# I own "BIG MEAN DOGS" according to one Petsmart shopper!



## counter

It's funny because I read all of your Petco and Petsmart stories about people scared or intimidated by your dogs when you shop there. I bring my dogs in all of the time and have never had a problem...until last night!

So I walked in the rain to Petsmart about 2 miles away to give my dogs exercise and to look for a wider, padded running collar for Nara. When we first walk in, the coast was clear. We turned down one of the main aisles and there was this woman with her little miniature pinscher. Nara instantly got excited and let out a few barks. I corrected her and turned her down a smaller aisle away from the little dog. While I'm turning and Nara stopped barking, the woman says to her tiny dog "Oh, those are big mean dogs, aren't they!?" Why, because Nara barked (and she's loud) or because she's a GSD and the woman is stereotyping? Paw Paw, my husky, didn't make a sound, but the woman clearly said "those" meaning plural. So that must mean it wasn't Nara's barking that makes her mean, because Paw Paw didn't say anything. 

Anyways, I've never had anyone call my dogs "mean" and the woman obviously said it loud enough so I would hear her comments. I was shocked and the only thing I could quickly think of to say back was "Oh, that's a little snack for you, isn't it!?" And, of course, I said it loud enough for the woman to hear over in the other aisle.

Then I see the woman and some other people doing obedience traning in the aisle next to us (they all had tiny little 3 lb dogs), so I'm thinking she just got done with one of those Petsmart obedience classes. Maybe she was implying that, because her dog didn't bark at us, her dog was far superior due to its recent obedience training. Ha!

Funny that, when we were ready to check out, I had both dogs in a sit and stay while numerous other shoppers and their dogs walked past us without incident. At one point, her husband walked by with their minpin in his arms, and my dogs didn't do a thing. Then, as I'm paying at the register, she walks from behind us holding her dog, and as she passes to go out the door, she says "it's NOT a snack!" I didn't see her coming, and was in the middle of a conversation with the register girl, who was all about giving my dogs some love. I couldn't think of anything to say back fast enough, and as I walked home, I realized that all I needed to say was "they're not big mean dogs, either!" 

I went out front looking for the woman to politely converse with her to figure out why she thought my dogs were mean. She was already gone. O well. Probably not the best or juiciest Petsmart story, but it's the first time anyone has been rude towards us like that.

So, bottom line, if a dog barks, it's a big mean dog, right! Haha.


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## abby

we took our lab x and my gsd to petsmart last year (nearest is an hour away in the car) there were a couple in there with a new shar pei puppy who looked absolutely horrified that i had bought my big mean gsd out. He never pays their puppy no mind and invariably we end up in the same isle at which point they scoop up their pup mumbling oh i guess we will have to go somewhere else filthy looks at me ( he was laying at my feet with a pained look on his face as he hates shopping!) But they cooed over tux who was bouncing off the walls so excited! I used to get the little dog syndrome all the time and in fact my dog has been attacked by yorkies, jrt, fluffy things and poodles to name a few and he has never reacted. He will react to bigger dogs sometimes.


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## GSDSunshine

nope, sounds like a good, accurate story.

I would go a step further, if it is a GSD and looks at a person, or a barking yip yap and makes an attempt to check it out, my dog is the trouble maker right? That 5 lb cotton ball with teeth is supposed to walk around like crazy gremlin on crack, I totally forgot forgive me.


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## bellamia

heheheh! but do u own mean and vicious dogs? apparently i do accordingly to my neighbhor only because his dog s a malteepoo and mine is HUGE!????? huge? Mine was and still is tiny compared to most gsds and is is overtly friendly which i'm not sure i like. so i win i have both mean and vicious! sorry!


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## abby

lol i still take to heart a bit but generally ignore it and with the couple with their new shar pei puppy smiled inwardly when i thought about the blue one kobe helped to socialise because it fought with most other things. How true is that of the crazy gremlin on crack LOL
I had one woman shout at me from across the road with her yorkie for me to keep mine in check (obviously sitting next to me at the road waiting for traffic is not in check???) as she crossed the road her little "fifi foo foo" launched at my dog er ok then ( he shifted behind me with er mum what is that snapping ball of fur doing?)
I have nothing against small dogs just some owners sometimes.
Also (another rant) why do people say oh keep it away my dog was attacked by a GSD he/she is scared i'm sorry was it this one er no but they're scared of them hmmm sounds like the owner is scared not the dog.. sigh oh well give me my big scary man/dog eating beast any day LOL


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## Jax08

I think this situation got a little out of perspective. 

