Do people ever say negative things about your breed?

[Aleron]

Well I have a PyrShep, a Corgi and Belgians so...yeah.

The PyrShep and Belgians, the general public has no clue what they are. No trouble there. Come across plenty dog people very eager to educate me about my breeds of choice. With PyrSheps, it's actually a similar tale as "they'll turn on you!". Except it's the dog people's variation "oh sure, he may seem happy and like he loves to work but one day, he'll just turn all weird and that will be the end of it". Uh huh. There were 4 puppies in his mom's litter, 3 of which have MACHs. Oh and huh...it sure seems like they're consistently placing really well at agility World Championships. But yeah thanks, I'll keep that in mind

The Belgians it's more of a "oh I don't trust them" or "that breed has temperament issues". K. I've had them since the mid-90s but again, thanks for your concern. With the Mal, the most annoying comments come from working Mal people :rofl1: Although those are more along the lines of "oh that's not a dog for someone like you"...so more negative comments about me

The Corgi, pretty like Emily says people will be like "ohhhhh aren't mean?!".

The GSDs were the worst though. OMG. Everyone and their brother knows someone who's family's friend's GSD "turned on them" or "turned on the neighbor" or "turned on their other dog!" or the mailman or whatever. I listened to a lot of really, really dumb GSD stories. Or I'd get people would want to breed their dog to mine. And of course the size thing, I can't say how many times I was asked if my 60some pound GSD bitches were "miniatures" or puppies. "Oh they're full grown? they must not be German lines". :wall:

 

[Miakoda]

With my APBTs and various "pit bull" rescues, I rarely heard anything nice. If so, it was from some moron proclaiming "das a nice pit", and sadly that was usually directed at my Olde English Bulldogge. In used to the threats to report me to Child Protective Services, the warnings to not "let them get a taste of blood", and so on, so forth. It's frustrating, but I just do my best to smile and have my dogs put their best paw forward.

 

[Laurelin]

Well I have a PyrShep, a Corgi and Belgians so...yeah.

The PyrShep and Belgians, the general public has no clue what they are. No trouble there. Come across plenty dog people very eager to educate me about my breeds of choice. With PyrSheps, it's actually a similar tale as "they'll turn on you!". Except it's the dog people's variation "oh sure, he may seem happy and like he loves to work but one day, he'll just turn all weird and that will be the end of it". Uh huh. There were 4 puppies in his mom's litter, 3 of which have MACHs. Oh and huh...it sure seems like they're consistently placing really well at agility World Championships. But yeah thanks, I'll keep that in mind

I told you the story of me casually mentioning to an agility friend that I really like pyrsheps at nationals and then having two random sheltie and BC people behind me tell me that they are awful dogs and going on and on about it.... lol

 

[Aleron]

I told you the story of me casually mentioning to an agility friend that I really like pyrsheps at nationals and then having two random sheltie and BC people behind me tell me that they are awful dogs and going on and on about it.... lol

Sounds about right! I hear stuff less and less from people because Savvy isn't living up to all their horror stories

 

[iriskai]

Through the 'wisdom' of other people, I've found out that Whippets are spooky, shy, afraid, nervous, untrainable, stubborn and stupid. Imagine my surprise!

 

[Aleron]

Through the 'wisdom' of other people, I've found out that Whippets are spooky, shy, afraid, nervous, untrainable, stubborn and stupid. Imagine my surprise!

What would you ever do without the knowledge others share with you about your breed? You might think they're smart or nice dogs something :O

 

[frostfell]

how does anybody in your area even know what a pyr shep IS? i mention that name to anyone i know and they look at me like what?

 

[Aleron]

how does anybody in your area even know what a pyr shep IS? i mention that name to anyone i know and they look at me like what?

Agility people know what PyrSheps are LOL. I also only live an hour away from the most well known breeder of them in the country. I'm pretty sure there's more PyrSheps in NE Ohio then there are in some states.

 

[iriskai]

What would you ever do without the knowledge others share with you about your breed? You might think they're smart or nice dogs something :O

I know! What was I thinking? I wonder what sort of mutts I was duped in to owning since my dogs are friendly and intelligent? A realwhippet could never successfully do agility, they'd just run away scared!

