how do you handle breed discrimination?

i agree Dog_ma. i prefer caution to reckless abandon when it comes to my dogs....

if these people are afraid of these types of dogs then that means they'll avoid them at all cost. i dont want just anyone falling in love with my breed.... simply because they are sweet and cute. tigers are sweet and cute too!!

No i'm not fond of fearfulness and terror but thankfully i havent met anyone like that when my dogs are around. one woman, a nurse at the hospital when i had my first son, had a frightened expression when i told her i had a bulldog waiting for us at home. the conversation was something like

me "cant wait to get home! no telling what my dog has destroyed! laugh out loud"

nurse laughing too "does she like kids?"

me "yep, loooooves kids! such a big baby sitter"

nurse " awww! what breed is she?"

me " American Bulldog"

nurse "Oh my GOD! with a baby??"

dog_ma, that's funny how people told you RRs were aggressive! I've only heard that one time. But, they are very popular around this area...especially with horse people. At one point there were 6 at the dog park!

I don't know, i don't necessarily want people running up to my dogs, but i do take them a whole lot of places, and it would be nice for once for people to be more receptive. Sometimes i wonder if it's because Kaiser is almost as big as me... 

I think "discrimination" is just ignorance/frustraition/fear; one of those three.

I've always said, and always tell people, "it's the great owner that makes the great dog." Take my own dog for example. People always ask me what type of dog Kayla is then say "I'm going to get one of THOSE dogs! they are so well behaved." I'm quick to correct them by saying KAYLA is well behaved not "Pomeranians." It takes a lot of good socializing & affection to keep a well behaved Pom like mine. It seems to me like people are in search for that "easy dog" but really there is no such thing. People need to focus on whether or not a dog fits their lifestyle verses saying which ones are good or bad.

Also, I think it is important to know the steriotypes/discriminations about your breed. This way you can be aware of comments that might fly at you and help to educate people better about the breed. With my own dog I have changed so many people's opinions about Pomeranians; everyone else should do the same with their dog.

you got it in one Pom..... people are searching for easy.... its the generation we live in. fast cheap and easy and dont confuse me with the facts!

thats the reason so many end up in shelters... or BACK in shelters... oh sure people have the right idea to adopt and rescue an unwanted pet. but they dont seem to consider the fact that the dog is in there because someone else failed, not because the dog is unable to be trained. once they get Scruffy home, and after he soaks the house and shreds the bedroom they realise its not as easy as it looks! and back he goes to wait for someone else to take pity on him.

when i see people being dragged by their dogs i just want to kick their kneecaps out.. i know.... first impressions dont always mean everything. but thats just my reaction. because dogs are my life it didnt take me long to realise you cant judge an entire breed by the few that you've met. i've met some NICE chows and Akitas and some really NASTY collies and hounds.. so i just say dont judge the book by its cover.
 

There is breed discrimination for every single breed.  Period.  We have all had to deal with it.  I actually find most of the breed discrimination right here on this very forum.  From other dog owners who then say their breed is discriminated against.  Kind of funny really.

 Pomeranian, I have that same problem when people meet my dogs!  They end up saying they are getting a Chihuahua, because look at how mine are.  Yes, well, it is the daily socializing, re-arranging my life to provide the best care and exercise for my dogs that keeps them this way.  The last thing I want is for most of these people to run out and get a Chihuahua!  Yikes!!!!

Me - I love all breeds of dogs and mutts too!  It is wonderful that there are so many choices of breed out there that can fit virtually any lifestyle and climate!  If I lived in a snowy area I am pretty certain I'd get an Eskie, Husky or something of that nature.  I rescued a GSD that I was IN LOVE with, but ended up finding her owners (much to the relief of my cats who have since passed, but never lived with dogs before).  There are so many wonderful breeds and mixes that one man's undesired trait is another man's pot of gold!

Oh yes....we own the "big black scarey dog" in the neighborhood. Which is fine by me....lol. I know he's friendly, and a big old goof, and to him thats all that matters. Now, people who know labs aren't afraid of him and thats really the people I want him around. My fiancee goes away a couple weeks out of the year, and just knowing alot of people are scared of Apollo makes me feel a little more secure being alone....But, if they did ever break in he'd probably lick them to death! But, Shhhh! They don't know that!

kelliope

I actually find most of the breed discrimination right here on this very forum.  From other dog owners who then say their breed is discriminated against.  Kind of funny really.

So basically you think i'm being discriminatory? now that's funny!  

I didn't say anything about you being discriminatory.  I wasn't speaking about you personally.  Sorry if it sounded like that - I guess I can see how you would think that.

 I said I see it on here often.  For my toy dogs I often hear it from people who have big dogs that also have dealt with breed discrimination.  And yes, I find it funny that the very people who have dogs that more typically you would think of as being discriminated against are the very ones who make derogatory comments about small dogs. 

