Know it alls

I was at the pet store the other day and this lady started telling me what to feed my dog. "Here's a tip, feed Sensible Choice blah blah blah" I didn't even ask her for advice, she just started to dole it out..about the right food, about things to keep him busy, about how hyper aussies are. I tried not to get annoyed because obviously she was just trying to be helpful but I couldn't help but feel a bit miffed that she'd automatically think that I feed crap food. I feed Canidae for cryin out loud. And my aussie is in a tricks class and in agility!

My father-in-law and I almost came to blows over dinner last week regarding pit bulls. Seriously, if you don't know anything at all about dogs, were not raised with dogs nor have ever owned a dog yourself, stop freaking talking like you know ANYTHING about dogs, dog breeds or dog behavior! Cripes! My husband had to step in and tell me to simmer down because I was starting to yell and we were at a restaurant.

My parents also know zilch about dogs (didn't have them as children or adults, have never in their lives lived with dogs) and most of the time they're pretty good about just admitting their ignorance and not acting like they know more than they do, but a couple times I've had to just walk away from conversations where they'd obviously just been watching a certain show on the National Geographic Channel that made them temporarily feel like experts in dog behavior. Sorry guys, there's just a touch more to it than that.

The panting thing is a minor annoyance but we get it all the time in the summer because Conrad is a big panter. It doesn't mean he's dehydrated or about to keel over, it just means the temperature is over 70. But people constantly feel the need to stop us and tell us all about how our dog is thirsty and is about to die.

And lastly there was one time when I had Marlowe and Conrad out for a walk and some people stopped to chat and noticed that Mar had stitches on his head. We'd only adopted him a few weeks before and there had been 1 minor fight that resulted in Conrad getting in a lucky shot to his head that wasn't serious but was kind of deep and needed a couple staples. Anyway, I told them that's what had happened and they all jumped back like they'd been burned and the lady goes, "OH! So your dogs are aggressive!!!!" as they're all backing away slowly.

I hate these people. I have a really low tolerance for stupid people, and sometimes I think my head will explode. I actually avoid PetSmart at all costs unless they are the only ones who sell what I need, because there is always some moron in there.

I think there is an inverse correlation between how much dog advice people give, and how much they actually know. The more they talk, the less they know and vice versa.

Houndlove - I just say, when someone sees my dogs "going-at-it", they are playing; watch children that like each other play, they play the same way mostly. --the last time someone said something to me about my dogs play/fighting we were by a childrens playground where 4 or 5 young boys were showing each other the moves they saw on pro-wrestling the night before.  (My dogs wanted to go play with the kids, they love kids.)
 
btw - been wanting to tell you - I love your avatar dog (reminds me of the hunters G-dad had when I was a kid)

I am 62 and been around dogs all my life.  my Dad always had 2-3 English setters and pointers and i got my first setter for my 11th birhtday and have owned English Setters, irish Setters and Golden Retirevers.  i have had an lot of nasty experiences--knee surgeries, snake bite, reactions to wasp sting and to vax, heart worms in adopted golden, D-con poisoning, distermper in dogs depsite vax back in late 50's, early 60's., low thyroid, HD,  and on and on and on clear down to losing one to heartworm preventative, ProHeart6.  I do know  a lot about dogs. But if I live to be 162 i will still be learning.Nobody EVER knows it all....tho my hubby has a cousin who thinks he does.

Some lady with a fat lab told me Jake was skinny.  I told her he is "athletic."  She said he'll get fat because "those dogs" always get fat once they get out of puppyhood.  I told her Jake is at least 3 and has weighed this much the 9 months we've had him.  She then told me she wouldn't have a "hunting" dog because they can be dangerous because of the "hunting" instinct.*  I told her that unless she is a squirrel or a rabbit (or perhaps a piece of cheese) she has nothing to fear from Jake.  Even a bird he just points at.  I suggested that labs are "hunting dogs" just like Brits and she argued they were totally different.
 
