Have You Been Dog Snobbed?

[Aidan3]

I own two pure-breds and I have been dog-snobbed too, there are snobs everywhere for everything.

[Sayly]

Mulitply this sort of prejudice and invective by 100 and it gives you a feel for what APBT owners go through.

I've actually gotten more nasty looks and comments when I have been walking my "police dog" looking malinois, than I ever did when walking my stafford. This has really surprised me! Although perhaps people were just too scared to look at me meanly when I was walking my gorgeous bull breed.

I did have one woman at obedience school casually say "oh isn't he ugly!" about my stafford once. She was handling a poodle, but I was too polite to tell her pot... kettle... black...

We have had this numerous times with Ruby. Ugly and funny looking, that's our Goober.

Poppy's is my mongrel, and I'm quite happy to call her my mongrel, but then she is the biggest bitch ever born.

[Sky_Mel]

I get the "Oh she is a Belgian Shepherd" and when I explain no she is a purebred German Shepherd (Long Coat Black Sable)I get the "hmmm I don't think so" Wellll I have the limited register papers to prove it! Gets frustrating! Granted now she is older we don't get it very often.

[corvus]

I smirked and said "Yeah my beagle X cocker is a mongrel aswell" He was most upset with me.

I don't see how that is so different to what is being lamented on this thread. I would never say something rude about someone else's dog no matter how misguided or rude they were themselves. There's no call for it. It only makes you enemies. It doesn't change anything, or make that person suddenly realise how wrong they have been. It doesn't result in fewer DDs, or fewer people that decide to get one. It doesn't make the owner decide to never get another one, and it won't stop them from calling their dog by the made-up breed they believe it is. So why do it. One can only assume you think it's amusing to make someone upset.

As for the question, most people are too distracted about trying to remember what breed my dogs are to be snobby about it. My old boss used to say why would anyone pay so much for a pedigree rather than just getting a dog from the RSPCA. He never changed his mind about that, but he accepted and respected my reasons for doing it. I find it interesting to hear people's reasons for getting a DD. IME they are most interested in the temperament of the dog.

[HeavyPaws]

I have to admit I have been both snobbed and snobbed in return.

If Moon and I are at the park and we meet up with an obvious oodle and the owner brags about breeding it, getting it from a petstore, the newspaper or puppymill, I try to educate and if they keep up with the "well my maltidoodle comes from top breeders and only cost $200" I 'snob' and walk away.

I've been snobbed by a Dane owner with two harleys. I walked up and she laughed at Moon and said "Oh, a merle, the bastard offcut of a REAL Dane". I noticed her "real Danes" pulling away and utterly ignoring her tugging on their thin chain leads and showing their "real Dane" lack of manners, but my eyes still stung as I walked away.

She may be a merle but I think she's the most exquisite dog in the world, "offcut" or no!

[HeavyPaws]

Using the term mongrel, isn't passing judgment or being derogatory;

its just stating what the dog is - what value the owner then places on that name reference depends on the owner.

I dont care what names people or the public refer to my dogs with - some references I prefer, others i dopnt

but I dont get offended by them

I dont get that precious. To others, the dogs are what they are and so it is apt (though not necesarrily preferred) to call the dogs by all the names they go by.

Anatolian, Kangal, mongrel Turkish dog, wolf killer, wolf strangler, russian mastiff, fighting ovcharka, volkodav ...

sure there are some descriptive terms I dont like

but so what

the dogs are what they are.

imo if you find the term mongrel offensive or a 'dog snob swipe'

you need to feel more secure and confident about your dog

OFFTOPIC

From the first day I saw your site I have always referred to your dogs as "But honneeyyyy I waannttt one, and it's my birthday soon, and Moon needs a brother and we just extended the house and pet insurance is cheap now and if we save and I promise I'll walk it everyday pleeeasseeee" dogs.

The answer is always "When we get a farm we'll do more research"

*grumps*

[Red Fox]

I don't get the whole "you are killing a pound dog by buying a purebreed" bullsh*t that people come out with.

If more people were putting in the research and buying well bred dogs from good, ethical breeders and not lucky dips from BYB's/petshops there would be a hell of a lot less dogs dumped in the pound in the first place

[Red Fox]

I've been snobbed by a Dane owner with two harleys. I walked up and she laughed at Moon and said "Oh, a merle, the bastard offcut of a REAL Dane". I noticed her "real Danes" pulling away and utterly ignoring her tugging on their thin chain leads and showing their "real Dane" lack of manners, but my eyes still stung as I walked away.

She may be a merle but I think she's the most exquisite dog in the world, "offcut" or no!

What a nasty comment Not sure how someone could even feel justified to speak about their own breed like that. I hope karma comes along and bites her in the arse one day

[GeckoTree]

Not really, I dont think many where I live really give a crap about what ever dog breed or mix someone has.

[Wazzat Xolo]

There are breeders with tact and those without, each to his own, but its no wonder some people think all Dog People who are "breeders" are snobs! I prefer to err on the side of caution and perhaps educate the people up front rather than put them off side from the start, always can do that down the track lol

Cross bred is a term I prefer, but I can appreciate some people find the need to use the word mongrel! ( its in their vocab!!)

[HeavyPaws]

I've been snobbed by a Dane owner with two harleys. I walked up and she laughed at Moon and said "Oh, a merle, the bastard offcut of a REAL Dane". I noticed her "real Danes" pulling away and utterly ignoring her tugging on their thin chain leads and showing their "real Dane" lack of manners, but my eyes still stung as I walked away.

She may be a merle but I think she's the most exquisite dog in the world, "offcut" or no!

