What's The Most Ridiculous Thing Your Dog's Been Called?

[RuralPug]

In the early days, our Pugs were constantly called "miniature bulldogs". These days they are well known enough that most people get it right.

When my Mastiff bitch was still alive, more than once people would insist that she (even when still a pup) was "the mummy dog" and my adult pugs were "her babies". Nothing I could say would convince them otherwise. It didn't help that although she was unsound and so I never attempted to breed her, she would lactate at the drop of a hat (or calf or baby rabbit) and the pugs would latch on to the free milk until i dried her up again...

Mum had three breeds in her kennels at one stage; pugs, mini wire-haired dach and rough coated griffs. I am still giggling at the visitors who looked at the pug (known breed to them), then at the mini (also known to them) and then tut-tutted over the obvious "accidental" mating that must have produced the griffs!!

Last story is of a lovely pair who had a cross breed who knows what, they thought its mum was a malt cross dad was totally unknown. About min pin size and body shape with a long silky parti-coloured coat. They were showing one of mum's pugs and used to take their little cross to the shows with them rather than leave her home. She was always immaculately groomed and had her topknot ribboned up like a malt.

They complained to me that at shows, people would approach and ask what breed she was and would get grumpy and suspicious when they told her she was just a Heinz! I jokingly suggested that they claim she was a "Ceylonese Temple Dog" or something like that, they thought it a great joke and did so....Mum told me later the number of people who went off to look up the new breed they had imported was hysterical! :laugh:

Edited February 7, 2011 by RuralPug

[corvus]

thats all right my two clasically marked BCs both have been referred to as kelpies and shelties

I have to say, that is probably crossing the line as well. I had 18 month old twins visiting once and they spent some time calling my corgi "dog", but when my housemate's dark BC cross came trotting around the corner they both pointed and shouted "Bor-a Coh-eeee!" If 18 month old children can figure it out, I don't think adults have any excuse.

[pixie_meg]

my almost fully grown borzoi has been called a basenji, saluki, afghan, and irish wolfhound

[newfsie]

Border Collie Cross Golden retriever has been called a Flat coated Retriever many times

newfies are often called bears.....ponies.....or St Bernards

[Little Gifts]

As a pup my pied SBT was called a border collie.

[coogie]

I've been told my one of my Shar Pei "must be a pit bull because her nose is reddy brown" Yeah sure.

[cannibalgoldfish]

They complained to me that at shows, people would approach and ask what breed she was and would get grumpy and suspicious when they told her she was just a Heinz! I jokingly suggested that they claim she was a "Ceylonese Temple Dog" or something like that, they thought it a great joke and did so....Mum told me later the number of people who went off to look up the new breed they had imported was hysterical!

I am guilty of being sick of being asked what breed my dogs were and told someone they were Ukrainian marmot hounds.....

[ChristineX]

Hi Lyndsay!

Homicidal - guy that used to live around the corner. Honestly, we just used to walk past, and one day he was out with his kid and stopped to talk. Iquote "they really are nice dogs, aren't they? I always thought they were pretty homicidal looking". And that was with quin, who was a teddybear, not duke whose screams of fear always get taken for 'evil intent'.

Now Duke, having been terrified by a few swf around the neighbourhood, and a score of killing 2 cats which were in his territory - has been called evil by my ex-neighbour and his friends. And a few strangers in parks after he's been terrified by strange dogs and screaming in fear....

and the brown schnauzer actually came from a council ranger.

[Rileys mum]

Lol I've been having a chuckle reading this post.

The strangest one I've had has been a dalmation x. I guess the white flecking could be confusing to some?????

He's a GSP.

[Sayly]

Awww poor Duke. He's really not a lucky dog is he?

[~*Shell*~]

I get wolf quite a lot, and failing that malamute. I get mal a whole lot more than i get sibe but Zero is a big boy so i kind of get that. The wolf thing still makes me laugh - no matter how many times you tell people that no, a siberian husky is no more a wolf than your average dog, I get the lecture about not knowing what I'm talking about. Even when I launch into the "siberians are an ancient breed, 2500 years of sibe breeding blah blah blah", i still get the people who obviously know more than me because their next door neighbour used to have one and it was a wolf.....