I've been called cruel for having him out on sunny days.  He likes to gogogo but if he's decided we're stopped (like if I chat with someone) he just zonks out in the grass.  This is proof that he's got heatstroke/exhaustion and I'm mean.
 
I've been called mean for not having him out in the yard enough.  He is let out when he asks.  He does his business, patrols the fenceline, and comes back in.  If someone goes out, he goes with them, but he has little interest in hanging out by himself.  My neighbor thinks I have him chained up inside or something and I am oppressing him.  I've explained that if I make him go out, he'll scratch at the door til someone lets him back in.  But the neighbor insists its "not healthy" for me to confine the dog so much and its bound to result in "trouble."  (This is the neighbor with the 5 dogs who bark nonstop, including the lab who eats the cedar fence).
 
 
*this is not the first person to tell me that.  Where the heck do people get that idea?
 

I have a friend who's the type of person that will love a new dog breed every year because she knew one (even if it was a mix) or knows someone that has one and then they are suddenly the greatest breed ever.  It's surprising and disappointing to me b/c 1) she's very smart and she knows better than to just pick a breed based on a single (rather limited) experience and 2) she's had dogs and worked in a science lab that sometimes has dogs, so it's not like she doesn't know dogs.  But, I can't stand it when people are like that...."Oh, I'm definitely getting a greyhound - they are my new favorite - b/c my uncle had one once and I visited it it for a few hours and it was the greatest dog EVER!"  That, and it's like "Oh, are you SURE you can handle a German Shepherd b/c mine does these bad things..."  Um, yes, I've only been researching them and working with all the GSDs at the shelter for the past few years, but no I'll just change my mind b/c your mix that you picked up as an adult stray had behavioral problems.....yeah, no.

my cousin(the breeder) is like that. two years ago at the dog show some people had Swedish Vallhunds. i think they're onthe list of new AKC breeds,  not yet in the registry, but will be... they were there checking things out. i think they said they entered in a misc. class... memory kinda fogged over when my cousin came leaping out of the crowd and said "*SQUEEE!!* Did you see the VALHUNDS!?! I'm going to get me some of those when i'm not breeding Chihuahuas or GSDs anymore!" ....well yes i saw them as soon as we got in the gates and knew what they were, but i didnt acost their owners like she did.. and DEFINITELY didnt brag about being a breeder with intentions of moving on to a new cute/rare breed...
the owners kept squirming in their seats the whole time she was talking to them... understandably so...
yes they wanted interest, but not THAT kind. and yeah she too is a knowitall. but shocking how little she practices her knowledge.... she swears up and down that a pinch collar is the cure all for pulling.. i disagree. she said i needed one for my dogs... i didnt get one... my dogs are active and pull no matter what for the first few minutes... it isnt pulling like... "hey mom lets RUNinstead!" its a faster paced walk that i normally dont mind jogging too. or pulling against because i like the resistance training.. not everyones cup of tea, but i like it, doesnt bother me... but it bothers her to see me trotting everywhere lol

the know-it-alls i dont like are the ones that contradict themselves.... "That dog food is HORRIBLE - hey look! pedigree is on sale, whoopy!"
and then saying you shouldnt rub the puppies nose its own pee when it makes a mistake, but you're allowed to smack them on the rump for doing it.... [8|]

Liesje- I have to admit, I go through phases like that, to some degree. Not so much with the 'must have one' but with the 'wow, I really like those, I think I'll see how they'd fit into my lifestyle and THINKG about getting one." 90% of the time, I decide they wouldn't. (Usually after reading at least 3-4 books on the breed, visiting them at dog shows, and getting to meet more of them) but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. For example, I'm reasonably prepared now for the GSD I want, even if it will be at least 5-6 years before I can have one.  