The OP's dog came around the corner and barked at the small dog. So, perhaps the woman was commenting because the BIG dog scared the LITTLE dog?

First, the little dog was being GOOD....according to this story. How many times have there been complaints about small dogs not behaving and now we're going to complain because one was behaving? And then the OP is insulted? 

Second, I'm guilty of saying something like that 'big mean dog' to Jax...usually in a sarcastic way because she's reacting to something that just seems silly to me.

If it were me, I would have apologized to the lady since it was my dog not behaving and possibly scared her dog (regardless of size).


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## counter

Jax08 said:


> I think this situation got a little out of perspective.
> 
> The OP's dog came around the corner and barked at the small dog. So, perhaps the woman was commenting because the BIG dog scared the LITTLE dog?
> 
> First, the little dog was being GOOD....according to this story. How many times have there been complaints about small dogs not behaving and now we're going to complain because one was behaving? And then the OP is insulted?
> 
> Second, I'm guilty of saying something like that 'big mean dog' to Jax...usually in a sarcastic way because she's reacting to something that just seems silly to me.
> 
> If it were me, I would have apologized to the lady since it was my dog not behaving and possibly scared her dog (regardless of size).


So if I had a little tiny dog like hers and it came around the corner and barked, it would've been a "little mean dog"? 

So any dog that barks is a mean dog or is not being "good"? That would mean that dogs are not supposed to bark? That's like saying children are not allowed to talk, and if they do, they're being bad?

Her dog didn't budge when Nara barked. Maybe the woman was scared, but her dog wasn't.

I've worked with a behaviorist and she told me that GSDs in particular are normally leash reactive and can be dog reactive. Nara just wanted to meet and greet and play with that other dog, but since she was on a lead and couldn't get to the dog (because I was keeping strict control of her lead and had her in a heel position at my side) she let out a bark of excitement. She was well-socialized as a puppy at dog parks and now, when she sees other dogs, she thinks it's time to play. I'm training her to realize that not every dog wants to play with her, and there are right and wrong times for that sort of play. That's why I put her on a sit/stay in line waiting at the register, and other dogs walked by without incident.

If anything, the lady should've apologized to me for over-reacting and calling my dogs "mean" when they are just playful, friendly big babies. She doesn't know my dogs, so how can she call them "mean"? Just because they barked? 

We go for walks and runs daily, and dogs of all sizes always bark at us. The last thing I've ever thought of those dogs are that they're mean or behaving badly or untrained. They're talking (or defending their territory). That's what dogs do. If they don't bark, what else are they supposed to do to communicate?

I assume birds shouldn't chirp. Cats shouldn't meow. Humans shouldn't talk. I could go on and on.


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## Jax08

counter said:


> So if I had a little tiny dog like hers and it came around the corner and barked, it would've been a "little mean dog"?
> 
> So any dog that barks is a mean dog or is not being "good"? That would mean that dogs are not supposed to bark? That's like saying children are not allowed to talk, and if they do, they're being bad?
> 
> Her dog didn't budge when Nara barked. Maybe the woman was scared, but her dog wasn't.
> 
> I've worked with a behaviorist and she told me that GSDs in particular are normally leash reactive and can be dog reactive. Nara just wanted to meet and greet and play with that other dog, but since she was on a lead and couldn't get to the dog (because I was keeping strict control of her lead and had her in a heel position at my side) she let out a bark of excitement. She was well-socialized as a puppy at dog parks and now, when she sees other dogs, she thinks it's time to play. I'm training her to realize that not every dog wants to play with her, and there are right and wrong times for that sort of play. That's why I put her on a sit/stay in line waiting at the register, and other dogs walked by without incident.
> 
> If anything, the lady should've apologized to me for over-reacting and calling my dogs "mean" when they are just playful, friendly big babies. She doesn't know my dogs, so how can she call them "mean"? Just because they barked?
> 
> We go for walks and runs daily, and dogs of all sizes always bark at us. The last thing I've ever thought of those dogs are that they're mean or behaving badly or untrained. They're talking (or defending their territory). That's what dogs do. If they don't bark, what else are they supposed to do to communicate?
> 
> I assume birds shouldn't chirp. Cats shouldn't meow. Humans shouldn't talk. I could go on and on.


