oh for crying out loud!

[iradney]

I walk the Hopper every day, weather permitting (it rains here in summer :( ).

While walking him, we often encounter people that are walking along as well. Most of them ignore him, or give us a smile, but then there are those that literally JUMP out of their skins, run into the road and shriek, because ZOMG THERE'S A DOG NEAR ME!! All of those people who have done that are black.
This is not a generalisation, as alot of the people who just ignore him are also black.

But it annoys me. Intensely.
Hopper weighs maybe 42 pounds, and is knee-height. AND HE'S ON A LEASH! I have the loop around my wrist, and I've also wrapped it once around my hand. Barring my wrist suddenly falling off, he has NO CHANCE of slipping loose and viciously sniffing you to death.

He has his tail at the neutral height, and it's wagging. His teeth are showing, because he is panting. He is not growling, snarling, whining or speaking in tongues.

I actually lost it with a pair of girls today. We get to the traffic lights, and Hops turns his head to sniff the one girl (not touching her, or even within 2 feet of her). Immediately she jumps and screams.

Me: Irritated
G1: Girl 1
G2: Girl 2

Me: "Oh, for f***s sake, relax, he's on a LEASH!"
*Gave Hopper sit command, he sits*
G1: We can't relax blargle blargle
G2: *Wide eyed stare of fear at placid, panting dog that is now sitting at my feet*
Me: Does he look like he's going to do anything to do? Use your brain and GROW UP!
*walks away as light has now changed and it is safe to cross*

It just gets to me. It really does. This is just my impression that they're giving me, that they assume that all white people with dogs are going to harm them in some way. I've seen the way they react to black people with dogs, and it is a complete polar opposite.

Plus, it's insulting to Hopper. He's the most pacifist dog around. I swear, if someone broke into our house, he would sniff their crotch and try and get them to play. *sigh*

[crazylegs]

Is he a Lab?

If so he'd be more likely to lick them to death.

I do know a lot of people (myself included) who are untrusting of unknown dogs, but if its on a lead and behaving in a neutral mood way, well I can't see the reason for the fuss myself.

[iradney]

He's a border collie/Lab cross. And he's very lickey/sniffy. Not so much bitey/rippey (except when we give him a bone, of course)

[Hello Kitty]

Well people here get all freaked out over certain breeds of dogs. Personally, I think I can tell if a dog is friendly or not. The meanest dog I've ever tried to be friendly with was a chihuahua, never seen anything so vicious!

[RetailWorkhorse]

He's a border collie/Lab cross.

I'm sorry, but I'd very likely attack your dog with hugs and kisses. Or at the very least beg (Eeeeee! PUPPY! <3 OMG CAN I PET HIM OH PLEASE OH PLEASE GOD LEMME PET HIM HE'S SO PRETTY DEAR GOD I GOTTA PET HIM CAN I PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE!!!!!!!) to pet him.

Can't help it, I'm a dog-person. :o:D

[iradney]

I'm sorry, but I'd very likely attack your dog with hugs and kisses. Or at the very least beg (Eeeeee! PUPPY! <3 OMG CAN I PET HIM OH PLEASE OH PLEASE GOD LEMME PET HIM HE'S SO PRETTY DEAR GOD I GOTTA PET HIM CAN I PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE!!!!!!!) to pet him.

Can't help it, I'm a dog-person. :o:D

See, now that type of reaction is the kind that would get a :D
and you'd always be welcome to smother him in hugs and kisses, just beware - his fur gets in one's mouth!

[tropicsgoddess]

I don't get how somebody would freak out over a friendly dog.:headscratch: My guess is for some people the bigger the dog the more intimidating (especially with certain breeds) and the opposite with smaller dogs. :shrug:

[Rubyred]

See I have the exact opposite happen.

Yes my dog is little and spotted and cute (jack russell/beagle/doxie) but that does not mean she is friendly (She's a rescue..we're working on it) or that she likes your dog. For f**ks sake...put it on a leash. And when I tell you to please call your dog, that mine isn't friendly and she will bite (all said while my arms are full of things coming home from school and work while trying to get her in the door...I usually just pick her up) do NOT proceed to tell me that that is a good thing, that maybe that'll teach your dog a lesson. :rant:

[Caveat Emptor]

How old are these "overreacters" (approximately?)


The reason I'm asking is, being that you're in SA and you mentioned they're all black, could it be childhood recollections / fear of police dogs from the Apartheid era?

**Note: I don't want this to turn into a political discussion or anything of the sort. I just had a question that seemed to make some sense**

[Becks]

He's a border collie/Lab cross.

I can see how people are terrified. :rolleyes:

I bet he sees new people and thinks to myself "Oh, look!! New friends to play with and love!!!!!"

Pet him for me, please.

[iradney]

How old are these "overreacters" (approximately?)


