# "All German Shepherds Bite!!"



## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

Oh my goodness, am I ticked off!! I took Marley, who is now 6 months old, to my DD's soccer game tonight. She has been going with me since the games started over 5 weeks ago and has always been so good. I take her long line (30 ft) and her short leash (6 ft), toys, water bottle, bowl, treats, poop bags, etc. and we hang out at the field for at least 1 1/2 hrs each game. 

Well, tonight some lady sees her 5 year old son petting Marley and rushes over to grab him. I see how nervous she looks so I assure her that Marley is very friendly and loves kids. She still grabs her kids arm and says, "It's a GSD, right?" and then says, "Everyone knows that they ALL are trained to bite". 

AAAGGGHHHH!!! I felt like smacking her upside the head!!!

Marley was laying down with a baby (about 6 months old) who kept laying her little head on Marley's belly, plus a couple toddlers, and my DD who is 12 and myself. There were some other 5 and 6 year olds that were taking turns giving her treats and petting her too.

I looked like the stinking pied piper of kids and always do when we go to the games or practices. Marley goes to Cheerleading, Soccer, Softball, or the park to watch football EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. I have taken her to the kids events and practices since she was 2 months old. I have NEVER ran into such an ignorant person. 

Okay. Rant over. I guess I was lucky I didn't have a pit bull with me or she probably would have ran screaming from the field. What a moron!!


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## MTAussie (Dec 9, 2007)

Haha! Gotta love it. I was told by a owner of a dog daycare she would 
"never have two GSD's in her daycare because they communicate telepathically and will hurt other dogs because they are a bully breed." Yeah............
I almost threw up.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Actually she probably would not have recognized a Pitt Bull. I would have shot back at her that ALL dogs bite and point out that a fair amount of children do too. Well most all of them bite their food.


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## shepherdbydesign (Mar 7, 2007)

It ashame that some people look at our GSD's as face biting dogs. As did Cathys Aunt until she met one of ours and her opinion change before we left her house. Its a mother like that that will plant the seed in her children that all GSD's are bad.


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## VectorSketcher (Jul 20, 2008)

I would have been very upset as well, I probably would have had it out with her! Where did she get that impression of the GSD Breed? It is sad really.


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## derby98 (Feb 9, 2008)

There are plenty of ignorant folks out there. That lady proved it!


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## DocBrown (Jan 19, 2007)

Um, DUH!! Why did she think you were bringing the GSD pup to 
crowded places like kids' sporting events? To socialize the dog so that she DOESN'T bite a random stranger in the future, dumb @$$!!

Ugh, people sometimes!! There's people like that, then theres the completely ignorant stranger who approach me and approach my dog and just start petting my dog without even asking first, assuming that he likes being mauled by complete strangers.

If it wasn't for socialization purposes, I would've stopped taking my dog to crowded public places a LONG time ago.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

as Loki and i were leaving the park yesterday we passed a lady and her two daughters. we were 10 feet away from them. as we passed the mother said "he's not going to bite is he"? before i could say anything one of the girls jumps behind her and says " yeah Mom, he's a human mauler and i think he eats babies". well the girls and i just start laughing. then the mother says "sorry, i guess you wouldn't have him out here off the leash if he bites" and then she laughs with us. i've also had people ask me "does he bite", when i say no they want to pet him. don't let the negative reactions upset you. these people who come off that way don't know dogs and they're reacting to stereotypes. keep going to all of the games with your dog. i agree with you, it's a great place to socialize Marley.


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

Ok. Now I am laughing at the responses. I wish I would have been quick with some of these retorts!!...lol

Marley LOVES all of the kids. She will not just go up to random adults but bring a kid out (any age) and she wants to run to them and play. She sniffs the adults first but not the kids.

She did get a nice snack at the soccer field. She ate spaghetti off of one kid's t-shirt, ice cream off a toddler, and the baby had a sucker that Marley licked a few times too. The mother just laughed and said that her baby eats worse stuff than the dog.


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## thor wgsd (Jun 18, 2008)

I agree with you Shelly, that was just stupid, however I find that the whole idea of socializing a dog is unknown to non-dog people. 