[Alyosha]

my almost fully grown borzoi has been called a basenji, saluki, afghan, and irish wolfhound

Yep. We get Afghan all the time. Except when they're "Lassie crosses", hairy greyhounds, or "staghounds" (I really hate that colloquialism!)

Boris got called a "foxy cross" regularly when he was a pup. And once when we were walking him with a little chinese crested (shorthaired powderpuff) we got asked if she was his mum! And he was more than twice her size!?

[ashka1]

I am often told I have Black Saint Bernards

not to mention the usual bears, horses, gorillas and once was TOLD the newfy was a big long haired black Lab. But hey what would I know???

[Guest Pandii]

My Shar pei got called a pitbull and a pug

My red merle coolie was called a kelpie

[B-Q]

Quinn is part Sheltie. Thats the only way she got a blue eye. The weirdest thing was that that statement came from a woman I was talking to with her very own smooth BC.

No one believes me that she's full BC either, I don't know what the hell they think she's mixed with.

Edited February 7, 2011 by B-Q

[Lyla]

My black lab has got Dane x and newfie. If you know what a newfie is, how do you not know what a lab is?

I am also sick of "They're small aren't they? My friends labs are twice that size." for my girls. Ah no, they are correct breed standard size.

[Red Fox]

Nothing too radical. Dobe, Vizsla, Weimaraner?? Most people just ask - and then usually tell me that their dog/friends dog/neighbours dog is obviously part Ridgeback too because it has a ridge when it's angry.

Weirdest has to be the kid who yelled out to me "My dog is BIGGER than yours" errr okay great. Saw the kid again a few days later who again insisted (by way of yelling at the top of his voice) that his dog was MUCH bigger than mine and that it was a Dalmatian. Hmmmm, must be one very oversized Dally!

The worst was the vet I took my dog to as a pup for his first check up. She looked at him and asked "So what breed is it?". Rather interesting question from a vet, for a pup that not only looked exactly like he should but has an obvious ridge?? Never saw that vet again ...Oh except the time I had to rush my cat in to emergency one night when she was the vet on duty. She asked me if I wanted my cat desexed - right AFTER she had finished examining an absess next to his already non existant testicles

And according to my council I can either have a "Rhodesian" or a Ridgeback" - but not both

[Guest Clover]

My Border Collie got BC/ Kelpie x from a barbie /show Border Collie person, after i said he was a BC.

[SmoothieGirl]

Aww, give the non-dog people a break. Not everyone knows every breed or colour variation. It was years before I knew BCs come in a colour other than black and white, and only because a friend had a tricolour. I only discovered Pomeranians come in such a variety of colours quite recently. If you don't ever see one and you have no interest in them, why would you know? Erik the Vallhund regularly gets called a sawn-off German Shepherd or a German Shepherd cross corgi or a mini husky. I do not really see the obsession with GSDs, but given how many people say it there must be something about him that people identify with GSDs. Mostly they know that's not what he is, but they say what he looks like to them. Kivi the Lapphund has had Keeshond, Husky, Malamute and crosses thereof. I wouldn't know what to call him as either if I'd seen one a few years ago. I usually ask "what breed is that?" rather than making a fool of myself by guessing, though.

However, someone once asked me if my full-grown, very large Lapphund was related to my undersized tricolour, tailless Pembroke Corgi. That is crossing the line between ignorance and sheer idiocy.

Hehehe, Corvus all of the claims on my girl have come from people with their own dogs at the park. I wouldn't claim to know all the dog breeds either, but some of them just make it up to sound like they have a clue, que the bloke that told his mate she was 'clearly' a GSD X.

They do make me giggle, but I'm always friendly and explain to them she is the lesser known coat variety of the Collie, I'm all about promoting the breed and educating people.

Edit - Actually I freaked a guy out at the dog park a few months ago. I asked him which breeder his Swedish Vallhund was from, he was gobsmacked that I knew what his pooch was.

Edited February 7, 2011 by SmoothieGirl

[Danielle]

My standard poodle was called a "labradoodle" once. I corrected the lady and told her he was a pedigree Std Poo, but then got told "oh no, that's definitely a labradoodle, my sister breeds them for shows so I know what they look like!" What the?