Hi All
Sorry to moan but i really need to get this off my chest, i have encountered 3 seperate incidents in the last week alone that make me wonder why some people are allowed to have dogs and why other dog owners can be so ignorant.
Firstly, whilst walking my gorgeous 13mth old gsd Alfie through the woods at the weekend i could hear the excited screams of kids playing ahead, Alfie is the most beautiful shepherd with a temperament to match,was on lead and as we approached this family i was shocked to see the mother pick up her child and try to turn her back on us, the child was really happy and pointing at Alfie and saying nice doggy and then to my horror the mum turned to me and said 'no darling they are not nice doggies they are nasty doggies' and then loudly said 'that thing should be muzzled'!!, as my children were with me i decided not to get into a slanging match with this woman but just calmy walked by, my children were quite upset by her outburst though. The second occasion happened at the park, Alfie was off lead and completely under control when out of nowhere a little westie appeared, his owner was trying to call him back but he was having none of it and within seconds he was snapping at Alfie's face, Alfie yelped and i saw spots of blood on his tongue. By the time the owner reached us the westie had worked itself up into a frenzy for no apparent reason and was still snapping away, i asked the man to call his dog off as Alfie was clearly distressed and his answer was' you should keep that dog on the lead and if i see you again i am going to report you'!! i protested Alfie's innocence and was so angry when he said' why on earth do people keep those dogs - they are police dogs for a reason you know'!

The third and final insult was yesterday when my husband and kids decided they wanted a pub lunch and we all sat in the beer garden of the local pub, after about 10 minutes the landlord came out and made a beeline for us and said' he's not going to cause any trouble is he'? i assumed he was talking about Alfie and not my husband!! so i said 'no why should he '? and he replied 'well you never know with them, they just turn for no reason'!.

To be honest i have got used to people crossing the road when we are walking by but why oh why is it the shepherd that is always in the wrong? Sorry for the long post but these people make me so cross, guess i will just have to get a thicker skin ;-)

I dont blame you for being so mad
I would have been too. I rescued a gsd years ago now, that had been so badly traumatised as a puppy that the mere sight of children and men would have him cowering in a corner. Despite his bad start in life i managed to turn him around and he was the most pleasant gentle dog i've ever met. It used to drive me nuts when i heard comments such as you've had, when any idiot could see that he was more scared of them, he would cower close to me.
Even my brother in law had a problem with the breed as he'd been bit years ago by one ( not mine) and in all the years i had him BIL would still not believe that he was gentle.

I used to say ( in a rather loud voice talking to my dog) " ignorance must be bliss darrrling maybe we should try it" whether it did any good i dont know but the look on their faces was a picture and it made me feel better :D
You rant away..... hopefully it will make you feel better :-)

Thanks , maybe i should try that instead of getting angry, it just makes me so cross that i have worked hard to train my dog and put my heart and soul into making him the big softie that he is and other people feel the need to label him because of his breed. x

People have so many prejudices these days, and so often they aren't even based on personal experiences :(

I know what you mean Digger and aren't we meant to be a nation of animal lovers!

German Shepherds are a breed most at risk from cruelty and neglect according to the RSCPA. They are a much maligned breed. I have a german shepherd puppy, and I grew up with a shepherd and my partner's family always had shepherds, and his mum currently has two. They are one of the most loyal, most beautiful , most intellegent and most corageous dogs in my opinion. A shepherd is a joy to own. As with any breed, a few can tarnish the reputation of all, but it is amazing how the public percieve german shepherds which is far removed from their breed temperament. It is all mis-education and lack of education. It is sad as at the end of the day it is the breed that suffers, but at least you know you have a wonderful dog and that these people you have encountered are simply displaying their ignorance and are behaving as bigots.

Hi, Mich.

I sincerely sympathise. I too have a rescue GSD and a sweeter-natured dog would be hard to find - he was actually re-homed twice before us for 'not being aggressive enough' - all too true thank god. What I find interesting is the difference in attitudes since we had our first GSD thirty years ago.  Max was a huge, long-coated lad who looked terrifying (actually another big softie) but was always treated with respect and admiration wherever we went - we used to be astonished by the number of people (including children) who would approach this dog and pet him without reservation.   Zak (our current one) is tiny by comparison yet people seem to think he is one step away from a wolf and - as in your case - small children are snatched up in case they fall prey to his unruly appetites(!).

