Another ignorant person

[freakygoldfish]

I've been out of town for the last week and Harley stayed at the vet's office for boarding. When I went to pick him up today, one of the techs had a female rottie he and his wife had just adopted. There was also a FedEX guy there who decided he was a Rottie expert. A friend of his had owned two and he had watered and fed them a couple of times. This experience qualified him to give out unsolicited advice on the breed. According to him all rotties "change at around a year and a half" they then become "mean and protective." I informed him that Harley is now 4 and his personality never changed b/c of the time I put into training. It amazes me that someone who has never done a bit of breed research or even owned the breed themselves would freely offer their opinions as fact. It 's no different than me giving out advice on rebuilding a carburator based on the sole fact that I've driven a car.

[Nishasmom]

Originally Posted by freakygoldfish

According to him all rotties "change at around a year and a half" they then become "mean and protective." I informed him that Harley is now 4 and his personality never changed b/c of the time I put into training.

Maybe Harley is just a late bloomer !

I was at the vet the other day...I nonchalantly walked up to the counter to check in, and I hear a shrill scream. I look over and see a customer huddeling behind the check in counter with her ill-mannered boxer. When I look at her she says "please keep your dog away...I don't want your dog to bite me"...all the while Nisha is in a down-stay. I look at her boxer who is hacking up a storm (b/c it is pulling on the lead) and say "I don't want your dog to bite me either!". She starts laughing...obviously embarrassed and keeps hinting that she thinks my dog is suddenly going to lunge at her (trying to joke about it, but obviously worried) ...I mean, who's dog is acting crazy here?? Isn't she aware that many people consider boxers 'dangerous'...how would she feel if someone treated her that way?? Anyways...I totally agree, I am sick of ignorant people !

[MarleysMama]

I am so sorry that happened to the two of you...I experienced something similiar to that..a woman was at the vet waiting with a chihiuha (sp) and her little dog would have KILLED mine if she could! LOL. It was the nastiest little thing I have ever seen in my life! LOL. Marley just sat there and literally put his head in his paws, as if to say "ohey"! LOL

Then on our next visit, we encountered a woman with a 92 pound pitbull who weighed more than she did....and it lunged at MY dog...all while Marley was laying down!

If it had been any other breed of dog, I know somehow Marley would have been the one who was blamed....but the people in the room already were making faces at the lady with the pitbull....and I felt sorry for her and her dog b/c I know what that feels like...but then I realized it was because he dog was indeed out of control....which did nothing more than to feed the assumption that these breeds are dangerous and out of control.....

[chicatropical]

A good friend of mine from NY entered the elevator of her building with her (overly loving and friendly) pittbull and a mother came out of it with a stroller and her baby in it. The dog sniffed on the babys head and my friend pulled him back cause he was going to lick the babys head. A day later the woman went to the manager of the building saying that the pittbull lunged at her baby... I am not a huge pittbull fan, but I know where this comes from and it makes me sick.

I have come to a point, when I receive an ignorant comment or opinion I just say something worse back at that person... actually they were asking for it, weren´t they?

[SABELLESMOM]

Well, you can make points for the breed rather than against it. I ran into an old friend at the vets. He was coming out of the exam rooms back into the waiting area, carrying the smallest little mini-Pinscher puppy you ever saw!

Rave saw a bit of black and tan peeking out, as I spoke with Tony. She ever so delicately raised herself up balancing on her hind legs. The office girls did the "Awwwww..." and called others from the back to see this gentle huge monster gingerly investigating a mini-Pin!

She literaly balanced! Never set a toe on Tony or me. She thought the pup way just darling, and the cutest little thing she'd ever seen! By then at least 3 vets and the regular vet techs were all watching.

It was absolutely fabulous! What a feeling!

One vet said, "Dang! Those hips are good!"

No, you'll probably never convince that mother with the stroller... Her mind was already made up. But you can get someone sometime, somewhere. Little by little, yo chip away at the prejudice.

[MarleysMama]

What a sweet baby you have!!!!!

I love stories like that :)

[Meegs]

I know own a 6 month old girl and she is great but when I was growing up we had a male rotti and he was a bog teddy bear, people questioned my parents about having a rotti with small kids but he wouldnt have hurt a fly..its all about the upbringing! When our boy was about 5 years old we got a jack russel pup, she bossed him around from day one! one day our jack russel went missing (we have a large rural section with lots of exploring space) and we were all looking for her for days. We thought she was gone...but our rotti came to the house all muddy and barking which he never used to do so my dad followed him and led him to our puppy who had got stuck in a rabbit whole..he had tried to dig her our. My mu also got lost in the bush once, about 8 hours later my rotti had found her and led her home. they are amazing dogs.

when i walk my baby now (6month old) people walk off the pathway and go around me as if she is going to lunge out and attack!! sooo rediculous.

[zorro13]

Oh heck, everyone's a rottie expert these days, even those who have never owned one.

I remember one time leaving a pet store, the person in front of me had a very well-behaved and friendly rottie with him. On his way out the door, a family of 4 was also coming in, the father of that four put out his arms to shield his family and shoved them back up against a wall. I started laughing at him saying as I passed "way too much drama you got there dude, way too much drama" What a twit.

