# GSD owners, how do you do it?



## UWMsGirl (Apr 19, 2015)

By that I mean, how do you deal with the whole thought process that people have about German Shepherds? This is our first time owning a GSD and we just love her to death. I have noticed though that every time we are walking Enna, that people will go out of their way to stay out of OUR way. Even though she is still a puppy.

And tonight we went passed a dog park but we didn't go into it because I don't trust dog parks, me personally. Anyways, as we walked by Enna barked and everyone including the owners turned around. I think they were expecting a 100 pound dog because of her bark, but she is only 6 months old. Anyways, one of the owners came up to us and pet her and asked me...*"Why are all German shepherds scary cats?"* I was shocked he said that because I would never have put GSD and scary cats in the same sentence. I didn't know what to say, I just said oh she's a puppy. He said that at every dog park he has ever gone to, all the GSD's he has seen are really scared of everything and anything. I didn't even know what to say...I just walked away smiling and we continued walking Enna. I know Enna does get scared of things but I just think it's because she hasn't gained that confidence yet and it comes with age, I really don't know.

I was saying to myself, yeah she is just a puppy now but you wait to see if she is scared in a years time. Jokingly of course. :laugh: or not. :blush:


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Personally, I just strive to be an owner of a dog that is an ambassador. I want to have the dog that people stare at. I want to have the dog that people stop and ask questions about. I want to have the dog that causes a veteran to come over and ask yo pet because they are reminded of a dog they knew in theater. I want to own the dog that kids talk about as they grow up (I used to leave behind this crazy big GSD and I would play fetch with him). 

I think, everytime I am out in public, "how am I and my dog representing the breed". I wanna be the dog people remember for good things, not bad. 

I don't stress when people cross the street as I walk my dog. That cool. Give me space. But you are going to see a dog that could not care less about you. If you ask to pet my dog, I will let you(case dependant). 

Be the advocate. Don't write off bad behavior. Fix it. Show the world the GSD they should see. Not the lightly fearful dog they are expecting.


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## UWMsGirl (Apr 19, 2015)

gsdsar said:


> Personally, I just strive to be an owner of a dog that is an ambassador. I want to have the dog that people stare at. I want to have the dog that people stop and ask questions about. I want to have the dog that causes a veteran to come over and ask yo pet because they are reminded of a dog they knew in theater. I want to own the dog that kids talk about as they grow up (I used to leave behind this crazy big GSD and I would play fetch with him).
> 
> I think, everytime I am out in public, "how am I and my dog representing the breed". I wanna be the dog people remember for good things, not bad.
> 
> ...


Thanks gsdsar, I will be sure to do that. I will show them the GSD everyone should see.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

It is because they are in the top 3 most intelligent dog breeds. They don't rush blindly into anything. They look, access and then act..... People with lesser intelligent dog breeds don't get this....


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Most likely that does indeed describe the GSD's they've seen and I would venture to say that those GSD's got that way "because" of bad Dog Park encounters??

No one that has a "clue" would subject their "dog" to the uncontrolled chaos of a Dog Park. 

If I choose to "Rocky" and I occasionally go to our local Dog Park and he follows me around. He does not play with other dogs. They will come up to him and check him out?? He doesn't care, they stand and look, then turn and walk away! This dog is different??? They don't get what they expect and move on works for me. 

But by and large we meet very few dogs there, as soon as people see us they pack up and leave! Kinda rude I guess but it works for me!


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## WesS (Apr 10, 2015)

Some people just use it as small talk to say something. Doesn't mean they are really frightened. It's a weird complement for a 'strong' dog. And get conversation flowing. (Guy at dog park maybe). Scary cat is a bit of a subtle oxymoron. Or slang. So in a sense he was throwing in a bit of humour.

Then there are people who are petrified and think wolf when they see a gsd. And as you said walk the other way esp. With such dogs. Could of been a past experience too. As gsdsar said try be an ambassador that a well maintained and looked after gsd is better than the average dog.