I think this is just one more symptom of the generally declining attitude to dogs in the UK and, sadly, the diminishing amount of common sense in the general population. 

So a big 'We love GSDs' from Brum and keep flying the flag - they are a fabulous breed and usually owned
by extremely intelligent and attractive people!

Best,
Linda

And a We-love-Shepards from philly, usa too!

My little minimutt looks just like a shepard (mixed with chow/rottie) 50lbs of muscle, but smaller than a border collie,, brings fear to all!  Too many people associate badthings to any dogs especially looking like "police/ guard/aggressive" whatever. Apparantly no matter what size,,, I'm glad they cross the street,, these days a girl walkin alone in the city at night deserves some respect for her "scary" dog walking beside her.

Sweetest thing in the world of course, and also grew up always walking off the lead in the big city.  My favorite response to those threatening to call police because of my off-leash dog, is a big shrug and a roll of my eyes, that gets them all riled up and in a huff... I live right around the corner from a ministation and they could care less that she walks right by without a line,, sometimes she gives them a lick.

Funnier though is- There are more people offended by her inability to get excited over ones who do want to give her attention. I don't know how many people have walked away pouting because she gives them the shoulder and walks over to a crack in the sidewalk to sniff ,,,, much more exciting than strangers wanting to scratch behind her ears :)

Let all the uneducated, non dog friendly people go live on there own little planet, we all know and love our dogs and to our pride and joys that is all that matters. So sod the lot of them :D

Thanks guys, you have all restored my faith in human nature with your kind words and your own experiences. In future i will hold my head up high when walking my giant teddy bear and ignore all the ignorant people around me who would probably be a whole lot happier if only they were lucky enough to have a shepherd in their life!!

P.S I wholeheartedly agree with you Linda, they do usually have the best looking owners as well ;-)

Hi Mich,

I find it highly amusing when I'm walking my 2 down a busy street and this wide gap appears while people step of the footpath and give us a wide berth while giving us a sideways, cautious look.  Which suits me because I like my space.  I tell the dogs they're very important which is why people show respect by stepping out of the way. ;-)  :-D

Some strange people have asked 'do they bite?' No..... they don't.... but I might.  :-D

The good thing about it is that I don't have any strange people coming up to them and mauling them.  If they want to give them a stroke, they usually ask first. 

But in our area, our dogs are well known and get a lot of admiration and respect from the locals around here.  And they are 2 of the biggest softies I've ever had.  Both rescue dogs too.   The GSD is a fantastic breed in the right hands and an absolute joy to own. 

If I was you, I'd feel sorry for these sad prejudiced people, they don't know any better....yet.....

I suppose it's common sense to make sure an animal is safe to approach of course,, but I always am humoured by the - does your dog bite question... I mean, would I Bring a dog in contact or a foot away from another person if it was going to bite, seriously.
I should answer with a yes, of course it bites, why else would I not have a muzzle on it?

>I suppose it's common sense to make sure an animal is safe to approach of course,, but I always am humoured >by the - does your dog bite question... I mean, would I Bring a dog in contact or a foot away from another person >if it was going to bite, seriously.
>I should answer with a yes, of course it bites, why else would I not have a muzzle on it?

My stock answer is "only when they have to!"

Dad over heard a malamute owner answer the question "do they like children" with "yes but they can't eat them in one go!!!!!!" or something to those words! :D

i think the saying is 'yes but they couldnt eat a whole one!'

You should tell them the real reason GSD are police dogs and why they don't use rotties or Boxers or dobes!!!!!!  (as has (I believe) been tried!)

I love GSD but my dogs don't we have afew in our area of which 1 is nasty and has attaked our females.  must be stupid because went in and attacked a female of ours with 2 males with us (and another bitch)

Unfortantly now all the GSD's in our area are hated by most dogs because of this 1 :(

Sorry to hear about your bad experiances.  I personally think the people saying stuff should be muzzled!!! ;) and the weastie owner was totally out of order.

