# Dog discrimination stories?



## TheMutleyCrue (Jan 30, 2015)

What are your dog-discrimination stories? Whether you're in a Pet store, out walking or at a public park.

With my three year old(two at the time) sable German shepherd female, at a public park and beach) So, I took Dakota to the beach because we were just passing by (it's a big public park) and she was playing in the water. Two children approached Dakota when the mother wasn't even watching them, and started petting her. I didn't mind- I mean, she was alright with it... the mom looked over and at that moment, I saw her face almost go pale I'd say and her eyes widen and she quickly stood up and demanded her children get over to her. I was thinking 'alright, she didn't want her kids touching unknown dogs' so I was chill...
A few minutes later, a Golden Retriever that was barking, pulling and jumping everywhere came to the park and the mom saw. The kids went and pet the dog and the mom saw and sparked a conversation with the person, saying how 'cute' it was and 'gentle' (while it was like, misbehaving.)



I was stunned. Dakota was smaller than that Retriever, so size wasn't the issue was- that's when I realized her appearance and breed was! It's good to an extent that people see her as 'scary' because it can possibly save me or my family from getting attacked, or even Dakota from getting stolen or whatever, but in cases like that it's just... ugh!! >:|

Not to mention my other GSD (I would say he is more intimidating. His eyes are yellow and his fur is like, pitch black with a really fluff neck xD) is referred to as a 'hellhound' lots of the time, or 'devil dog.'


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

TheMutleyCrue said:


> What are your dog-discrimination stories? Whether you're in a Pet store, out walking or at a public park.
> 
> With my three year old(two at the time) sable German shepherd female, at a public park and beach) So, I took Dakota to the beach because we were just passing by (it's a big public park) and she was playing in the water. Two children approached Dakota when the mother wasn't even watching them, and started petting her. I didn't mind- I mean, she was alright with it... the mom looked over and at that moment, I saw her face almost go pale I'd say and her eyes widen and she quickly stood up and demanded her children get over to her. I was thinking 'alright, she didn't want her kids touching unknown dogs' so I was chill...
> A few minutes later, a Golden Retriever that was barking, pulling and jumping everywhere came to the park and the mom saw. The kids went and pet the dog and the mom saw and sparked a conversation with the person, saying how 'cute' it was and 'gentle' (while it was like, misbehaving.)
> ...


Doggy racism


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

When I was going through a divorce a few years ago I was thinking of moving out into an apartment. I guess I wouldn't have been surprised to find gsd's are on many breed restricted lists when you are trying to rent but I didn't have a choice, so I started calling apartments. After one person told me no aggressive breeds are allowed such as German Shepherds it hit me. I was like "so you mean to tell me that German shepherds are good enough to work with the Denver police Dept. And protect your life and lives of others, but I can't bring one into the apartment complex!? If anything, the apartment complex would be safer with my dog around!" 

I mean, I know she was just doing her job, but I just realized how ridiculous I couldn't bring my dog with me. Anyway, I ended up staying in my home and figuring out a way to pay for same amount of bills with one less person. At least I had my sailor by my side!!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

All three of the dogs I've had have been on somebodies top most dangerous dogs list! Gunther BullMastiff/APBT/Lab is usually listed twice!

GSD dogs ironically make two list top ten most popular dogs and always on a most dangerous dog list!

And Boxers???? Are on most dangerous dogs list??? I just don't get that one at all?? I have heard of problem Boxers but I have met many and I never any with issues??

But kudos for you for doing whatever it took to keep Sailor!


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

Yes. Sailor was my son. I'd live in a cardboard box under the highway with him before I gave him away. We were two peas in a pod. The leasing agent asked me if I had someone I could send sailor to live with if I couldn't bring him to the apartment. I was like... NO!?!? What! Like why would you ask me that!? I'd just as soon rehome him as she would rehome her kids.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

BARBIElovesSAILOR said:


> Yes. Sailor was my son. I'd live in a cardboard box under the highway with him before I gave him away. We were two peas in a pod. The leasing agent asked me if I had someone I could send sailor to live with if I couldn't bring him to the apartment. I was like... NO!?!? What! Like why would you ask me that!? I'd just as soon rehome him as she would rehome her kids.