I get the people who run out the way too, and are scared, and don't care if the dog is behaved or not. As long as they don't throw in a nasty comment (which they do sometimes, like that's a dangerous dog shouldn't be in a public walkway, I just ignore). I get far more complements from runners etc. Who will make a point to stop and complement on the nice heal on command, and that the dog is not all over the place like most dogs.

At the end of the day there is truth that a powerful badly managed gsd with aggressive tendencies can be a public threat. After all it's a powerfull breed. So if we have them representing nicely in public, we'll get more compliments than the scared conservative sissys running scared from the big bad wolf.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

I am really enjoying the comments in this thread.

I often say I want people to say, "oh cool, here comes that German Shepherd" not "Oh good grief, here comes't THAT dog". We go out in public often but never dog parks, at least not unless we have the place to ourselves. 

When we go out we often find that GSDs are either loved or feared, and always from someone's past experience. A few weeks back at a Farmer's Market, we had children asking to pet our GSD at the same time another woman was hiding on the opposite side of a pick-up truck in fear of our dog. Our dog was on leash laying in the shade calmly. It was past experience, from both the lady in hiding and the family with the children, that fueled their reaction.

As far as the Scardy-Cat comment I think Stone Vintage nailed it. Our dog explores, tests, circles around and watches. It is part of having an intelligent working dog mind. Someone who doesn't understand it would think the dog is afraid when it is really the opposite. It is fun to see Patton sniff at something new, like a toad, and then jump back when it moves. He is not afraid. He's toying with it, checking out it's reaction. Taunting it.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

These comments are exactly how I feel and act. Yes, there are times I have been totally frustrated by just how dumb some people can be, but for the most part, I too feel that I am an ambassador for the breed. 

I have a long coat, so a lot of times people mistaken her as a mix. Depending on my mood I'll educate or ignore and move on. 

I have had MANY people cross the road to get away from me and my dog (or maybe it's just me LOL) but at the same time I have had TONS of people stop me to complement me on her looks, and / or how well trained she is. 

Last night I was working my dog near a soccer field. The area I am talking about is massive. There are 4 soccer fields and three baseball diamonds in the same area. Dogs are NOT permitted off leash to play, etc. 

I was about 30 feet from the bleachers at one end of the soccer field. I put Ky in a down / stay and walked to the other end of the soccer field. Once I got there, I counted to 500 and then I called her to me. 

She flew down that field LOL ... It was awesome to see! And the best part? EVERY SINGLE person on the bleachers was watching her and she got a massive round of applause when she came right up to me, stopped and sat down in front of me. 

I had to do it two more times before everyone was happy and I could leave! 

To me, that's showing off just how good these dogs can be!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

gsdsar said:


> Personally, I just strive to be an owner of a dog that is an ambassador. I want to have the dog that people stare at. I want to have the dog that people stop and ask questions about. I want to have the dog that causes a veteran to come over and ask yo pet because they are reminded of a dog they knew in theater. I want to own the dog that kids talk about as they grow up (I used to leave behind this crazy big GSD and I would play fetch with him).
> 
> I think, everytime I am out in public, "how am I and my dog representing the breed". I wanna be the dog people remember for good things, not bad.
> 
> ...


oh yes "Be the advocate. Don't write off bad behavior. Fix it." 

UVMs said "as we walked by Enna barked and everyone including the owners turned around. I think they were expecting a 100 pound dog because of her bark, but she is only 6 months old"

start fixing this . 6 months is getting on . Guide her into being the adult that you want now. 

Is your dog nervous? quote "one of the owners came up to us and pet her and asked me...*"Why are all German shepherds scary cats?"* I was shocked he said that because I would never have put GSD and scary cats in the same sentence"

If she is then there are things that you can do to help her along . Don't excuse it with she's just a puppy and wait for one year or two year -- then it will be ingrained and difficult .

Temperament is a problem in the breed . 

"But you are going to see a dog that could not care less about you. If you ask to pet my dog, I will let you"

Neutral .