Poor alfie, can he sue for breed discrimination???? :D

Hi Mich

Only this morning I took my 7 yr old GSd to my local Tescos where she sits outside and waits for me (her lead tethered to a ring for that purpose) She has done this for years, always as good as gold in fact some of the customers have dog biscuits with them in the hope that they see Kizzy and can giver her a treat, she is as gentle as a lamb, however, this morning while in the queue to get a newspaper at the kiosk an elderly lady who was behind me said"Whatever is that owner thinking of leaving a dog like that outside, they are so vicious, she should be reported!! it could bite a child or anyone some people have no sense" I thought she would be mortified when I said "I am the owner and she is as placid as anything"....but NO. she continued ranting on about how one of her family was attacked many years ago by one...I am sure you know the spiel!!!  It made no difference whatsoever by me extolling kizzies virtues,,,she left in a huff saying she had never known such irresposnsibility,  Usually there are a few other dogs that owners leave outside, this morning there wasonly mine..but I bet she would not have said a word if it had been any other breed.   It makes me so cross...I have a 17 wk old gsd puppy and hopefully he will be sitting outside the shop waiting for me in a few months.....unless this customer puts a ban on it !!!

Hi Kizzy and all
I feel for you, it's awful. I get some similar experiences having Malinois, as they are a similar breed. Just one thing though: I really wouldn't leave your dog outside any shop, not these days when there are so many thefts. It just isn't safe anymore. I used to do it years ago but now I wouldn't dare risk it.

yeah, read the dog boards > general >tab and click on the dogs stolen,,, horrible stories bout dogs being kidnapped and randsomed or killed, toes being sent via post as proof they had their dog... etc... :(

Mich - Yes you'll have to develop a thicker skin as you see parents quickly raise their children 'out of danger', or people step into the road to give you a wide berth. The only danger the kids are in from mine is a very thorough face wash :D

However, it helps you to savour those magical moments when some enlightened parents ask to allow their children to interact with your dogs, and the gentleness shines through and I always like to believe that will stay with those children for the rest of their lives - a future champion for the shepherd!. Our two are locals in the beergarden down the pub, and mostly people think they're gorgeous and often ask if they can pet them. I think mostly the sensible/nice people do outweigh the stupid.

Kat

Hi Goldmali
I appreciate what you said about leaving dogs outside shops especially now so many dogs are stolen, I live in a fairly small village and the Tescos is there, I would never ever consider going into town or any other place and leaving her outside, mind you people would have a job taking her, she would be rooted to the spot!!

SIGH!! Next time this happens you could just try saying in a loud voice: "There there sweetheart that is only a man/woman/child, they talk a lot of rubbish but they really can't help themselves. I am sure they are very happy as after all ignorance is bliss, but if you ignore them they will eventually go away" Worked for a friend of mine that has two completely soppy dogs, one GSD and one GSD cross. :-D people are so stunned by such a response that they don't know what to say.

I've had a good few GSD in my life & only one was iffy & that was back in the 1950's & wasn't actually mine.

I had a gorgeous mainly black & gold boy & a huge paler black & gold boy who was 32"+ tall, they were the biggest softies you could wish to meet. They were both stooge dogs for training dogs with behavioural problems & both taken back when they were no longer wanted. They changed lots of people's idea of GSDs & my Dessie the huge lad was once at Crufts on DD with a child who had been terrified of dogs that he had cured(away from Crufts)proudly holding his lead & him trotting quietly by her side his head at the same level as hers showing off her "Uncle Desmond"She's now aged 23 with her own GSD & doing obedience & WT. She works full time with children with phobias

I always used to talk to my dogs if people started ranting like this

"Just ignore the nasty people boys, they are probably not trained properly & their kids could turn out to be killers, keep well away you might be hurt by them" It used to shock people hearing me say quite loudly about them what they had been saying about my dogs-i used to get a few good few apologises & explanations & then the boys got the attention they deserved. Nothing changes nearly 20 years on

hi mich,
i know exactly how you feel!!  people cross the road to get out the way when i walk our shepherd. she loves people and plays for hours in the garden with the local kids. they throw her ball and get her to sit and stay eyc etc. admitidly she is not so great with other dogs. she is fine with boys but doesnt like bitches or small dogs very much, but we are aware of this and keep her on lead in these situations. lots of people come out with the 'my friend was attacked by one of those' or 'they are aggressive' etc etc but when i talk to these people about why they think these things its usually down to the owners who have owned these 'bad' dogs. they are usually a lot happier after meeting ours and comment on how well behaved she is. shepherds are a joy to own and give you so much back.