I get comments like that as well, but to be honest I prefer that over the kids that run to my pups face and tries to pet him. Yea, my pup *probably* won't hurt him, but what about the next dog they meet...


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## thor wgsd (Jun 18, 2008)

I also meant to say;

When someone do think he is dangerous or whatever I find images speak more than words, so instead of trying to explain that he is nice I try and show it if possible. Let's hope this ignorant sees Marley with the other kids and maybe understand that she was absolutely wrong!


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: doggiedad " yeah Mom, he's a human mauler and i think he eats babies".


I have never met this child but I love her! What a GREAT answer and just goes to show us kids are many times smarter than adults. I think it's great the Mom caught on and realized what she'd said and could laugh with you. Some would have become very indignant and nasty.


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## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

I took my pup to visit my Mom-in-law while recovering in a rehab after she broke her leg. Some of the help were diving out of the hallway,
behind tray carts, and made me go into the bathroom and shut the door before they came in the room to collect trays.

It was quite ridiculous, but sadly, too typical.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

these responses are great!!!
Some people are just plain stupid!!
I mean really would you actually bring your dog some place if it was a vicious animal. Oh wait a minute kisses are considered bad 
can't take Marley anymore.

Seriously I would have gone off on the B*TCH!!!


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

GSDs ALWAYS elicit a response-no one is ever neutral-they love em or fear em.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

This is a seriously stupid remark: "Everyone knows that they ALL are trained to bite". 

I would have been like "So do you know who's been sneaking into my bedroom at night and training him? I've been training him NOT to bite since he was 8 weeks old!"

Dumb a$$!


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Silly that this lady thought GSDs were all _trained_ to bite..







but I suspect she meant that they were all inherantly aggressive. Someone is always greatly insulted that a member of the public assumes GSDs are aggressive. Please: Take a peek at our _crowded_, busy, overflowing AGGRESSION section. "Buster bit our neighbor-- HELP!" "Oh no-- Missy bit my uncle!" "HELP! BooBoo attacked my 7 year old's friend!" etc etc etc. With all the _nerve issues _our breed has, and the _lazy owners not doing what you were doing--socializing--_ they have a reputaion for a very good reason. 

Grossly underexcersised, undersocialized by too-busy, too lazy owners, and suffering weak nerves (remember.. owners never think their Poopsie has weak nerves, she barks cos she's, like, protective 'n stuff)-- this is an explosive disaster for many pet GSDs.

Good for you for socializing Marley.







Good for you for getting her used to kids early, events early, people early. Not everyone does what you do. Too many owners do not do this. So yes-- GSDs, with weak nerves running rampant in our breed, undersocialized, underexcersized, can be terribly aggressive, reactive, you name it.

Again, good call working hard with Marley! But I think it is totally and completely understandable why she imagines GSDs are aggressive. Look at how _crowded_ the aggression section of our own board is! And we have such incredibly dedicated GSD owners here.


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## VectorSketcher (Jul 20, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: SuzyEGSDs ALWAYS elicit a response-no one is ever neutral-they love em or fear em.


I am in total agreeance with this statement. We took Riddick to Cali last year, everyone there completely feared him, thought he was going to attack on the spot, the responses to him were ridiculous! But when we take him to Copper Mtn to go snowboarding everyone there including the staff are completely in love with him, odd how the reactions are different in different areas.


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

I had something simular happen, "That's a GSD isn't it, they all bite"

I said "No its a Carpathian Wolf, wanna pet her?"


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

Such ignorant people...

This just makes me appreciate my neighborhood so much more! It seems like a lot of people around where I live have big dogs. I've seen dobes, rotties, labs, there used to be shar peis, and I've seen other sheps. People who don't live here give us a nervous glance, but people who do live in my neighborhood always ask to pet, or say hello.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MaxGunnarI had something simular happen, "That's a GSD isn't it, they all bite"
> 
> I said "No its a Carpathian Wolf, wanna pet her?"