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I've seen some GSDs at dog parks, most had issues and didn't belong there, so I'm going to guess this is what this guy is seeing. When Robyn was younger people avoided her. Now I notice that most people love the breed, have had one, or want one. Just last night I ordered food and the delivery guy was in love with my three. He was petting Apollo through the screen, I just smiled. Everywhere I go with them I get stopped. They just love kids. Midnite brings back lots of memories for the older folk in the nursing home. He even managed to get a young man that was terrified of dogs to get excited when he sees Midnite. I love training them and I love taking them places, they are all very stable and neutral. I'm not being biased but mine are great ambassadors for the breed, I spent a lot of time on training them how I wanted them to be


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Chip18 said:


> Most likely that does indeed describe the GSD's they've seen and I would venture to say that those GSD's got that way "because" of bad Dog Park encounters??
> 
> No one that has a "clue" would subject their "dog" to the uncontrolled chaos of a Dog Park.


This meets to be quoted


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

It's a complete opposite for us, we moved 5 times now and I can't keep people away! Everyone tells us how much they love GSD's, i have no had a single person... One fence guy said Zeus was intimidating him while Zeus was doing swimmies on the grass... I laughed.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

Some people are just ignorant. There is a great guy who loves dogs and lets you bring your dog into his place of business. ( It's kind of a farm/home improvement type store.) Xerxes had never been there before but he's generally well behaved so I took him there. ( He LOVES this store. He knows he gets to go in.) There was a humane society thing going on out in front this first day I took him in there. He walked up to all the dogs. He was friendly with the people and the other dogs. I went to take him in the store and, being his first time, he kind of backed away from the shopping cart at first but he settled down and was ok. When I came back out, one of the HS people kept going," Is he always so shy?" I said," What?" "Is he always so shy?" I said," This dog doesn't have a shy bone in his body. Were you not here 5 minutes ago when he walked up to all the dogs and all the people? He was temporarily unused to the shopping cart is all." Some people just have to be jerks. She wanted to point out flaws in MY dog when she kept repeating a load of bull. Walk away from ignorant people or get a headache from banging your head against their brick wall of total ignorance.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Nikitta said:


> Some people are just ignorant. There is a great guy who loves dogs and lets you bring your dog into his place of business. ( It's kind of a farm/home improvement type store.) Xerxes had never been there before but he's generally well behaved so I took him there. ( He LOVES this store. He knows he gets to go in.) There was a humane society thing going on out in front this first day I took him in there. He walked up to all the dogs. He was friendly with the people and the other dogs. I went to take him in the store and, being his first time, he kind of backed away from the shopping cart at first but he settled down and was ok. When I came back out, one of the HS people kept going," Is he always so shy?" I said," What?" "Is he always so shy?" I said," This dog doesn't have a shy bone in his body. Were you not here 5 minutes ago when he walked up to all the dogs and all the people? He was temporarily unused to the shopping cart is all." Some people just have to be jerks. She wanted to point out flaws in MY dog when she kept repeating a load of bull. Walk away from ignorant people or get a headache from banging your head against their brick wall of total ignorance.




Absolutely nothing wrong with a dog backing away from something new, as long as they recover. _The general dog owning population has zero clue about dog behavior_, so I pretty much ignore them (like my dogs do!). 

If someone does approach me when I have a dog, I am more than willing to talk dogs with them. I mostly hear "beautiful dog!" or "I had a German Shepherd growing up". Occasionally someone says something stupid. If I can educate, I will. If they aren't listening to me, then, whatever.

My GSDs will ignore anyone that I'm talking with, which I like. They don't need to act like a friendly lab or a golden, which can be disappointing to someone that wants to interact with them when I'm out in public. It's a different story at home though. If you are invited in, all bets are off. Carly shoves a ball at you, and Russell is your new best friend.

I had way more trouble with people freaking out over my Dobes, than I have EVER had with the GSDs. People would cross the street all the time if they saw me walking a Dobe. A perfectly well mannered Dobe, LOL. I could understand if she was dragging me down the street, or lunging at everything. My dogs have all been well mannered in public, and that's all that matters to me. If people have weird ideas about GSDs, oh well.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Where do you all live that you have such issues? I think I've had one person say something really stupid. Everyone else has nothing but good things to say about my dogs. How pretty, how well behaved.