Completely understood!


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## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

It is a bad rep all GSDs, Rottweilers, Pittbulls and Dobermans have.

Ironically I have neighbors with leopard dogs and dogo argentinos which are far more human aggressive, people don't bat an eyelid when one approaches, simply because they're too rare and don't have that bad rep. But when the GSD or Doberman comes out, people start clearing the sidewalk for you.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

nezzz said:


> dogo argentinos which are far more human aggressive, people don't bat an eyelid when one approaches, simply because they're too rare and don't have that bad rep. But when the GSD or Doberman comes out, people start clearing the sidewalk for you.


Uh...a Dogo..wow!! Far as I know, they are not "prone" to HA? Would not want to test that however!

That is not a dog for fools!


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## Mumma1 (Jan 26, 2015)

Holy cow, does the ear cropping ever make a difference in the Drogo's appearance! Talk about friendly ears. I'm not supportive of docking solely to change a dog aesthetically, and I think this breed illustrates perfectly why. A drogo with docked ears looks like a thug. Undocked ears are beautiful!


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

Maybe the mom knew the owner and the dog.

Would feel more comfortable with a dog I knew, than I dog I didnt and letting children get to it.
Also different to get permission from mom and mom speaking to owner, rather than just kids running off and patting strange dogs.

Also although making generic generalisations is never nice..
when dealing with strange dogs.. The statistics tell a story.
Some dogs simply have a worst rep simply due to statistical data.
Now some people may have completely flawed views...
And you cant generalise every dog on breed.

But similarly you wont go pat a lion whimsically...
Its very possible to go in with a captive lion, at a lion sanctuary for example and pet it.. But its something you would do with care...
Something you would never do with a wild lion.

If judging on nothing but generic breed... A GSD does have a higher 'risk' profile than a golden retriever.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

I'm finding that people either love GSDs or have stories of the "bad German Shepherd I grew up with". Walking through a shopping center I had people go back into a store that they were leaving until we passed. Just down the sidewalk there were Girl Scouts selling cookies cooing and giggling about how handsome my dog was. 

And then at a farmer's market there was a mom that gave me the stink-eye and even though her five year old daughter looked like she would have loved to pat Patton, I kept him sitting quietly while they shopped nearby. Yet the staff calls him by name and he goes to greet them and get patted and sometimes treated.


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## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

Chip18 said:


> Uh...a Dogo..wow!! Far as I know, they are not "prone" to HA? Would not want to test that however!
> 
> That is not a dog for fools!


Don't mess with the dogo. While I am not an expert, I did have a chat with the dogo owner in my neighborhood who said that unless the dog actually grew up as a puppy with you, it would be too overprotective of its pack. So its kenneled when guests are at home. While on walks, it is muzzled and the owner tries to take steps to walk the dog only during non peak times to avoid human traffic.

Also, dogos were originally bred as hunting dogs that took down huge prey, now they breed dogos for dog fighting in countries which still allow it. If you put your GSD, or mastiff, or other huge protection dog in front of it, it will most probably lose. If anyone says their pitbull is badass, they haven't seen a dogo yet.


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

I took the GSD in petco once. There was a poodle mix on a leash. Mine was leashed too. My GSD lives with two small dogs. He knows how to interact with them. Anyway, the owner was looking at dog clothes on an end panel. We were out of her view and her poodle was walking towards us. My GSD gets down to the poodles level chest near the floor, butt in the air tail wagging. Then the poodle started the barking. Well, when a dog reacts to mine he pretty much matches the display. We're working on it. So, little dog yapping and my GSD doing a the big dog bark. I had already pulled my dog back and had him in a stay, another 2 seconds the barking stopped. Poodle was still acting up. Three store employees confront me. They ask if I'm finding everything ok. Not one went to the poodle owner and her dog was still yapping. My dog was trying to be friendly. We haven't been back there. 

