# Just need to vent in a long winded way



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Throughout the time that I have had Jager I have inundated my coworkers with pictures of the little guy. For the most part everyone up here has watched him grow up. We also have had regular visits at Petsmart and Petco since he was about 3 months so the workers at both stores have also watched him grow up for a long time. 
Not once have I had anyone that has every really been afraid of him or called him anything but a cutie or beautiful or any number of very nice things.

Well...it's finally started happening. 

1st - work people - I sent a few of Jagers birthday pictures around up here a week ago. I got a couple 'wow what a big boy' comments, 2 'he's gorgeous' comments and Several 'o my he is so big and scary looking'
Seriously??? I mean scary??? How can they think that when just a month or so ago everyone was still saying how cute he was....now all of a sudden that he's 1 he's turned scary??? 
A few of the people have even met Jager and all he wanted to do was get belly rubs which they thought was hilarious and now he's scary??? 
So I'm lost on that honestly and rather disappointed in how close minded most of them have suddenly become. 

2nd - random people at the pet store - I can't say anything bad of the workers there at all. Everyone loves Jager and loves when he comes into the store... The trainers are constantly getting him to do tricks and give treats and the other workers just love to pet and love on him...they are really great. It's the other people. I won’t go into the whole story on this because this post is already pretty long but, I had a guy the other day that was demanding to the store manager that my dog and I be removed because he was a dangerous breed and would attack his children without any warning and for no reason at all. (Mind you, while this guy was screaming at me and the manager Jager just laid on the floor and almost went to sleep on me lol) Now while I was very impressed with my dog I couldn't believe the things this guy was saying...it was just beyond me how he thought that Jager was just going to apparently, go on a blood bath or something just for the **** of it!
And that's not even the worst of it. The last time that we went to one of the stores they were having an adoption day outside. Normally Jager couldn't care less about the other dogs...he will occasionally sniff in their direction but he's generally more concerned with getting in the store where the treats are... This time though one of the adoption people followed me into the store and told me, straight faced and everything, that I shouldn't be taking a shepherd into a public place like this with so many people because they are prone to fear biting and will lash out without any warning. I promptly told her that my dog is not a fear biter, has great nerves and has been getting trained in this environment and exact store for most of his life. I suggested that she talk to the store manager who knows both me and my dog and gets his opinion about me having Jager in his store.
She didn't like me much and just said I was endangering children and other animals and walked off. 
Well me being me I couldn't let her have the last word so 3 of the trainers (after hearing the conversation first hand) decided to walk outside with me when we were leaving and prove just how well adjusted and nice my dog is right in front of the stupid woman. 

Anyways, that is just some of the more prevalent issues I've encountered. I'm really disappointed in my work friends and the adoption lady however I'm not all that surprised by random uneducated strangers...just a little shocked is all since it was a first time with this dog and was very aggressive.

Okay there's my vent guys. Sorry it's so long. I included a picture of my scary attack dog just for reference.


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

No offense, but I can see where he is scary looking to people who don't know him. To GSD people he is a great looking dog. However, he has that dark face (that you know and love so well) and can appear intimidating to strangers.
You will have to live with the fact that he is a big beautiful scary looking dog.
Other people don't know what's inside him, just what he looks like.
Once again, no offense, just going by the first picture. The puppy one is cute.


----------



## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Sorry you're having problems but there are people who don't like GSD's and some do find them intimidating.

The best advice I can give is keep him well trained and make sure he's a good ambassador for the breed. The only other thing I can think of is when you take him out, put reindeer ears on him or make him wear a bumble bee costume. It's hard to be afraid of a dog that looks like an advertisement for Christmas or Tuna Fish.


----------



## Geeheim (Jun 18, 2011)

He is gorgeous and to me he isn't scary looking at all. He looks like a big teddy bear 

Wow, those idiots at the pet store. Sound like both you and Jager handled both situations very well. Me, I'm not sure I could have. I'm kinda of hot headed and I would of probably went off on those people. I know it wouldn't be the right thing to do but, peoples ignorance just infuriates me.


----------



## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

He's gorgeous!

Unfortunately this is a problem you're going to face as a Shepherd owner or any other powerful breed. 

A house in our neighbourhood gets all decked out during Halloween and people are welcome to come and see it. I brought my dogs and was asked by the owner to leave because "they could get spooked and bite someone". He later said they were scary looking and he was afraid of them. I found out the next day that a friend of mine brought her dalmation/whippet mix and the same guy who asked me to leave was playing with her dog. It sucks but that's just how it is.

I get the scary thing all the time. Some people in my building will refuse to get on the elevator with me. Others have clutched walls. The dog savy people comment on how well behaved they are but unfortunately to others they are "scary".


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

PaddyD said:


> No offense, but I can see where he is scary looking to people who don't know him. To GSD people he is a great looking dog. However, he has that dark face (that you know and love so well) and can appear intimidating to strangers.
> You will have to live with the fact that he is a big beautiful scary looking dog.
> Other people don't know what's inside him, just what he looks like.
> Once again, no offense, just going by the first picture. The puppy one is cute.


No offense taken 

I knew I would get this kind of stuff eventually but I guess it's really just shocking that it seems to have all started happening in a matter of like 2 weeks. 