Once again...way out of proportion to even what I wrote simply because I noted a different scenario?

...how is she supposed to know your dogs are just "playful, friendly babies" when they just barked at her....did you stop to explain it to her?

....whatever...go whine about the little dogs...


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## counter

Jax08 said:


> Once again...way out of proportion to even what I wrote simply because I noted a different scenario?
> 
> ...how is she supposed to know your dogs are just "playful, friendly babies" when they just barked at her....did you stop to explain it to her?
> 
> ....whatever...go whine about the little dogs...


Who whined about little dogs? I "whined" about a rude human. I said nothing about her little dog. I love dogs of all sizes. Her dog did nothing wrong. It didn't act scared. It didn't bark back. It wasn't rude. It's OWNER was!

She could've said something like "oh, big LOUD dog!" (note: not dogS with an S, because Paw Paw did or said NOTHING, just DOG. Nara was the only one who spoke, so why did Paw Paw get lumped under the "big mean" banner?)

Never judge a book by its cover. Isn't that a saying? You shouldn't JUDGE period, especially when you don't know a thing about what you're judging. She didn't know they're playful friendly babies because she didn't give them a chance, and she will never know now. Most people have asked "are they friendly" to which I say "of course they are" and our dogs meet and greet. No one has ever over-reacted and said "big mean dogs" all based on a few barks.

And I guess by your logic, if reversed, means that any dog that doesn't bark IS a friendly, well-trained, well-behaved dog, right? I bet there are some vicious and dog aggressive dogs out there that won't say a thing until it's too late and your dog is bleeding or dead.

It's not like my dogs were way out of control. They weren't on a flexi-lead 20 feet away from me, nor were they pulling me all around the store or lunging to get at her dog. They were both in a walking heel no more than 12" from my side, Nara on my left and Paw Paw on my right. So, even if they were big mean dogs, there was NO way they could've done anything to her or her dog. She was safe and so was her dog. 

Why pass a rude comment? Does she openly and verbally judge every person and thing she interacts with and loudly express her judgemental thoughts publicly and purposely for all to hear? Imagine the problems this would create. What if she were racist and a non-white person walked passed her (she happened to be white). What would she say or do then? If nothing, then why do or say anything (indirectly) to me about my dog/s?

I just wanted to share my story and did not expect to get into some sort of online debate with anyone. I try to avoid that sort of thing, which is why I don't post much on forums anymore. I come on here to ask questions and get answers, but this once, I figured I'd share a story. I was just hoping to relate to all of the other people who run into rude people out in public because of their dogs, and maybe offer a story of my own that they could relate to. Sorry about my "whining" and let's end the debate! Friends?


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## codmaster

counter said:


> I just wanted to share my story and did not expect to get into some sort of online debate with anyone....


One thing to remember is that we wern't there to see the incident. And that could make a BIG difference. i.e. it would make a difference to me HOW the dog was barking. Could have been an excited "Woof" meaning "let's play" OR could have been the stereotyped staccato bark of a GSD playing K9 or military sentry dog saying "If I can get to you, I will rip your face off and eat you". BIG difference in impression on other people.

That said, it does sound like the little dog owner might have overreacted a little BUT

consider this - if you rounded the corner and came across a 90lb pit bull who barked at you and your GSD how many of us would stop to consider the type of bark and the dogs body language before we reacted?


PS I had this happen to me and my dog in a Western Farm Supply store just recently. (BTW the dog was a doll and very friendly!)