I almost fell off my chair laughing at this response


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MaxGunnarI had something simular happen, "That's a GSD isn't it, they all bite"
> 
> I said "No its a Carpathian Wolf, wanna pet her?"



I am so using this next time says something about GSD's. 
I LOVE this response...


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## Deuce'sMom (Jul 4, 2008)

I once saw an ad to give away a dog. The ad said:

"Eats anything, loves children"

Maybe that should be your retort - see if they pick up on it!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I was walking by a woman telling two children that they do not want anything to do with Rottweilers. They are terrible dogs and kill people. 

I could not help myself. I told her she had a better chance of getting killed by a deer. 

People are ignorant and are spewing forth their ignorance on their progeny. There is nothing new in this. Shake your head to relieve it of the poo poo information, and move on.


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

I always have polar reactions-either run screaming afraid (great method to escape a bite) or I have had a lady pull her one year old out of a stroller and put her right down between my Gsds. It used to hurt my feelings but after having Paige for so long now I am used to it.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I had to pay my dentist today. So I took Scarlet with me. I went in and said, "Yes, its a German Shepherd, and she bites." They laughed and one of them held her while I wrote the check. (Scarlet was five weeks old on Thursday.)


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

LOL!!!!!!!


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## midnight804 (Jun 13, 2008)

I often care for both of my aunt's dobermans when they're traveling and I get people saying stupid stuff like this all the time. We trained big zeus to go belly up when we say "dead bug", so when I hear stupid people say stupid things like that I say something sarcastic like "I already fed him his AM baby so the bloodlust is under control now" or "oh you'll be ok he only likes to eat really small children, they fight less" and then make him do a "dead bug". I've actually had one lady and her kid feel bad for prejudging him after I made him "dead bug" and they came over and pet him and got sloppy doberman kisses. people are ignorant, don;t let it keep you down.


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## Halen (Feb 16, 2007)

ShellyG, your Marley sounds like my Apollo. He loves kids too. Couldn't care less if an adult pets him, but loves kids. I take him to the kids' soccer & football games & practices too. (Great socialization opportunites.) Mostly I get people who want to pet him & ooh & ahh over him. We live in a small town, and people already know him. One mom, on the day of the first practice, wondered where Apollo was cause I hadn't brought him. 

My Avon lady came to my house one day and Apollo barked at her. She asked me if my dogs bite and I said not this one (pointing to Rocket). I pointed to Apollo & said, he hasn't bitten anyone yet!


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

The kicker is yes, unlike other dogs, German Shepherds almost always elicit a response, be it positive or negative. 

While walking my GSD's (1 or 2), some folks will actually turn around and walk the other way. 

At Pet Expos, and larger events in which the people seem to be more comfortable with dogs, the results are generally positive. 

I now have three Shepherds, one is protective of my house and property. As for the other two I have never seen their fur raised or a growl when interacting with humans. 

All three are good in public.

As dog parks, and I have many resevations about the parks, the dogs will stand up for themselves, but only if bitten first. And this has happened a few times, but the little fearful biters are never at fault.


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

Let's see...the one that made me the most angry was when I was talking about BSL and how dumb it is when my friends chimes in and says that actually some breeds should be banned like Dobermans, German Shepherds...







I stopped her right then and there and said that I have a German Shepherd. Trying to be honest, I mentioned that Cookie does have some dog-aggression problems and before I could explain why my friend tells me that's why my GSD should be "done away with". By that time, I want to yell my butt off at her.








Then I had made a little sign around Cookie's neck to wear in public that said "Do I look like a killer to you? Punish the DEED, not the BREED!!!"
One lady commented that she does look like a killer. What! sweet old Cookie with her tail wagging all friendly-like and her face looking all smiley!!?!?!







The sign did prove effective though. People would stop what they were doing just to read it.
Oh yeah, and people almost always ask if Cookies bites but hardly ever ask if my other dog bites. I think that it's smart to ask that question, but ask it about ALL dogs, not just some. Even the friendliest dog can bite if provoked enough.


