Fearful reactions from other people?

[binka_nugget]

We had this discussion on another board. It was pretty interesting so I thought I'd bring it over here.

What kind of fearful reactions (if any) have you and your dog/s recieved from other people?

I haven't really had anyone cross the street or pick up their dogs like a lot of others said on the other board but people tend to ask if Kai's friendly and don't ask about Kaedyn. What's amusing is that Kaedyn is fear aggressive and Kai is the really friendly one. A lot of people just come up and pet Kaedyn and then ask about Kai.

[Smilla]

Unfortunately, people usually assume Lefty is really friendly and want to come up and pet him. He's actually quite a bit skittish and sometimes doesn't react well. He's never tried to bite anyone but has growled before.

I think he makes the woman who delivers our mail pretty uneasy, because he barks at her so ferociously from the window. One day, he was in the yard with me on a 30-foot lead when she came walking around the corner on the opposite side of the street. He saw her and went running towards her. I saw her eyes open wide with fear and she began to walk backwards. I went after Lefty while yelling, "He's on a lead! He's on a lead!" However, she walked backwards up a small hill and ended up falling on her behind. I felt really bad!

[pitc9]

Mine are "ok" with people as long as they are true dog people, and when I tell them they are skidish, they move slow, and just know how to introduce themselves to mine!
I have had a woman scoop up her dog and run to the other side of the street But you can imagine what a happy mom I was when we passed them and neither of mine made a peep!
Buddy will bark when he's scared... and what a loud bark he has!! Once I had a couple walking past us on the other side of the street, and Buddy started barking. I was telling him to sit and trying to keep him from barking. It's not like I was letting him bark!! Well the guy yelled from across the street "SHUT UP ALREADY" Ohhh I was so mad.

[primabella]

Mickey doesn't really get bad reactions from other people. If they don't like dogs, they'll just move to one side of the sidewalk so we can pass or walk a little faster by us. If they do come up and pet Mickey they'll usually look at him and then at me, I guess looking for some approval to pet my dog, lol. Mickey is really great with strangers (usually) so I'm not worried to let someone pet him. Sometimes he will bark and the people will just sort of laugh and back off. But nothing like you said, of picking up their dogs or anything like that.

[prechrswife]

This isn't about my dogs, but about my sister and brother-in-law's dogs. They have a chihuahua and a greyhound. The greyhound is huge. He can stand flat-footed and see what is on top of the kitchen counter. He is also harmless. His size frightens people sometimes, though.

The chihuahua thinks he is ferocious. He barks at anyone who comes to the door. The pizza delivery guy is extremely scared of the chihuahua. When he delivers a pizza, my sister and her husband have to go out on the porch to pay the guy and get the pizza. He is afraid to come to the door.

[cocker_luva]

people arent really fearful of Jesse. she loves people, just not little kids; expecially near her back legs. now her eyesight and hearing isnt too keen, plus her history of back leg problems. many senior citizens smile big and come over to pet her whenever i walk her, because cockers were very popular in their generation.

plus her small size is very inviting to people. she is just so awesome!

[chrissycat21]

People are afraid of Snowy because all 11 pounds like to try to jump up and reach your face so she can give you kisses. But most of the time when we tell people that, they don't mind. With little kids, I just hold her down so she doesn't knock them over.

-Chrissy

[lovemyshiba]

I'm sure you all know which one of my dogs gets a fearful reaction
It's amazing--we'll take Kito and Jada downtown, and people will smash themselves up against the sides of a building to avoid being anywhere near her, yet people will walk right up to Kito--he's the one to worry about. Kito is very wary of strangers--he snapped at my neighbor once, and just doesn't always take kindly to someone coming at him and petting him. If you do it the right way, he's the sweetest dog on earth.
But Jada--all she wants to do is make friends--the only worry from her is that you'll need a towel if she comes over to you
I can even hear some of the parents--the kid will say "oh mommy a doggie, can I pet it?" And smart mom or dad will go, "oh no honey, that's a mean dog" If Jada was truly a menace, would I be walking her around downtown, with all of the people around???

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Neither of mine have ever gotten any "fearful comments". Molly is the one that usually turns heads, though. People think "Wow, Lassie! I want to pet her!", which I can understand, but I have to tell them that she doesn't like strangers going up to her. Like I mentioned in another thread; she's a very timid dog.

As for Daisy, she'll probably go up to you for some petting and lovin' if you don't do it first. She's my social butterfly. She loves any and all people.

