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?

"So why were they renamed as German shepherds then ArgyMary?"

They weren't they were renamed as alsatians...

"Also, can you tell me why my friend’s Belgium shepherd is called a shepherd? Cos he’s never seen a sheep in his life"

Most pet collies have never seen a sheep, still a herding breed, most golden and Labrador retrievers don't retrieve game...

But it's what they were originally bred for...

I had a rescue pug, sadly she is no longer with us. She died from a genetic disease called necrotising meningoencephalitis (formerly known as pug dog encephalitis) at age 5. People would come up and coo and fawn over her and say how much they wanted a pug, we received very little judgement. I will be honest though and say I did actively try to put them off. They are wonderful dogs, I miss Lolly every day but they do suffer with some pretty horrendous health problems and it does the dogs no good to sugar coat that, whilst you do get healthier pugs who aren't beset by eye issues or BOAS there are a huge number of dogs who do suffer, daily, just to breathe, a basic function of life, pinch your nostrils practically shut and run around and see how long you can do it. It's not nice.

My pug never had any eye issues her breathing was ok, not brilliant but better than a lot of pugs I've met and then one day her immune system turned on her brain, causing seizures that were verging on uncontrollable. A direct result of indiscriminate inbreeding. I would always encourage people, who really want a pug and everything that comes along with them, to rescue rather than buy. And get insurance.

Well there's an obvious reason why Alsatians were re-named German Shepherds. And it's not because they're all looking after sheep

As other people have pointed out, German Shepherd’s were renamed Alsatians due to the German association after the war

Also, can you tell me why my friend’s Belgium shepherd is called a shepherd? Cos he’s never seen a sheep in his life

Sorry, I’m not sure if you’re trolling??

It’s the name of the BREED.
My German shepherd has never been to Germany but she’s still called a German shepherd German Shepherd’s are part of the shepherd dogs - they were once used (and sometimes still are in places) to herd sheep.

LittleRedWagon
I’m glad to hear that you’re getting on well with your Dobie. I remember you posting when she was a puppy. Mine is 2 now, is well trained & starting to calm down. It does all come together!

People seem to think my Border Collie is permanently manic and snappy, he spends most of his day comatose on my feet and has done since he was tiny. He also takes himself off to bed at about 10 with a disgusted look at the dirty stop out adults.
On walks he can be bouncy but generally mooches sniffing out left over tennis balls, if you throw the ball for him then he shows his breed characteristics.

Yes we have Alaskan Malamutes and a Doberman both seem to instil fear in people. In all honesty you would more likely die from inhaling too much Malamute fur or from coughing up a fur ball

Yep staffie here. People cross the street to get away from us. The most lethal thing about her is her farts.

No, not trolling, just interested in the reason that was referred to by ArgyMary.

TBH I think that people are being unrealistic to e.g. expect people to Not judge a dog that is muzzled, of course people are going to judge that, even if your reasons for muzzling aren't the standard ones.

Similarly if certain breeds are routinely used for certain purposes i.e. GSD's being used by the police etc people will attribute certain characteristics to them.

I wouldn't cross a road to avoid any specific breed of dog but there are definitely dogs I would never own or seek to own such as Staffies which do have a reputation for being dog aggressive and I have never yet met one which wasn't.

And while on the whole I would judge the owner of a dog for not keeping it properly under control, there is also an element of breed involved because if you e.g. Buy a Rottweiler which you don't keep under control the implications of that can be immense compared to if you have a poodle which you don't control.

I saw it was a Sighthound
I have greyhounds and sadly I've heard this judgement so many times. Mine are on lead, but not muzzled because they're incredibly friendly to everyone and everything and they would never come back if I called them. Boydog adores children, will do anything for a cuddle, and Girldog I the same with other dogs, large and small. Sadly ontop of the comments about exercise others have already mentioned I get so many people assume they will be snappy because they're sighthounds.
Different all together but if you were at a Christmas market today with a Great Dane, thankyou for letting my toddler stroke him when she was sat in her pram pointing and shouting doggy, you made her day!

Cactus you are correct, japanese tosa which is a banned breed is a fighting dog.

Mis, a Japanese Akita, the offical dog of japan, was used in the forsets of Japan to hunt Bears and Boars, which threatened the local areas. A very ill informed individual would own one and class it as a fighting dog! You only have to watch Hatchi a dogs tale to get an understanding into the breed. Very gentle giants.