For the most people are cautious around my GSD. As they should be around any dog they do not know.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

C'mon folks, the GSD is #2 on the popularity list and has been in the top 3-4 since I can remember. You can't live and breathe and not know someone who has been bitten or thinks they have been bitten by a GSD. And, it is human nature to remember every bad thing, probably to magnify them as well. So, yeah, we have GSDs, and if everyone was truly honest about it, and not afraid to mention it on this forum, the vast majority of us have the breed because we were either impressed by the power and trainability of working police, military, or seeing eye dogs or because we wanted a deterrent to crime. 

Why is it that we want a dog that big bad criminal bums will think twice about messing with, but that mothers of small children are going to have no reservations about their children messing around with one they don't know? 

Be that as it may be, I find guys to be more wimpy around dogs than gals. One fellow hollered across the parking lot toward me to ask if my dog bites, and then for me to keep it away from him. The dog was 4 months old. Whatever. And my BIL, once told me that if my parents' dog bit him, he would kill him, and all the dogs in my kennel. That from someone whose own mother's dog bit people, but being some smaller whitish breed, that is ok. 

And my brother took Rushie home, after a break in, and I told him Tiger, his dog was an intact male, resident dog, (dachsund/beagle mixture), and Rushie might not get along. Three days later, come and get him, the beast tried to eat Tiger. Well, duh! I told him not to leave them together. The GSD is a beast, while his dog has bitten his own kid twice and now my sister's kid too. And I think the mailman won't deliver mail to their house because of the little monster. The GSD is a beast, because it is bigger, and dogs should be like humans and not pick on critters that are smaller or fight back if the smaller dog starts it. Pretty crazy.

I will say, that Rush was a blanket black and tan, that could have passed for a bi-color when he was a pup. No one wanted to pet him. He was a big marshmallow, and every one was afraid of him. The ones with the traditional saddles had everyone wanting to pet and love on them.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Mumma1 said:


> Holy cow, does the ear cropping ever make a difference in the Drogo's appearance! Talk about friendly ears. I'm not supportive of docking solely to change a dog aesthetically, and I think this breed illustrates perfectly why. A drogo with docked ears looks like a thug. Undocked ears are beautiful!


I wanted to crop our BullMastiff/APBT/Lab mixes ears! Wife said no!

Then when we got our Boxer... Dock and Crop came up again! I talked to the "breeder" about the ears...yeah more work than I was willing to do but the tail was already done! Perfect compromise and I did luv our Boxer girls floppy ears!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

nezzz said:


> Don't mess with the dogo.


Maybe it's DOGS 101 (the show) but on TV they covered the story of a Dogo that took down a Puma! The dog was badly hurt but survived and lived to a ripe old age!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

selzer said:


> C'mon folks, the GSD is #2 on the popularity list and has been in the top 3-4 since I can remember. You can't live and breathe and not know someone who has been bitten or thinks they have been bitten by a GSD. And, it is human nature to remember every bad thing, probably to magnify them as well. So, yeah, we have GSDs, and if everyone was truly honest about it, and not afraid to mention it on this forum, the vast majority of us have the breed because we were either impressed by the power and trainability of working police, military, or seeing eye dogs or because we wanted a deterrent to crime.
> 
> Why is it that we want a dog that big bad criminal bums will think twice about messing with, but that mothers of small children are going to have no reservations about their children messing around with one they don't know?
> 
> ...


No dispute on anything you've said here! 

And those that stick around or have been here for years get it! I just find it ironic that the same qualities that make a GSD popular also can put them on the "other list!"