I am even more thankful now though that we socialized him early with all the neighbors and kids around us because now they all know him as the loving playful dog he is instead of the monster he's turned into :laugh:


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Whiteshepherds said:


> Sorry you're having problems but there are people who don't like GSD's and some do find them intimidating.
> 
> The best advice I can give is keep him well trained and make sure he's a good ambassador for the breed. The only other thing I can think of is when you take him out, put reindeer ears on him or make him wear a bumble bee costume. It's hard to be afraid of a dog that looks like an advertisement for Christmas or Tuna Fish.


 
haha, okay I'm gonna have to try that!


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

He is definetely my cuddle bear :wub:
The adoption lady really disappointed me...I mean I'm sure if she's working with adoptions in DFW she Has to have run across a few shepherds so what does she do when they come into her??? I had a very hard time not letting loose on her but I restrained myself becuase I knew I had back up there so I wasn't worried about it to much. 

With the random dude at the other store....I was just flat in shock of how vehementely he was arguing about my dog...


----------



## cowgirlup_22 (May 11, 2011)

I do agree that to a non-GSD person he does look scary/intimidating and heck going off how serious he looks in the first picture I would be hesitant on approaching you guys.lol Now in the second pic all I could say was "Aww look at that handsome and sweet face!" :wub: he is a hunk! I think you handled both situations well IMO. Sad how ignorant people can be and honestly if I would have seen and heard the things that the adoption lady said I personally would NOT be adopting from her..she IMO should be the last person that should be or act like that..but thats my opinion.I think you have done a great job with your boy


----------



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

You can't fix ignorance.

I just smile when people tell me stupid stuff about my dogs and walk away.

It's not worth getting upset over.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My daughter had a mouse pad made for me. It has a picture of my GSD on it. I can't tell you how many times people have come up to my desk, put their hand on the mouse pad, then said, "Ouch! He bit me!" 

Oh yea, very funny. Wish you were the first one to say that.


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

He is a beautiful dog.
Here's what I do in those situations.

Scenario one: The donkey brain upset about "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!"
If that were a dog scenario, he would be the fearful reactive barking young dog. Act like a more balanced dog and ignore it. Seriously, if you look right through someone (like somewhere off in middle background...no eyecontact) and say nothing. Just keep walking.
Kinda think like you're deaf.

Scenario two: Adoption "expert".....you can follow the above option or quietly and calmly ask her/his credentials and experience with *non-transitioned (not out of shelters/or unknown background) GSDs. *What clubs or training/behavioral experience and how long has he/she worked with non transitional dogs. When they answer your question, say...."Ah.." or "hm....thanks" and walk away, without a backward glance.
Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

(disclaimer to the qualified rescue folks out there......this advice is for the "experts" found in Petco/Pestsmart and are so qualified that they see a calm well behaved dog and lable all GSDs fear biters)


----------



## billsharp (May 3, 2011)

Sad that those attitudes are still out there, Lmilr. 

I think your dog is very handsome but I can see how someone not liking GSDs would think he's scary looking. 

What's frustrating about this is that I see people in these stores with NASTY dachsunds, shih tzus, Lhasa Apsos, etc. that look "cute" because they have a pink ribbon tied up in their forehead but would take a hunk out if they could get to you. I agree with the comment that we have to be ambassadors and show the public again the good side of GSDs. Keep on keepin on!


----------



## evybear15 (Mar 28, 2011)

I definitely agree that with most people who don't understand and know the GSD breed...they are viewed as "scary" and "intimidating." I ran into the same issue with my future mother-in-law calling our dog big and scary. Granted, she was attacked by one when she was a child. However, now that she's met him, she loves him to pieces and is jealous that she can't spend more time with him. 

It's just one of those things that we get to deal with for choosing such a "scary" breed...but they are SO worth it. I, however, think that Jager is one handsome guy! :wub:


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Personally, I kind of like that GSDs are "scary looking". It's a great deterrent to those with ill intent. I always wonder if those who are afraid of my dog have a secret or subconscious ill intent... if they're doing nothing wrong, and the dog isn't giving an aggressive vibe, what's to fear? 

Of course, there are people who are just afraid of dogs generally, and you can't really blame them for thinking a GSD looks "scary". To them, every dog looks scary, but a GSD is a big dog, with pointy ears and a dark face, and they are used by police to bite people! SUPER scary!


----------



## evybear15 (Mar 28, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Personally, I kind of like that GSDs are "scary looking". It's a great deterrent to those with ill intent. I always wonder if those who are afraid of my dog have a secret or subconscious ill intent... if they're doing nothing wrong, and the dog isn't giving an aggressive vibe, what's to fear?
> 
> Of course, there are people who are just afraid of dogs generally, and you can't really blame them for thinking a GSD looks "scary". To them, every dog looks scary, but a GSD is a big dog, with pointy ears and a dark face, and they are used by police to bite people! SUPER scary!


Absolutely agree with this... I do like (at times) that Baxter has that intimidation factor. In fact, I've thanked him for it on more than one occasion. For example, I typically park my car toward the far end of the park to avoid him getting all huffy with other dogs, and one day there was a group of teens hanging out near it (I look very young). They started harassing me as soon as I started heading in that direction. Baxter remained very calm until they got too close, at which point they could start to see what kind of dog he was and started to back off, but kept talking. That's when Baxter went down into the protective stance and started barking as loud as he could. He never pulled on the leash - he wasn't about to leave my side...but I was ever so thankful for that intimidation at that moment since no one else was around.


----------



## TankGrrl66 (Jun 29, 2010)

Oh my, you had a jampacked day of stupid people didn't you? 

A lot of people are dumb. They think in a very narrow and self-centered fashion, especially when they are afraid of something. They usually express this by avoidance (the people who cross the street to frantically escape your blood thirsty dog) or anger (saying stupid/mean stuff). 

