Remarks about my large breed dog (rant)
- Thread starter filarotten
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You know, I say stuff like that a lot--I never thought anyone would be offended by it. Yesterday someone brought a mastiff puppy to the dog park, and I piped up with "Oh my gosh, her paws are humongous! You're going to have a pet lion soon!"
It was just meant as a friendly quip...I had no idea someone would be hurt by it
I love it when people comment on how hyper or friendly or fluffy or whatever Lucy is, even though I've heard it 1000x.
It was just meant as a friendly quip...I had no idea someone would be hurt by it
I love it when people comment on how hyper or friendly or fluffy or whatever Lucy is, even though I've heard it 1000x.
I am really drawn to large/giant dogs -- and, since I don't live with one, I am always shocked all over again at how humongous they are (in a good way). I think that every time I see my friend's ginormous herding dog mix I tell her he's huge, ha ha. Frankly, if I am not drawn to or for some reason am not a fan of someone else's dog, I just don't say anything at all.
That said, I do understand that sometimes there can be an undertone that isn't conveyed well in the written word.
Yep. I have a brown, medium sized dog. So I generally either get comments about his radar ears or his (fantastic!) personality. Not much else to say.
Exactly...its all in the tone. Most people who remark on Ivy's size are doing it good natured But others its just rude...Like "You let THAT live in the home with you?" etc.
Same with little dogs...we used to have a tiny tiny yorkie come into where I used to work..I called it the pocket pup. I never meant it in a mean way, it was seriously tiny (I mean my rats are bigger) and while that doesnt make it less of a dog by any means, its extreme size is something that will get comments. And that is ok...but its not ok when those comments take on condescending tones or actually become meant as insults
Same with little dogs...we used to have a tiny tiny yorkie come into where I used to work..I called it the pocket pup. I never meant it in a mean way, it was seriously tiny (I mean my rats are bigger) and while that doesnt make it less of a dog by any means, its extreme size is something that will get comments. And that is ok...but its not ok when those comments take on condescending tones or actually become meant as insults
Tone does matter a lot and it's hard to read over the internet.
Most the times people comment about my dogs being small, they're being friendly. That doesn't bother me. 'Oh wow your dog is so tiny!' <--- yeah that doesn't bother me at all.
As a general rule though, 'not a real dog'. 'Ankle biter' and 'rat' are not going to go over well with small dog owners just fyi. We hear it ALL the time and in very unpleasant fashions. I absolutely loathe those terms and they will always make me bristle.
I tend not to comment on anyone's dogs when I'm out and about. I love dogs but honestly, I'm not going to go up and meet a stranger's dog.
Most the times people comment about my dogs being small, they're being friendly. That doesn't bother me. 'Oh wow your dog is so tiny!' <--- yeah that doesn't bother me at all.
As a general rule though, 'not a real dog'. 'Ankle biter' and 'rat' are not going to go over well with small dog owners just fyi. We hear it ALL the time and in very unpleasant fashions. I absolutely loathe those terms and they will always make me bristle.
I tend not to comment on anyone's dogs when I'm out and about. I love dogs but honestly, I'm not going to go up and meet a stranger's dog.
I think this is the first time it has really bothered me this much. We were just getting hammerd by rude remarks. It all started from a Pekinese sitting next to us that kept growing at Brutus. Brutus leaned down one time to sniff its nose and the mop reached up and snapped at Brutus. Brutie sat back up and looked down at him.This seemed to annoy the owner of the Pekinese, the bugged eyed mop. It needed a trim badly, and it did remind me of a bug-eyed mop. As much as I wanted to say that, I didn't. I just don't comment on someone's dog unless I think it is cute, sweet or well behaved.
I used to call Maggie a bug-eyed mop, and she was mine.
I used to call Maggie a bug-eyed mop, and she was mine.
Or people dont have to comment that my dog is huge Its not that hard. I dont comment on tiny dogs.
Its not that hard. I dont comment on tiny dogs.
And that's what Fila was communicating in her rant -- presumably in a safe place, among friends who know her and would understand.
Yah. I get that all the time too. I get people with dogs in purses or baby slings that are frothing at the mouth, snarling and barking at Kharma bitching because I have this monster -- on a leash, behaving like an angel -- in a place where only THEIR dogs should be allowed.
Like walking through Tractor Supply after a weight pull, behind a friend of mine, who was walking her AHTs and having to squeeze by an older couple were standing there blocking the aisle, griping to the manager about having "those awful killers" in the store . . . while their SomethingPoo lunged over the side of their cart and bit my friend on the arm, pretty badly, too. They didn't even apologize. They blamed my friend for getting bit!
