"I have a German Shepherd and I'm sorry"

Well, at least you had fun!!!

I know I did reading this

I need that shirt too just needs to say gsd/husky mix instead and no he is not a wolf.

Your walks sound basically like our walks when ever anyone down the street see us walking they make a bee line to get off the road to get away from us, people pick up their little dogs them try to shield them if they walk by us or go to the other side of the street, and the ones that are walking their dog will take their dog off the street we are on. I make sure if I see someone walking our way I do what you do with Kenya the same thing yet still do the same thing. What is worse is when they go pet Blue then ask me what breed of dog as soon as I say german shepherd mix they pull their hand back then they think Blue is going to bite because he was startled by their actions. Oh no they didn't do anything wrong it had to be the dog.

 

 

 

I have to cross the street when I'm walking Penny and we see another dog because she goes so completely nuts, growling and barking and lunging. She is little and I always worry that people think I'm afraid of their larger dogs, but it is because of my dog that I feel like I have to cross the street. Luckily we are having great success with the gentle leader, so I hope not to have to do this much longer. Course now I have people thinking she's muzzled....

I am scared to death of german shepherd's. No need to apolgize for owning one. They are gorgeous dogs and I love seeing them with a good handler from afar. But I cross the street if I see one, especially if it is pulling it's owner. I am scared of almost all big dogs. I cross, not because I hate them- because i don't..but because I am afraid. Don't apologize by any means, but don't feel hurt because I cross the street. it's nothing against your particular dog. more of something against the one that took a hunk out of my leg when I was a kid. Of couse I know not all GS do that to kids. But my racing panicing heart does not care what my logical brain tells it. I'm scared of dogs, it's a fact of my life...and there are tons of others who feel the same way. We love that you have your dog, we just want to steer clear of it.

get used to it girl! haha. Someone freaked out yesterday in a PET STORE because i was letting Kaiser sniff their sheltie...plus, imagine me walking Kaiser...he's like a monster size GSD (92 lbs yesterday, and i think he's like 27-28" at the shoulder) and he's black and wears a gentle leader (muzzle!!!). You'd think i was walking a rabid lion!!

I guess the attitude against GSDs doesn't shock me anymore.....Poodles actually scare the crap out of me, as I took a bite when I was nine, and still have the scar on my hand. Maybe, I shouldn't say scare....but I have an extreme dislike for that breed.....

snownose

I guess the attitude against GSDs doesn't shock me anymore.....Poodles actually scare the crap out of me, as I took a bite when I was nine, and still have the scar on my hand. Maybe, I shouldn't say scare....but I have an extreme dislike for that breed.....

I'm scared of standard poodles too. :blushing: I guess it's weird I am on this board...but I love reading about dogs. I'm just scared of any dog that is stronger than me. Once I get to know them very well...I am fine. But I don't like to meet strange dogs unless that are being very well handled by their owners.

as a pitbull owner you have to deal with the breed specific stigma anywhere you go, its really annoying but thats part of owning a bully breed in a big,congested metropolitan area i guess. usually dog owners or dog savvy people are not an issue(accept lax,irresponsible owners) .

I went through the same thing with Timber. he was a very large GSD. now I am going through the same thing with Lizzy who is a 35 lb shep mix. people are strange. I have always been a GSD lover and whenever I see one I will ask if I can pet it.

I feel for you, even though we are in the city, we do not have most of those issue's. Kord and I walk early and I avoid the sidewalk where the houses are, I actually only have to physically walk past about 10 houses and then I am on Churchill Downs Property. It is a mile and half from my door to the end of their last gate, we hit that and turn around, most of this path is over grass, no sidewalk.

He loves this because he has can get his nose so deep into the grass and he has tons of scents and sounds to deal with, the track is active at 6am, horses, people, cars. And alot of people walk their dogs over this area. We hardly run into anyone or any other dogs for that matter. If I do see people I either move him to a place that is interesting or cross the street to avoid. While he is leary of people, dogs do not phase him at all. Horse either for that matter. I guess he thinks they are just really big dogs.

For the evening or afternoon potty breaks he uses the fenced in yard.

I understand completely.  Up until this week, I've been living in a small apartment with two dobes, so long walks/runs were a must.  The sidewalks would clear, & people acted as if the dogs would attack if they got closer than 15 feet from us.  Strange? yes, but unfortunately, it's a fact of life.

Welcome to my world! Grow a thick skin like the bully owners here have done.  We spend lots of time educating the public that our dogs aren't wolverines on leashes! LOL

 

My last dog was a 100 lb GSD.  Current dog is a 40 lb toothpick on stilts.  Doesn't matter, same reactions.  I move the dog off the sidewalk early and have him sit and to let people walk by without danger of a nose reaching into their space.  I get a lot of "thank yous" for that.  But a lot of people are afraid of or don't like dogs and still go out into the road or cross the street.  I will not be offended. 

 

Hee, HeeHeee!!! I got ya all beat!!! You should see my neighbors run when my husband and I walk our English Mastiffs!!! It is roll on the ground funny!! What puts the icing on the cake is that we walk them allll the time and the neighbors are still scared to death of them..  I don't want to make light of peoples fear of dogs because My sister is deathly afraid of dogs and it breaks my heart, but my dogs don't pull, they don't bark or growl, they are just so happy to be going to the lake to swim they could really care less who is around. And my husband is a very large man who whould never have a hard time controling them also.  Don't worry, Kenya doesn't get offended because they are afraid of her, she could care less, she is just happy to be out and about.  I wish people could be smarter about animals, like u said the front yard is not a good place for cat size dogs with an inv. fence.....what if it wasn't a responsable dog owner walking by, I would be soooo afraid for my dogs....