As other posters have said, this is just something you will have to live with. Also note his size and dark color and face make him scary to some other people...take the positive in this: If they are that unsettled by the mere calm presence of your dog, walk proudly knowing your chance of getting mugged/robbed is quite reduced 

Many people do not have good experience with GSDs/any dog that is black and tan. Everyone loves puppies though! I am getting the same effect with my growing female puppy. It seems like 45-50lbs is the magic number for the cute factor going poof. 

Just ignore the stupids. If some actually come up to you and talk smack, calmly question their knowledge and challenge their accusations.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Personally, I kind of like that GSDs are "scary looking". It's a great deterrent to those with ill intent. I always wonder if those who are afraid of my dog have a secret or subconscious ill intent... if they're doing nothing wrong, and the dog isn't giving an aggressive vibe, what's to fear?
> 
> Of course, there are people who are just afraid of dogs generally, and you can't really blame them for thinking a GSD looks "scary". To them, every dog looks scary, but a GSD is a big dog, with pointy ears and a dark face, and they are used by police to bite people! SUPER scary!


I do agree with this however at a certain point it just gets pathetic. 
This idiot actually followed me around the store for a good 30 minutes while I was trying to get dog food and stuff! The whole time just constantly saying what a horrible person I was for endargering his children and crap like that. 
If someone doesn't like my dog that's fine. I'm not going to force them to pet him and if I can see that someone is visible uncomfortable around him I will try to take care of my business quickly and move on. But people pulling crap like that guy did and people that want to accuse me of having a bad dog out in public when my dog is much better behaved than the dog they are chasing around the store, is just flat irritating. 

On a happy note though....thanks for the complements on him everyone. I think my boy is B.E.A.utiful


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

TankGrrl66 said:


> Oh my, you had a jampacked day of stupid people didn't you?


lol That is it in a nutshell!!


----------



## iBaman (Oct 25, 2011)

That makes me so sad =[

I have neighbors right now of a certain ethnic background who won't go NEAR Sheldon. When they see him, they say "oooh, don't let him bite me". The guys girlfriend went to pet him, and he was like 'don't touch that dog. he's mean'. I wanted to hit him. Just keep your head up, and his too. You know he's not a biter. If someone wants to miss out on interacting with a GREAT dog, it's their loss.


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

More than once I have passed or been passed by a mother pushing a stroller and out of the stroller would come a tiny voice saying. "Is that doggy going to bite me?"
I have a very quiet, mild-mannered dog and it seems notable that children of such a young age would come out with that rather than, "Can I pet the nice doggy?"
Maybe that's the difference between a weak-nerved child and a confident one.
Or, maybe it's the difference between good parenting and bad.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

PaddyD
I think alot of it does have to do with parents...the parents ideas are 9 times out of 10 projected onto the children.
But I've noticed....like one little girl down the street from me....sometimes children just have never interacted with animals so they will have some fear just because of the unknown. When that girls family first moved in she was scared to death of Jager (he was about 4 months old at the time). Her mom though asked me one day when me and Jag were out walking if I minded if we could work with her daughter on getting use to dogs. It took a few weeks of just slowly introducing them to each other but now that little girl thinks Jager hung the moon and comes over quite frequently to ask for play time....it's really really cute. But like I said....at first she was one of the kids that would say 'is he going to bite me?'.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I wish things like that would happen to me! I get avoidence a lot, but its understandable, I would do the same in other people's shoes. There's a blanket back GSD that lives in my apartment complex that isn't friendly at all, he barks at anything that moves and even tried to nip at me once when I tried to say hello. My dog is the complete opposite, very well socialized and doesn't have a care in the world, but for people in the neighborhood they look the same, even though mine is a sable, and they probably avoid mine because they've seen the other one freak out.

I've never had anyone say things to me like that, but if they did and followed me around the store I would come at him with my dog at my side and show him that I'm more dangerous than he is.

I guess I can see where people are coming from though. Just last night we had two new dogs at our club that would aggressively bark at any dog that came in. Being a GSD club we all understand and try to help the owner figure out how to manage their dog since its their dog that is giving the breed a bad name. Sadly no matter how many well mannered and well balanced GSDs there are, one bad one has more of an effect on the breed than a million good ones.


----------



## ken k (Apr 3, 2006)

thats the first time you were told those things and it wont be the last, i get it from time to time with Max, even my trainer commented one evening, when Max was looking into the ongoing class through the door, it was dark out, and my trainer said, "Max looks real intermediateing in the dark", like someone has already posted, dont let it get you down,


----------



## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

Lmilr said:


> I do agree with this however at a certain point it just gets pathetic.
> This idiot actually followed me around the store for a good 30 minutes while I was trying to get dog food and stuff! The whole time just constantly saying what a horrible person I was for endargering his children and crap like that.
> If someone doesn't like my dog that's fine. I'm not going to force them to pet him and if I can see that someone is visible uncomfortable around him I will try to take care of my business quickly and move on. But people pulling crap like that guy did and people that want to accuse me of having a bad dog out in public when my dog is much better behaved than the dog they are chasing around the store, is just flat irritating.
> 
> On a happy note though....thanks for the complements on him everyone. I think my boy is B.E.A.utiful


30 minutes of being followed constitutes harassment. You probably should have let your dog bite him. I'm pretty sure you could make a case for self defense if the guy was following you and harassing you that long...


