"mean" dog stereotypes

[BoxerLover]

I have a boxer and I know people with breeds like dobermans, rotweilers, pit bulls, bulldogs, bullmastifs, and boxers, feel the same way I do. I'm mad that some people think because of the breed of the dog, they assume they're mean. When I'm walking Nikki, my boxer, people pull their kids towards them and say "stay away from the mean doggie, he doesnt like you." and they start walking away. Would they do that if I was walking a golden retriever? If they didn't walk away, and came to pat the dog, what if that dog was mean? People make stereotypes and assume that just because of things they hear about the breed, whether the dog is mean or nice. Any one of the "mean breeds" could be way nicer than a lab or golden,etc. walking arond. Anyway I just have to say that I'm a bit disturbed at the way these peple think.

[Sophies Daddy]

I know it's unfortunate, but these breeds are historically kept as protection animals. It wasn't until just recently that guard breeds were allowed in the house, much less accepted as family members. I fear that the stereotypes will remain so long as these dogs are trained to attack. Your friendly neighborhood law enforcement personnel and small minded, frightened people will no doubt continue to use these dogs for that purpose because it is the dog's basic breeding.

It is unfortunate that your boxer has to be lumped in with these dogs. I have yet to meet a bad natured boxer that wasn't made that way by bad people. They are as a whole excellent family pets that love their family and children and most don't have a mean bone in their bodies. On the other hand, I have yet to meet any guard breed that is naturally bad natured either, but, because they are still sometimes trained to do bad things, I would choose to keep loved ones away from the dogs unless the owner strictly says something to the effect of "The dog is a sweetheart, it wouldn't hurt (and hasn't bitten) anyone. Go ahead and pet him/her." You never know what the owner has done with the dog.

Try this one: the next time you hear those awful words about your dog, counter with "No, please, my dog is a sweetheart. I would love for your child to pet him/her." If your dog gets a reputation as being a great, friendly dog, you might just change the breed perception in your corner of the world.

[Sudilar]

I've never considered boxers to be mean. The ones that I've known were all very nice, well-mannered dogs. When I see a boxer, mean never enters my mind.

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***Save a life, ADOPT***

[lhg0962]

I agree with Rachel and Sue...I've never even thought about including a Boxer in the group with some of the more "protective" dogs. In fact, I wouldn't even include Bulldogs, having grown up with one.
You just need to broadcast the word..."My Boxer is not mean" and encourage and correct people when they say something different. I have two Golden Retrievers and one happens to be very unpredicatable...I'd never let her near strangers or encourage people to come close to her, so you just never know. She barks and growls at strangers and who would ever think of that from a Golden Retreiver?
Keep your chin up and give your baby a big hug from Helen and me!
Logan

[JKRJG24]

BoxerLover is my neighbor and I know she HATES it when people call Boxers or any other dog like that mean!! I do too!!! I think its stupid!!! Infact my friend has a Yorrkie that is meaner than any Rott Boxer ect. that I've ever met!!!! It bites just about anything that moves and it hurts!!!!!!!! Besides when i think of a Boxer I think of a clown not a mean dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean that in a good way!!!!!!! I think they are cute!!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by JKRJG24 (edited December 18, 2000).]

[KYS]

I agree, I also hate it, when certain people/groups clump a certain breeds of dog
and stereo type them.

A couple of years ago I took my female Akita to the leashless dog park.
As I was walking into the Dog Park from the parking lot, I hear a voice yelling at me.
I turned around and it was a woman
getting out of her car yelling.
"My dog does not like your dog so keep you dog away"
Now this woman never met me nor my dog.
I have taken my female Akita
everywhere with me
from camping, dog camps and hotels etc.
She is the sweetest girl, and very
well mannered.


[This message has been edited by KYS (edited December 18, 2000).]

[KYS]

posted by Sophies Daddy:
Your friendly neighborhood law enforcement personnel and small minded, frightened people will no doubt continue to use these dogs for that purpose because it is the dog's basic breeding.>>>>>>

Unless stats have changed in my area,
the biggest problem lies with criminals
and mostly young men between the ages of 18 and 25 who use certain breeds of dogs from
protection, illegal dog fights and drug deals etc.
certain breeds are also popular among people living in high crime areas for protection.

[JKRJG24]

I agree!!! It's all those people who use the dogs illegally!!!!!!!!!! I HATE it!!!!! By the way i love akitas!!!!!!!!!! How could somone be scared of such cute sweeties like Nikki(BoxerLovers Boxer) and your Akita!! My aunt has a Rott Boxer mix! When she got it everyone thought she was crazy!!! He is a very big dog and one day my little cousin was playing with one of those plastic golf club and she turned around and smacted him on the head relly hard!!!!!! Everybody thought he was going to bite her or something because they all got relly quiet but all he did was turn around and sigh!!! Then he went and layed down!! Every one has trusted him since then!!!!!!!!! He is just a big baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BoxerLover]

Yes I know that boxers were originally bred for fighting in Germany, but now they are mainly pets. I just wish people wouldn't assume Nikki's mean just because she looks like she might be mean. Most everyone in my neighborhood knows Nikki is a wiggly, happy, loving ball of energy that wouldn't hurt a flea, but I will continue to change the unknowing peoples attitudes about breeds like these.