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

timber-where have I been? you have three dogs now? well yesterday a Maltese ran at me full force and tried to attack me at a pet sitting job! LOL! I jumped up on their counter and fended it off with Puperoni!! mean lil sucker!!!! at least a GSD you can reason with!


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## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

I take Max to the hospital once a week for visits, and once in awhile i`m asked by a patient or visitor "does he bite"?


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

Yep, now three. But my rescue is scheduled to be neutered on Tuesday and is being adopted.

I now take him to the dog park in the early morning when few or no people are there. He has never been aggressive toward anyone, but if bitten he does respond.

Unfortunately, he needs a lot of training and I cannot have a fenced in yard (flood plain). Off lease he walks faster then I can run, so the park is the only alternative to let him just run.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Anymore when I am asked if my dogs bite I say he might, do you bite? Then I ask them if thier vaccines are current.


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## Lisa&Diesel (Jun 8, 2008)

My golden retriever still nibbles my hand when she gets excited. No one would believe that they have nore chance of being chewed by my Golden than my my GSD.

If it is a dog, it can bite.


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## Ursa Lunar (Jul 11, 2003)

Have heard "All German Shepherds bite" and "All German Shepherds turn on their owners."
My response to that is always "No they don't if treated kindly. You must have only known bad owners."
That goes over like a dog-dropping in a punch bowl but gets the point across loud and clear.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Today we went to the lake at the access and had both dogs off leash til a boat came. I leashed them as they came in. The guy asks "Your dogs are nice, right?" I said "usually" Would he have asked that if I didn't have GSD's?


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Well, there is a positive side to this perception. If I see the solicitors canvasing the neighborhood, I make sure Doerak comes out with me for visibility if I'm out. He also keeps away some of the neighbors that I don't care to talk to. 

Funny thing is, Doerak would rather avoid people. If somebody did get brave and walk up to him, he'd side step and stay just out of reach. But if he thinks you're going to throw the Kong for him, he's your best friend.


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

That reminds me...several years ago a friend of mine liked Cookie and said that he wanted a GSD someday. He was an adult, but his mother tried to warn him that "German Shepherds turn on their owners."
It hurt my feelings, because Cookie or any GSD I've ever known would NEVER do that!


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

All German Shepherds bite; no. I have three and two of them have never even raised there fur toward humans. 

My third guy, bought as a pup, is protective. Likes his friends and family, but around my property he is leery of strangers.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

if i were in a hospital doing visits with my Shep and someone asked does he bite, i would say, "yes he bites, he just bit two people in the emergency room, he's being admitted for observations".


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## Julie'somom (Jun 13, 2004)

When I am asked if my Julie bites (Not as far as I have ever seen. She thinks she's a Golden Retriever) I always say,"Boy I would hope so. If the need arose and someone was hurting me or my family, you bet I would hope she would bite!!!!" Now I don't really believe she would, but it makes people I don't know (Who knows what they may be up to) think twice!!!!
julies'omom


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I have one that has turned on me and is chewing my fingers right now. hard to type this way. Ouch!!!! Gators!


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## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

the first thing I was told by the woman who had Paiges litter was "this dog will never ever turn on it's owner" so it's amazing how these myths get started!


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## bethd (May 23, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: selzerI have one that has turned on me and is chewing my fingers right now. hard to type this way. Ouch!!!! Gators!


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## momtoduke (Sep 29, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MTAussieHaha! Gotta love it. I was told by a owner of a dog daycare she would
> "never have two GSD's in her daycare because they communicate telepathically and will hurt other dogs because they are a bully breed." Yeah............
> I almost threw up.


HAHA! Thats why the great peranese across the road rolls duke everytime she see's him "because hes a bully" LOL!!


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## momtoduke (Sep 29, 2008)

Duke has never offered to bite anyone, although when the electric guy comes to check the meter reading, he actually calls my cell phone to see if i can put him in the house or chain him up. It's funny, to whatch the guy walk arcoss the yard! but i do put duke in the house! dont want to take any chances.

Also one time there was a cop that came up here to see if i had seen the neighbors and when he came up the first time no one was home, so on the next day which was sunday, he came back and i was home. He said he had came yesterday but no one was here and he wouldnt get out of the car because Duke was out there.