----------



## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Your boy is gorgeous! :wub:


----------



## mssandslinger (Sep 21, 2010)

i have this problem also! my friends who havent seen zero in a while come over and are afraid of him when all he wants if love from them. its silly to me because i see a 10 pound puppy still not an 85 pound beast haha


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I didn't get my dog so he could "look friendly" and so that people would like him.
I got him because we live way the heck and gone out in the country and when I hear a noise outside I want whoever may be out there to think we've got Godzilla on a light-weight leash in here and he's about to break the danged thing and rush out snarling and biting anything in his path. 

I got him because when I dial 911, the sheriff is going to take a good 8-10 minutes to get here, during which time the intruder-to-be should be making tracks or leaving some in his (or her) drawers, not continuing to fiddle around our house!

So, I guess any talk of him "looking mean" aren't going to damage me too badly psychologically, and it may even make me smile, even if just on the inside :shrug:


----------



## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Personally, I'm always grateful when people are leery of Niko, because quite frankly, he would bark at anyone who approached us. He's got issues we are working on. 

Yesterday I was walking him past the post office, and I knew we'd been spotted by an elderly gentleman because he was just stopped on the sidewalk and was watching us approach. I knew he was going to say something to me, and I knew that was going to set Niko off and make him bark at the poor old man. Plus the way he was just standing there staring at us wasn't helping. But thankfully the guy did not come up to us or even move at all in our direction. It might have been since the second the guy started to say "He's a big boy" Niko started barking at him.  I could have handled the situation better, I am also a work in progress.

But my point is that I figure anyone who thinks Niko is big and scary must have a healthy sense of self-preservation. I don't find it at all offensive, and in fact I am grateful for the way people stay away from us.


----------



## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

msvette2u, he looks vicious in that profile pic of yours...I'm shaking already.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

BR870 said:


> 30 minutes of being followed constitutes harassment. You probably should have let your dog bite him. I'm pretty sure you could make a case for self defense if the guy was following you and harassing you that long...


**** it's possible....could have said Jager was protecting me!!
Actually the manager was really nice and gave me a bunch of treats for free 



1sttimeforgsd said:


> Your boy is gorgeous! :wub:


Thank you


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> I didn't get my dog so he could "look friendly" and so that people would like him.
> I got him because we live way the heck and gone out in the country and when I hear a noise outside I want whoever may be out there to think we've got Godzilla on a light-weight leash in here and he's about to break the danged thing and rush out snarling and biting anything in his path.
> 
> I got him because when I dial 911, the sheriff is going to take a good 8-10 minutes to get here, during which time the intruder-to-be should be making tracks or leaving some in his (or her) drawers, not continuing to fiddle around our house!
> ...


Being harrassed about my dog is different than someone avoiding him. These people at the stores were basically attacking me for having a 'vicious' dog. And the people at work are generally my friends and people that I dont want being afraid of him...they should know him better than that. 

For anyone that doesn't know me and thus doesn't know Jager who might want to do us some kind of harm I am very happy to ablige them with being scared of him. 
I also live in a place where calling for the police is basically pointless however that's why we have shotguns. The dog is definetely a great deterant and would hopefully make them think twice but I dont expect him to be the only resistance.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

I've had experiences similar to yours. One happened last year when Shasta was about 9 months old. We were in one of those mom and pop pet stores. Not a big chain and this guy started following us around the store telling me how bad my dog was and how ugly she was. That she was a danger and would without a doubt grow up to be aggressive and dangerous and a child murderer. I had told the guy I didnt appreciate his attitude and would like it if he left me alone as we were hurting anyone. he kept pushing it to the point I was getting creeped out by him following us around the store. I remember whipping around to face him and just railing into him verbally. The whole time Shasta just sat next to me not even phased by the whole thing. The guy even went so far as to follow me out to my car and threaten to call the cops for having a "dangerous dog" out in public. Told him to go ahead. I had no problems pressing charges for harassment. 

Most of my experiences so far though has been people telling me how beautiful my dog is.


----------



## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

First...your boy is absolutely gorgeous.
Second I love that Kaos looks like he'd rather eat you than look at you. My husband used to be out of town all week long, so I wanted a deterrent , I would purposely leave the door open so that Kaos could sit by the glass screen door and watch people....that way it was known "a big scary killer dog" lived there. We caught a lot of flack from family when we got him, worried about him around the kids, etc. Over 9 years later and there is no one in our inner circle who wouldn't tell you that he is by far the sweetest dog and no where near what they imagined. Notice I say inner circle because we still get comments "does he bite?" is my favorite...I always say not unless I tell him to.
Now our Sherman Tank is a Mastiff/GSD mix, everyone thought he was so cute.....now that he is 80lb and 7 months peoples comments are instantly changing as well. We have gotten "that's a bad*** looking pit on more than one occasion! Personally I am more scared of cocker spaniels and dachsunds....but that's just me, owners of those breeds probably think I'm crazy


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

martemchik said:


> msvette2u, he looks vicious in that profile pic of yours...I'm shaking already.


You should! He's barely out of the landshark stage!! 
:rofl:



> These people at the stores were basically attacking me for having a 'vicious' dog.


Slightly ironic since they were attacking you yet he didn't attack them...??

Either way I'd have gave them what-for and/or complained to the store manager.


----------



## sparra (Jun 27, 2011)

I'm surprised people that ignorant would even recognize that he was a GSD!!
People say my boy looks scary but in the same breath usually ask "what breed is he" When I say GSD then they really look scared!!!


----------



## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

Oh, its ok we all have come across someone being scared. I have yet to have someone come after me and my dogs in a store.I would call the manager asap or go off on them.