If someone is scared of them, I keep my distance. Common Courtesy but also I don't want my dog to pick up on that and possibly react.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

"one of the HS people kept going," Is he always so shy?" I said," What?" "Is he always so shy?" I said," This dog doesn't have a shy bone in his body. Were you not here 5 minutes ago when he walked up to all the dogs and all the people? He was temporarily unused to the shopping cart is all." Some people just have to be jerks. She wanted to point out flaws in MY dog when she kept repeating a load of bull. Walk away from ignorant people or get a headache from banging your head against their brick wall of total ignorance. "

You didn't have a problem or a problem dog !! He adapted , and adapted quickly . 

sometimes I wonder if these well meaning people have a good read on a dog and if they are doing justice to the dog in presenting and homing it properly.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I rarely get approached as well. When I do it's to tell me how gorgeous my dog is. I put him in a halti when we are in public and that seems to keep people from wanting to pet him. He doesn't want to be everyone's friend, but will tolerate it. I respect my dog enough to not force him into being a conversation piece. 

I did have one handicapped woman ask to pet him and as she pet him she explained how she was attacked by a couple of GSD's in her youth. Hondo was very receptive to her for reasons only he knew. I was surprised because she was walking with leg braces and Hondo seemed oblivious to the noise they were making. 

I don't want to seem rude, but I really can't help folks who want to fawn over my dog because they were bitten by a GSD in the past. I was hit by a car when I was riding my bike when I was a kid. But I don't go walking through parking lots stopping people in cars and telling them about it.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

UWMsGirl said:


> By that I mean, how do you deal with the whole thought process that people have about German Shepherds?


You won't change them all at once, if at all. That's okay.

When my girl was little, everyone wanted to meet the adorable fuzzball. I had to be careful not to let her get mobbed. It wasn't long before we had people crossing the street to avoid getting close to her. That's also okay. If they're nervous, they should feel okay doing that. I'm not out to change anyone's mind, I'm just doing my thing, and if they feel comfortable asking to meet my dog and ask me questions, that's fine too.

My general policy is that I won't change what I'm doing to suit someone else - for instance, if I was intending to go down a certain street, I'll still take it even if I'm technically "following" someone - but nor will I be a jerk about it. (One time, I was a jerk. This woman who was walking with her kid gave me a death glare as soon as she saw me walking down the sidewalk with my dog. My dog had literally done nothing but exist on the sidewalk. I shrugged, passed her, and went on to the park. Despite the fact that she'd been walking away from the park before, she somehow ended up back at the playground with her kid, and she was glaring at me all over again. We practiced a lot of sit-stays and down-stays on leash, right near the playground. You know, for the distraction.)

I kind of walk the line on feeling like I need to be an ambassador. I don't go out of my way to do it. I have expectations for her behavior and I teach her accordingly, but that's for her sake and mine, not for anyone else's. I am also aware that my dog is representing shepherds and representing dogdom as a whole every time I take her out; I'd be a fool not to acknowledge that fact.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Lilie said:


> I rarely get approached as well. When I do it's to tell me how gorgeous my dog is. I put him in a halti when we are in public and that seems to keep people from wanting to pet him. He doesn't want to be everyone's friend, but will tolerate it. I respect my dog enough to not force him into being a conversation piece.
> 
> I did have one handicapped woman ask to pet him and as she pet him she explained how she was attacked by a couple of GSD's in her youth. Hondo was very receptive to her for reasons only he knew. I was surprised because she was walking with leg braces and Hondo seemed oblivious to the noise they were making.
> 
> I don't want to seem rude, but I really can't help folks who want to fawn over my dog because they were bitten by a GSD in the past. I was hit by a car when I was riding my bike when I was a kid. But I don't go walking through parking lots stopping people in cars and telling them about it.


That's weird. I've never had that happen, but that's weird. It's almost like you are being asked to be a therapist in that moment.

Thankfully I'm hearing fewer and fewer stupid comments about her conformation or GSDs or now. Most of the actual comments I get these days are from people who think my girl is beautiful. I tend to hear more surprise that she isn't a show dog than anything else.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

car2ner said:


> I often say I want people to say, "oh cool, here comes that German Shepherd" not "Oh good grief, here comes't THAT dog".