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## Jax08

Jax08 said:


> I think this situation got a little out of perspective.
> 
> The OP's dog came around the corner and barked at the small dog. So, perhaps the woman was commenting because the BIG dog scared the LITTLE dog?
> 
> First, the little dog was being GOOD....according to this story. How many times have there been complaints about small dogs not behaving and now we're going to complain because one was behaving? And then the OP is insulted?
> 
> Second, I'm guilty of saying something like that 'big mean dog' to Jax...usually in a sarcastic way because she's reacting to something that just seems silly to me.
> 
> If it were me, I would have apologized to the lady since it was my dog not behaving and possibly scared her dog (regardless of size).


 
hmmm...looking at my original post...yup...you are exactly right...that's what I was saying...only differently and with a completely different meaning. Stop being so defensive and chill out. Look at the situation and think how you would react if a 120 lb rottweiler came around the corner and barked at your dog.

I was in a pet store on Saturday with my GSD and my boxer. My GSD barked at a smaller down, sheltie size, and I told her to Leave It. Walked away until she was calm and then came back. I could have been all up in arms at the little boy that was scared of my GSD. I could have been up in arms at the people that then shied away from her. But instead I looked at it as a training opportunity. Instead of reacting to the people I worked with her so she didn't bark at the other dog. After a few minutes I got a compliment on how well behaved my dogs were.

They are just dogs...you are the one that is in control of the situation.

I guess you gotta do what you gotta do...I sure wish people on this board would park their estrogen at the log in page this week. There must be a full moon rising.


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## SammysMomma

I also have a ''big mean dog". I was told this when I was told not to bring my GSD back to walk the football field with the other dogs because he made one woman uncomfortable. He never even had the chance to bark or act inappropriately. But he apparenlty "looked like he wanted to eat her" and she "knew his type".


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## Jax08

SammysMomma said:


> I also have a ''big mean dog". I was told this when I was told not to bring my GSD back to walk the football field with the other dogs because he made one woman uncomfortable. He never even had the chance to bark or act inappropriately. But he apparenlty "looked like he wanted to eat her" and she "knew his type".


Now that is asinine and unfair.


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## Samba

People's fun! I had one lady who said she hoped I was gone from the vet's office before she left. I asked her why and she said because I am afraid of your dog out there. I about came apart... what my dog is out of the car? my dog is loose outside!!!??? 

NOPE! She says, no, the one in the car. 

Wow.


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## ChristenHolden

Lol I wonder if the people with the shar pei pup know that they are also known as the chines fighting dog. And that if they don't have a lot of socolizing they can get very dog/small animal aggressive I love mine but I bought lots of books and did internet resurch on the breed before we even bought one. And one thing is very true they can be very stuburn I'm always calling Batista a jerk.


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## abby

Christen LOL i don't know maybe they were nervous because he was a puppy oh well i do know that the one that used to come to the yard the lady loved it because kobe was so good natured with it as she had a problem with hers being dog aggressive if he got too much kobes would knock him over then walk away lol


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## Minnieski

GSDSunshine said:


> That 5 lb cotton ball with teeth is supposed to walk around like crazy gremlin on crack, I totally forgot forgive me.


:rofl:!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, someone has an accurate description of those "little darlings!"


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## SunCzarina

yeah that is pretty accurate! 


> she says "it's NOT a snack!"


and yeah it is. Anyone call my GSD a big mean dog while they're holding a little yapper, I'd have done the same thing.


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## doggiedad

why are you so upset because someone made a comment
about your dogs? are your dogs bothered by the comment?
did your dogs react to the comment? follow your dogs lead.


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## doggiedad

:thumbup: 



Jax08 said:


> hmmm...looking at my original post...yup...you are exactly right...that's what I was saying...only differently and with a completely different meaning. Stop being so defensive and chill out. Look at the situation and think how you would react if a 120 lb rottweiler came around the corner and barked at your dog.
> 
> I was in a pet store on Saturday with my GSD and my boxer. My GSD barked at a smaller down, sheltie size, and I told her to Leave It. Walked away until she was calm and then came back. I could have been all up in arms at the little boy that was scared of my GSD. I could have been up in arms at the people that then shied away from her. But instead I looked at it as a training opportunity. Instead of reacting to the people I worked with her so she didn't bark at the other dog. After a few minutes I got a compliment on how well behaved my dogs were.
> 
> They are just dogs...you are the one that is in control of the situation.
> 
> I guess you gotta do what you gotta do...I sure wish people on this board would park their estrogen at the log in page this week. There must be a full moon rising.