Once I was waiting outside my brother's school to pick him up. Molly was 6 months old at the time, and she was sitting there quietly. Kids and parents walked by, she didn't go after anyone or anything. But some people literally crossed the street watched her and kept walking and then would cross back over. I was thinking, _she is only 6 months old!! How is a puppy scary!?! _But I got over it.lol. People are scared of Tanner!lol He is a big love bug!! But I can see why they are scared. I have always loved big dogs, so they don't scare me very much.lol. I had one friend on FB comment on one of the many pictures I have of Tanner. Here is what he put :"_dame he lookin scary id hate for him too be mad at me lol" _

Sorry for the awkward spelling and punctuation errors.lol.But usually I have people tell me how pretty they are. If someone feels uncomfortable they usually just walk the other way or something, they don't say anything.lol

Your boy is very handsome!!


----------



## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> 30 minutes of being followed constitutes harassment. You probably should have let your dog bite him. I'm pretty sure you could make a case for self defense if the guy was following you and harassing you that long...


Odds of making a good case if your dog bites someone in a store are pretty slim unless the person has raised a hand to strike you or pulled a weapon. 

Going off on someone, getting in someones face to tell them how stupid they are or threatening to turn your dog loose on someone is not in the best interest of your safety or being a good representative of a GSD owner. 

If I had someone *follow* behind me in a store yelling at me for any reason I would have my cell phone pulled out and tell the person they had "one last chance to move away" while I was between *9-1* and *1*. If they said one more threatening thing or gave the impression they were a continuing threat to me I would be pushing that final *1* and giving information where I was and that there was someone threatening me. I would also say "I am in fear for my safety". Do not hang up the phone as you want everything said to be on record. Then make your way to the front of the store and the cashiers so they are witnesses and you will also be on camera.

I take any type of threat seriously and will be pro-active in the outcome. Give a detailed description of the person to the LEO when they respond. Ask the manager to save the store tape as a further piece of evidence and be sure that the officer includes this request as being made into his report. Ask for a copy of the report as this will ensure the facts are correct and that a proper report has been written up. 

If your gut instinct even gives you a hint that you are in danger then act on it.



_The above is my opinion based on life and work experiences._


----------



## CaliBoy (Jun 22, 2010)

ILGHAUS:

I think that is good advice to be proactive and alert store security, or the manager, or tell the person that they will be reported as a stalker.

Leah:

It's terrible that people are so rude and agressive with you like that. And your Jager is sooo beautiful! What is wrong with those idiots?? Just keep a small bottle of wasp spray in your purse in case you ever need to whip it out and defend yourself from one of those creeps.


----------



## BR870 (May 15, 2011)

ILGHAUS said:


> Odds of making a good case if your dog bites someone in a store are pretty slim unless the person has raised a hand to strike you or pulled a weapon.
> 
> Going off on someone, getting in someones face to tell them how stupid they are or threatening to turn your dog loose on someone is not in the best interest of your safety or being a good representative of a GSD owner.


I guess I shoulda put a smiley... 

If I ever have to "correct" someone, it will be with my CCW not my dog. And that will take a wee bit more than verbal harrassment. I would assume the law would view "sending" your dog for real much the way it does using any other form of deadly force...

It was just a joke...


----------



## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

To be fair Jager has a strong, dark face. He looks serious and that will unnerve a lot of folks. Remember we are primates and any animal that has facial proportions that speak to jaw strength and serious bite potential touch on some deep rooted primal instincts. Where we dog fanciers see a product of excellent breeding and a focus on "purpose built" anatomy that makes Jager beautiful others see an intimidating set of pearly whites with the musculature to make it work very very well.

There is a growing body of research that is pointing to the notion that a portion of humans are genetically inclined to like dogs. People that have coded within their genes a desire and need to be around and interact with dogs. That being the case I'll assume that the converse of that is possible and some folks just don't like em. Either way, ignore the folks that do not appreciate a beautiful animal and concentrate on the people that do.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

CaliBoy said:


> Leah:
> 
> It's terrible that people are so rude and agressive with you like that. And your Jager is sooo beautiful! What is wrong with those idiots?? Just keep a small bottle of wasp spray in your purse in case you ever need to whip it out and defend yourself from one of those creeps.


Thank you  

I know he is a big boy and when he get's focused on something he has a very serious look but that one guy inperticular was just crazy. 
A couple of the employees in the store saw what the guy was doing and got the manager for me. I was attempting to just ignore him and keep going but he wasn't really getting the idea. 
My husband also brought up the idea of keeping some pepper spray or something on my keys since I rarely have my purse. I've never really worried about it because I have my CHL but I've also never been confronted in a situation like this so it might be time to seek out a new, less..um...serious?...way of defense. 

Another idea from my husband is that he will most likely be going with me from now on. A big reason for my not going off on the guy was because i know that Jager feeds off my attitude in a very big way. The last thing I wanted was for me to get upset which then would upset Jager and possibly prove some kind of point to the idiot. However, if my hubby goes with me I can keep Jager and he can do the yelling


----------



## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Wow....read your story and that of others, I must be lucky because sometimes people avoid my dogs but mostly they are friendly and positive. 

The man who followed you around sounds like a mentally unstable person, because really, someone who does that is not 'right' in the head.

BTW- I think your dog is a handsome, handsome boy! 

Like others have said though he does have an intimidating look about him. People who don't take the time to watch his calm behaviour are having sort of a knee jerk reaction. It's almost instinctual so for the normal people, who don't follow you around the store like lunatics....I had read putting a friendly little bandana on your dog will send a signal that's he's a good boy just out to do a little shopping.  It would be nice if you could use him to help educate folks (since he is calm and well behaved) when out and about. 