This sums up my goal. I'd like the general public to see a well behaved shepherd, and I try my best to exhibit that when we're out in public.

There are so many places already that have breed specific bans (some hotels, rental properties, insurance companies, some public parks, some camping areas, etc), I don't want to contribute to anyone's negative perception.

On the other hand, I don't really feel the need to change everyone's mind. If someone thinks my dogs look terrifying, well, that's fine. If those people don't bother me, I will respect them by keeping my dogs out of their way. If they say something nasty or ignorant, I just shrug and move on. If they express genuine interest or curiosity, I'll stop and talk, but otherwise I'll just keep walking.

Those of us who love them know how special they are, but they're definitely not a breed for everyone. And that's a good thing.


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## Orson (Aug 3, 2015)

I love this topic. It gives me such relief. I live in a big city and I work as a vet tech so I take my dog almost everywhere with me and so many people are scared of him. At first I was understanding and just ignored it but after dealing with it every day for 8 months it becomes extremely annoying. People will avoid going in the elevator with me, will take their dogs out of the dog park as soon as we step in despite him doing a beautiful sit / stay before entering. After awhile it just becomes insulting to the amount of work you have put into your GSD in terms of training / socialization. I can hardly wait until I can move to a small town.


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## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

Bear is only 6 months, so not overly scary.. the odd random idiotic comment, but meh. I plan to deal with it the same as when I had my rotti, continue walking straight ahead while everyone moves out of my way. Ignorance will never go away, people will always judge based on others experiences and opinions. My favorite was when they went to cross and there was cars coming so they had to stand there terrified while I walked past with a dog that paid them no mind.


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## annabirdie (Jul 3, 2015)

People fawn all over Rosie but she is only 4 months old (not even quite yet)...I do think German Shepherds in general have a strong presence and people really notice them, but I find it is mostly admiration and not so negative. Once people have one they seem to be hooked, and are quite excited to hear that she is my "first" German Shepherd (as if to say people can never stop at just one lol). I would take the comments with a grain of salt....it's like when you have a new baby and the unsolicited comments just come out of everyone!


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

I like people not being overly friendly/approaching my GSD. I partly wanted a dog as a deterrent and looked into GSDs in part due to their reputation (both intimidating and the exceptional intellect/trainability). I looked into Dobes for this same reason. I don't particularly want strangers approaching and messing with my dog (or me). If they avoid him, less body blocking I have to do.

That said, I think I am more an advocate of having a 'healthy respect' for dogs in general and having common sense not to run up and snuggle a dog you don't know, not that I promote or think people should think of GSDs as wild, aggressive, angry beasts out for blood. That kind of thinking leads to BSL. A stable GSD SHOULD be pretty tolerant, even if not everyone's best friend. But having the general public have the image of a K9 in there head when they see my dog and decide not to engage with him, doesn't bother me in the least. I like that many people have the reaction of 'I'm not going to tangle with the shepherd'. If I wanted people to engage my dog and a dog who was more prone to loving everyone, I would have gotten a Golden or Husky.

To me, the far worse stigma is the more recent negative reputation of 'nerve bags with bad hips'. THAT is a negative reputation I will advocate against. The irrational fear the dog will tear them apart at random/without reason IS damaging. Now...fearing the dog will tear them apart when commanded by the owner is a different story...  I kid I kid (mostly hehe)

Also, keep in mind, when I see a pit or a dobe walking, I often cross the street as well. Am I prejudiced against those breeds? Not at all, I adore dobes! I almost got one instead go a GSD and still want one one day. But breeds with 'reputations' often attract people desiring that sort of reputation/outcome. If the person seems normal and the dog well behaved, it's a non-issue. If the dog is an ill-trained hazard (regardless of breed) I will avoid it. But if it is a breed with a 'reputation' and seems ill-trained/bred, I usually make additional assumptions about the owner and stay double clear.


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## UWMsGirl (Apr 19, 2015)

carmspack said:


> oh yes "Be the advocate. Don't write off bad behavior. Fix it."
> 
> UVMs said "as we walked by Enna barked and everyone including the owners turned around. I think they were expecting a 100 pound dog because of her bark, but she is only 6 months old"
> 
> ...


