Reaction To My Dog

[trinabean]

Yes, it happens to me walking my boxer all the time. Although i usually cross the road to avoid passing other dogs on the same footpath. Particularly if the oncoming dogs are all over the place on an extender leash, or barking at us. It's just a more peaceful walk if we keep some space.

I can't comment on whether it's a cultural thing to be afraid of dogs as I don't know. Many of the people who actively avoid my dog are caucasion anyhow. Meh, I just figure it's a wariness of large dogs. Who knows whether from bad past experiences, misinformation etc.

Try not to let it bother you GSDowner. You know your dog is lovely, and that's what matters. :)

[aussielover]

Just ignore it, at least they're not letting their dogs run up and approach yours (even if it is for the wrong reason!)

I have the opposite problem, with a labrador and a border collie, people assume they are friendly and let their dogs run up to them. They are friendly but its hard enough walking 2 dogs and the border collie does get nervous of other dogs soometimes. Luckily my lab always puts herself between them. I especially hate when they let their aggressive SWFs run up and bite my dogs legs and think its funny So at least you don't have that problem.

Personally I wouldn't let my dogs approach another being walked on lead without asking the owner first. I would probably cross the road to avoid this if necessary. AT the same time I wouldn't exactly run away screaming and there's no way I'd be picking up my dogs lol.

[Dogsfevr]

I am not Asian but I have small fluffies who are very dear to me. When approached by a larger dog of any breed I pick mine up as I don't know the dog in question. I was at the vets the other day and picked mine up as there were 3 larger dogs wanting to say hello with the owners going 'don't worry they're friendly'.

I don't think they mean it personally to your dog but they are thinking of the safety of their own. I would give you a wide berth on the footpath too because my dogs safety is my prority no matter how friendly you say he is.

I would just presume yours have issues if you picked them up & give a wide berth.

We board & groom alot of dogs owned bu Asians & they vary from giant to small ,many owning larger breeds & alot with GSD .

GSD is a very popular breed in the Asian countries .

Personally i don't care & don't respond ,i just worry about the dogs im walking & whats around me .

I will say though as someone who has shown at Royal Shows i receive more respect & interest from Asians than Aussies with my large breeds so background may play a part but people either like your dogs or they don't .

[Guest donatella]

I am happy for people to think what they like, my dogs safety is the utmost priority.

[Rosetta]

I am happy for people to think what they like, my dogs safety is the utmost priority.

Mine too - I don't apologise for picking up my dog sometimes when walking. Better to be safe than worried about offending some stranger.

[mumof4girls]

We constantly have people pic up there little dogs of they see us approach or they turn around once they see us and almost run away .. I don't blame them actually , if I had a little fluff ball I would be a little apprehensive about a large dog coming toward me . I got told by this old man once when rogue was 6mths old that he was aggressive and were bred to hunt and bring down lions . I laughed and said he is only a baby , idiot..

It urkes me a bit people who say oh my dog is friendly , he won't hurt yours, on 2 separate occasions when rogue was little we were out walking and I was stopped and the person had a large dog and the other a small dog both said it's ok they are friendly and both snapped at rogue .. I take it on board that most owners have no clue what their dog is like . I know Saachi would snap if a dog got too close , and I know rogue wouldn't care less I'm not sure why other owners have no clue..

Edited December 22, 2013 by mumof4girls

[bertie]

I am happy for people to think what they like, my dogs safety is the utmost priority.

Mine too - I don't apologise for picking up my dog sometimes when walking. Better to be safe than worried about offending some stranger.

Very smart, I think & priorities in right place.

[_PL_]

Just wanted to add

:love: :heart: oldie german shepherds

[disintegratus]

I get a lot of that if I'm stupid enough to walk Thundercleese when there's people around. Unfortunately he does kind of warrant it, being a large fear aggressive dog. Water off a duck's back to me though, I'd rather they got out of my way before he notices them!

My favourite though was once when my sister and I walked him up to the shops, I stayed outside with him and he had established somewhat of a "safe zone" on a raised traffic island type thingy (edge of the carpark, not middle of the road.) guy pulls up in his car, walks over Thundercleese's safe zone, Thundercleese goes ballistic. A little while later, guy comes back, again walks over his safe zone, but Thundercleese was doing a fantastic job of trying to focus on me instead of the guy. As the guy got into the car, the change in movement triggered Thundercleese to break his focus on me, but before he had a chance to react, the guy told him (in the best dog-training voice I've heard out of someone who very much looked like a drug dealer :laugh: ) "what a good doggy! Such a good boy!!!" Thundercleese was so confused he didn't know what to do! :laugh:

[Bullmastiffmum]

Just enjoy your walk.

Focus on how great the time is that we get to spend with our dogs.

I get very mixed attitudes towards my bullmastiff and me on our walks, and i have previously had 2 rotti's, so i have never had a little dog to experience that point of view.

I just try and set a good example of dog ownership, friendly dog, well behaved, socialised and by picking up after him. (things arent always perfect though).

We did have a funny experience though 3 weeks ago, we were heading on holidays and pulled over at a look out, so we could all have a stretch, and a bus full of non speaking asians got off.

