Can Anyone Tell Me

[mantis]

I once owned a beautiful brown Dobe, a very gentle girl. I was sitting at the vets and people were patting her, I said you're patting a Dobermann and they all pulled their hands away :p they were scared of the name not the dog. :p

I was walking into the pet barn with my Rottie, who wouldn't hurt a fly. A woman with a small child was coming towards us saw my Rottie, grabbed the child and ran for her life. :p

Both my GSD's went to GSDL training from 4mths, when my GSD girl was 12mths old I took her to all breeds training so she would get use to other dogs (she was still going to GSDL training) the woman instructor came over to her to check her and my GSD who was still a pup jumped up on her.

Well this woman screamed and jumped back and nearly had a heart attact I said "she won't hurt you she's still a pup". :D ;)

This same woman later was telling people if you allow your dog on the bed or lounge, one day it will attact you.

When you own a Rottie or GSD you notice some vets are scared of your dog, especially Rotties and tell you their unpredictable ( my Rottie is, as I never know which lounge she will sleep on.) hard to handle and my favorite dominant and can snap at any time and turn on you. And of cause theres the R$PCA and the Media, so it's no wonder people are scared of certain breeds.

I've been told the same thing, Kenny will be 12 in 3 months, wonder when he is going to rip my throat out. ;)

I used to take Kenny to Maccas up the road from me when I lived in Perth & tied him up just outside the door where I could see him, to buy him an ice cream cone as a treat in summer, I would feed him the ice creamoutiside the store which he delicately licked, until there was only the cone left & then he would wolf it down. The number of kids that would come to watch this huge dog licking an ice cream was amazing, the parents used to stand around laughing, but the minute I was asked what breed he was, they dragged their children away & abused me for having a vicious dog out in public.

[shells]

Elsewhere online and IRL when I ask people why they bought a Poodle x they 9 times out of 10 respond that they don't like Poodles - I really dont understand it - apparently crossing them makes them "unpoodled"

[LDR]

My mum used to be terrified of large dogs, regardless of breed, irrational and baseless too - never been bitten or known anyone who had. It was quite heartbreaking as she was really scared, to the point of near tears.

Well along came Lord Muck (aka our boy Timmy the Mini Foxie) and Mum is besotted with him (play dates, sleepovers, his own lead and *yes really* pjs at her house, her "granddog").

I loooooove all dogs, big small and in between. And I love watching Timmy socialise with all dogs at the dog park, on walks and at dog day out type events.

I must have stopped Mum's phobia purely through exposure therapy! She's met so many wonderful large dogs, but I must admit when I heard her cooing at a dog event recently saying "ooooh sweetie, look at your boooodiful face, that's a boy! You little stud muffin, look at those eyes" (whilst the owner looked on as though she was bonkers :D, dog loved it though!) I expected to see a little fluffy. No it was a rottie. You could've knocked Dad over with a feather!

efs

Edited March 30, 2010 by LDR