Tractor Supply cut us off from having weight pulls there, by the way.:thumbdown:
One of the reasons many of us are here is because we don't act like the general public with our dogs or around other people's dogs.
The BC owners here, for instance, are a whole 'nother breed from the ones I meet out here in day to day life. The ones I meet face to face TOTALLY put me off the breed. You guys here are a whole different story. You don't act like your dogs' sh1t doesn't stink, or that no other breed in the history of the world has ever been a capable herder, or should be allowed near livestock.
This is where we come to rant to our friends about the bullshit we deal with out in the ugly world.
Yah. I get that all the time too. I get people with dogs in purses or baby slings that are frothing at the mouth, snarling and barking at Kharma bitching because I have this monster -- on a leash, behaving like an angel -- in a place where only THEIR dogs should be allowed.
Like walking through Tractor Supply after a weight pull, behind a friend of mine, who was walking her AHTs and having to squeeze by an older couple were standing there blocking the aisle, griping to the manager about having "those awful killers" in the store . . . while their SomethingPoo lunged over the side of their cart and bit my friend on the arm, pretty badly, too. They didn't even apologize. They blamed my friend for getting bit!
Tractor Supply cut us off from having weight pulls there, by the way.:thumbdown:
One of the reasons many of us are here is because we don't act like the general public with our dogs or around other people's dogs.
The BC owners here, for instance, are a whole 'nother breed from the ones I meet out here in day to day life. The ones I meet face to face TOTALLY put me off the breed. You guys here are a whole different story. You don't act like your dogs' sh1t doesn't stink, or that no other breed in the history of the world has ever been a capable herder, or should be allowed near livestock.
This is where we come to rant to our friends about the bullshit we deal with out in the ugly world.
when i go out with my dogs we are working no matter if its my min pin or my boerboel i get comments. most of them are really stupid in the past. regardless of the size. now when we go out the only thing on my mind is what i am doing with the dogs stupid comments and stupid people are ignored it shows in my body language and on the working dogs vest zeph wears. most people respect that now and leave us alone. there are ofcourse a few that just have to talk anyway but normally they ask about the breed or the training we are doing or what they need to do to get thier dog to act like that too i try to be polite professional then excuse myself and start again where i left off. that has helped with the comments if you act like a professional it seems to cut down on the idiots.
Ashley
Ashley
Oooh, that hit a nerve, so here's my rant!! I do not care if your dog is of the smartest breed in the whole frigging wide world! He's rude and he jumps on me and tries to nip me and is an untrained hooligan who seemingly only uses his supposedly ginormous brain to get into trouble!
Wow, that did feel better!
Wow, that did feel better!
Again though, it goes both ways. I've also seen people walking their perfectly well mannered small dogs around in the pet stores with enormous dogs, flipping out and barking and the owners going "That dog doesn't belong in a store like this, it's going to get eaten". It's extremely annoying to me that people seem to think it's okay to hate a dog based just on it's size. But hating a dog and being impressed by a dog's size are two totally different things.
I judge dogs on an individual basis as to weather or not I like them, and even then I keep my remarks to myself (atleast while around the owner) . But if I see a dog that's "rare" or that I just don't see all the time, I comment on the fact of just that. To me it's normal, and there is nothing rude or insulting about it.
Yep me too. Most the time I don't respond but on occasion that has ended up in me chewing someone out pretty good. My roomie's boyfriend called Summer a glorified chihuahua once and he got a pretty good rant back. lol
I remember people asking if my GSD was mean , but they STILL ask if my toy dogs are mean all the time. I had people pull their kids away from my bigger dogs and I've had kids pulled away from my little ones too. I had one mom say loudly about my paps, "We don't like that kind of dog, they're mean." I think asking if a dog bites/will hurt you/etc is just a dog owning thing. I think everyone gets that kind of question.
I remember people asking if my GSD was mean , but they STILL ask if my toy dogs are mean all the time. I had people pull their kids away from my bigger dogs and I've had kids pulled away from my little ones too. I had one mom say loudly about my paps, "We don't like that kind of dog, they're mean." I think asking if a dog bites/will hurt you/etc is just a dog owning thing. I think everyone gets that kind of question.
Then there's also the oh so wonderful fact that a small dog can't growl or react or else you have a little tyrant evil dog that thinks he's big. I've had a big dog literally come running after one of my paps and then when my dog air snapped at it, the owner laughed and went on and on about how little dogs don't know their size and just want to fight. Um yeah, she knows her size and she's SCARED of your dog. She's reacting because she knows she's small and she's scared.
It does happen both ways. You probably just don't see it until you've owned both.
It does happen both ways. You probably just don't see it until you've owned both.