How stupid can people get! I must admit GSDs are not my favourite breed while walking my Cavs and Yankee, but purely because they are so big and friendly they unnerve my small dogs without meaning them any harm at all. Same thing for Staffies etc - I have never yet met a nasty one, just lots of over friendly boisterous ones! Any dog might be bad tempered, but the breed has very little to do with it in my opinion. Just try to ignore them - I even get asked if my Cav might not bite by some people!

This is incredible, some ppl just should not be allowed breathing space on this planet! I have the complete opposite problem, someone always knows someone who had a collie and they start going on about how they want to get one and they have young children, etc, and have no idea what they could be taking on and yet GSD's are so much more trustworthy and better pets than collies and then you hear ppl saying things like that, it doesn't make sense! :rolleyes: You must be a very calm person is all I can say, I would have gone mental. :(

bloody southerners! No control!! :rolleyes: ;-)

I have had problems in the past like this with my first Belgians, people used to cross the road and be very wary; one person pretended to hit my puppy with a cricket bat!

There is a lot of ignorance and prejudice in the world re. dogs sadly.

I've not had it at all with my current girl, maybe because she is "pretty" and quite fluffy :P

Lindsay
x

Oi Colliemand, only just read that!!!!!!  Watch it.  Nothing wrong with Southerners, it's those flippin Midlanders that need watching!!!!

Mand

God you people are slow!! ;-) Actually I am from North Staffs, and my entire family are from South Shields which is way past Watford Gap so you  have probably never heard of it! :-D :-D :-D Not to mention the fact that no that far north is alive..... ;-)

Got that when we had our GSD's. People crossed over the road etc.
That was in the late 70's thru to the early 90's. People's perception of the breed never changes.

I've been bitten by a GSD who lived in the same village and he just dashed out of his garden as I rode past
on the road and lunged for my face. His owners were outside working on a car at the time.
The whole village heard me as an 8 year old child scream the village down :D
However I didn't blame the dog as the kids of the family that owned it were quite nasty to it.
Although a little bit jumpy at first I got over my fear, luckily we had two GSD's of our own at the time.

I still love the breed, yes there are some very iffy temperaments but the good ones are fantastic.
My mum still has a GSD now she got him from her local RSPCA kennels. He is 7-8 years old.
He's a lovely lad but a big one and people are still the same even now with crossing over etc.

Rotties and Boxers are used as Police dogs maybe not widely in this country but in others on the continent.
I know of a Police dog handler in the UK who is hoping to have a Boxer in training.

I just wish people could be educated in dog breeds etc. Sadly there will always be people that think they
know better than the dogs owner and question the dogs temperament etc.
Most responsible dog owners are fully aware of their own dogs temperaments and take steps to be responsible
when walking their dogs etc if they know one of their dogs have a 'problem'.

Well I've probably got similar discrimination to come - our Utonagan pup is 4months old & causes a stir because he looks a bit like a wolf ( exactly what the breed intends). Adults of this breed tend to be lickers not biters & just love people. Several strangers have asked me already if he bites - he's a puppy for goodness sake! I suppose it's up to us large dog owners to raise our dogs with 'manners' & therefore try to help the ignorant public with their judgemental attitudes. To be honest the most vicious dogs I have ever met come in various breeds, non of them larger than a spaniel!!
Enjoy Alfie
Bint