My boy was surrounded by them, taking photos and trying to work out if he was vicious, hand signals and smiles seemed to do the trick, but they were all a bit fearful of him, and he soon got bored after realising that he wasnt going to get a pat or anything off them!!! (he hasnt met many different nationalities, but does it matter to them??? I dont know).

But i just try and ignore the unpleasant people, especially non dog lovers, lifes too short.

[emigremlin]

Perhaps we need how to meet a dog training in schools.

I was running in the park about 6 weeks ago (no dog) and a off leash dog comes bouncing up to me with the owner in hot pursuit telling me not to worry.

He was genuinely surprised when I stood still and put my hands at my sides and his dog bounced to a stop.

Apparently none does that?! ( I thought stop running and it won't chase you was pretty basic)

Things will get more interesting now I am running with my own dog.

[cavNrott]

I had two Rottweilers and two Cavalier KC Spaniels. I did two walks every morning, taking one Rottie and one Cavalier on each walk. Strangely, no one ever crossed the street the way they would do if I was walking a Rottweiler on its own.

People would come up to us and say how nice it was to see a large breed and a small breed walking so nicely together. They had no fear of a Rottie walking with a Cavalier.

[Staffyluv]

I wouldn't worry about others reactions - just keep going on your lovely morning walk with your lovely old GSD..

Try having a land shark (bull breed of unknown origin) as a pet..

Zig loves all animals, especially little fluffy dogs.. Imagine the horror of 5 owners of little white fluffies as we walked into the vet waiting room, all clutching their dogs..

I understand, I really do..

It was even worse when a young guy with an enormous Bull Mastiff pup (9 months old) joined us in the waiting room.. then his dog and mine started play bowing at each other..

[kdf]

Try having muzzled greyhounds I had a woman telling her child at a cafe once that my dogs are muzzled so they wouldn't eat him. Most times I try to educate people and other times I just can't be bothered.

Yep, exactly what I was thinking :laugh:

I had so many mothers snatching their kids out of the way of my big muzzled dogs. But when they passed the green collar test through GAP I suddenly had to start intercepting kids from running up and hugging my dogs while their mothers just looked on. Same dog but now that they could potentially bite they're seen as okay. Luckily they're great with kids because I've had the odd one ambush us or slip past and their parents just let it happen.

My experience with Asian tourists is that they take a million photos of greyhounds. There must be hundreds of photos of my dogs floating around overseas :laugh: :laugh:

The best experience I had with my muzzled greys was a dog phobic woman. She was walking past with her bf and my dogs were calmly walking and wagging their tails hoping for a pat. He asked if they were friendly and when I said yes he asked if she could maybe pat them. He reasoned with her that they were the best ones to pat because they couldn't even bite her anyway. It was really cool seeing her trying to get over her phobia and hopefully my dogs helped her in some small way.

[Salukifan]

Resentment won't change anything.

Perhaps a bit more understanding that people can be genuinely frightened of your dog and a cheerful "good morning" or similar are best. You can't change people's fear in a quick meeting.

[HazyWal]

Wonderful story KDF I had a similar experience recently with a couple of young kids and their Dad down at the beach, kids were asking questions about the muzzles and Dad asked if they could pat them. Of course I said yes and Maddie was busting to smooch them (she adores kids),we ended up talking for ages and Stan grasped the opportunity to lay down under a tree with one of the kids laying next to him. I so wish I had my phone to take a pic. With Greyhounds I call it the "great wall of China syndrome" you know the ad where the guy tells the kid they built it to keep the rabbits out? He didn't know the answer so he winged it and made something up, while it was hilarious he should've said "I don't know but lets find out why"

[GSDowner]

Thank all of you so sooo much

I learned new ways of dealing with this issue

and I realised I am not the only one in this situation.

[Malakita]

We own 2 large breed dogs whom we take into the city (Melbourne) by train regularly.

We get a huge positive response from Asians of all ages. A handful especially Indians will just about shrink into the closest wall when our two walk past. But on the whole people love patting our two.

Sorry that the OP finds some people insensitive, it is hard not to take it personally.

But what I really hate is when the odd person makes a comment about our two eating or could eat small dogs. When my boy was about 7 months, we were at the vets. A lady said she had better put her smaller dog ,who wasnt even looking at my dog, into the car. When she came back, she told my boy his breakfast was safe in the car. I hating people judging dogs purely on size.

[bianca.a]

I find that people aren't afraid of my floppy eared female GSD (she is small to boot) but my solid black male with the correct ear set...well people wont even look at him. Poor boy! I am lucky in that I live rurally so really only encounter people if I take the dogs out for socialisation to the markets etc.

[mita]

People would come up to us and say how nice it was to see a large breed and a small breed walking so nicely together. They had no fear of a Rottie walking with a Cavalier.

We & the other neighbours have been stressing about who will rent the house at the back ... especially their attitude to dogs. On one side, is lovely American Bulldog, Dooke, that ignorant people 'worry' is a Pitbull & threaten reporting. On the other 2 fencelines are Tibbies.

New tenant & her 2 small children were looking around the property the other day. AND her father bent over the fence to play with Dooke & she came over to pat the Tibbies. When I spoke to her, she said they have a big dog & a little dog.

All the neighbours (& us) now happy... new residents will be comfortable with all sizes! :)