Can I judge the parent on the next table outside a cafe who watched PestDog be leash reactive to at least 5 (tbh, probably more; this was the early days) dogs and then wanted to let her 18 month old child stroke him without asking first? Yes, I know he's fine with kids, you really don't.

PestDog doesn't get much pre judgement as he's a mutt, but sometimes he really earns the judgement he does get

Akitas and Old English sheepdogs are the two breeds I'm wary of - purely because of bad experiences.

An Akita attacked my dog and an OES bit me (despite me doing everything "right" - I asked permission, the owner said yes and got the dog to sit. I heard the growl and started to withdraw my hand but wasn't quick enough).

Fairfax, i have an Akita and we are wary of Labradors due to me getting six stiches and my dog being bitten, I agree people's experiences do affect how they view breeds. However, i do think the media are quick to report incidents with certain breeds they like to demonise. When ALL breeds are capable of attacking someone, and the ones that are found to attack the most are never mentioned. A labrador recently bit off a childs nose and cheek and it wasn't reported, if it had been another type of dog I can imagine the comments.

Madbengalmum speaking as someone who works in the media I don't think that the media demonise any breed at all.**

Proportionately certain breeds do more damage when they turn and that makes it more newsworthy - a chi bite probably wouldn't make the news because it would likely be a skin break at most, but a dobie his more power behind it and would like maim or even kill.**
It's a cause and effect - the same thing happens with mental illness (my dissertation was mental health in the media) where mental health gets linked to criminality because solicitors tend to use it as mitigation, perpetuating a negative stereotype.**

Fairfax, I hope you can help clarify please as to why then do the media A. Often report falsehoods about breeds, ie calling a breed a fighting dog,when they aren't and B. Report a child being badly injured by one breed but not another?

Because we are not experts in 100% of fields it's as simple as that.
I'd, say, the police describe it as such then as they are considered an "authoritative source" the term would be used by someone who didn't know any better.

And please don't say "they should research more" - a) often you are speaking to someone with many years experience, you couldn't learn the same in a day. And b) News staff are cut to the bone - we are FOI g more with fewer resources than ever before.

As for your point B - we can only report on what we know about.
We may find out about an attack from Breed A but not breed B. Personally I've reported on a few attacks, not all or stereotypical aggressive breeds.

"speaking as someone who works in the media I don't think that the media demonise any breed at all."

Ha...

Look at the photos used in reports on dog attacks, collie or lab it's a pretty standard stock photo, sitting or standing doing nothing much, staffy then they use one of a snarling staffy, don't know the breed, snarling staffy...run a campaign against dangerous dogs, oh look snarling staffy.

Can't say I have ever done such a thing.
But talking of pre-judgement...

I'm terrified of ALL dogs. Saw a family friendly "oooh he wouldn't hurt a fly" dog, bite someone's lip OFF.

If that dog could, any dog could.

I make a point of clapping every Staffie I see and their owners are delighted.

Same here Completely. Don't have a staffie now, but have had four in the past - they are wonderful dogs, and you will not get a better house dog. Intelligent, affectionate, talkative, full of fun. They can be boisterous, but are not aggressive unless they are taught to be.

But people used to pull their dogs - and their children away. I got comments like "That effing thing should be put down" "They're dangerous" "All of them should be banned" etc. And this was when I was walking my dog on leash.

My dogs have only ever fought when they have been attacked - they never started a fight, but they did finish a few. Unfortunately there are some breeds, staffies among them, and it doesn't matter which dog started the fight, it is the staffs fault. My last girl was attacked by two fox terriers - they trapped her against a fence and she had to fight back (she was a 6 month puppy at the time). She knocked seven bells out outhouse two dogs, and the owner went crackers at ME, for keeping a dangerous dog etc.

When we lost her to cancer, DH refused to have another because he was sick of the abuse when the dog hadn't done anything more than stand quietly. Like you, I make a fuss of any staffie I meet - and the owners are pathetically grateful for a kind word.

They will always be the dog of my heart.

This thread is really making me miss our staffy girl

She was the most wonderful dog. We had different breeds of dogs growing up and I’ve never known any like her.

She is the only dog I would hands down trust with my dc (not leave with them alone obviously - not an idiot, but I wasn’t ‘scared’ iykwim)

Same here Sugarnut

"Can't say I have ever done such a thing.
But talking of pre-judgement..."

I have no clue what you've done or not, but the press as a group definitely do choose very specific stock photos depending on the breed, it's very obvious if you're compiling them for any reason. That wasn't why I was looking at them, it was just too obvious to miss.