Do you own a breed of dog that people pre-judge on sight?

[DannyOD]

I have a Chihuahua who is particularly tiny. She is a rescue and the sweetest natured, loving little thing but people take one look at her and pre-judge both her and me as her owner.

I have actually had people say to me ‘Oh I bet she’s a horrible dog isn’t she?’ Or ‘Bet she’s a bad tempered, snappy thing isn’t she?’ Well, no she isn’t actually. It drives me nuts!!! I also get ‘Bet you dress her up and carry her round in a bag?’ No, she is a dog not a doll!!!

Anyone else fed up with this sort of thing?

Our beagle gets away with murder because he's cute and looks like a dog from a children's book. Our friend's GSD is much better behaved but gets attitude from other owners if he so much as picks up another dog's ball. It was particularly an issue when he was young; people see scary guard dog, rather than playful pup.

Staffies & other bulls (i'm a fosterer so always different dogs but always bulls). I have had people pick their dogs and/or kids up to walk past me, I have been told I'm abusing my daughter by having 'that breed' around her, that my dog will turn on me & eat my face in my sleep 🙄

Most of my dogs have been dog aggressive due to their histories & people assume they are horrible, evil dogs when I have to ask them to keep their own furries away. Nobody seems to look past the breed, they just all assume.

He's at rainbow bridge now, but we had a rescue Rhodesian Ridgeback x Great Dane. He was the most docile dog I've ever known, didn't really understand he was a dog in all honesty. He had some very strange quirks - he would eat veggie sausages over 95% meat sausages, he'd delicately take single pieces of popcorn and savour them (but would wolf down say a steak whole!). He really was the best dog I've ever personally had (sorry to past and current ones!).

But oh my people's reactions to him. "Don't go near that dog, it'll bite you" said to young children by their "well meaning" carer... or "i'll be he's a handful", no he's no different to any other dog really. He might be a bit bigger than average (and he was certainly smellier!) but even at the end of his life when some dogs can become a bit snappy, he never did. I don't know if his size just meant he had the mentality of "yeah I'm here, who's going to even try and bother me" or whether he was simply unique, but he really was the most placid thing ever. Even if people looked at him as a big mean nasty piece of work.

*"I'll bet he's a handful"

Question - is it possible to edit posts?

I’m a staffy owner! People often cross the road when I’m walking him and I’ve had some nasty comments about having him around my kids. He’s a big softie though who is bullied by our cat and sleeps outside the kids bedrooms to protect them.

Yes but for the opposite reason!

Ddog2 is a rescue and incredibly nervous and a bit unpredictable if people approach him quickly/ try to cuddle him too violently without a proper introduction.

Unfortunately, he looks like this and therefore people assume he's super friendly. His fur brother (another basset) is the friendliest dog in the entire world so by accociation, people assume DDog2 is too.

I've had people quite literally RUN up to him, grab his face or ears and scream in his face "OMG HE'S SO CUTE!!" and I can see DDog 2 about to freak out. I've managed up until now to train him that if someone approaches him he immediately returns to my side and sits down, so usually DDog 1 will then approach the stranger for a cuddle which distracts them and allows me to settle ddog2 and explain to the person that he's a rescue and not friendly. That's meant he's never ever bitten anyone, but we've had a couple of near misses when idiots have basically attacked him for a cuddle.

Once a kid about 7 years old ran at him and his parents were laughing, so the only thing i could do in that moment was scream "STOP!!!" at this kid. I must have looked demented, but Ddog2 was on the lead and already by my side so i couldnt do anything else. The kid didnt stop and reached forward to grab his face, but Ddog 2 growled which finally made the kid stop and i had time to explain. I explained to the parents and the kid about dog safety and when they'd left i saw that Ddog 2 had been so frightened he'd actually wet himself I wouldnt mind, but Ddog2 wears a "Nervous Dog" harness and a warning collar!

We're working on Ddog2's confidence but every time someone scares him like that we're back to square one :(

I have an Irish setter. He seems to make people smile. I enjoy that.

I see this all the time. We have a golden retriever and he’s a really attractive dog (pure fluke, they all looked much the same as pups) and he gets so many positive comments. I didn’t realise it was different until I was out with other dogs (staffie, mutt, lurched) that people reacted differently! Especially dog people. The staffie was 14 and missing a lot off teeth (looked like an old lady), people were dragging healthy young dogs away! She was shuffling along on a lead.
The only owner I judged was one who freaked out cause his bitch was in heat. I recalled and reassured that my dog was fixed but why would you bring your dog out in those circumstances. I know they need walked but surely you take precautions and go early or late. I dunno, just wasn’t sure how it was suddenly my responsibility.

I've a lab. People assume she's friendly - she is if she knows you but has no interest in strangers (human or canine) and isn't particularly amused when they invade her space uninvited. They can't understand why I won't allow kids to just lunge at her and wrap themselves around her neck.