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## Jessiewessie99

Sheesh she is just letting out some steam!Let it go.Tanner gets called wolf-dog all the time, and people make remarks because he looks "mean"

To the OP: I say next time she does this to you and or anyone, Just walk your "big mean" dogs proudly!!XD

BTW:You're dogs are beautiful!


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## shilorio

bellamia said:


> Mine was and still is tiny compared to most gsds and is is overtly friendly which i'm not sure i like. so i win i have both mean and vicious! sorry!


 
my gsd shilo is tiny tiny and she is very low in confidence and like dogs to much, to a point of out of control and wont listen. What do you do when she does that?


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## Syaoransbear

She said your dogs were mean just because one of them barked? With a min pin, shouldn't she be completely fluent in dog barks by now?


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## Jessiewessie99

My aunts dog is a minpin mix


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## longhairshepmom

Sheesh.

Even assuming that the lady was wrong and rude by saying the "mean dog" comment. 

Replying with another offending and rude comment, now how is that any better ? You just put yourself on her level and have no grounds to complain.

Pot >> Kettle

I find the whole big dog / little dog "war" so incredibly ridiculous. And there are those crazies on both sides of it.

I have a German Shepherd and a Chihuahua. BOTH are wonderful dogs. Well trained. I've seen plenty of rude and un-behaved big dogs, as well as small dogs. But what tops them both ?? The owners !!! Esp. the ones with prejudices against the "other side".

To get back on the subject at hand, if you are insulted by someone's comment on your dog, don't lower yourself to their level by acting precisely the same. 

Take the high road.


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## valreegrl

longhairshepmom said:


> Sheesh.
> 
> Even assuming that the lady was wrong and rude by saying the "mean dog" comment.
> 
> Replying with another offending and rude comment, now how is that any better ? You just put yourself on her level and have no grounds to complain.
> 
> Pot >> Kettle
> 
> I find the whole big dog / little dog "war" so incredibly ridiculous. And there are those crazies on both sides of it.
> 
> I have a German Shepherd and a Chihuahua. BOTH are wonderful dogs. Well trained. I've seen plenty of rude and un-behaved big dogs, as well as small dogs. But what tops them both ?? The owners !!! Esp. the ones with prejudices against the "other side".
> 
> To get back on the subject at hand, if you are insulted by someone's comment on your dog, don't lower yourself to their level by acting precisely the same.
> 
> Take the high road.


Us too! GSD and Chihuahua! And it's the Chi who barks when we are out....not the GSD  

Haven't had any issues like this during our excursions. We often get comments from people on how beautiful he is....which is wonderful


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## lnsmdove

*"Big Mean Dog" caught on tape*

Warning, scary dog video.





 

Susan D
Grace and Sirius


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## counter

The bottom line is this: why did she have to say anything at all?

And you're right, when dogs bark at my pups, I tell them to "be the bigger dog" and don't bark back. I need to take my own advice next time.

I just don't like it when people think they can walk (or talk) all over other people and get away with it. Maybe I was "fighting fire with fire" instead of lowering myself down to her level. She wants to fire a shot, so I fired a shot right back. Probably wasn't the most effective thing I could've said, but it was the first and only thing I could think of at the time. And it wasn't a little dog versus big dog thing. Like I said, I love all dogs; however, with Paw Paw's high prey drive, he sees all small animals (squirrels, birds, rabbits, cats, little dogs, etc.) as potential snacks. Haha. Of course, I never let him get to any of these animals to kill them. He did catch a squirrel once in our backyard though. 

And yeah, the most effective thing I could've done and/or said was "why are they big mean dogs? Hopefully not because they bark, because 99% of all dogs bark, and I can reassure you that not all 99% are mean." Or, like some said, I could've ignored her and "been the bigger dog" and just kept walking like she didn't exist.

Again, dogs bark at us all of the time. I've never once assumed that every dog that barks is mean, whether they are 5 lbs or 150 lbs, and whether they startle me or not. Dogs bark. It's what they do. It's how they talk and communicate. A dog isn't mean because it barks. I would never say anything to a dog or owner of a dog that barks. Growling is a different story, and I would also have to factor in the situation: is it being territorial protecting it's yard or owner, or might it be aggressive (which means I'd look to protect my daughters and dogs).