[dappledoxie]

Most people want to come up to my two and that's fine with Claire but Rebel has to warm up to you, I always just want people to let Rebel come to them like if they'll squat down Rebel is most likely going to come up to you right off but if you run up to him and bend down over him he'll run away from you to go inbetween my legs and sometimes he'll let out a sqeal. Usually they are both really really friendly, just those times when Rebel has a mood. Claire is never afraid, lol!

[ParNone]

With Murph and Maddie, the only fear reactions have come from toddlers. All that terrier bounciness is a lil' daunting for toddlers, I think. But from about 4 yrs old up, they are universally loved. Everybody comes up to pet them, without asking.

With Oz, most people ask if he bites first, before they'll pet him. Workmen and meter readers that came in my backyard at will, with M&M back there, won't now that Oz is there. I've had small dog owners pick their dog up and I had a guy pull his lil' daughter in close to him, when we've walked by them. But generally speaking, he gets pretty positive reactions I think.

With Gully, except for that one lil' kid that yelled at him for his play bark at the kid's shih tzu puppy, he's gotten nothing but positive responses so far. He's still somewhat small though. It'll be interesting to see how it changes, once he's Oz's size, since he's got the darker coloring.

Par...

[Cinder & Smoke]

While in High School, I had Lady, a lil Pomeranian/MIX who
thought she was a 12 pound miniature GSD Guard Dawg!

NObody set foot on our yard without "hearing about it" from Lady!
She had her best *phunn* with the
Postmen and the Dry Cleaner's Delivery Guy!

Postman *whistled* while he walked!
If she was INside - she's start "telling" Mom the Postman was
getting close when he was Three Houses away!
But if she was OUTside (on her 20 foot rope on the front porch) -
she played it and never made a *sound*!
She'd *wait* behind the bushes shielding the porch till the Postman
was within *reach* of her rope (and she knew EXACTLY how long
that rope was!) - then spring out to ambush the poor guy!
Postman learned if he didn't HEAR her inside - she was *lurking*
behind the bushes - and he'd call her "Oh, LADY!"...
She fell for it EVERY time - and dash out *barking* like
she was gonna eat him! Mom would rush out to retrieve the mail.
If I had her out for a walk; that SAME Postman was her Best Buddie -
as long as we met him one house before or after HER House!

The Dry Cleaner? His truck brakes ALWAYS *squealed* to "tip her off".
And he was *DUMM* - NEVER learned she was always tied up if out...
She'd *bark* as he approached and *squealed* to slow down...
then *hide* (quietly) as he came up the walk...
The *attack* was started as his foot hit the porch steps...
*BARK* *BARK* *Barkity-BARK* >>GASP<...
and he'd begin his MAD DASH "ALL the Way" back to his truck!
Mom would appear, *reel in* our Guard Mutt, and *wave* the All-Clear
to the poor Dry Cleaner, peering out from the "safety" of his truck!
You'd think that after he got *chased* by a tied up lil Mutt a
few dozen times - he might have noticed a pattern?
Mom tried to get him to *honk* when he arrived out front...
He always "forgot"!



/s/ Phred .

[manda99]

I get fearful reactions from people all the time. Smokey wants to be friends with everyone (except kids) but a lot of people want nothing to do with him. It's funny, though, because he is quite the ladies man. At the vet's office all the girls have to say hello to him and he just loves the attention.

A couple weeks ago when he had his cone head collar thingy on our neighbors asked if he was wearing it because he is getting dangerous. Haha. Although I guess I can't blame her for asking because Smokey doesn't really like her daughter (she is a little mentally impaired and yells/talks at him in Russian. It scares him).


Long story short -- Some people have negative reactions to him but then again, I've turned A LOT of people into pitbull lovers after meeting Smokey, too.

[Amber]

I don't get bad reactions from my dogs. I've had people come up to me to tell me how cute my pups are, and ect.

My dogs will let anyone pet them, but with Elvis he doesn't care for little kids, and usually barks at them.

[heinz57_79]

You better believe I get fearful reactions! from the uneducated morons out there... People LOVE Charlie and Chloe, but they see 2 rotties and OMG!! Aren't they vicious? Aren't you afraid they'll attack you?? Yes, I'm afraid my rotties, who continuously get beat up by my 28 lb. corgi. ugh! So anytime we're in PetSmart or wherever and a kid wants to pet them, I basically say please! I'm hoping that one day people won't look at breeds like rotties and pitties etc and think they're mean dogs.