Thanks Carmen. We are working with her on issues we see like the nervous barking.


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## UWMsGirl (Apr 19, 2015)

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts/experiences and advice. I love reading what other GSD owners go through. I am a new GSD owner so I admit I have no experience with this breed of dog. I am on here everyday reading post after post trying to learn and read experienced owners advice/tips, etc... I want to raise Enna to be a well behaved dog. I in no way excuse her behavior because she is a puppy, we have lots of work ahead of us as far as training. My husband and I will continue working with her on issues she has like the nervous barking, she is nippy, she jumps, etc.. but I hope that us working with her will pay off because if it doesn't then she didn't fail, we failed. But we won't let that happen, we will do our best. Thanks again for sharing. Glad to know we are not alone.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Don't look at it as a binary exercise , win or lose.
Think of it as an old fashioned radio where you had to make little adjustments to bring in the station you want and then fine tune for the best reception . Little steps - but with a goal in mind with no letting up . Then when you get it , enjoy ! 

look at this " so I admit I have no experience with this breed of dog" 
shortly after this you say "I want to raise Enna to be a well behaved dog"

AH HA ! exactly . You deal with her as a DOG , which she is first and foremost , then a breed . You want a well behaved dog -- light bulb moment. See , you know .

The public , however , doesn't "SEE" the dog , they see the breed !! 

"working with her on issues she has like the nervous barking, she is nippy, she jumps"

maybe we can help ?

have you taken note what does make her nervous or excited? 

when is she nippy , when she is excited in play , when you ask her to do something, when someone approaches her ?

Jumpy , again , young dog , needs manners, teach the dog nothing happens -- nothing -- until she offers the behaviour that you want . She may go through a menu -- no reaction from you -- the moment she selects the right one - boing! reward time . Non productive behaviour gets extinquished.


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## UWMsGirl (Apr 19, 2015)

carmspack said:


> Don't look at it as a binary exercise , win or lose.
> Think of it as an old fashioned radio where you had to make little adjustments to bring in the station you want and then fine tune for the best reception . Little steps - but with a goal in mind with no letting up . Then when you get it , enjoy !
> 
> look at this " so I admit I have no experience with this breed of dog"
> ...


Thanks again Carmen. Everything you said really makes a lot of sense.


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## charger (Jan 29, 2008)

I have had people run away in fear, or want to have their pictures taken with them. Now that I have only one left and he is 11, I still get people reacting the same way but no where near as much.
The most memorable (negative) experience is when we were in Hollywood, this guy was fawning over a small dog, when we came upon him, Zeus wanted to see him( Friendliest GSD ever) we told him was friendly, the guy bolted, said he heard that before, ran in to traffic and was almost hit by a car.


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## ILoveBella478 (Mar 13, 2015)

I have had many people say something stupid to me. If that guy would've said "big scary cats" to me I would've responded " we'll walk in my house uninvited she will show who's the big scary cat. Bella intimidates a lot of people because she's big like a boy with a powerful bark and huge K9' teeth but my baby girl is a lab at heart she will love you to death if we are outside or inside. But if you walk in her territory without my consistent she will be on you


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

You got it wrong. We are the lucky ones. Everyone has an opinion about German Shepherds. They love them, like them, hate them, are afraid of the, respect them, worry about them, enjoy seeing other people with them, want one of them. We may think that their notions of our breed are ludicrous, but at least they have some notion. 

Imagine walking down the street with a little white terrier, a bolognese (sp) or west highland white terrier, or one of the other small white dog breeds. People have no idea what it is, what it was bred for originally, if anything, and so on and so forth. Some are so non-descript that they don't even register, oh, a dog, a purebred dog. They have nothing to say about the dog, because they have never given dogs of that appearance any notice. 

Everyone has given GSDs thought. People who are fearful of the breed, well, maybe that's someone that ought to be fearful. You never know. People who do not like the breed, well, maybe they are people we do not need to be around. 

People who have positive feelings toward GSDs, can't be all bad.