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## Cobe914 (Sep 29, 2014)

There is something positive to be said about breed discrimination, however.
I fostered a (sucky, quiet, timid) Doberman for a few months, and while it originally wounded me to see people scurry across the street when they'd see us coming, it certainly was comforting during our later night walks - being a small, single woman and all. Sure I'd have people shooting me dirty looks, but I never had to worry about people letting their children race up to him and harass him, nor adults approaching and grabbing at my dog without any kind of consent.
With my blue Dutchie on the other hand? Today at one of the local dog parks, Cobe misplaced his ball and a man grabbed it and tossed it for him. When Cobe faithfully returned it, the man decided to give him a pat, which Cobe received contently. I was about to call my dog over to me when the man suddenly bent down, grabbed my dog's face and kissed him on the nose, saying.. "Boy what a cutie!" I was HORRIFIED. Cobe went absolutely stiff. As much as I wanted to scream at the guy, I knew I needed to stay calm so my dog didn't decide that my reaction meant he should give this guy a couple new face holes. I gently called my dog to me, then gave the guy a real earful. He didn't seem to understand that there was any stupidity behind his actions.
I have to watch people diligently... If I turn my back in a pet store, they'll just walk up and start petting my dog without so much as a "hello" to me. Fortunately my boy is more tolerant then I am...
I NEVER had to deal with idiocy like that with the Doberman.


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## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

selzer said:


> Why is it that we want a dog that big bad criminal bums will think twice about messing with, but that mothers of small children are going to have no reservations about their children messing around with one they don't know?


Thats the thing, we do want to have our cake and eat it.

Sadly, I think a lot of the bad rep a GSD gets is because most owners don't bother to train their obedience well enough such that the dog behaves. Of course owners of toy breeds or retrievers are just as guilty of this, but little Fifi is just not going to do as much damage as big 'ol Rex.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I think the "doggy racism" concept is stupid. I don't see it as really being comparable to racism among humans.

I've run across people who look genuinely afraid of my shepherd. And you know what? That's okay. I understand. I will do my best to keep her close and I won't think less of you if you're more comfortable crossing the street. 

Now, if you're ridiculous about it I might have a little fun with you...woman who gave me repeated nasty death glares because I dared to be at the same public park as you, with my dog on leash, I'm looking at you! (I stayed there for longer than I otherwise would have, practicing on-leash sit-stays and down-stays a mere five feet from the playground. For the distraction.) 

But if you aren't a jerk about it, I will be understanding and do my best to help you be comfortable.


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## KMH (Jul 24, 2013)

I owned a Dogo/Great Dane mix once. Super territorial and loved almost everyone. The one time he decided he didn't like someone I almost couldn't keep him with me. Absolutely scared the poo out of me. He was rehomed (for other issues) with a guy who was a trainer and had dealt with the breed and issues we were having before.

I like having people be a bit leery of my dogs. I like that they're not comfortable getting out of their vehicles and wandering around my property. We live in the middle of nowhere at the end of a dirt road. I don't have a fenced yard. My mail lady is terrified of them, though they would really like nothing more than to lick her. I've had chickens stolen in the past, outbuildings broken into, people I don't know driving up in my driveway and just taking a good look around. That doesn't seem to be an issue any more. I've not had anything come up missing in a long time.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

nezzz said:


> Thats the thing, we do want to have our cake and eat it.
> 
> Sadly, I think a lot of the bad rep a GSD gets is because most owners don't bother to train their obedience well enough such that the dog behaves.


Yep and by and large that is how GSD's end up on the "bad list!



nezzz said:


> Of course owners of toy breeds or retrievers are just as guilty of this, but little Fifi is just not going to do as much damage as big 'ol Rex.


Yet again...yep! The only dog that ever bit me was a Chihuahua! :blush:

I turned my back on the little miscreant and he bit my ankle!:crazy:


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

A "neighbor" down the street a piece...I refer to him as Mr. Assbag, he has earned the moniker, saw me walking my pup one day and said out loud to me..." Good luck..that breed is wild and never learns......" What makes this so funny is Mr. Assbag has his little ankle biter at full length on the flexi retractable leash losing it's marbles yapping at my pup while he shares his wisdom with me. For the past year and half, I will many times stop in the street in front of his house when he is in the front yard and run my dog through an obedience drill and he sees what is going on but has never said a word....I finish the drill with a wave goodbye to Mr. Assbag and my girl performs the stupid pet trick wonderfully....I at least figured I'd get a grin out of him but no such luck.