[shais_mom]

OK! I have the exact opposite problem, as I am walking my greyhound and we encouter little kids, they come running toward her with arms open. She loves children but still what if she didn't? I would be trouble!!!
I don't think that you can catorgize a dog's temperment by its breed. I know a golden retriever that is very much the alpha dog when it comes to other dogs and I am very unsure about my fragile tempermented greyhound to meeting her. And a friend of mine has a cocker spaniel that is the "Hound from Hell!" I have always loved dogs, but this little twerp made me think that I was not a dog person. Thank God I got my Shaianne and she convinced me otherwise. He snaps, and barks and hates people with short hair and when I first met him I had very short hair, now I have long hair and he tolerates me if I bring him puperoni!!!! He made me rethink cocker spaniels!!!!

[KYS]

posted by shais_mom:
I have the exact opposite problem, as I am walking my greyhound and we encouter little kids, they come running toward her with arms open. She loves children but still what if she didn't? >>>>>>>

Excellent point:
When we were young we were taught never to
approach strange dogs, unless we got permision from the owner. Unfortunately
some parents encourage their young
children to approach dogs with or with out permission.

[RachelJ]

Even though both my dogs are good natured around children and have been exposed to them with the neighborhood children coming over to play with them, I am always very vigilent. Some (and I do mean some, not all) little kids don't have a clue how to approach or interact with a dog. Handling by an unknown person that is lightening quick or rough may put any dog in a fear situation. And fear can mean a bite. Some little kids also don't know how to read a dog's signals. The dog may be signaling, leave me alone, I don't like that, and the kids don't get it. My dogs have never biten anyone, but I still am put on an alert to supervise interactions with strangers and am not hesitant to "teach" in the process.

[ownerof3dogs]

I know what you guy are taling about.
When we had our male Doberman we took him to the dog park. We could see everyone grabbing their kids and dogs. there was about 10-15 people there. when we returned from a trail everyone had left. It made me feel terible.
Everyone just assumes breeds like the lab and golden retreivers are all friendly. for the most part they are. But some arn't. My dog was attacked by a Golden retreiver at the dog park.
I think it is just wrong that people stereo types certain breeds for me the protection breeds are the best.

[carrie]

Maybe this is another good reason to think before docking and ear clipping? (Yes...I'm off on it AGAIN!!!!) I agree that certain breeds have been victimised in the press. This, very sadly, leads to people with the wrong intentions and motives seeking out these breeds to own. This leads to more horror stories, etc. etc.
(Another bulletin board I visited had a huge debate about American Pit Bulls and some of the owners were so concerned about the breed image and told such heart warming stories of their own dogs I read on for quite a while. Every tenth or so post, though, was from someone bragging what knew species they had got their dog to attack on sight, or which part of the anatomy they were training their dog to bite first. It was sickening in the extreme. These are the people regulations should be imposed for!)
By docking and clipping we are, I feel, preventing perfectly friendly, social dogs from being accepted. Docked and clipped dogs do look different and are, to many people, unpredictable as their intentions are not clear.
My own dog is 100% kid proof but I never allow anyone to approach him unless they ask. It's not polite and it's not a safe practice.
My children are well drilled in the procedure, although it is amazing how many adults choose to ignore children who are being polite and sensible.

A few weeks ago I was waiting to take my kids into school. The lady in front of me had a beautiful Weirmeraner sitting patiently at heel. It was on a lead and seemed fairly relaxed. A little girl in front of them turned around to look at the dog. The dog's lady was aware of her, the girl was about three years old and at eye level to the dog. The girl's mother had no idea that a dog was behind them and the dog's owner was the one who got so close to those in front. When the little girl had been staring in wonder for a few seconds the dog lunged forward barking. The owner was ready for it and had the dog on a very short lead. I was just about to tell the woman what her dog was going to do when it happened. I walked forward and said, rather angrily, "I knew that was going to happen and so did you! Why didn't you stop it?"
"Yeah, but the stupid little brat won't do it again, will she?" was the rather self satisfied answer I got. When there are people, with dogs, acting like that .....

As a community of dog people I believe we should do all we can to educate our dogs about children and our children about dogs but it seems that there are people who really believe that three year olds deserve to be frightened and dogs deserve to be tarnished in the eyes of the public and rewarded by their owners for behaving in this way.
By cutting off the bits of the dog that are the biggest signs to people of how they feel and how they are going to act, aren't we making the situation a bigger hurdle to overcome?
I agree it is wrong to judge every dog by the few but I also feel there are so many things we could do to make it easier for everyone to accept dogs in the community.

Finally, sorry everyone, I know most of you have heard it all before from me and are getting pretty sick of me banging on about it.

[KYS]

posted by carrie:
Every tenth or so post, though, was from someone bragging what knew species they had got their dog to attack on sight, or which part of the anatomy they were training their dog to bite first. It was sickening in the extreme.>>>>>>>>>>&g t;>>

Carrie, Not to change the subject but your post reminded me about something.
A couple of years ago, when I used to have AOL for my ISP server, I would surf
the dog boards they had.
I would read the Pit Bull dog board
because it had the liveliest debates.
Unfortunaely there were a handfull of
Pit Bull owners who believed the worst stereotype for pitbulls was exceptable.
Some were also breeders who bread for
gameness (sp) prey aggression.
They even went as far to post that they felt dog fighting should be legal.
They also posted how Akita breeders were ruining the breed by trying to breed out the dog aggression from them.
Needless to say they bullied/scared off other pit bull owners from posting, and the pit bull board was even shut down for a period of time.
It's people with this sick mentality that should never own a dog.