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Eh, I think we should relax a bit. I know what it's like to have a day when you just seem to get it all around you without stop and it can feel very irritating at the time.
I must admit, "she's so big" often comes out of my mouth, though I also comment on how small a dog is lol It's just something to start a conversation, I usually continue by commenting on how pretty they are or nice or whatever. Never had anyone get huffy (at least to my face) that I could tell. If they did get huffy over a little comment like that, well.......sucks for them. *shrug*
When I had lucas I got comments of "is he a wolf?" or "wow he's so big!" or "wow he's so fluffy" all the time. Didn't bother me at all, I also got the comments of "omg don't mess with him *fluffypoo* he will eat you!" Again, shrug and just keep on your way. It was rude for them to say but I figure getting annoyed at random stranger idiotic comments just makes me stressed and not them. So it's not worth it to me anymore.
Now I have Art and he doesn't get any small dog comments usually. Mostly because he's adorable with a big dog personality that wants to play and run with the big dogs :rofl1: lol But occasionaly there will be a "he's going to get eaten!" or "ankle biter" comments. Again I usually try to just ignore it and let it roll off, does me no good getting upset about it in any way.
Thoguh, there are days when it bothers me, but I try my best to remember that these people are just uneducated.
**edit**
OH the ones that really pissed me off (though they were not frequent, it's semi-pit educated here, or at least at the dog parks it is) are with Bear! She is the sweetest dog in the world I swear! "OH MY GOD! Get your pit bull away! NO NO NO GET AWAY!" as they freak out at a DOG PARK! This one lady in particular with her greyhounds at a dog park where pit breeds frequently are, started screaming at the top of her lungs as bear ran over to greet her dogs that my "pit bull" needed to stop and "get it away" "nooo!!" :rofl1:
At this point, bear put on her "please please pet me" face tail wagging like mad and we called her back, which she did with the saddest face EVER! We walked over to the lady and her dogs to see what her problem was, and the moment we told her Bear wasn't a pit bull mix she was like "OH in that case go run! Go have fun, what a cute friendly dog, oh yes you are"
I told her she was an idiot. T_T and walked away.
I must admit, "she's so big" often comes out of my mouth, though I also comment on how small a dog is
lol It's just something to start a conversation, I usually continue by commenting on how pretty they are or nice or whatever. Never had anyone get huffy (at least to my face) that I could tell. If they did get huffy over a little comment like that, well.......sucks for them. *shrug*When I had lucas I got comments of "is he a wolf?" or "wow he's so big!" or "wow he's so fluffy" all the time. Didn't bother me at all, I also got the comments of "omg don't mess with him *fluffypoo* he will eat you!" Again, shrug and just keep on your way. It was rude for them to say but I figure getting annoyed at random stranger idiotic comments just makes me stressed and not them. So it's not worth it to me anymore.
Now I have Art and he doesn't get any small dog comments usually. Mostly because he's adorable with a big dog personality that wants to play and run with the big dogs :rofl1: lol But occasionaly there will be a "he's going to get eaten!" or "ankle biter" comments. Again I usually try to just ignore it and let it roll off, does me no good getting upset about it in any way.
Thoguh, there are days when it bothers me, but I try my best to remember that these people are just uneducated.
**edit**
OH the ones that really pissed me off (though they were not frequent, it's semi-pit educated here, or at least at the dog parks it is) are with Bear! She is the sweetest dog in the world I swear! "OH MY GOD! Get your pit bull away! NO NO NO GET AWAY!" as they freak out at a DOG PARK!
This one lady in particular with her greyhounds at a dog park where pit breeds frequently are, started screaming at the top of her lungs as bear ran over to greet her dogs that my "pit bull" needed to stop and "get it away" "nooo!!" :rofl1:At this point, bear put on her "please please pet me" face tail wagging like mad and we called her back, which she did with the saddest face EVER! We walked over to the lady and her dogs to see what her problem was, and the moment we told her Bear wasn't a pit bull mix she was like "OH in that case go run! Go have fun, what a cute friendly dog, oh yes you are"
I told her she was an idiot. T_T and walked away.
I don't! :lol-sign:
Seriously, people NEVER ask me if Frodo is mean, or would bite. I wish they would! He's one of the few dogs I know that I could actually answer that he isn't particularly friendly with people, and no you can't pet him!
I guess Frodo is less ferocious looking than your Papillons
Seriously, people NEVER ask me if Frodo is mean, or would bite. I wish they would! He's one of the few dogs I know that I could actually answer that he isn't particularly friendly with people, and no you can't pet him!
I guess Frodo is less ferocious looking than your Papillons
I really feel bad for the responsible chihuahua owners. They must get hell all the time.