


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## Phantom (May 9, 2013)

No, usually they don't even seem to notice her, or they come closer and say she is pretty.


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## JoeyG (Nov 17, 2013)

My boy is getting older but still has the young face until he gets serious. I've seen people turn to avoid us but really I see it as their problem. My boy goes everywhere with me and I have gone out of my way to socialize him. he loves people and is really good with kids but people don't always want to give him a chance. Even when training I let him break some rules just to get that positive experience of dealing with a stranger. I had people tell me how sweet he is and that they didn't know "gsds were so friendly" lol! Just how you raise the dog, because I can tell you that if you came into the back yard near my daughter with out me he's a totally different dog. Got love GSDs!


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## lennyb (Jan 1, 2014)

Unfortunately people in my neighborhood are scared of my boy and he definitely picks up on this fact ( he gets vocal sometimes but its his way of saying hey come pet me ). What they dont realize is he is the most lovable dog I've ever seen. When we go for walks they avoid us like the plague or we get the stupid looks or comments. But I don't care. He's my best friend and I'd take him over most people any day of the week.


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## TigervTeMar (Jan 4, 2014)

this isn't about people but Tiger, that's the PUPPY Tiger, can scare the day lights out of stupid yippy dogs. he was at his first puppy playtime last night and he proved trustworthy. he was more interested in meeting people and smelling dogs than responding to the dogs barking at each other, but there were a few occasions where I saw the adult he'll become. when he pulls his teeth back and snarls it is downright scary, and he's young.

the biggest 'incident', even though the other puppy's parents didn't mind and apologized there dog was so possessive, was when a dog came over by Tiger and dropped a chew toy and Tiger went to sniff it and the dog barked at him and did that fake lunge forward and whatnot. Tiger responded with that snarl of his and I swear he must have shattered the other dogs testicles. it ran to his mom and hid his face in her armpit for like 5 minutes and after that she took him outside the pen to play with. he got better when I offered some of my lamb lung treats. I'm glad they didn't mind, I felt kind of bad (but secretly impressed about what a badass lurks in my puppy). this thread has given me alot of advice on how to deal with other people's fear when he gets bigger.


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

I appreciate everyone taking the time to share by the way!! This is my first German Shepherd I had and I'm glad to own one.  never loved any other beed as much as my GSD!


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## lennyb (Jan 1, 2014)

TigervTeMar said:


> Tiger responded with that snarl of his and I swear he must have shattered the other dogs testicles.
> 
> 
> 
> That's seriously funny.


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## sechattin (Nov 13, 2013)

It's been about 50/50 for me. Some people just love Kaiju and others absolutely hate him because he's a "big, aggressive dog". I usually put him in a sit stay by the side of the road if someone has to pass, but other than that I walk pretty normally. The only time I was ever really fazed was when I was doing a training session with him by the playground in the park next to my house. Some woman saw him and approached me with a can of pepper spray, saying she would spray him and call the police if I didn't leave with my "monster" immediately. Normally if someone makes a negative comment about him, they're ignored completely. But I wasn't going to push her threat since she had the canister and everything out already, so I just left and haven't seen her since. Not worth potentially putting my dog in harm's way.


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## Rottendog (Mar 6, 2014)

Oh joy, what to look forward to again. People are so stupid! My pup hasn't been born yet, he/she is due in April, but I sure did experience it with my Rottie. I've never met a dog that I was just instantly afraid of without seeing something to give me a reason. Some people should just get over themselves and learn to function in public. Sorry for the rant there but people and irrational fears do get under my skin. I had a lady in the Vet's office grab her toddler and yank him away from my Baron so hard that it almost hurt the child because of her irrational fear. The child was as happy as a lark hugging my big 'bear' and Baron was enjoying every second of the attention from a sit/stay on leash beside my feet. The mother was so forceful she almost got Baron's protective side going. Thankfully he was so well behaved and well trained all it took was a word from me and he immediately went to a perfectly calm pup. My Vet saw the whole thing and pulled her aside for a stern lecture on how to behave around dogs to avoid getting bit. She was also told that Baron was one of the nicest dogs that came in and she should be ashamed to behave that way around him. I loved my vet!! But people who have issues like she did shouldn't come out in public where they will see a dog until they can get themselves under control. Seriously, it's not fair to the dog. Some of you may think I'm a butt hole with a lack of tolerance, but I don't have a lot of patience for them. I think my new line for anyone who has an issue with my new pup will be "he is the nicest member of the family" and give them a maniacal grin.  And laugh when they run away.