So again, she could have said NOTHING AT ALL, and so could I. I wouldn't have had to say anything if she didn't say something rude first. It was uncalled for. Like someone else, said, most people do approach us and tell us how beautiful they are or how well-trained they are. Even that night at Petsmart, the workers and spouses of workers (it was closing time and they came to pick up their wives) approached us and were giving Nara and Paw Paw tons of love. Other people walked by holding or walking their dogs (to include this woman and her husband who both walked by twice without incident [no Nara barking]) and my dogs stayed in a sit stay without a peep.

Be the bigger dog...be the bigger dog...be the bigger dog! I'll keep telling myself this so next time I remember. Haha!

(what BIG MEAN dogs?)
































(they're just BIG BABIES!)


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## LaRen616

People call my GSD a Lab all of the time, I hate Labs, no offense just not a fan of them, every Lab I've ever met was dumb and fat and they do nothing for me, (sorry if you have a Lab, I'm sure yours is different) I dont take it to heart. I have even had someone argue with me and tell me that my dog is not a GSD because they do not come in all black and that I should get my money back, I then told that person that he was purebred and had an AKC tag on his collar and that person believed the AKC had made a mistake and that they should be notified. So people are going to say rude or dumb things all the time, your dog wasn't bothered by it so neither should you, just remember that people will always be right, so why argue or get upset? Smile


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## fightin14

I have not had this problem at my local pet smart (maybe because she is a puppy) but everyone seems to love shepherds around here. I can't count how many people who have come up to stating that they want a GSD or are getting or that they love them. This attitude may change as she gets larger.


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## Josiebear

I have noticed that there are a fine line between love and hate with people and German Shepherds. Either you love the breed or you hate the breed there is no in between. You never hear someone say " i guess shepherds are OK" It's either " i hate them!" or " i love them!". 

I get mix feelings with both. A good handful of people just love looking at Josie and a good amount will ask me if she can be petted.

There are some that rather keep their distance. I don't hear nasty comments anymore because to me those people don't matter.


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## bellamia

doggiedad said:


> why are you so upset because someone made a comment
> about your dogs? are your dogs bothered by the comment?
> did your dogs react to the comment? follow your dogs lead.


 
u touched a nerve in many of us I think, having said that, i am just a little annoyed people just assume you no, for eg gsds are big mean and vicious, labs are sensitive but thick, beagels hard to train etc etc etc. just the other day i was watching dogs 101 where they actually mentioned this lovely breed being this and that but not really smart!. so if one was to come across this breed and just casually say,'' hey lovely dog but not v smart is it? ''or,'', wow ur dog is sooo cute but thick!'' how isthing going to go down ? its not fair. yes def. we have a general breed 'specific' but all gsds are not mean and vicious and aggresive, all beagles are not hard to potty train all malteepoos are not hyper and yappy!etc etc


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## bellamia

shilorio said:


> my gsd shilo is tiny tiny and she is very low in confidence and like dogs to much, to a point of out of control and wont listen. What do you do when she does that?


well my Mia is def maturing with age( she is only 1yr and 2mths) i can see that but after a lot of deliberation we decided much to our anguish to get a prong when we walk. she still has a thick nylon collar on so the prong just makes it uncomfortable enough for her to stop charging and making friends when i don't want her to! doesnt really hurt her. afraid i relying on it too much but believe me when i say i have tried EVERYTHING. Our walks are so much fun and relaxing for us that i am afraid to give it up. just because she is tooooooo friendly i have had to use them. and not regretting it one bit. afterall isn't walking with them supposed to be disciple, excerice and fun? we cudnt do anyof that before. but nowadays have noticed that she will half reluctantly listen if i dnt want her to go and make friends!


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## milkmoney11

Everyone does realize that people really mean no harm when they say these types of things like "mean dog" right? 

In fact, I think most people that say this actually think they are giving the GSD owner a complement. My mom has said the same thing to me ever since I told her I was getting a GSD. She assumes people like others that saying "mean dog" is just pseudo term actually meaning "guard dog" and "protective". 

She means nothing by it...if anything, she is actually trying to be a little amusing when saying it. I would never be offended by this but I already can tell I let a lot more roll off me than others do on this site. Who cares anyway...you know the dog isn't mean so nothing else should matter.