Let people think what they want to. Letting someone you don't know feel a bit of respect/apprehension around your dog -- good. It doesn't hurt for those who are fearful to keep their distance.


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## DutchKarin (Nov 23, 2013)

Was the guy saying big scare-dee cats or big scary cats. Very different to me and probably based on his experience. So what. Choose the people wisely whose counsel you seek and take the rest with a grain of salt. 

I was just at a dog festival at Squaw Valley, representing SAR. Lots of venders, music and beer. You see all types. Interestingly saw a lot of GSD... may be just that I'm more aware these days but they seem to be more common again. But saw a lot of nervous dogs that owners were just dragging around because they were going to the dog festival by golly. come **** or high water. Others were relaxed and doing well in the crowds of people and dogs. A few dog fights as well. Can't tell you how many people came up to us and said, "My dog wants to meet your dog" and we had to say no. Lots of very overweight dogs too.

Anyway. People will say strange things, so what. I'm more worried when they DO strange things. ;-) One woman at the festival asked to pet my dog. She was a bit drunk as well and was quite rough about petting Tygo's head and talked slurred baby talk. I misjudged that one. He had none of that, pulled away and we moved on with no big concern.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

I can never understand why you would let a dog get overweight. Do you WANT to shorten their lives? Sounds to me like the poor things spend all their time in the back yard in a pen with no exercise then drags them to something like that to show off their GSD.


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## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

The negative comments are almost always either do to ignorance (often enhanced by sensational media), or cultural differences. I live in a very multicultural area and the clash of different backgrounds does result in many people being terrified of things that are considered completely normal by others. 

In the three years I've had my dog I've yet to meet a single GSD that I didn't like. On the other hand, I've met hundreds of other dogs (ranging from Bichons to Poodles, to Labs and Malamutes) that had very serious, and blatantly obvious obedience/social problems. 

The simplest thing to do is simply ignore any stupidity that you're subjected to. Not worth ruining your day over it.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

I will try to educate someone when they say something stupid. Most times though, I don't care if they cross the street to avoid us or want to stop and say hi. If they want to stop and say hi, they're usually in for a rude awakening because neither of my dogs will acknowledge them at all. Shasta is social with kids when I can drag her lazy butt out of the house but she doesn't really care. Dax doesn't care one way or the other. He will watch someone as they pass us but he doesn't want to meet them given the chance. He's far more interested in other dogs but even then, not a huge thing. 
I've had people who were cool with them or screaming in fear (yes, literally). One woman in petsmart spent the entire time on the opposite side of the store from us screaming about how my dog was going to attack her and eat her. He did not even acknowledge her existence but she was drama queening it up. Even her husband told her to knock it off. I've had people fawn all over them too. 
Honestly, I prefer the ones who cross the street but I'm not overly social myself so that works for me. Point is, there will always be those who do and those who dont. Just work on training your dog and let her behavior speak for itself.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

yuriy said:


> In the three years I've had my dog I've yet to meet a single GSD that I didn't like. On the other hand, I've met hundreds of other dogs (ranging from Bichons to Poodles, to Labs and Malamutes) that had very serious, and blatantly obvious obedience/social problems.


Interesting. I've met plenty of psychotic hot mess GSDs. For better or worse, these are always the BYB/rescue shepherds. I slip into casual conversation "oh where'd you get your dog, s/he's pretty" and it's always from rescue or some person whose two dogs had a litter, i.e., not careful breeding.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

They have to learn how to deal with all their extra sharp senses and how to behave and what is expected by their owner. I know german shepherds are a popular breed but happy to see all the german shepherd lovers out there. They do flock to you like a magnet when they see you with yours and cant wait to tell you about their shepherds or ones that passed or thinking about getting one and asking about yours. I went to home depot with max after training class to pick up paint brushes i felt like i couldn't get out of their soo many questions and stories. People shout out in "cars passing by your dog is incredible and wAlks so nice on a leash". Kids are my witness. I know im sure i will meet the people who are opposed to gsds as they are many out there-but so far we are getting just so much positive attention. The ones that do not like shepherds seem to be a minority. The more you are out and about with your german shepherd the more you see all the german shepherd people out there.


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