Lmilr said:


> Thank you
> 
> I know he is a big boy and when he get's focused on something he has a very serious look but that one guy inperticular was just crazy.
> A couple of the employees in the store saw what the guy was doing and got the manager for me. I was attempting to just ignore him and keep going but he wasn't really getting the idea.
> ...


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

I think it's good to develop the skills yourself to deal with people as much as possible. Problem solving will prevent this from happening again - if someone STARTS to follow you, you let them follow you to the manager within seconds of it starting. And stand there until they, or like Ilghaus said, someone else with authority, takes care of it. I don't see a need for pepper spray, a man, or a gun in a public place when it can be handled on your own with help from already established channels. 

If these things all happened to me I would be looking at what am I doing that I could change for the better? 

Perhaps it is a regional difference, but I a. don't care if someone is afraid of my dogs and says something - I acknowledge and accept it because I am afraid of clowns so don't have any room to talk b. people here do not seem to actively try to aggravate other people. 

People buy these dogs who have been used to herd and protect, who are supposed to have a component of controlled civil aggression, and then are surprised when people view them as dogs who are used for these purposes. It would be like meeting someone with a Beagle and being like, oh, would the Beagle like to meet my bunny rabbit? You wouldn't do that because Beagles hunt rabbits. So there is some kind of intelligence going on behind people questioning our dogs!


----------



## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

Please don't bite me for saying this-- but his face looks very pitbull-esque. Not as much shepherd as pitbull. The thick jaw and shorter snout. And unfortunately many people might mistake him for a pit/shepherd mix.

My advice-- BANDANA.

People are IDIOTS! Rocky without a Bandana--scary
Rocky with a bandana--cutest dog ever.

I'm not kidding you. I had a lady come up to me at petsmart when he had a bandana and say "I saw him last time you came in but I was scared to pet him...I don't know why but he just seems so much sweeter now"

Really?? Oh well...if it works!


----------



## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

Could you post more pictures of him? I enlarged the other two and it seems like he was moving his face in the second picture and was at a weird angle. 

Perhaps he just looks pitbull-ish in the face because of the angle of the pictures.

Do you have any from the side?


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

The angle of the first picture is kind of bad...his muzzle isn't really that short. The attached pic isn't the greatest but shows his head a bit more. I have a hard time getting good pictures of the little speed demon. 

He actually has a rather blocky but still very Mal head in person. Which is fitting since he's half and half  (Yes he was intentionally bred this way)

We have some friends that have a GDS and a Mal and it's really interesting to put Jager next to them because you can see little parts of each in him. 

I have to say though I dont think I've ever gotten the pit comment though


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> Please don't bite me for saying this-- but his face looks very pitbull-esque. Not as much shepherd as pitbull. The thick jaw and shorter snout. And unfortunately many people might mistake him for a pit/shepherd mix.
> 
> My advice-- BANDANA.
> 
> ...


I thought Pit mix too, when I saw him on the 1st page - in fact I downloaded the pics and lightened them to get a better view and all I could come up with was pit mix.
Do Mals have such a muscular jaw??
Where did he come from?


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

They definetely can but a big part of his overall size and muscular build comes from his mom (the GSD)....lines going back 3 generations at least that I know, have very muscular builds. His father though is a rather masculan mal though too. You can really see the mal in his face whenever his mouth is closed and he is focused on something...at that point he gets a very mal look. If he's just being a goof then he looks a bit more shepherd like. He also still has lots of extra skin so when he's sleepy he looks kind of...droopy?...

We got him from a couple who have been working towards perfecting a GSD/Mal mix for several years now. The pair that he comes from is the two best ones they have had yet. He is from their second litter with these two and so far all of the puppies have turned out with the thoughtful and 'willing to please' attitude of the GSD and the very active forceful power of the mal....just with an off switch.
As far as looks go, all of the puppies have the basic body of the GDS with a mal tail and ears....they also all have very very similar coat colors but a little veriety on the length of coat.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

x0emiroxy0x said:


> My advice-- BANDANA.
> 
> People are IDIOTS! Rocky without a Bandana--scary
> Rocky with a bandana--cutest dog ever.
> ...


----------



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Ah...interesting. 
I don't see Malinois but do see either Pit x or Akita type. The "birthday" photo makes him look more Akita :shrug:


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

We do get Akita alot. But never pit...at least in person or said to me.


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

As a mal owner, I see mal in him.

He's a nice looking dog. I don't see why it's surprising that people think it's "scary" looking. It's not as though he's a poodle? Move on, don't worry what they think. If they choose to be scared of a well behaved good looking dog, that's their malfunction not yours.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

My standard response, with a smile on my face, is "It's not the dog you need to worry about. It's me" and then just walk away.


----------



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Lmilr said:


> This idiot actually followed me around the store for a good 30 minutes while I was trying to get dog food and stuff! The whole time just constantly saying what a horrible person I was for endargering his children and crap like that.


After 2 minutes of that I would have either turned and told her to go away - using several offesive words just to get my point across (if it was a bad day for me) or just walked up to the front and asked a store employee to call the police because I was being harrassed.

I don't care if you don't like my choice of breeds and I'm willing to walk away from stupidity but if you start FOLLOWING me then it's harrassment and I don't take that.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Rerun said:


> As a mal owner, I see mal in him.
> 
> He's a nice looking dog. I don't see why it's surprising that people think it's "scary" looking. It's not as though he's a poodle? Move on, don't worry what they think. If they choose to be scared of a well behaved good looking dog, that's their malfunction not yours.