Her brother (dad's dog) on the other hand is the stereotypical "worship me, human"-type lab.

parsley so do I and as they are such smiley looking dogs I have had to regularly peel toddlers off mine.
He’s friendly but can play rough ( thinks small humans are dogs ) So i prefer more controlled contact

I have a few! A rottie cross, a staffie and a chihuahua. I get comments about all of them. People normally cross the road for the rottie and staffie or give such a wide birth, when really they are the soppiest and most amazing dogs ever and are amazing with my 2 girls. The chihuahua I get comments for the opposite, he's a rescue (So is the staffie) he was in a house fire and also beaten by the man who looked after him after his owner died. Because of this he has trust issues and if anyone walks towards him (men mainly) with a little aggression then he freaks out and cries and will back out of his collar so I have to grab him quick as he will just run out of fear. So people obviously think I'm babying him when it's completely the opposite! Just amazing how judgemental some people are with dogs.
I also had this with my old rescue yorkie. He was 13 when we got him and he really did not like bigger dogs outside our house. So a few times when big dogs ran up to him to play I had to scoop him up as if not he would just hang off the their faces trying to attack them (I tried for ages to train it out of him) but people used to laugh and be like 'oh so protective of your little baby' then I had to explain but I don't think anyone ever believed me!

I had a shih Tzu many moons ago, he was the ultimate fluff ball with a cute but pathetic bark. Kids adored him & would run screaming at him...at which he would turn into a raving lunatic because it freaked him out. Parents used to tell me it was 'cute' 😡 Can guarantee that behaviour out of one of my ambulls for example would not be deemed cute regardless of the reason behind it!

I've got a Yorkie, complete with bows to keep his hair out of his eyes. Everyone wants to pet and cuddle him, he's usually good tempered and sweet. But with strange men it's a massive no go area.
I don't know why he hates them so much, no bad experiences and I've had him since he was 8 weeks old. He is currently awaiting the postman, his least favourite man, every morning the same routine
So yes I do feel a bit pre judged. Which is why I wouldn't approach any dog unless their owner said it was OK.

We have two boxers. Summer the older one is a rescue dog and is frightened of men. She has fear aggression and isn't the daft friendly clown most people associate boxers to be. Annie on the other hand is a proper wiggle butt and is everyone's best friend.

@Superman - See the thing is, the first thing I did at that picture is go AWWWWWW - then I went all wibbly inside. But that's because I too have a basset - I get the same type of attention when out with mine. She is adored by the public and we get so much attention it's like taking royalty out. I've been to public things with her like village fete's and fairs and had people want to photograph her etc. Luckily she's very calm and friendly but I can only imagine what a nightmare it would be if she wasn't. I can be out with more than 1 dog of various sizes, breeds etc but generally the public as a whole instantly homes in on my basset. I guess they look so sad and floppy and cuddly.

I have a chocolate Labrador and some people herd their kids away from her as if she's a dragon.

I had a staffie cross - he was smaller that a staffie and he was 12 when I got him and going grey and had a disabled back leg but yes still got lots of dark looks and people both with and without dogs crossing the road etc but I had to endure people with off-lead labs and retrievers bounding across and jumping all over him with his tiny body and bad leg and being told "Bonzo is just being friendly".
My dog was lovely to all animals and never reacted at all and my heart felt sad for him that poor old boy was misjudged and yet because they out of control dogs were seen as more "family friendly" dogs, I used to get crap if I said anything. The most gentle, loving, intelligent dog, RIP Axel I still miss you and shed a tear for you.

Jack russell. People have judged her as uncontrollable and yappy.

They're right, so ...

I have two perfectly lovely german shepherds. People either love them or hate them!
The GSD haters tend to grab their dogs in panic or cross the road.
People assume they are aggressive most places I go. Especially as dog2 loves barking in excitement to try and get dog1 to play

I judge people who buy dogs who can't breathe properly.

Staffie here too! Really hate how she and I both get treated most of the time. She's a proper barrel bodied stocky little staff...looks a bit like what I think Phil Mitchell would look like as a dog 😂😂

I can honestly say she is the softest dog I have ever had in my life! (I've had labs, german shepherds, full on mongrels and a couple of staffie crosses).

The staffies have been the most loyal, calm and good natured of the lot!

She is such a gorgeous girl, well trained and playful with excellent recall and it really pisses me off when people with their untrained dogs run riot in the park or people pre judge her.

I judge every breed as if they have a numpty owner, the other day an oversized lab came bounding over growling and tried to take a chunk out of one of my on lead, minding its own business dogs, "oh was that your dog growling?" Says numpty owner when she'd puffed up the hill, no yours I replied "oh I don't think so" she says just as hers went In for another pop all teeth and hackles! As she grabbed it she let out the usual line.... oh he's never done that before.
I love dogs but judge all owners as if they are idiots till they prove otherwise!

villanous Irish setters are the most beautiful of dogs.

I’m sure most people judge my chocolate Labrador as a daft, loving, food monster. They would be right, but she is lovely and slim because she is walked a lot every day and not indulged.

Greyhound. "I bet they need lots of exercise. Mmm, not really". Also "Shouldn't it have a muzzle?" No - he is well socialised and great with other dogs.

I have a Pomeranian puppy, she’s three months old but still absolutely tiny. I think some people judge me for having what they think is a teacup Pom, but she’s not, she’s from a family of quite large for the breed dogs, but for whatever reason she’s just a minuscule fluff ball.

I can’t walk her anywhere without getting a tonne of attention, sometimes she literally stops traffic. I’ve just got back from walking her, I took a back route and went to a quite church yard, it didn’t work, she had her picture taken (with my permission) four times, and a car stopped by us so a teen boy could come out to stroke her. Fortunately she’s incredibly friendly and loves the attention, if she wasn’t I could probably only walk her in the dead of night.

Yes - my dog looks so sweet and innocent with her big eyes and unbearably cute expression, that everyone wants to cuddle and fuss and coo over her.

Unfortunately she's anti social, fear aggressive and will bite, so it's a battle to run away from people itching to talk to her.

We walk in the dark at 6am.