Unfair Stereotypes

[Shaar]

When I moved in with my OH and brought my 2 Poodles with me he was really reluctant to walk them.

He saw them as prissy little girls dogs.

Now he has lived with them, and got to know their personalities he has no problem taking them for walks.

Sometimes people get this image in their head of what a dog is like or they may have had a bad experience with one particular dog and then dislike the breed.

Usually once they get to know other dogs they change their mind.

[Dju]

I have to admit, I actually believed all those stereotypes once upon a time, in my pre-DOL days (Except the thing about poodles, the only thing I thought about them was that they were very damned fluffy and girly but I hadn't heard about their "temperament" ). There are a lot of bad examples of the mentioned breeds hanging about though. My next door neighbor has a JRT that will just NOT SHUT UP OMG, and a few houses down from me, the neighbor's had a Rottie that got out and attacked animals (including my poor chickens!) around the street, bit a person, and got put down because of it ( "rumor says" about the putting-down bit, but we haven't seen her around for years so everyone assumed that's what happened). And then the snarling staffie at the bottom of our road (who actually turned out to be only DA because she sure cozied up to me when I came closer to have a look at her, but all the dogwalkers around the neighborhood are scared of her because they think she's just an angry dog who won't think twice about biting you D: ).

I'm lucky there aren't any stereotypes about Swedish Vallhunds.

[minxy]

Fortunately because most people have no idea what an Akita is, they also have no opinion on them. (Except of course if I show them a picture, then everyone says they want one ) But there were a few people at dog parks etc that would ask whether he was a fighting dog etc. I did have one old man hit Kyojin on the head for trying to play with his dog. He hadn't done anything wrong, and there were several other dogs playing with her. We were at an incredibly busy park that always has at least 30 dogs in the big dog section, but from the get go he singled Kyojin out and wouldn't let him out of his sight.

[Guest rhy&ge]

Sllentchild - I personally LOVE rotties. I would have loved to get one of those (and probably call it a heaps sissy name, just for laughs ) but not exactly an apartment dog I don't think. I like tough looking dogs - would certainly make me feel safe!

I do agree that poodles CAN look a bit sissy when they have ott haircuts. My partner is in the defense forces and isn't exactly what you would refer to as a sissy kinda guy, so the image of him walking a poodle has made a lot of people die laughing. Last night he informed me that our pup was not going to be wearing blue bows in its ears (after I found some on ebay that I wanted to buy), because it's a boy dog and it's going to be a "tough" looking poodle.

We shall see about that....

[Leelaa17]

I have two GSD and get the looks when walking.

Just recently on facebook one of my friends said she was charged by two 'german shepherds' (she spelt it completely wrong though) and then satus after status people kept asking her what happened and she kept repeating that it was 'two german shepherds' (btw they aren't mine, she lives about 4 hours away! )... I got quite frustrated because it is people like this that blatantly point out the breed that attacked them that get the horrible names.

I understand people are curious and I would've have minded if she had said it... maybe... twice? But I swear to God she repeated it for about 2 days over and over again, I counted maybe 10 'attacked by two german shepherds'?? Very frustrating.

It isn't the breed, it is the owner. Bugger what anyone else thinks - if you love your babies, it doesn't matter. Try and do the best by them and you will have a happy and well trained dog!!!

[RallyValley]

The answer is simple, tell friends you are getting a pet;

lion

or buffalo

or ninja turtle

OT but one of the most manly men I know owns a Tibetan Spaniel, he says it makes him more of a man because he is not afraid to have the dog he likes, and the girls love the little dog

Edited May 5, 2011 by RallyValley

[Keira&Phoenix]

The answer is simple, tell friends you are getting a pet;

lion

or buffalo

or ninja turtle

OT but one of the most manly men I know owns a Tibetan Spaniel, he says it makes him more of a man because he is not afraid to have the dog he likes, and the girls love the little dog

Haha yeah you have a poodle and really you have all sorts of animals haha.

[Brennan's Mum]

I think most breeds have stereotypes. You just have to ignore them or think up a really good witty comeback .

[poodlefan]

Sllentchild - I personally LOVE rotties. I would have loved to get one of those (and probably call it a heaps sissy name, just for laughs ) but not exactly an apartment dog I don't think. I like tough looking dogs - would certainly make me feel safe!

I do agree that poodles CAN look a bit sissy when they have ott haircuts. My partner is in the defense forces and isn't exactly what you would refer to as a sissy kinda guy, so the image of him walking a poodle has made a lot of people die laughing. Last night he informed me that our pup was not going to be wearing blue bows in its ears (after I found some on ebay that I wanted to buy), because it's a boy dog and it's going to be a "tough" looking poodle.

We shall see about that....