BlackLabbie

Oh yes....we own the "big black scarey dog" in the neighborhood. Which is fine by me....lol. I know he's friendly, and a big old goof, and to him thats all that matters. Now, people who know labs aren't afraid of him and thats really the people I want him around. My fiancee goes away a couple weeks out of the year, and just knowing alot of people are scared of Apollo makes me feel a little more secure being alone....But, if they did ever break in he'd probably lick them to death! But, Shhhh! They don't know that!

thats how i see it. i would rather people think my dogs are ruthless and know they arent. well.... ok i take that back.. they CAN be ruthless but only if provoked. you dont just stand over a bulldog and say something stupid like "She wont bite huh??" and then glare at the dog.... i had that happen once and Kaydee nearly ate the guy's face. he learned a lesson and so did i. Kaydee has enormous self control. if she had wanted him she could have had him. i'm strong but wasnt THAT strong that day....  i'm really very proud of her. if you're nice then so is she.

i havent seen too many people diss the little dogs unless they had an encounter with one that charged their big dogs.

We try to take everything in stride. I know there are people who are not going to like my dogs due to the media based mass hysteria. I Usually try to educate them and if they are still stuck in their ways I have to just walk away. I can only take so much criticism about the dogs I love before I explode. Mostly though it doesn't really matter what they think anyway, I love my dogs for who they are. Not everyone will have an open mind but I always try to give a little bit of knowledge for them to mull over later. Alot of people don't even realize my dogs are APBT's they think "Pit bulls" are big massive dogs you see on T.V. Besides can you not fall for these faces and silly antics?

your dogs are beautiful!!

What I think is funny is when people like to point out to me that once they knew someone who knew someone who's cousin had a German Shepherd that bit someone or growled at someone, like I'm going all the sudden go "OMG, thanks for telling me!  Now I'll ditch my dog!"  I just tell them that a GSD bit me in the face when I was 3 and they are still my favorite breed.

you could give them that reaction and only be sarcastic about it i know i would!  

when DH was a kid his family had a massive GSD mix with a reputation(he never actually bit a person but he came close a time or two)... being a military family they travelled a bit and often had company. one evening with guests over.. one man sorta new to the club was admiring their dog and thought it was neat how the dog was just sitting there licking the guy from wrist to elbow. He pointed it out to my DH's dad.. and he said "Oh yeah, Miki alway's cleans his food before he eats it" ... which caused the guy to snatch his arm away in alarm....

DumDog

you could give them that reaction and only be sarcastic about it i know i would!  

 

when DH was a kid his family had a massive GSD mix with a reputation(he never actually bit a person but he came close a time or two)... being a military family they travelled a bit and often had company. one evening with guests over.. one man sorta new to the club was admiring their dog and thought it was neat how the dog was just sitting there licking the guy from wrist to elbow. He pointed it out to my DH's dad.. and he said "Oh yeah, Miki alway's cleans his food before he eats it" ... which caused the guy to snatch his arm away in alarm....

My Dad used to that with my dogs when I was young.. I always had Lab/Wolf/Chow mixes that looked like Labs but had the muscle mass and attitude of the wolf and chows so when ever he had company over, he had fun with my dogs.. They were friendly as all heck but if pushed they would fight back. But with company we let in, they just wanted to play. Lol. It was entertaining on my half cuz I'm the one that trained them all so I knew the personalities and quirks... 

Well I'm not gonna lie, when it comes to dogs...I'm very argue-mentive. I don't judge dogs by breed I judge individual dogs. I'm not exaggerating when I say I love every single breed out there that I've met. I think they all have there own unique look and personality but there is some dogs out there I just don't like, but I have my reasons. Either because they're mean, they were mean to my dog, they hurt someone or they just wont shut there mouthes. I myself am particularly fond of those "bad breeds". In the fall I was looking into getting a Rottie or a Pittie, and when neighbors and friends found out I got the weirdest looks. "Why would you want a dog that kills other dogs and is trained to fight and blah blah blahhh". I was horrified and argued with EVERYONE till I finally realized that these people are judgmental losers who obviously don't know anything about dogs.

I never got a Pittie or a Rottie but settled on yet another Lab. Being a Lab owner, I can honestly say I've only had 1 person who's criticized me having one, in person. I've talked to people on forums who don't like Labs, but in person only one. My moms friend got a new little "t-cup" Yorkie and was going on and on how he's AKC registered and how she's gonna breed him and when she brought him over she made us lock my dog up in his crate. She said "I use to have a Lab and they're overactive, territorial, jealous dogs." I just rolled my eyes and said well "t-cup" Yorkies aren't even a breed so good luck getting people to buy your "show quality" puppies. I started getting a little nasty but then I just figured it wasn't worth it and I stopped. I realized the only people that judge breeds are people who are mean, jealous, uneducated dog owners, who shouldn't have a dog to begin with.