I said why and he said "because i know what those dogs are capable of" and i said "dont they have to be trained to be capable of that?" and he laughed and said nope!

also the great peranese i posted in the above post, when she stands by one of us he will lower his head and sneak in the middle of her and us. its so funny! hes just a big big big baby!! i luv him so much!!


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: ShellyG "It's a GSD, right?" and then says, "Everyone knows that they ALL are trained to bite".
> 
> AAAGGGHHHH!!! I felt like smacking her upside the head!!!


Not smacking her upside the head would have taken every ounce of restraint I have.









They're all _trained_ to bite, huh? You know, I've heard plenty of ignorant comments concerning my GSDs over the years, but I think that one might just take the cake. It's definitely in the top 5, at any rate.


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

I should add...

I would just love for these people who are so terrified of GSDs and who think they're all vicious killers to come here, to my house, and meet my boys.
I can just see them awwing and cooing over Riley, who looks like your typical snuggle-bug Golden. He's the one who'd take your arm off!
My Gunner is a big, sweet baby.
Might teach them a thing or two about judging a book by it's cover.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: onyx'girlToday we went to the lake at the access and had both dogs off leash til a boat came. I leashed them as they came in. The guy asks "Your dogs are nice, right?" I said "usually" Would he have asked that if I didn't have GSD's?


People always ask me "does she bite?" or sometimes "is he friendly?"
This is when I am with my (very friendly and calm) Golden Retriever.

I've also overheard parents saying things to their kids like "Don't go near that dog, it's going to bite you!" 

Yeah, sure she will...right after she finishes eating this baby.


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## focker (Oct 4, 2008)

*i have Maggie with me everyday @ 6-8am.
we regularly have our 2 hour dog walk as we start our day.
after we are done, i tend to sit at the side of the road
(it's a seminary road after all so no busy traffic always)
Funny thing is, when all of the early morning people passes by
their world stops when seeing my cute little 2 month old gsd
and then would ask, "Will it chase me?" or more funny like
"Should i run for my life now??" LOLS!!!
Then i go like, "NO, their breed is like the best in the world!"
After I say that, Maggie will meet a new friend/friends.*

Here's some pics of Maggie resting after a dogwalk (offleash )

Observing









Waiting for new friends to scare! kidding 


























waiting again


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## focker (Oct 4, 2008)

She befriends with regular people she see everyday which is good!
Also, Maggie doesn't bite hehe


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## Hemi348 (Oct 9, 2008)

Haha!

I actually have a story about as bad as the original post.

I took my 9 month old german shepherd to run at the park. She is always wonderful outside staying next to my side without her lease on. Anyways we were running together minding our own business. We were rounding the corner of a pond and about twelve feet from this lady with three children. She grabs all these kids and yells "Don’t move!" 

I had a hard time not responding with "thank God you did that or she would have mauled your children"


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Chrono likes to wag his tail lots and put his ears back when he is meeting new people/getting pet so he looks like a lab instead! (he's pure black)

It's probably not his intention, but that's how it works.

A lot of people ask me if he's friendly, but I never really thought that hard into it to be offended by that. I just say "Yes, but he might lick you to death."


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Chicagocanine
> People always ask me "does she bite?" or sometimes "is he friendly?"
> This is when I am with my (very friendly and calm) Golden Retriever.


Your Ginger is beautiful!!








She reminds me of our Cooper, who we lost a little over a year ago.
This was him:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y161/Deni24/cooper002.jpg


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## Helly (Mar 31, 2008)

My GSD IS trained to bite.


peanut butter off a spoon
ice cream off a cone
his rope for a game of tug
his "wubby" to find the squeaker


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## Foo Lyn Roo (May 16, 2007)

LOL we were walking echo when he was about 6 months old.
A lady was putting out her trash, saw us, and ran up on her porch, I smiled and waved and said, its okay he's under control.
she replied "He gots teefs , he bites"

I just shook my head.


