Dog Stereotypes

[CJ7Boomer]

Everyone that meets my dog is absolutley shocked to discover that he isnt mean, agressive or hyper, but friendly, well mannered and calm. im not talking a few people here or there- but EVERYONE! i know dalmatians have had a bad rap but- wheres peoples common sense? not every dal is mean! Do any of you encouter this with your dog?

[Logan]

I have the exact opposite problem, as most people expect Golden Retrievers to automatically be loving and nice. My Honey is an exception to that rule, and gets very nervous and upset in strange places and around strange people. We don't even try taking her into crowds anymore. It is not worth the stress for her and for us, worrying that she will get too upset.

Logan

[anna_66]

Aahh, I know that feeling.

Just beacause Angus is a rottie (a pretty good sized one at that) people expect him to be mean. They are so surprised that he is not the vicious dog they expected....but a big, big baby who loves people and loves to play ball with them
All my dogs are stereotyped. But the worse is with Huney. People look at her and go "OH MY, it's a chow!" and head off the other way Whatever, their loss

[stacwase]

People step way off the path when they see Max (my shepherd/?rott mix) coming. But they'd come right up to Pepper (my former poodle mix) and pet her, just because she was cute.

Max is a real sweetie - he LOVES people and wouldn't bite unless he had a good reason to. Pepper, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy biting!

Just goes to show - you can't judge a book by its cover.

[primabella]

Mickey doesn't really get any looks because he is "Lassie", but how do they know he won't bite their hand off? Especially these older people who bring up their grandchildren and just start petting him. I doubt it but Mickey could jump them at any second.

My cousin owns a Golden with agression problems and a sweetie for a GSD. People always end up petting the wrong one.

Whatever, their loss

Exactly! I would never pet a dog without checking with the owner first but I certainly wouldn't avoid a Dalmation or Chow.

[Dobiegirl24]

Always with Pepper since he is a dobe. But since he is blue and has uncropped ears most people don't know he's a dobe, but when they ask they usually leave very quickly one time at petsmart one lady even pulled her kid away from him

[lovemyshiba]

We get "the look" when we have Jada out too--she is our most well-mannered dog!!!!! People cross the street, move their kids to the other side of them, walk by fast--obviously I wouldn't be sitting downtown enjoying my coffee with her if she wanted to take someone's hand off--geesh!!!
But everyone thinks Kito is so fluffy and cute (and he is)--I know he wouldn't hesitate to bite a stranger who didn't approach him properly!!!

Like Anna said, their loss!!

[ParNone]

People almost always ask me if Oz is friendly, before they
ask to pet him and he's a Collie. Whereas it's very rare that
people ask if my Cairns are friendly, they just walk right
upto them and start petting. Course all 3 are friendly
so it really doesn't matter in my case. I just wonder if
on average people are just more naturally wary of a large
dog, because Collies aren't really in the stereotypical "beware"
category.

hi lovemyshiba!

I don't know, after having that lady tell me her dogs were
really very nice, right after they attacked Oz, I'm not so sure
that you can 100% trust that people know what their
dogs are capable of or are truthful with themselves about
it. So if I have my dogs or children with me, I'm a lot more
cautious around dogs I don't know, then if I just have myself
to worry about.

Par...

[Cincy'sMom]

Surprinsgly, I have not heard the comments about dals when I have had Spot somewhere, but I have heard them. We were in the pet store with Sadie and I overheard a yung boy askinghis dad if he couldhave a dalmation. His dad said "No, they bite kids".
I didn't say anything, and maybe it was an easy way to get the kid to leave him alone, but both Sadie and Spot are dal mixes and love kids!

Once or twice people have reacted fearfully to Sadie and Cincy becuase they are big and black, but overall, everyone loves them!

[Aspen and Misty]

With Nova, people always ask cause when they don't I lecture them on how they should ask, even the ltitle kids. When they ask what breeds she is (Lab/Pitt bull mix) they normally will walk away then or say OMG I didn't know Pitt Bulls were this nice, or they will say, O a Lab mix and I will say yea, Lab/ pitt mix, lol.


With Breeze, nope. She's a big cute, goofy puppy with over sized feet, who wouldn't run up to her Although I do wish people wouldn't as sometiems we are trying to work. Like she is dethly afried of Shopping carts and I was like see Breezie Boo it's ok, yea it's ok. And I started looking it and touching it and stuff to show her I wasn't scared and just acted like everything was cool, so Breeze took a step forrowed and a almost sniffed the cart when someone came up and was like OMG you are the cutest thing I have ever seen and petted her face which made Breeze pay attention to her, I moved the cart then cause someone wanted to get by and Breeze got all freaked out and the Lady started to baby her and say O you poor thing are you scared? O it's ok, yes it's ok which made Breeze a little un easy, so I told the Lady we had to go and walked away.

Ash

[CJ7Boomer]

I have heard parents say that to their kids to who have asked to pet LouDog- and kids are his favorite people!
i just brought him back from the vet...its amazing the people and their lack of controlling their dog. LouDog had a hurt paw so he wasnt in the best of moods..i swear everyone in their letting their dogs go all over at the end of their leashes! Dogs were getting their leashes tangled- meanwhile my poor doggys growling at them all- you think these people would see that their dog is all in my dogs face- but no. i had to ask one person to please control their dog- it was jumping all over Lou.

[Andie]

Bull is constantly getting the "ewww-look-at-the-evil-pitt-bull" looks but they'll walk right up to Katie and Duke because they're Labs. Bull loves people and will walk right up, sit down and force them to pet him whereas Duke and Katie get a little too excited after a while and start jumping on you.

[binka_nugget]

Kai and kaebutt always get people coming up to them to pet them and ask questions...it's nice and all but my dogs' have their on and off days..I just hate how people don't ask if it's okay first. I wouldn't mind it so much if Kai wasn't a tad bit afraid of strangers. Kids running up to him at full speed doesn't exactly help his fear..

[wolfsoul]

For some reason, most people are afraid of Timber, and everyone runs up to Leather. Uh, hello? Smiling happy dog, and humungous mean-looking dog??? Humm.
I just wish that people would do their research and find out that it's good to generalize sometimes, but you can't beat up a breed because of those generalizations.

[dukedogsmom]

I hate dog prejudice! It really ticks me off. I haven't heard of Dalmatians being difficult. The rescue group I volunteer for won't take Rotties, Akitas, Chows or Pits and I really don't like that but I understand that people are ignorant and would be reluctant to adopt them.