Put it in sporting clip... no long ears and no pom on the tail - looks great on boys!

My friend bought her husband a T-shirt when the first poodle pup arrived. It said "The Poodle is NOT with Me"

He was a total convert within days. Tell your partner that there are some very famous male poodle owners. Here's one:

Edited May 5, 2011 by poodlefan

[whiskedaway]

Every breed comes with stereotypes. There are even people at obedience that do it subconsciously - we get much less help with Akira than we do with Halo because of the stereotype that huskies are untrainable. Thankfully Akira now has a fantastic trainer who helps out heaps with her. I'll be really sad when she's finally good enough to move up classes!

[megan_]

I think it is more manly when a guy owns a "sissy" dog - it shows he is comfortable with who he is.

[Inevitablue]

I think it is more manly when a guy owns a "sissy" dog - it shows he is comfortable with who he is.

Hehe like when he buys everything you need at the supermarket...

[mita]

Any photos of the new pup? I would love a Standard Poodle one day

Confession time. I'd thought that Standard Poodles with those esoteric grooming cuts must be mindless fluff. Until I actually came across p/b standard poodles in the hands of people who knew the breed well & loved them. Now I know the opposite is true of such dogs. They're a wonderful breed, highly intelligent, & just all-round wonderful. I've also learned there's a variety of grooming cuts and I find them extremely handsome.

Some time back in Qld, over 100 p/b poodles in dreadful condition were seized by the RSPCA. The registered poodle breeders under the leadership of a wonderful poodle club rescue person, took over care & rehabilitation of these dogs. I saw these dogs at a function to celebrate that they were all now fine. They were magnificent, in looks & nature & beautifully groomed. And so happy!

I wish I'd had accurate, rather than stereotypical, knowledge about standard poodles a long time ago. I would have loved to own one. And I would like to have gone to one of those registered breeders who did that rehabilitation, to get him/her.

[jacqui835]

In the past week I have said the following to 3 different people: "We're SO excited - we're getting a poodle! "

And from those 3 different people I have had the same response: "A poodle?? No! Don't get a poodle! They're horrible! They just bark all the time and snap at people. My *insert random friend/relative here* had a poodle and it was possessive and would tear the house apart! Why don't you get a *insert different breed here* instead??"

This has really upset me because what these people are describing aren't "poodles" at all - they're badly trained dogs, and I've personally seen them in LOTS of different breeds.

Let me just say that this has given me even MORE incentive to train my poodle beautifully, just to prove these people wrong.

Has anyone else experienced these reactions when they have told people they are getting a certain breed of dog??

Yup. We own a doberman and many people told us that he would 'turn' once he hit 1. Of course he didn't, so now they have revised their facts and claim it will happen instead at 2 or 3 :s

And it gets even worse if we confess that our dog has some rottie in him...

Don't worry about it, you will never be able to convince every moron out there, just create the dog you want and enjoy it.

[~*Shell*~]

I'm constantly told Zero is a) going to kill my nieces and nephews, b) is a wolf, c) is untrainable and d) is unsafe to walk without a muzzle.

Um.... that must be why he's an accredited therapy dog.

[claireybell]

Apparently cockers are really really dumb! Huh then how did my cocker manage to get so high in her obedience classes? Why is she doing so well in agility? How is it that she has such beautiful manners?

[poodlefan]

Apparently cockers are really really dumb! Huh then how did my cocker manage to get so high in her obedience classes? Why is she doing so well in agility? How is it that she has such beautiful manners?

My Cocker owning friend gets this all the time.

She points to the older of her dogs and says "that's an Obedience Champion - she doesnt' think she's dumb".

[Red Fox]

I have ugly dogs who have been chasing parked cars and who have eyes that will pop out.

Actually, that's mainly just Lola. Most people don't know what Sid is and he has been referred to as the following: pitbull, pig dog, boxer, staffy x, jrt x and Easter Bunny

Does he poop candy too?

[huga]

I have ugly dogs who have been chasing parked cars and who have eyes that will pop out.

Actually, that's mainly just Lola. Most people don't know what Sid is and he has been referred to as the following: pitbull, pig dog, boxer, staffy x, jrt x and Easter Bunny

Does he poop candy too?

I wish.

Actually, it was a little girl that called him the Easter Bunny last week and in her defense, he does look kinda rabbity

[Guest rhy&ge]

The answer is simple, tell friends you are getting a pet;

lion

or buffalo

or ninja turtle

OT but one of the most manly men I know owns a Tibetan Spaniel, he says it makes him more of a man because he is not afraid to have the dog he likes, and the girls love the little dog

OH MY GOD!! That is the funniest thing I have ever seen!! Haha, poor pooches. Lets hope they don't catch a glimpse of themselves in the mirror!!