Dumb Things Strangers Do to Dogs

DougB

 There actually are mini cattle.  Current breeds have been bred up in size. So there is work for mini herders.

Oh, please.  Mini Aussies are nothing but some breeder's idea of how to part people from their money, notwithstanding the existence of mini cattle.  The reason so many of them are in rescue is that the traits that make Aussies fine stock dogs are the same traits that make them difficult to own as pets.  Just because you miniaturize something doesn't make all those traits go away.  The fact is, many mini's end up in shelters dead, or in rescue, because some idiot thought they were "cute" (after all, they're supposed to be smart, and oh those beeeauti-full coat colors...) and didn't research the breed. 

I cringe when I hear people talk about "doodles" one guy came up and started explaining all about the "labradoodle" in Misha's obedience class. I wanted to tell him that they were not, in fact, a breed. Another guy with a group of therapy dogs had a "goldendoodle" but was much less matter-of-fact about it. Sure, both his dogs' parents were "doodles" but he didn't say they were ALL hypoallergenic, non-shedding, just that his was.

Something kind of funny that happened to Misha the other day, we ran into a couple at Petsmart who have had shy dogs before and Misha was being really good while I talked to them. And then one said the the other, "You're not supposed to look at them" to which she responded, "I know, but he's just so gorgeous!"

Same trip though we had two people who seemed to be working with the adoption event. Both were older children, probably in their teens (okay, maybe one was an older child and one was a young adult...) but they both approached me to ask about Misha. Misha still has serious problems with being approached. He's just fine walking by people, and he can now cope with being near lots of action, but approach him, hand out, and he'll be at the other end of his leash in no time flat. Well, we told these people that he was shy, and they wandered off. The older guy later pointed and laughed when Misha shrank back from a child reaching out at him, and the girl found us again later in the store and STILL tried to approach Misha and pet him, after I told her he was shy, and she probably couldn't get close to him. (She couldn't, I let him go away from her and sit down, then had him do a little trick to show me he was capable of thinking, then we left that area.)

 I'm not arguing with you.  I just looked at an ad for a registered cockapoo. And a mini cow is still about 500 lbs.

 This happened today.

 Neighbor: You're taking him out again? You just took him out.

Hello. He's a puppy, puppies need to be taken out to go to the bathroom. Like it's any of his business to begin with.

Pat Person

I'm strolling along at Riverwalk, a kind of laid-back art show in the park, with my Sheltie. A kid, about 8 or 9?, runs up and grabs for Shiloh, who is a reserved sort of girl. I say, "Please don't pet the dog. She doesn't like it." (Well, actually, she does, but after a proper introduction.) Kid ignores me, tries to grab dog again. I say, "Stop! Leave the dog alone!" while putting out my arm to block him. Shiloh by now has backed as far away as she can get. Kid PUSHES MY ARM AWAY, still trying to dodge around me to get at the dog. I scoop up Shiloh and turn my back to keep him away. Now the kid's mother intervenes. "Oh, it's OK," she says. "He loves dogs."

....Are you serious? Way to teach your kid some manners, not. Poor pup. :-/ 

Overheard today.

Idiot: "look the dog's tail is wagging.  That means it's happy.  All dogs are happy when they wag their tails."

Pet peeve: kids running up to Maghee who was reactive to stangers.  All I wanted to do was to take her for a walk to get her used to the town & things around town not to fend off snot nosed, ill trained varmits.

gradyupmybutt

Overheard today.

Idiot: "look the dog's tail is wagging.  That means it's happy.  All dogs are happy when they wag their tails."

Pet peeve: kids running up to Maghee who was reactive to stangers.  All I wanted to do was to take her for a walk to get her used to the town & things around town not to fend off snot nosed, ill trained varmits.

Ugh I hate when people assume every time a dog wags its tail, it's happy. *Facepalm*  Oh it's teeth are bared and its staring me down, but oh its wagging its tail it LOVES me.

Aw poor Maghee. :-/ 

Pat Person

I never know what to say at times like this. Or rather, I never know what to say that won't start World War III!

Hahaha, rest assurred that no matter what you say, it's bound to insult someONE.  It's the internet afterall. :)

 I think ive experiened the majority of these scenarios.  People ALWAYS come running up to Diesel when they see him, kids wrap around his neck, adults get in his face for "kisses"....fortunately hes probably the worlds most social butterfly of an akita, but he IS a 130 lb MALE AKITA!  but all the general uninformed public sees is "ooh a big fluffy puppy!"  geez...

Other than those topics mentioned, most of mine are breed related...people will argue about Tessa- that they/someone they know/etc "had dobermans that looked just like her, so whats the difference?"

 Well if you have short, heavy set doberman with square heads, tails, extra toes, and fuzzy coats, you had some pretty UGLY doberman!  I understand when she was a puppy maybe, but geez not now!  

 I had someone tell me when Halo was a puppy that she would have bad hips when she was older "Because shes a GSD, and ALL gsd's have hip problems!"  I assured him that her parents as well as many generations back had had their hips screened for any problems and all had turned out all right.  He just shrugged and walked away!  I mean really, if all GSD had hip problems, why would so many people invest so much time and money into training them for so many jobs?

Concerning my wife's Guide. 

Mother to her child:

" It's OK to go pet that dog because that woman is blind and can't see you." Umm...yeah....her ears dont work, either. Right.

To those who always do the "Oh, but I just looooove doggies, so you wont mind if I pet your guide, do you?", my wife responds (with my permission, of course) "Well, my husband just loves breasts, so you wont mind if he fondles yours (or your wifes, depending on who is talking), do you?" Works most of the time.

Dogleadme

Concerning my wife's Guide. 

Mother to her child:

" It's OK to go pet that dog because that woman is blind and can't see you." Umm...yeah....her ears dont work, either. Right.

To those who always do the "Oh, but I just looooove doggies, so you wont mind if I pet your guide, do you?", my wife responds (with my permission, of course) "Well, my husband just loves breasts, so you wont mind if he fondles yours (or your wifes, depending on who is talking), do you?" Works most of the time.

 

 What the heck? Some people are so stupid! Your wife sounds awesome though, haha! 

aDorkable

I just remembered something that was really weird with the therapy dogs they had here the other day. One woman has a Vizsla, and I asked if that's what she was. The woman said, kind of snottily, "Yes. How do you know that?" So I told her about the dog forum briefly. Later her not very sociable dog snapped at someone who was petting her. She was nothing like I imagine Vizslas based on stories about Joker or Rupert, but she was really gorgeous.

 Definitely therapy dog material right there. Both the owner and the dog. :P