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## TigervTeMar (Jan 4, 2014)

rottendog my family had a rottie named Rocky who was the sweetest animal alive. the ladies at the vet office loved him and he loved them back


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Don't forget some folks might think you're an undercover LEO with a drug sniffing K9.


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## charger (Jan 29, 2008)

When I was down in Hollywood we came across a guy bending down petting a small dog. As soon as he saw our two Shepherds he ran in to the road and was almost hit by a car. I told him they we're friendly and his response was " I've heard that before".


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## Hunter4628 (Mar 24, 2014)

charger said:


> When I was down in Hollywood we came across a guy bending down petting a small dog. As soon as he saw our two Shepherds he ran in to the road and was almost hit by a car. I told him they we're friendly and his response was " I've heard that before".


Some people are so funny sometimes not to be mean lol, but really running?! Come on now..


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## TigervTeMar (Jan 4, 2014)

is godzeela!


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

I would rather people avoid my dog. For one, we are working through some reactive issues right now. Some days are good, some are not. 

I had this 13 something year old kid walk up to me in petsmart one day. He informed me he could help me train my dog. Now whether he was telling me the truth or not, the last thing that I'll let happen is a person 1/3 my age tutor me on dog training. I told him no thanks and he just kept creeping closer to us. I finally told him to back off in a firm tone and he finally got the point. 

But I haven't had anyone critique me on avoiding them.

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## DennisC (Aug 3, 2013)

Used to walk Dante at a beach town on the Jersey shore, lots of families with kids during the summer. would occasionally get people jerking their kids away or ducking into stores til we passed. Most often people would comment on how well behaved he was and how friendly. I understand that some people have had bad experiences with dogs they can't get over especially if it happened when they were young. I never crossed the street or went out of my way, but I did take the opportunity to have Dante act as an ambassador for the breed. It strikes me that most people are not used to seeing dogs that are well behaved and obedient and if that's the case with a GSD you can understand the caution.


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## VDAL (Mar 3, 2011)

I'm affraid of spiders. If I see a spider I don't tell him to move...I will "run" away from it  If you affraid of the breed it's your problem and you can remove yourself from area( when the dog is accting properly) 
I hate that kind of people...but I just laught to myself . 


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

VDAL said:


> I'm affraid of spiders. If I see a spider I don't tell him to move...I will "run" away from it  If you affraid of the breed it's your problem and you can remove yourself from area( when the dog is accting properly)
> I hate that kind of people...but I just laught to myself .
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Just for you:
Hyperbole and a Half: Spiders are Scary. It's Okay to be Afraid of Them. *UPDATED*


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## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

I just tell people, "It's not him you need to worry about." I get some nervous smiles before they move on. I really am an anti-stranger person lol


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## Lita (Mar 20, 2014)

Once, when we were in Petsmart, a boy about 11 saw Lita coming at him, immediately got an "Oh S*%&" look on his face, turned tail and ran to the other side of the store. Funniest thing I had seen in a long time.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Lita said:


> Once, when we were in Petsmart, a boy about 11 saw Lita coming at him, immediately got an "Oh S*%&" look on his face, turned tail and ran to the other side of the store. Funniest thing I had seen in a long time.


A girl about the same age did that when we turned a corner in PetsMart, scared the crap out of my puppy because she not only ran, but she screamed like a banshee. I did not think it was funny at all. I thought, if your child is afraid of dogs, then maybe you shouldn't take her to a store where dogs are allowed to be. 

Oh and, we have these annoying things called rules here, and subbing symbols in for letters to make up swear words to avoid the sensors is actually against them.


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## CharlieB.Barkin (Apr 21, 2014)

Nope. I wish they did though. I love the feeling when people do that. IDK why, but it makes the walk easier because it keeps the dog calm. I'm considering getting one of those "Do Not Pet" leashes. He has gotten MUCH better around people but he occasionally lunges for them, which tends to startle people.