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## Foo Lyn Roo (May 16, 2007)

and we ARE training echo now to bite, and a GSD that IS trained to bite is probably less likely to automatically haul off and bite someone.
IMO


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

One day while walking Dakota, who was 13 yrs old and suffering from DM at the time, VERY slowly, with him sniffing the ground for all it was worth, we encountered a lady walking two Llasas. When she saw us, she promptly scooped up her dogs, walked across he street, holding onto them with this frightened look in her eye. Dakota paid them no mind. However the look on her face made me laugh right then and there.


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

This may not belong here, but I did not want to start a whole new thread for it either...

A few weeks ago, out with Mandalay, AT A PET STORE (where I seem to encounter the most animal ignorant people) a man points toward Mandi and says nothing other than "Pit Bull."

I blink, turn around, dont see a pit bull and look at him again. Then 2 kids come out from the aisle and the dad points again and says "Thats a pit bull."

I turn around again, looking for this pit bull that has got him frozen in place. I see no pit bull. I point at Mandalay and ask, "her?" 

"Yep."

"Oh, sir, no, this is a German Shepherd. She's very sweet if you'd like to pet her..."

"Come on boys, let's go down this way." and he and his kids scamper off down the aisle away from us. It took me another few seconds to process it all before I could walk on.

Pit bull. Mandi.


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## Halen (Feb 16, 2007)

I actually get a lot of people telling me how beautiful Apollo is. And kids always flock to him at the park. I had one little boy, though, who was petting him. His mother saw this, sent her other son over to him, and told him to go back to their mom. Of course, she's the wife of a doctor and they are a very snooty family. Maybe they thought it was Halen, who did bite someone last year. But he's gone. I'm not sure if people actually thought I'd be crazy enough to bring a dog that bites around little kids!


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: ShellyG
> 
> I looked like the stinking pied piper of kids and always do when we go to the games or practices.


Lol this cracked me up. I'm just not good with kids. Kids like me, and I'm awkward around them, but it never fails that I end up the pied piper of kids, too!


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## Nico's Pack (Jan 3, 2011)

Hello folks. New to the forum. Long time shepherd owner who has experienced this type of episode more times than I can count. My last GSD was properly trained for obedience, tracking and protection and did not have a mean bone in her body. Good with kids and well socialized with other dogs yada yada yada. In her 12 years there was only one aggressive event, My dog met up face to face with a Bichon Frise.. The Bichon launched up like lighting and bit my GSD in the ear. My GSD did nothing in return except for the puzzled WTF look on her face. If I gave her the command to guard or attack would she? You betcha. But to her its a matter of loyalty and protection combined with the gaming aspect of training, NOT born out of fear or aggression. I would tell any nitwit who reacts in this fashion to watch out for the smaller breeds as the bite ratio is actually much higher with them. Difference is the big breeds do a great deal more damage when they do bite.


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

At least you get to take your dog to the games. Echo was the team mascot for my son's soccer team (had her own jersey and everything!) for 2 years. When my son went up in age/division, she was no longer the mascot but still went to every game. One day one of the refs saw her laying on the grass in front of our chair and had a fit -- said dogs were not allowed at the games, he would have my son removed from the team if we continued to bring her, etc. I said, "Well, she's been coming to this field 2x per week for the last 3 years, everyone knows her and no one has ever complained, what is the problem now, other than you just now NOTICED HER? Not very observant, REF". There was only one game left in the season, my son chose to pull himself out if Echo couldn't come, too.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

MTAussie said:


> "never have two GSD's in her daycare *because they communicate telepathically* and will hurt other dogs because they are a bully breed."


:rofl:


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

I have been a surveyor for 16+ years. That means I jump lots of fences and roam around in peoples yards looking for property corners. I'm allowed by NC law to do this without asking and often have to (people are not at home). That being said, I run into lots of dogs. Guess how many times I have been bitten....go ahead. 16 years, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. Tick tock, tick tock......ONE TIME.

Jack Russel, hit me with all it had. Took a half dollar chunk out of my calf, tore my pants to pieces. *I was petting this dog 10 seconds prior*.