SuperG


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

SuperG said:


> A "neighbor" down the street a piece...I refer to him as Mr. Assbag, he has earned the moniker, saw me walking my pup one day and said out loud to me..." Good luck..that breed is wild and never learns......" What makes this so funny is Mr. Assbag has his little ankle biter at full length on the flexi retractable leash losing it's marbles yapping at my pup while he shares his wisdom with me. For the past year and half, I will many times stop in the street in front of his house when he is in the front yard and run my dog through an obedience drill and he sees what is going on but has never said a word....I finish the drill with a wave goodbye to Mr. Assbag and my girl performs the stupid pet trick wonderfully....I at least figured I'd get a grin out of him but no such luck.
> 
> 
> SuperG


HAha...

Wonderfull story... He probably hates every second of it 
Everyone hates being wrong to an extent.. But some people are just blissfully ignorant to it being a possibility.

P.S. what breed what he talking about? (lots of boxer talk)...
We are talking GSD's right?
What a strange thing to say about a GSD especially...
Everyone usually gives their intelligence 'some' credit...


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Lykoz said:


> P.S. what breed what he talking about? (lots of boxer talk)...
> We are talking GSD's right?
> What a strange thing to say about a GSD especially...
> Everyone usually gives their intelligence 'some' credit...


Interestingly, I had a "trainer" in a big box store inform me that all male German Shepherds are derpy and stupid and all females are crazy and unfocused. 

I politely said that had been neither my experience nor my observation. She wished me luck. I walked away laughing.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

"If you play tug with that dog, he will rip some kids face off some day"
Nice comment coming from the lady involved with his adoption process, umm. ..I had to ask if she knew something about him and was not disclosing it, she said no.


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

WateryTart said:


> Interestingly, I had a "trainer" in a big box store inform me that all male German Shepherds are derpy and stupid and all females are crazy and unfocused.
> 
> I politely said that had been neither my experience nor my observation. She wished me luck. I walked away laughing.


Well I guess they do present different challenges to other dogs.
I can see how some trainers (probably all positive) inexperienced with such breeds or how to handle them might feel dumbfounded. 

But to say a GSD never learns... Is just such a weird statement. 
To call all GSDs stupid, is also too much from a 'professional'.

I guess thats my issue with 'dog trainers'...
You get some amazing ones, and some that are completely clueless. 
Its easy to call yourself a dog trainer.
By those standards we could all call ourselves professional dog trainers.
For me a professional dog trainer needs to be something more.

I had a discussion on another forum about Belgians in a video being too much of a landshark.
I.e. insane drive to bite the tug as puppies...
Was arguing with an all positive trainer.
They insisted it was terrible breeding and would be a nighmare dog and very hard to train.
Could be true for many people. But many members on this forum I think would love such dogs, and achieve infinitely more with them than other people could ever do with some of the 'easier to manage' dogs.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Lykoz said:


> Well I guess they do present different challenges to other dogs.


Yes they do!



Lykoz said:


> I can see how some trainers (probably all positive) inexperienced with such breeds or how to handle them might feel dumbfounded.


Pretty much!


Lykoz said:


> But to say a GSD never learns... Is just such a weird statement.
> To call all GSDs stupid, is also too much from a 'professional'.


Well..yeah!



Lykoz said:


> I guess thats my issue with 'dog trainers'...
> You get some amazing ones, and some that are completely clueless.
> Its easy to call yourself a dog trainer.


Pretty much ...yeah!



Lykoz said:


> By those standards we could all call ourselves professional dog trainers.
> For me a professional dog trainer needs to be something more.
> 
> I had a discussion on another forum about Belgians in a video being too much of a landshark.
> I.e. insane drive to bite the tug as puppies...