At this point I think it's more that I just wasn't ready for the switch over from 'aw he's cute' to 'AAAHHHH'......I still see my lovable little goof ball that was an obsession with playing frisbee.
I've been trying to view him recentely from an outsiders point of view and I can say I do see it...expecially if he is focused on something. I have always just seen it as drive and a beautiful sable coat But I can see how that would look more scary to strangers. 

Still doesn't constitute the jerk guy though.....or the adoption lady telling me he's dangerous. 

He's only dangerous if you are a bully stick, squeeky toy or frisbee.


----------



## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Here's our "lil" guy who has also almost overnight went from being a cute puppy....to a scary monster. We have received a lot of what type of pit mix comments about him as well. I think maybe to the general public who buys into the "all pits are mean" they just assume any dog who isn't smiling at them like a lab or is over 50 lbs must be a pit.


----------



## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Haha also pay no mind to the overtired, dishevelled woman in the picture. I think that day we had been on 3 walks, 2 soccer games and goodness only knows what else!!


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

mysweetkaos said:


> Haha also pay no mind to the overtired, dishevelled woman in the picture. I think that day we had been on 3 walks, 2 soccer games and goodness only knows what else!!


Disheveled ? UR both gorgeous.


----------



## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Well thank you...it is kind of funny Sherman had just done his first off lead recall in the woods (common ground in our subdivision) and he must have been as excited as I was. He had just knocked my glasses off my face trying to give kisses....my 10 yr old loves to take pictures of Sherm's every accomplishment!


----------



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

Your dog is beautiful.

Those people are wrong. They think it's common sense but it's actually very similar to racism. My dad said that when he was growing up, his parents thought it was "common sense" to be afraid of and avoid black people (not all dark-skinned people are African!). They would lock all their doors and windows whenever a black person was in the neighborhood. They associated blacks with violence and riots. 

It's the same situation, just with dogs. They're associating entire breeds with just a few bad eggs. A lot of people are scared of big dogs. And here's the thing, the dogs are never the problem. In my experience dog-sitting, I never saw a bad dog that didn't have a bad owner as well. Owners don't mean to do anything wrong, but some people have no idea how to properly raise an animal. 

I would probably tell those people that they sounded just like the racists from the mid 1900s did, and that they have absolutely no right to make blanket terms against an entire race of dog. If he persisted I would ask, "hey, are you afraid of blacks too, because a lot of blacks are in gangs so they're, as a race, prone to violence!"

But then again I'm young, impulsive, and still going through that whole "rebellious," "stick it to da man" phase of my life.


----------



## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

ladyfreckles said:


> In my experience dog-sitting, I never saw a bad dog that didn't have a bad owner as well. Owners don't mean to do anything wrong, but some people have no idea how to properly raise an animal.


Not trying to hi-jack the thread.... but I do have to insert comment on this.

I have what many would consider a 'bad dog', others as well do to on here. We fight the label of bad dog, vicious dog etc every day while at the same time being the GOOD owners and trying to correct, teach and manage what previous owners and genetics have done.

OK, off my soapbox


----------



## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

All comes with owning a big bad German Shepherd. Don't listen to any of them, you have the right to take your dog anywhere other dogs are allowed to go. I am just waiting for this to happen to me with Hunter, I am looking to 'educate' the uneducated. If people want to open their mouths about my 'vicious' puppy, I'll tell them exactly what I think and what my puppy actually is.

Your dog is beautiful. <3


----------



## ladyfreckles (Nov 10, 2011)

Twyla said:


> Not trying to hi-jack the thread.... but I do have to insert comment on this.
> 
> I have what many would consider a 'bad dog', others as well do to on here. We fight the label of bad dog, vicious dog etc every day while at the same time being the GOOD owners and trying to correct, teach and manage what previous owners and genetics have done.
> 
> OK, off my soapbox


My idea of a bad dog is a dog that is dangerous to other living things (as in, you can't really trust it outside of the house). The only dogs I know who were like that were either adopted after being abused, or were currently being treated awfully. That's the definition I mean here. There are troublesome dogs with great owners though, I know.


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

ladyfreckles said:


> I would probably tell those people that they sounded just like the racists from the mid 1900s did, and that they have absolutely no right to make blanket terms against an entire race of dog.


I don't think it's the same thing as racism, and to be honest, I get annoyed when people make this comparison. People make generalizations based on breed, because--guess what--dogs have been bred by humans for certain attributes. Pit Bulls have been bred for aggression toward other animals. You may not like it, but you can't change the entire history of a breed just because it doesn't suit your personal feelings. So when at the dog park, it's quite possible that every Pit Bull you meet loves to play with other dogs and is pro-social with them, but it doesn't change the fact that, as a breed, they are genetically wired a certain way... granted, some modern breeders may be breeding away from this, but you can't breed away from something if it isn't there. 

Likewise, most terriers have been bred to go to ground and kill small animals. To say that you should not let your Jack Russell play with your daughter's hamster is not "racism", it is common sense.

And German Shepherds have been bred for aggression. We hear about it all the time in a positive way--"active aggression", etc when in the sport ring. Of course, they are also supposed to have other qualities that mitigate aggression, like biddability, strong nerve, and discrimination. But I think it's unfair to turn around and blame the public for assuming all GSDs are aggressive, when everyone has seen k9's take down the bad guy on "Cops", or someone has had a bad experience with a poorly-bred, unsocialized, untrained GSD. 