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## Huck (Dec 31, 2013)

I decided to take Huck, our 7 month old GSD to a park close by. It's mainly used for softball games but there is walking trails and a "Puppy Exercise Area". We've been working on off the leash training and so I had his prong collar along with an e-collar. I left a traffic leash on his prong through the entire walk just in case children, vehicles, etc became a distraction. Other than that he stayed off leash and I used the e-collar if needed. There was only one other person walking the trails. It was a middle aged women and her small dog jogging. As soon as I noticed her coming close I would recall Huck and I would grab his traffic leash. I would call Huck before he would even notice them, just to avoid him running off and trying to play. There was only one time that we were actually meeting each other on the trails. As usual, I call Huck and grab his traffic leash. I proceed to move over to the ride side of the trail to give them more room. Huck was heeling great and is very well behaved. As we start to come up on the lady and her dog, which is leashed. She picks her dog up. Once we pass, she puts her dog back down. I wasn't sure how to take her gesture. But I'll take it as a compliment  


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## Ellimaybel (Mar 16, 2014)

Huck said:


> I decided to take Huck, our 7 month old GSD to a park close by. It's mainly used for softball games but there is walking trails and a "Puppy Exercise Area". We've been working on off the leash training and so I had his prong collar along with an e-collar. I left a traffic leash on his prong through the entire walk just in case children, vehicles, etc became a distraction. Other than that he stayed off leash and I used the e-collar if needed. There was only one other person walking the trails. It was a middle aged women and her small dog jogging. As soon as I noticed her coming close I would recall Huck and I would grab his traffic leash. I would call Huck before he would even notice them, just to avoid him running off and trying to play. There was only one time that we were actually meeting each other on the trails. As usual, I call Huck and grab his traffic leash. I proceed to move over to the ride side of the trail to give them more room. Huck was heeling great and is very well behaved. As we start to come up on the lady and her dog, which is leashed. She picks her dog up. Once we pass, she puts her dog back down. I wasn't sure how to take her gesture. But I'll take it as a compliment
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


From someone who owns a small dog as well as a GSD it's not always the other persons dog I'm worried about. Cyclone (my small dog) does not know he's small, he thinks he's as big as every other dog out there and will proceed to act as such. I pick him up regardless of size or breed because it's easier for me to do so than to have to deal with him going into a barking frenzy and undoing the work and training that the other dog owner is instilling. A lot of people may think I pick him up because I'm scared of their dog, I'm not.


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## canyadoit (May 14, 2014)

I have my dog sit for folks who appear nervous when approaching on the side walk Same for old fplk baby buggies Simple common manners It is not up to me to change folk and thier views on my breed of choice It is up to be to present my dog in the best possable way in public


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> No, generally people smile and make comments like "pretty", "beautiful", "gorgeous", or even "cute" - yes, really! It's extremely rare for people to appear afraid of them, although it's happened a couple of times over the years.


Yes, your post pretty much sums up my experience. And, probably like you, my dog is in constant contact with people because I live in a city and my dog accompanies me to a lot of neighborhood/city events where dogs are allowed, not to mention just day-to-day walks and errands.


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## LifeofRiley (Oct 20, 2011)

LifeofRiley said:


> Yes, your post pretty much sums up my experience. And, probably like you, my dog is in constant contact with people because I live in a city and my dog accompanies me to a lot of neighborhood/city events where dogs are allowed, not to mention just day-to-day walks and errands.


Well, I was trying to edit this post, but it timed out. So, here is the rest of what I wanted to post... 

...I must say, that I love my neighborhood businesses - most allow me to bring my dog inside because they have seen how great a dog my dog is and they know me. I can't tell you how many times I have been about to tether my dog outside the business when the owner came out and said, you can bring your dog in. 

Typically, once inside, they tell me that they know that any dog of mine is a well-mannered dog (the neighborhood reputation began with my last dog, but it remains alive with my current dog).


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

It's easy to take offence and I completely understand why you would when your GSD is behaving perfecting and the owner of the small dog picks up their dog as though it is way too precious.

I too had a similar experience, I rarely take mine into dog parks but did a little while ago, there was only 1 small dog in there and the area is massive, so plenty of room to walk off leash in your own space. When I first took Harry and Lola in, the owner of the small dog quickly picked up her little Bichon Frise and with lighting speed walked over the opposite side. Fine with me, I'm not interested in interacting with the owner and I don't want my 2 GSDs to interact either. Anyway, after about 10 minutes of walking the Bichon Frise comes running over to us barking its head off, pretty aggressive, really out of control, lunching at us and the owner running after it calling it. The Bichon Frise ignored its owner and the poor owner spent a few minutes running after it trying to get it. My 2 were brilliant, ignored the dog and we all just kept walking. 

Perhaps this woman scooped up her Bichon Frise when we entered because she knew she had no control over it and the little dog had no obedience training whatsoever.


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