 My "experience" is, yeah, that's kinda what they do! I pretty much seem to "smoke them out" as it were on the "Boxer" boards! Apparently..."click and trick" is considered an insult in the "positive only world"??? 



Lykoz said:


> Could be true for many people. But many members on this forum I think would love such dogs, and achieve infinitely more with them than other people could ever do with some of the 'easier to manage' dogs.


And yet again..."pretty much true!"


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Lykoz said:


> We are talking GSD's right?
> What a strange thing to say about a GSD especially...
> Everyone usually gives their intelligence 'some' credit...


Yes, we are talking about GSDs....and yes it is especially strange.

Mr. Assbag is simply a double curmudgeon.

SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

WateryTart said:


> Interestingly, I had a "trainer" in a big box store inform me that all male German Shepherds are derpy and stupid and all females are crazy and unfocused.


You very well may have encountered Mr. Assbag's child.....


SuperG


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

SuperG said:


> A "neighbor" down the street a piece...I refer to him as Mr. Assbag, he has earned the moniker, saw me walking my pup one day and said out loud to me..." Good luck..that breed is wild and never learns......" What makes this so funny is Mr. Assbag has his little ankle biter at full length on the flexi retractable leash losing it's marbles yapping at my pup while he shares his wisdom with me. For the past year and half, I will many times stop in the street in front of his house when he is in the front yard and run my dog through an obedience drill and he sees what is going on but has never said a word....I finish the drill with a wave goodbye to Mr. Assbag and my girl performs the stupid pet trick wonderfully....I at least figured I'd get a grin out of him but no such luck.
> 
> 
> SuperG


 Yep badly behaved dogs are great a training "tool" for a well trained GSD!

Their are three dogs.Two in one yard and one yard has a crazy dog aggressive pug it it??? Rock and I past them on our off leash walks! Rocky seems to like to start "bouncing and getting at excited at those dogs!" 

I get ticked... tell him to "Stay and Down!" and I walk away! Boom instantly the other dogs are gone! He focuses on me, I let him sit there for a few minutes, the other dogs are still barking and acting crazy but now he no longer sees them! I call and he comes stright to me without a glance at those dogs!

On leash same test and get "zero" reaction from him with other dogs! I have had dogs behind fences bark in his face and they get "nothing" from him on leash! 

Once when talking to a neighbor,all three, of her out of control dogs were barking (behind their fence) like mad dogs!

I continued to speak "Rocky" stood next to me and never gave the slightest indication that he even saw those dogs??? I was amazed to see that after a few minutes, those dogs "Stopped" barking and started to wag their tails???

Not a problem in any case but I am curious as to why Rocky's on leash and off performance is "slightly different?"


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

SuperG said:


> You very well may have encountered Mr. Assbag's child.....
> 
> 
> SuperG


LOL..but yeah they all do seem to have kids!


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

As a child I was attacked by a small poodle or pomeranian type dog the ones had tied up in the front yard. Except the leash extended to the sidewalk where I was. As an 8 yr old I didn't have enough sense to step out of the way. Then again I was just a kid so this was clearly not my fault. The owners should not have their aggressive dog tied in the front yard. With that being said, I have been attacked by an ankle biter but I have never been attacked by my German shepherds. Or any Shepherd...


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Chip18 said:


> LOL..but yeah they all do seem to have kids!



Of course .....tis be what pedigrees are built on at times.


SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I was brutally attacked by a small dog years ago...trying to make friends with the dog...and get this...the dog was named "Cuddles"....person who "owned" it probably despised me but I like most any dog...regardless of the owner. I learned a lesson that day.

Okay, maybe I embellish a bit about being "brutally attacked"......so the dog bit me....felt like a mousetrap or less....


SuperG


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## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

Lol!