What a nasty comment Not sure how someone could even feel justified to speak about their own breed like that. I hope karma comes along and bites her in the arse one day

Her "real danes" were probably 'paradise for pets' specials anyway. Nasty old bat, same-breed owners share a special bond, even if it's not a conforming type.

Although I hear now that merle is accepted in shows

[K9Nev]

I get the "Oh she is a Belgian Shepherd" and when I explain no she is a purebred German Shepherd (Long Coat Black Sable)I get the "hmmm I don't think so" Wellll I have the limited register papers to prove it! Gets frustrating! Granted now she is older we don't get it very often.

I have a black GSD that people often argue has "Kelpie in it".........Proper GSD's are black and tan this person argues like the one over there............pointing to a Belgian Malinios

Cheers

Nev

Edited July 5, 2010 by K9Nev

[newfsie]

I have one mongrel..........Border collie cross Golden Retriever "Coltriever to some

One rescued pure bred and one purchased from puppy pure bred and I still have comments about my dogs. You just can't please all of the people all of the time. I thought I had all bases covered with my lot Rescue, purebred and cross bred :)Most say "you can't do obedience with newfies and ask wether my "mongrel" is a Flat coated retriever, why does she have to be a pure bred, We know what she is and we love her as she is. To me they are just my dogs and I love them equally. I personally love all dogs if they have the right temperamant for me.

[Staranais]

When it comes to Masterpieces...I just like a well constructed dog that is well angulated, well put together, moves beautiful whatever its breed or breed/s.

There is just something special about about balance and good construction that really sticks out. A dog with free, well controlled movement. A dog, that despite it's size could move all day.

I agree. I love the look of a dog that moves really well. Don't care what it looks like, it is the movement that catches my eye.

Sky, only one person in this country has picked my dog's breed - everyone else has asked what my GSD is crossed with! I'm always tempted to say "dingo" and see if they believe me.

[Cookiez]

I have a friend who has a staffy who reckons she regularly gets dog snobbed. She tells me that people will see her and turn the opposite way, or if they are in an enclosed space together people will pick up their dogs.

I suppose there's an element of fear in this too.

Although, my dog has always reacted funny to staffies- so if I saw one in a park I would probably walk away to avoid confrontation which could be seen as me being a "snob". That's not my intention though.

At the end of the day, there are snobs everywhere. People do need to learn to take things with a grain of salt and realise not everything is about them.

[Danielle]

Yep I cop it a lot. I'm such a cruel owner for chopping off Abbis tail. She is a stumpy tail cattle dog!

Then I get the whole "it's cruel to buy pedigrees as u r killing pound puppies" comments.

But what irks me the most is when ppl call Elliott a "Labradoodle". He is a ten month old pedigree Std Poo. I try to explain what he is but because he is in a show puppy clip (he's got a LOT if hair) they argue that he does not look like a poodle so must be an oodle. Bloody hell!

Edited July 5, 2010 by Danielle

[conztruct]

Yeah - I've had the comments from pedigree and x owners alike that my dogs are ugly and stupid - whatever. I don't judge people's choices to have the dog they want - it's their choice and they reap the benefits or the consequences for it.

If I talk to someone who's looking at buying a dog I try and dissuade them from going for a x breed but if they end up choosing one I'm not going to snob them over it.

The only time I've ever been majorly snobbed was at dog obedience where a lady right beside me said "ugh what an ugly, stupid looking dog!!!" I smiled sweetly and said "is there a mirror here?". I don't think she got it at the time but I hope the penny dropped later on :p

[Robbi]

After havingthe pleasure of meeting Dory on Sunday I think you can tell people she is 100% gorgeous and a purebred cutie and quite the social butterfly

As the owner of the worlds biggest Whippet I have had my share of people telling me he is definately a Greyhound, when I point out I know both his parents, have his papers and that he was shown as a puppy they still wont believe me :p

I have people tell me when I walk my elderly Kelpie" isnt it time to put her down" and poor old dog comments galore, these really upset me more than anything else as I know my old girl and know when the time will come I dont need strangers making assumptions that because she is slow and stiff and blind that she has no quality of life :D

[FranVT]

Yeah - I've had the comments from pedigree and x owners alike that my dogs are ugly and stupid - whatever. I don't judge people's choices to have the dog they want - it's their choice and they reap the benefits or the consequences for it.

If I talk to someone who's looking at buying a dog I try and dissuade them from going for a x breed but if they end up choosing one I'm not going to snob them over it.

The only time I've ever been majorly snobbed was at dog obedience where a lady right beside me said "ugh what an ugly, stupid looking dog!!!" I smiled sweetly and said "is there a mirror here?". I don't think she got it at the time but I hope the penny dropped later on :p

Omg was that at Duthie Park? That's disgraceful I would have slapped her if she'd said that to me with Atlas, but your response was way classier!

Edited July 6, 2010 by FranCQ

[conztruct]

Yeah - I've had the comments from pedigree and x owners alike that my dogs are ugly and stupid - whatever. I don't judge people's choices to have the dog they want - it's their choice and they reap the benefits or the consequences for it.

If I talk to someone who's looking at buying a dog I try and dissuade them from going for a x breed but if they end up choosing one I'm not going to snob them over it.

The only time I've ever been majorly snobbed was at dog obedience where a lady right beside me said "ugh what an ugly, stupid looking dog!!!" I smiled sweetly and said "is there a mirror here?". I don't think she got it at the time but I hope the penny dropped later on :p

Omg was that at Duthie Park? That's disgraceful I would have slapped her if she'd said that to me with Atlas, but your response was way classier!

Yeah - she was just an idiot. I wasn't going to sink to her level and say anything awful about her dog and I didn't want to be too cruel - nature already beat me to it.......LOL.