I think that when people make hurtful comments towards a person's dog, or breed of dog, it really hurts because it is like an insult to the person.
I have a toy poodle, and a miniature poodle, and when I say I have poodles, a lot of people say "Oh my god! I hate those dogs! They are so annoying!" and I try not to take it personally, but it feels like a personal attack almost. As if they are trying to say I'm stupid for chosing such an annoying breed.
One day I was in the park with my dogs, and at the time I had given them my first attempt at a grooming, so they looked pretty funny, I'll admit, but nothing too bad. A guy walked by with one georgeous sheltie, and one beautful collie. it was a guy, with what appeard to be his girlfriend. He saw my dogs, and he broke out into hysterical...laughter. He pointed, and laughed, and howled "oh my god! Look at those dogs!" and his girlfriend was like "Honey, they're poodles! They're supposed to look that way!" and he pointed, and laughed hysterically. Saying how he could never have a dog that looks like that, he almost fell on the ground, he had to grab onto his girlfriend for support, and as he walked away, he kept staring at me laughing hysterically.
At school, we groom dogs, and I brought my dogs into be groomed. It was at the start of the year, and the freshman weren't used to there being dogs in the small animal lab. one kid looked in and saw the dogs, and freaked out, saying OH MY GOD! ITS A DOG! (haha. Freshman. By the time they are sophomores, it will be more like aauuuugghhhh another dog!) so a bunch of freshman started coming to the window, and they teacher had to yell at them to sit. They asked if the dogs are cute, and the teacher laughed and said "No!!"
That one really bothered me.
Sometimes I guess you just have to brush things off your shoulder and move on.
People don't always realize how hurtful their words or gestures are. For example, my mom fears big dogs. whenever a big dog is around, she stands really stiff, and if I'm around, she'll grab me and yell at me under her breath not to move. I however, ignore her, and ask if I can pet the big cutie. Like last week, we went to a "dog park" type of area, its not fenced, but its huge and beautiful, in a valley between some hills where a lot of dogs go. We were going to check it out before taking our dogs there, and two huge dogs, (a great dane, and another greatdane dalmation looking mix) jumped out of a car, my mom was getting down from our car, and she screamed, and jumped back in, slammed the door shut, and rolled up the windows. I didn't see the dogs, so I was like "what!?" and when I saw the dogs I just hopped out of the car and said hello, ignoring her yelling at me to get in the car before the monsters eat me.