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## bellamia

pm me if u want


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## bellamia

sorry i meant that for SHILORIO! just obviously i am tech challengd!


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## trudy

All I know is my dogs have big mean barks, they are friendly, sociable adn I have not had one bark when in a store BUT, even when playing together or barking at a ball for me to throw, they have big, deep barks. I've had lots of people say no one would ever enter just from the sound yet I don't take offense. It is true, their barks are really something. I always say they are friendly, but they will protect, they may not have specific training but why take the chance. 

Yep, big, mean, loud ferocious sounding dogs.


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## Jessiewessie99

Tanner's bark is kinda scary.:/ but he is a really big baby


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## codmaster

If anybody has heard an adult GSD barking, they should be able to distinguish between an excited bark and a "mean' aggresive bark". They sound very different!

The body language and posture is also very different. If my adult male GSD used his protective bark in a store, I would certainly hope that people would recognize it and be a little leery of him. He is SERIOUS when he uses THAT bark. He is a big mean dog at this minute!

When he uses his excited bark, it means he wants to go visit with someone or some other dog. Totally different. And I would expect people to react differently.


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## Lin

Syaoransbear said:


> She said your dogs were mean just because one of them barked? With a min pin, shouldn't she be completely fluent in dog barks by now?


:rofl:

My dad has 3 min pins. Sometimes when I visit they are barking so much that Tessa will let out a big deep bark back and I swear she's saying "SHUT UP!"


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## counter

milkmoney11 said:


> I think most people that say this actually think they are giving the GSD owner a complement.


I had thought about this, too! Maybe she thought she was paying me a compliment!?! I tried to think on the positive side to balance out the negative. However, while probably 80% of the people who own "bully breeds" (pitbulls, dobies, rotts, GSDs, etc.) probably want others to fear their "tough" dog, I want people to love and respect my dogs for their good behavior and likeability. I don't want people to think that I think I'm "cool" for walking around with 2 big (mean) dogs.

The fact that Nara is an instant deterrent when it comes to guarding the house and protecting her "flock of sheep" (our daughters) is a bonus! But I would never want the average friendly person to fear her, nor to think that she's mean or call her mean to her (my) face!

It's not a compliment. It's actually an insult to me and all of the hard work and time I've invested in her training! She's still a puppy and isn't perfect and might never be perfectly trained, but what dog is? Her ONE problem is that she barks, and we're working on that and will continue to work on it until we get it under control. She barks until she can meet and greet with a strange dog, but I'm teaching her that she can't always meet every dog she sees, and that her barking, unless she's alerting us to danger, is excessive, unnecessary, and uncalled for.

Bottom line: I don't want THE DOG WHO BARKED WOLF!

Haha.


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## Lin

counter said:


> "bully breeds" (pitbulls, dobies, rotts, GSDs, etc.)


Bully breeds actually specifically refers to the bulldog breeds. Like the pit bulls, bulldogs, bull terriers, etc. It doesn't apply to dobies, rotts, GSDs.


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## Ellie

I'm so sick of people with tiny dogs who assume that all big dogs are bad dogs. Especially when those tiny dogs have the "big dog syndrome" and are actually more aggressive than my larger dog!


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## LaRen616

Or when a Tiny dog with "Big Dog Synrome" comes after your big GSD thats behaving quite well. The Tiny dog gets hurt by the GSD and the owner says "Such a mean dog to pick on such a small helpless dog." If your small helpless dog cant take it then he shouldn't have started it. Dont blame my dog for protecting himself, your little dog had no right to come at him the way it did and it's your fault for letting him get that close.


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## counter

Lin said:


> Bully breeds actually specifically refers to the bulldog breeds. Like the pit bulls, bulldogs, bull terriers, etc. It doesn't apply to dobies, rotts, GSDs.


O ok. Never knew that. I've seen where others referred to the breeds that a lot of people fear (the breeds I mentioned) as bully breeds. Now I know. Thanks for the info. I learn something new every day! And it makes sense. 

Hopefully, though, people understood what I meant and where I was going with that, despite my mistake in labelling!


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## gardenrose

To OP thanks for sharing your story. I took it as a haha I can't believe this happened, not that you were really complaining. I thought the little snack comment was funny!


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