I've performed similar shows for the same reason. Usually for the person who was glaring at me because I had a prong on my dog at the time. They usually have their dog on some kind some anti pull harness contraption with little bits and pieces and pully systems, yanking, dog still at the end of a flexi lead. 

On the topic:

I get a lot more "discriminatory" looks or comments because I was using a prong collar then because of the breed of my dog.

That gets really old. Ugh. 

Most of the time people make positive comments such as "oh look, what a beautiful German Shepherd". 

I also get noticed a lot more when walking the GSDs then when walking our Aussie, who is really much, much cuter. GSDs just have a way of drawing attention.




SuperG said:


> A "neighbor" down the street a piece...I refer to him as Mr. Assbag, he has earned the moniker, saw me walking my pup one day and said out loud to me..." Good luck..that breed is wild and never learns......" What makes this so funny is Mr. Assbag has his little ankle biter at full length on the flexi retractable leash losing it's marbles yapping at my pup while he shares his wisdom with me. For the past year and half, I will many times stop in the street in front of his house when he is in the front yard and run my dog through an obedience drill and he sees what is going on but has never said a word....I finish the drill with a wave goodbye to Mr. Assbag and my girl performs the stupid pet trick wonderfully....I at least figured I'd get a grin out of him but no such luck.
> 
> 
> SuperG


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I forgot my elderly relative (elderly as in 96 or 97 years old). She's never seen my dog (who has won over every member of my side of the family whom she's met, dog and non-dog people alike). My father mentioned the dog at a dinner once. Relative asked what kind of dog and I said German Shepherd. She recoiled and asked, "Oh my, what would you want one of THOSE for??" While I was busy trying to keep from showing my amusement, my father replied, "Oh no, this is a very NICE German Shepherd!" (You know...not like all the evil German Shepherds of the world who sit around plotting our demise.)


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

WateryTart said:


> I forgot my elderly relative (elderly as in 96 or 97 years old). She's never seen my dog (who has won over every member of my side of the family whom she's met, dog and non-dog people alike). My father mentioned the dog at a dinner once. Relative asked what kind of dog and I said German Shepherd. She recoiled and asked, "Oh my, what would you want one of THOSE for??" While I was busy trying to keep from showing my amusement, my father replied, "Oh no, this is a very NICE German Shepherd!" (You know...not like all the evil German Shepherds of the world who sit around plotting our demise.)


 Someone 97 or 96 years old would have been born in 1911 or 1912, and was an adult in the thirties and forties, and WWII and everything associated with it is probably something that has stuck with them. Today, we can look back at footage of dogs being used to terrorize people and maybe put that in a place and not let it dominate our opinion of the dogs in particular. Someone who has lived in that time frame, who knew family or close friends who were subjected to such treatment is going to have more trouble dismissing that impression when they see or hear of the dogs. Some stuff we know of, but we don't really _know._ Give your old relative a break. Someday when you are in your nineties, one of your descendants or relations will probably have to give you a break about something or other.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

selzer said:


> Someone 97 or 96 years old would have been born in 1911 or 1912, and was an adult in the thirties and forties, and WWII and everything associated with it is probably something that has stuck with them. Today, we can look back at footage of dogs being used to terrorize people and maybe put that in a place and not let it dominate our opinion of the dogs in particular. Someone who has lived in that time frame, who knew family or close friends who were subjected to such treatment is going to have more trouble dismissing that impression when they see or hear of the dogs. Some stuff we know of, but we don't really _know._ Give your old relative a break. Someday when you are in your nineties, one of your descendants or relations will probably have to give you a break about something or other.


I guess the lightheartedness didn't come through in my post.

What amused me the absolute most was my dad's response. I absolutely get the historical context of why the breed might have elicited the, "Oh dear me!" response from my older relative (and that's what it was, not actual fear or horror). I think I probably forgot that you really have to know this person to understand the nuance of humor in the things they say and do, and I love them dearly and would never poke real fun or minimize them.

Hopefully that helps. I did cut them a break. I'm well aware that someday I'll be hopelessly outdated myself.


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