It so makes me mad when people sterotype. I have grown up with german shepherds in the family and my brother has the most beautiful longcoated one at the moment. She is getting on in years but she came from a rescue and I do not know a more gentle laid back dog. My brother has a pub and she just wanders around. Everyone knows and adores her.
What makes me madder still is the way parents instill in their children that fear of a breed because of their own narrow minded views.
I remember one of my first walks out with my puppy. We were walking along through a field, I had him on a flexi lead so he could explore more. I saw some people coming along with a young child and the child started screaming. Of course high pitched voice, my pup gets excited and runs in that direction. I immediately shorten the lead and bring him to my side. Bear in mind these people were over 50 yards away from me.
I then continue to walk towards the people (no way to go round) and when I get nearer the child starts screaming again setting the pup off. As the husband walks past he shouts at me "nasty thing should be chained up" and swipes my pup across the muzzle" I was furious, luckily my pup is so friendly and laid back it hasn't had an effect. The joke of it is, is what could I do. If i'd reported it it would only come back that my dog went for his child. I feel pity for that child. It will grow up having a fear of dogs for no reason.
Anyway don't want to stray off your subject.
Go out and enjoy your walks and try to ignore these idiots. I know they have you seeing red, i've been there. Try to remember for those few brainless people there are lots of people who know and adore your dogs.
Its horrible when someone attacks your dogs because they're effectively attacking one of your family.

I remember years ago, Spender, our GSD would have been about 3.  We were walking along the river bank and there was a group of kids on the bank and this young girl was in the water thrashing about and screaming.  For a moment we thought she was in trouble but then realized she was only fooling about.  Spender stood watching her with a worried look on his face, the next thing he was swimming towards her.  The girl was screaming but she was screaming at the fact that he was coming towards her.  We recalled him.  I honestly believe that dog thought she was in trouble. 

You're spot on megan, it is almost like insulting one of my children. Luckily my children are very dog aware and they know that they have to ask first if they want to approach a strange dog but it really saddens me when some of their friends refer to ours as 'that vicious dog' or ' the scary dog'. One child has even been told by his parents that he is not allowed to come into our house because of 'the big dog' so all ofg these children will grow up with the same ignorannt attitiude as their parents.
I sometimes wish one of these people would drop by late at night when the dogs are curled up sleeping with the cat! or the kids are laying on the floor using the dog as a pillow! but to be honest i think i am wasting my breath trying to convert such people.:-)

Can I tell you a cute, feel-good story abut GSDs?  DH and I (before we had a dog of our own) were walking to the store one dark night.  We met a HUGE GSD out wandering around on his own.  I'm always friendly with loose dogs and as soon as I spoke to him he came over for a pet and a greeting and then followed us to the store.  As we went to pay I noticed that a man who had seemed to be on his way out when we went in was still in the store, by the door.  He said to me, "I thought I'd better just wait till you were ready to leave."  The darn GSD was sitting outside the door, waiting for us and the man was afraid to go out!  We laughed and told him it wasn't even our dog but we got the man out and the dog proceeded to follow us home.  Then a boy came along on his bicycle, the GSD bounded over to him and off they went together.  He wasn't the boy's dog but the boy knew where he lived and said he would take him home.  I thought the man who was afraid to leave the store was remarkably good natured about the whole thing.

Mich

I feel angry and I don't even own a GSD. The stupid woman shoud be done for child abuse, because that's what teaching and encouraging your child to develop a phobia is. Yes indeed, they are police dogs for a reason. That reason being that they are very courageous, gentle and intelligent - great quailities for a working dog or pet if properly channelled. People don't seem to realize that many trainee dogs fail if they are too aggressive. And unfortunately, that 'they can turn for no reason' myth seems to be a common belief about GSD's. I remember when I was little that my aunty drummed that into me at any opportunity and insisted they had a 'wolf streak' whatever that was supposed to mean. I took not the blindest bit of notice of her even at a tender and impressionable age, you'll be glad to know!

Funnily enough, my Tibetan Mastiff puppy is always being mistaken for a GSD! The usual two comments  are "Oooh, he'll be a bonny 'un when his ears go up!" and "I've never seen such a nice alsatian". Makes me giggle, but I do explain to them nicely. Luckily, I've not had a bad reaction to him so far, which has surprised me due to his large size. Everybody seems to want to pet him and ask me questions.