GSD? Pffft! If they were all so easy. GSDs, IMO, tell you what's up. Nice and clear, either stay the heck off my patch or come on in and rub my ears.

People ask "Yer dog bite?" I reply "Well, yeah, he's a dog and all. He might mouth yer hand if he REALLY likes you, but unless you threaten me or kick him he's not going to bite you".

Does your dog bite? Does your fish swim?* Does your bird fly? Geez. 




*I've taught my loach to do an interpretive dance number for food rather than swim. It's a snazzy little salsa based number to The Talking Heads _Psycho Killer_.


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I would have stated the true fact that dachshunds, out of all dog breeds, are the most likely to bite, statistically.


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## JessWelsch (Oct 2, 2010)

Even with Jordan's SDiT vest we get asked if she is friendly (I thought it was common knowledge that SDs are well socialized even tempered dogs!? obviously I was incorrect!) 

My latest come back is "as friendly as my chair is!" 

When they ask to pet her I say "only if I can pet your kid" or "no, but you can pet my chair!" 

-.-
Most people are ignorant. Jordan was called a Police Dog at the vet today when I checked her out from her spay. Some lady was like "Oh the police dog got hurt!" I couldn't stop myself I flipped around and mouthed off "she's a german shepherd, no a police dog, do I look like a cop???? And she got spayed, you should consider it."

:shrug: the lady shut up.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

JessWelsch said:


> Most people are ignorant. Jordan was called a Police Dog at the vet today when I checked her out from her spay. Some lady was like "Oh the police dog got hurt!" I couldn't stop myself I flipped around and mouthed off "she's a german shepherd, no a police dog, do I look like a cop???? And she got spayed, you should consider it."
> :shrug: the lady shut up.


 But why so hostile? I mean geesh, the comment she made wasn't nasty. She probably shut up because she was afraid YOU were going to bite her!
My father called GSD's police dogs until the day he died. (he was 84) When he was growing up that's what they called them, and it stuck.


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## DFrost (Oct 29, 2006)

Whiteshepherds said:


> My father called GSD's police dogs until the day he died. (he was 84) When he was growing up that's what they called them, and it stuck.


GSD are often called German Police dogs. My favorite though is, K9 Dog. People often ask; is that a K9 dog? I just respond by saying, well, actually it kind of is. I work with dogs that, at certain times in our history as a country, have earned a bad reputation. As a trainer for law enforcement dogs and a law enforcement officer, I feel it necessary to promote the good side of the K9 unit. Yes, these dogs "can" bite. Their primary duty however, is one of detection. Whether it's a lost child or elderly person or a hiding felon, the primary role is one of finding that person. The primary reason I participate in forums such as this is to give a different perspective. Different from the many myths and questionable tales often attributed to police canine and their training. We, as responsible dog trainers, handlers and affecianados do that through education, rather than belittling or ignoring peoples ignorance or questions.

DFrost


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## Powell (Oct 13, 2006)

After our Vintage Christmas where Santa came to town on a Dog Sled, I was walking Mickey and Jolene back the mile to the car. (Jolene the GSD/ Sheltie/Husky mix trained instantly and did well)....everyone wanted to pet Mickey my working line Husky. One little kid asked if he bit, and I said "No, BUT *I* DO!!!" and I showed my teeth. His eyes got REALLY big and backed up. Everyone laughed at him. 

Powell


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## JessWelsch (Oct 2, 2010)

I suppose you would have had to been there to realize I wasnt being hostile, I didnt have a tone, but she did.... she accusatory in her tone. I dont care why she shut up Im simply happy she did. It isnt my job to educate everyone but everyone sure thinks it is just because I have a GSD. Not everyone wants to be a walking side show and it is possible for them to keep there comments and tones to themselves. If they aren't why should I? -rhetorical-

Sometimes I have off days too, sometimes I dont want all the comments and questions and stares... if I have an off day then I suppose that only makes me human. My SDiT had just been sliced open, was in pain, and then I had someone following me around making comments and assumptions I didnt want to deal with. If that makes me a bad handler then I guess I am (Jordan sure doesnt think I am bad though, and as -her- handler that is all -I- care about).


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