Granted, having some freak follow you around Petco berating you for having an "aggressive" dog is a bit overboard. But you can't call "racism" on people for thinking that a breed bred for aggression might be aggressive. Thankfully, most people can be educated, which is why it's important to have our dogs be good ambassadors. 

It's true that many GSDs are very friendly, social creatures, capable of service and therapy work, and in my experience, MOST GSDs are not aggressive unless provoked, but you can't expect the general public to understand this without any education or exposure to real GSDs.

As a vet tech and then a dog groomer, I have *learned* to be wary of certain breeds. I won't even touch Chows. Is that "racism"? No, it's experience. I am sure there are nice Chows out there, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting any, and I'd rather be safe than sorry. I have noticed trends of behavior in certain breeds. I *expect* a Shar Pei to be difficult to work with. I *expect* a Scottish Terrier to try to bite me at some point. If I am proven wrong, I am pleasantly surprised, but the exception to the rule is not going to convince me that my prior experience is worthless. Do I believe in BSL or anything like that? NO! I believe in understanding how certain breeds are wired and taking common-sense precautions.

Sorry for the rant, but I get tired of people playing the "racism" card when talking about dogs bred for certain traits. Racism is about bigotry towards people whose race or skin color is different from our own, and has nothing to do with genetics.


----------



## Magnolia (Jul 18, 2011)

When I picked my puppy up from the breeder, he told me that when Grendel was grown I'd be able to drive through the worst neighborhood in town with my purse hanging out the window and as long as he was in the seat, no one would bother it. That isn't the reason I chose this breed, but it's a bonus. You have a beautiful boy with very strong, masculine features. Enjoy them! It's not your responsibility to train the idiots, just the ones who sincerely want to be educated.


----------



## GSDMUM (Aug 18, 2011)

What a gorgeous dog!

I can understand your frustration with people's ignorance. Not trying to hijack the thread either, just giving you some examples of what people said to me about mine, who were very large 115lbs each but big marshmallows and huge hearts.

My Dh and I went out with the dogs for ice cream. We had the dogs in the car where many dogs of all sizes are territorial. We cracked the window open while we went in for our icecream, dogs still in the car. One woman yelled at me that I should be more responsible and not bring such mean dogs out in public! They were in the car with an inch of window open , not outside or in the shop! Stupid woman.

Another time I brought my female to the vets, She barked a bit but with excitement and was always friendly. One woman with a little dog was sitting down in the waiting area with lots of people looking on and yelled out loud, "Get that horrible dog out of here right now!". I explained that she's jsut excited and I was up at the counter. She continued yelling and screaming. The staff rolled their eyes and one "patient" came over to my dog and made a big fuss over how cute and firendly she was. My Brandy licked her all over the face and whimpered like an excited pup. I refused to take my dog out but would have kept a distance away. The staff told me the woman must have been crazy and opened up a room for us.

Another time I was walking Brandy on the walking trail where people always walked their dogs. One girl took her Border collie, saw us far away, ran up on the small hill, crouched down and covered her dog with her body comforting it, "It's okay, that bad dog won;t get you, mommy will protect you " and she gave me looks that would kill. HELLO? This is a dog walk, her dog was NOT upset by out dog, she was...what an idiot. She'd was doing an injustice to her dog establishing a pattern of behavior of fear for him.

Firefighters saw us burning leaves and the firetruck came by and called us to the fence. We said, come on in the yard, they said, "Noooo, not with that dog in there". Well that dog was a 4 month old tail wagging puppy!

Mu husband almost got his ankle ripped apart by a neighbor's Chihuahua, and their pitbull just yawned! They all bust out laughing.

Anyway, just trying to make you feel better. You are not alone in this frustration!


----------



## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

Try owning a Rottweiler. LOL!

A similar discussion is going on at a Rottweiler forum I'm a member of. My opinion is that owners of certain breeds have to have thick skins: you're going to encounter a lot of prejudice. You can either attempt to educate, or move on your way.


----------



## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks GSDMUM and everyone else for their experiences and advice too. It does feel nice to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this stuff. (use to have very bad social anxiety so I still tend to sometimes think it's only me )

Since I don't really have any breed prejudice I guess I still have the idealistic thought that other don't either....I know I know it's just not that way.... I mean **** I got bitten by a rottweiler when I was little and I still love that breed...just not that dog!

I'm starting to think though that at least around here, it's the more 'citified' people that have an issue with my boy. We took Jager to the vet yesterday for his check-up and boy you would have thought he had hung the moon!!! I don't think there was anyone in there that didn't want to pet him or give him treats. And that's how it always is down there....but I'm also out in the country where people are use to big dogs and can appreciated them for what they are.  We've never had any real problems with any of our neighbors or any of the ranchers out by my parents. In fact Jager gets to herd with the guy behind my parents and all of his border collies....which he absolutely loves. 

I think one of the coolest parts though (which also happens at the times of people being scared of him) is all the questions we get about him. There are quite a few people out there that are very curious about the breed...especially since there don't seem to be many down here :shrug: People love to ask just what they are like because all they have seen is the police dogs really. And for people who know much of anything about shepherds they can generally rather easily tell upon seeing him that he is not all GSD. A few people will recognize the fact that his part mal too which leads to all the questions about temperament and everything from mixing the breeds....it's actually allot of fun. So I guess there is good and bad to all things....but definitely allot more good when it comes to having my puppy :wub:


----------