 

[Slick]

Mostly I just hear things like "You are going to have your hands full" "Border Collies are super super super high energy" "I wouldn't want to live with one"
Basically, just repeating the horror stories one finds online.

I just shrug. I did my research and chose carefully, and thus have a border collie with an excellent off switch. Could he go all day? Absolutely! But as long as I give him the opportunity to really run for half an hour a day, with other opportunities to think such as training, he is willing to chill out with me for most of the day.

He is ready to go when I am ready to go, and when I am not, he sleeps.

 

[Dogdragoness]

Yes ... My last cattle dog was not friendly by "general" public standards (she wasn't going to run up and be all giddy for a complete stranger ) Josefina is also like this, I hate to say if but I like my dogs this way. Buddy's shameless fawning over every person he meets gets embarrassing sometimes.

My aunt who is a bc person (not dissing bc people of course, I know not all of them are like this) she looks down her nose at ACDs because she considers them "neurotic" and "brutish" ... The consensus I have run into I the dog world is similar to hers ... Unless they are also working dog ppl.

 

[Skits]

Yes. I have a pittie who gets all the "what a scary dog", "does he bite", "hes ugly", etc. People walk out of my way or hold on tightly to their own dogs leashes when they see him. The only time he'd attack someone is if it was with kisses. Meanwhile, my golden is the complete opposite and only gets positive comments about his breed.

 

[Dogdragoness]

Yes ... My last cattle dog was not friendly by "general" public standards (she wasn't going to run up and be all giddy for a complete stranger ) Josefina is also like this, I hate to say if but I like my dogs this way. Buddy's shameless fawning over every person he meets gets embarrassing sometimes.

My aunt who is a bc person (not dissing bc people of course, I know not all of them are like this) she looks down her nose at ACDs because she considers them "neurotic" and "brutish" ... The consensus I have run into I the dog world is similar to hers ... Unless they are also working dog ppl.

 

[Flyinsbt]

I have Staffords, so yeah. Though in person, most people do like them, and also usually just think they're small pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Most of the stuff I hear about them is online.
And entertainingly, also includes a subset of pit bull fanciers who trash my breed as being squatty, toadlike, and worthless. But nobody has ever said that to my face.

 

[frostfell]

I have Staffords, so yeah. Though in person, most people do like them, and also usually just think they're small pit bulls or pit bull mixes. Most of the stuff I hear about them is online.
And entertainingly, also includes a subset of pit bull fanciers who trash my breed as being squatty, toadlike, and worthless. But nobody has ever said that to my face.

if i ever saw your dogs i would steal Pi. just a fair warning

 

[elegy]

I have pit bulls (well, just one these days), so yes, absolutely. Though I find that in person, people are less likely to say bad things about them because they don't recognize that the sweet, friendly, 45 pound dog licking them is actually a pit bull.

I get a lot more negative feedback about the Border Collies than I expected, which is interesting.

 

[AmberD]

I don't know that I've ever had anything negative about Akitas thrown at me; most people don't know what he is. Not too much about pit bulls, either. Josie's a mix, but even in the 4 years I had my full pit bull, I never heard much. One mom said she didn't like pit bulls but trusted our dog with her kid because she trusted us.

In regards to the original post, I am a groomer, and while I would never insult someone's breed of choice, I have been "guilty" of telling people if they have an extraordinarily well-behaved member of certain breeds. As I have a fondness for "bad" breeds, I understand there are always going to be well bred dogs with solid temperaments that break through stereotypes, most of which are perpetuated by ill-bred and/or ill-raised specimens. Just the same, if 95% of X breed that I deal with (I'm new here and not ready to tick anyone off yet) are anxious, fear-biting wrecks, I am going to really appreciate the rare one that actually has a sound temper, and I have on on occasion told the pet parent as much (though without any disdain dripping out ).

 

[Julee]

I was anticipating a lot of flack for having a pit bull, but zero negative comments so far, besides "too energetic for me".