You just have to keep smiling in the face of ignorance I'm afraid. And be glad you're not as pathetic as these people who take cheap shots at you because they don't like your choice of dog breed.

its so unfair. There will be lots of positive experiences as well though, all the people that come up and tell you they used to have one and they are the best dogs in the world, and then all the ones that will tell you they were bitten by a gsd as a child but want to stroke yours anyway(happens to me all the time). bottom line is you know your dog is great and thats all that matters.

There's no shortage of ignorant b'stards about. Ignore them. There are good dogs and bad dogs but nothing to do with what breed they are.

Reminds me of when years ago I was walking with my Kerry Blue through a wood, on a public footpath, when grumpy local farmer approached ,saying " watch your dog doesnt kill any of my pheasants ! "

My friend who was with me said in a moment of inspiration " I dont think he can jump that high "

Now I wish I'd thought of that ....

Rod

>I dont think he can jump that high

Pheasants nest on the ground! ;) :D

Quite true- but there were two flying overhead at the time !!

I was sitting in my vet with my pup Harry on my knee  waiting to go in for his 12 wk injection.
The vets was busy as usual with every model of dog you can think of , the mext one to be called in was a middle aged couple with their over weight staffy. She turned to her husband saying "PICK HIM UP LOOK THERES ONE OF THOSE GERMAN SHEPHERDS" Well I was looking around thinking i had missed someone with good taste in dogs, when there was a chuckle around the waiting room because she was talking about Harry , 12 wks and sittling quietly on my knee.
there was some comments in the room which made her look silly!!
J

Some of the comments you get are way out of line and I'm not excusing them.  I'm amazed that people ask if our dogs bite.  If they don't know us, or the dog, why in the world would they believe our answer?  On the same line I don't think we can fault parents of small children too badly for moving them away from the dog.  They're parents, it's their job to look out for their child and we all know there ARE ignorant dog owners who would walk a biting dog near a child.  

I simply move first so that I am between my dog and child, or any other path user be it pedestrian, cyclist or one of those cursed ATVs or snowmobiles.  I find this does not make the parents think my dog does, indeed, bite.  Rather they are grateful I have addressed their concern before they had to and we nearly always get a "thank you."   Saves my dog too, as small children often seem to think hitting is akin to petting. 

With the ATVS and snowmobiles it was totally my dog's safety I was thinking of till one day when I moved aside for two lady snowmobilers.  They stopped to chat and thank me and informed me that loose dogs running at their machines was a real worry for them.  One lady showed me where the shoulder of her jacket was ripped in several places from dogs, big dogs, leaping at her and biting. 

Another vet story... My pup a chihuahua x maltese was at puppy school with the usually run around off you lead play time... he was just over a kilo at the time a you could easily pick him up with one hand, or as the GSD 20 times his size thought, in ones muzzle... It was all quite gentle and playfull, but still everyone in the room who saw it gasped. Just to be sure though i did have to keep an eye on him in future (they were barely trained puppies after all)

And just to say it, it is definately people that make *some* dogs bad. Not the breed... That GS was a very friendly puppy even if it was still putting its mouth around everything in reach... (hands, my puppy, etc...)

My Cav had an Irish wolfhound for a friend as a puppy, it was quite alarming to watch him sticking his whole head into the wolfhound's mouth!! I agree, it is usually the owner that causes the problem - not always, but usually!

Just to follow on. I have a dog which is scared other dogs she doesn't know (she's not aggresive towards them she just walks by my side as we walk past and if the strange dog goes for a sniff she runs past infront of me). She went to training was scared of all the other dogs and once she'd been there a while and got to know them she was fine with them all. Anyway this morning took her for a walk on the canal, she's let of the lead, when a person with a GSD (personally like GSD had a friend years ago with two really friendly ones) off the lead too walked past her dog just went for mine with no provocation so mine just lept in the canal. I said to this person my dog is scared of other dogs and she went oh sorry was going to get cross but really couldn't be bothered. People think its funny as my dog is so big that shes scared of everyone elses. I'm now slightly worried about this afternoons walk I don't think we'll meet this dog again as I've never seen it before but concerned that my dog will know be petrified of meeting any dog even the ones she knows.  We had an incident a while back when she was on the lead and this other dog a mongrel attacked her and it took months to get her back to the stage that she's at now.