Oh man have a been waiting to tell some one who understands this stuff about my experience!
Ok so its not some huge big deal but it irked me to no end!
It was earlier this year and i was Walking angel. She was heeling  nicely beside me as we walked. This girl ( i say girl as she was about 17)   that lived around the corner from me was outside. She had a big beautiful Alaskan malamute only it was blind. Blind, no problem. The big problem was they let him ( shadow) lay out side in their front yard, with NO fence, and NO leash or chain for tempory potty breaks! He honestly could've wondered right into the road and beed hit! He died last year but i had seen him out there almost every day at some point. No chain/leash/fence to keep him safe in the yard.
I occassionally saw kids throwing stuff at the poor baby! I had to scram a few of them before as the owners werent home! A blind dog unattented in a fenceless yard with no restraint! UGH.
Well, that made my matter worse...
As i walked pass her house ( angel heeling at my left nicely) she walks up to me and tells me " oh no no no! You  dont have her walking correctly! Your dog is NEVER suppose to be at your side for walking! It's suppose to be  guiding you! " To add on to the annoyance she knelt down and started rubbing and petting my dog!!
I was SO irved! I  Told angel Back and angel walked back a few steps( i did this hoping the girl would notice i didnt wnat her touching my dog). the girl than snatched my leash and said " look she needs to run some!" so she ran my dog up and down the street once ( thats all the time I gave her as i was screaming at her to give my dog back) and I yelled at her, snatched my leash back and told her " this dog is a SHE not an IT she has a Name, its angel. She's HEELING. thats what properly trained dogs do! As for the running, we've been walking for 2 HOURS we jogged half of that time and she has a BIG FENCED in yard! Did your parents not teach you to ask the owner before running at and touching their dogs??? Dont ever do that again!" I jogged home and remained annoyed for the rest of that day.
Some people are SO inconsiderate!

My brother-in-law thinks...
 
If you pull them from their skin like a mother would do to her puppy, if the dog crys its a mutt, if it doesn't its a purebreed.
 
And that dobies & pits are ''traitor dogs'' [:@]

ORIGINAL: Candy317

My brother-in-law thinks...

If you pull them from their skin like a mother would do to her puppy, if the dog crys its a mutt, if it doesn't its a purebreed.

And that dobies & pits are ''traitor dogs'' [:@]

no no no he has it all wrong
you scruff them to see if they are wimps or not [8|] sheesh... people are so ignorant*



*i hope you know i'm joking... i grew up hearing a similar old wives tale ..  some people check their gums to tell if its a mutt..  this probably came from bygone days of looking for a GOOD working dog. before "breeds" were even popular.

I don't know a ton about dogs but I know some. So at Christmas one year we had a party and my black lab was outside and we had about 1-2 feet of snow.  Before everyone came over she was outside running and started panting so she decided to lay under the snow to cool off. While she was laying there some people showed up for the party and were like it's too cold for your dog and she will get neumonia. I was so mad because these people had no idea what they were talking about, my dog was hot so she wanted to cool off. My dog was absolutely fine except being really thirsty.

Liesje- I have to admit, I go through phases like that, to some degree. Not so much with the 'must have one' but with the 'wow, I really like those, I think I'll see how they'd fit into my lifestyle and THINKG about getting one." 90% of the time, I decide they wouldn't. (Usually after reading at least 3-4 books on the breed, visiting them at dog shows, and getting to meet more of them) but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. For example, I'm reasonably prepared now for the GSD I want, even if it will be at least 5-6 years before I can have one.

But, the key phrase in your post is "THINKING about getting one." []  My friend actually went and got a dog based on this line of reasoning, and she's the type of person that will keep bringing up certain breeds over and over based on pretty limited experience, you can't get a word in edgewise.  Like you're saying, I wanted a Basenji soooo bad until I just read a few websites about them and that's all it took....TOTALLY wrong dog for me, not going to happen, ever *pouts*  Same with Malinois', Border Collies, and Akitas.

My uncle once said that pit bulls are really dangerous dogs. I was contradicting him saying it's not even in their temperament, etc. but then he changed the topic.
 
Why do they always change the topic when you're getting into the discussion?! [&:]