[JoJo]

I started laughing at him saying as I passed "way too much drama you got there dude, way too much drama" What a twit.

That's funny. The first thing that came to my mind was, "hey this guy thinks he has more gonads then the dog, that is until that mean bad dog lunges at him, then what? RUN FOREST, RUN!!!

People just need to be educated (the key word here) and by having a well trained, well behaved dog in the presents of these fools, it will help change people's minds. It's all in the pudding.

[GWFJR]

Yep! I can attest; ALL of those negative remarks and misjudjements to one degree or the other have happened to me over the past 25 years. BUT I will say that there are more and more positive comments coming over the past few years. And I can honestly say that the 4 Rotts I've had have changed many minds in a good way. But you'll never affect those with chronic ignorance, so I don't bother. They are going to report ANY incident the way THEY want to have it heard.
PS: This latest Female likes to stand on her back legs as well. Even when she barks! So funny!
Only one I've had that looks down on her food bowl as I'm carrying it through the house!

[GWFJR]

"My mu also got lost in the bush once"

Would that be "Emu"?

[Meegs]

haha no sorry it was actually "mum"....dont even ask how that happened

[Dieselpup]

Well, I had a different experience today.

I took Busta to the beach. He peed on every tree between the car and the shoreline, and at one point kicked sand in my shoes as he scratched behind him to "cover" his scent. Anyway. I put him in a sit/stay while I balanced myself against my mom and removed my shoe to clean it off.

A guy saw me and came over to make conversation. He was so sweet (the human, that is). I propped my foot on a rock to tie my laces with Busta still in a sit/stay, and the guy tied the laces for me. At that moment a stray dog appeared on the beach, and Busta's been traditionally "dog aggressive," but he remained in his stay. I'm glad to have had the extra hand if need be incase Busta decided to charge after the dog.

Anyway, the point I'm making is that this guy wasn't afraid to come near me with this huge black and tan monster at my side. After he tied my laces he petted Busta. So sweet.

I saw another couple on the beach. The lady--an American tourist commented that it's the largest dog she's seen in Jamaica (she obviously doesn't get around very much). They were intrigued by Busta and the fact that he was trained, but the wouldn't pat him. Oh well...

But yes, I've come across a few ignoramuses. A few months back I was in a parking lot waiting in my car. Busta was in the back seat, sitting like a perfect passenger. A guy pulls up beside me and says, "Lady, yu no 'fraid the dawg turn on you." He then proceeded to tell me that these types of dogs turn on their owners. I did a bit of explaining that such behavior is possible with virtually any dog without proper training, socializing and breeding (not necessariily in that order)

[Janus'sMom]

The best ignorant story I can remember happening was a few months ago. I had Janus with me at the pet store "Kennel Corner". There was alot of people there. And Janus being his cute adorable little puppy self had all this attention. Then a few (3 or 4) people in wheel chairs showed up, they obviously were mentally or just really physically handicapped. They had some other people with them (not sure what to call them, assistances maybe? They all had the same "work" shirts on.) I saw this as a perfect opportunity to introduce Janus to more people as well as having him close to the wheel chairs. So I asked the "assistances" if it would be ok if Janus met everyone. She then asked me "Won't he bite them?" I started laughing and with a reply "Of course he bites, on bones, his food, and squeeky toys. But the worse part about his mouth is the tongue that's kept inside, he can't hold his licker." Atleast a few people standing around got a chuckle out of it, and yes he did get to meet everyone and gave lots of kisses. He had no prolems with being around the wheel chairs. After they got their turn, they turned their chairs around to move for the next person. Janus didn't freak out, I was so happy!

The last person he met in the group was a little girl (maybe around 11yrs old) who didn't have propper function of her arms, but absalutely insisted to pet him and give him a hug. I had to pick Janus up for her to pet him cause she couldn't quite reach him from her seat belt holding her in her chair. Dispite the fact that Janus was about 55lbs, I squatted next to the girl and held Janus for a good 30 minutes for her. He sat still for the first 20 minutes or so all the while slobbering all over her arm and making her laugh and giggle, then he wanted out of my arms and on her lap, which I wasnt allowing ( he needed a nail trim, and he doesn't belong on anyone's lap). She asked to give him a hug, and I was reluctant cause I remembered reading how dogs don't like hugs, but said yes anyway. So I grabbed at dog bed off the shelf and placed it on her lap and gently placed him on the bed. I thought he was gonna slobber her to death, but nope, he sat perfectly still (you would have thought he was a stuffed animal). She hugged him and told him what a good boy he was, and he sat there for a good 4 minutes, then turned and gave her a ginger little lick on the cheak and started thumping his tail and she started laughing even more. Her mom thanked me and told me she hasn't seen her daughter laugh and smile like that in almost a year since they had their basset pts. Nothing could have ruined my day from that point on, just knowing how much happiness Janus was able to bring to a little girl and her mom.

Sorry it was a long story, but it was worth the typing to me, hope it was worth the read for you.

[Shane]

That's a great story, Janus'sMom!