The reason I'm asking is, being that you're in SA and you mentioned they're all black, could it be childhood recollections / fear of police dogs from the Apartheid era?

**Note: I don't want this to turn into a political discussion or anything of the sort. I just had a question that seemed to make some sense**

They're normally younger than me. The older folk, the ones that WOULD have been through those horrible experiences, tend to ignore Hopper. The younger ones, I doubt have had any experiences like that.
Plus, then they should be afraid of ALL dogs, not just dogs with white owners.
Yes, there are some dogs that are racist - but that's because their owners are.
Me, I couldn't be bothered to judge someone by the colour of their skin, so neither does Hopper.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well people here get all freaked out over certain breeds of dogs. Personally, I think I can tell if a dog is friendly or not. The meanest dog I've ever tried to be friendly with was a chihuahua, never seen anything so vicious!

You should meet Pablo. He loves everyone. Or, well, he doesn't care who you are as long as you're warm and will let him sleep in your lap. (But he loves me, so that's all that matters :p)

I used to work with a girl who has 2 Boxers and a Chihuahua (guess which one's in charge...). I went to meet her dogs one day and the Boxers came bounding down the driveway with the Chi running along behind them. The big dogs just wanted to say hi and the Chi tried to bite me when I petted him.


and you'd always be welcome to smother him in hugs and kisses, just beware - his fur gets in one's mouth!

My best friend has a yellow Lab. The dog doesn't spend much time in the car, but the inside of the car is just covered with fur!

And when I visit with Pablo, I'll find his fur all over my clothes that I wasn't even wearing when I saw him...and he hardly has any fur, so I don't know where the heck it all comes from! :D

[Sarlon]

I love all animals...personally because of work and such I prefer cats. But I grew up and house trained 4 different dogs at my parents house. I love dogs! sometimes though, unless I've met the dog before and know its friendly I ALWAYS ask if its friendly first...then I pratically attack the dog with affection! I was at my chiropractor's office a few weeks ago and a couple came in with a lab that easily weighed 110 pounds (none of which was fat btw), had been having MAJOR knee problems and the vet had wanted to do surgery on it....they took it to my chiro and even the vet can't explain how the knee problem is clearing up on its own! :eek: ;) :D :confused::rolleyes:

Well I met this lovely dog, and after asking permission first of course, got down on the floor with it, and started pettting and playing with it! oh you should of seen the 2 of us...and its owners were happy when I got to scratching his (the dog's) chest and the injured leg starting twitching (not quite scratching) and the dog was licking its nose with his head in the air!! (for those who don't know dogs, this means they are 2 steps short of heaven with the intense pleasure). they were impressed and the dog couldn't get enough of it. I made a new friend that day ^_^

[BookstoreEscapee]

I was probably about 8 years old. All was fine and dandy until the dog saw people on a bike and took off after them. Because of how I was olding the leash, I was wrenched along with him and dragged for a large distance over grass and pavement with my wrist still cinched in the loop.


My dog did this to me once (but it was another dog she saw) when I was about the same age. I did a faceplant into the street. She was a miniature schnauzer so she couldn't have dragged me anywhere, but I wasn't expecting her to take off like she did. I let go of her leash and she ran off, my brother was riding his bike along with me, and he rode down to get my mom, and then he had to go and chase the dog down (or she would have roamed the neighborhood trailing her leash until she got hungry enough to come home).

Sarlon - Pablo has one particular spot below his ear that gets the leg going when you scratch it. I love it! but sometimes it's hard to find just the right spot. Personally I want a Chihuahua but I would get a cat right now if my roommate would let me. I wouldn't want a dog in my apartment right now (aside from the fact that they're not allowed, cats are more independent and since we're not home all day...)

[Igorina]

I was probably about 8 years old. All was fine and dandy until the dog saw people on a bike and took off after them. Because of how I was olding the leash, I was wrenched along with him and dragged for a large distance over grass and pavement with my wrist still cinched in the loop. I finally managed to wrangle my arm out. I had cuts and bruises all over. Fortunatly, my wrist was not broken, just sore. Since the, I've disliked dogs very much. I know it would be concidered an irrational fear, but it's a fear I have.

I had a similar thing happen to me when I was about 9. I was walking our Airedale on a leash in the woods (she hadn't yet been fixed and she was in heat, but still needed some exercise and time out of the garage). She spotted a rabbit, adn I was dragged through mud, slush, leaves, and underbrush.

In all honesty, I was lucky I hadn't been more than scratched. It didn't make me fearful of dogs, but it did make me much more caustious of them, and increased my awareness of my surroundings (i.e. could I spot the rabbit before the dog? Or at least figure out when the dog had spotted something and brace myself).

[Evil Queen]

He's a border collie/Lab cross. And he's very lickey/sniffy. Not so much bitey/rippey (except when we give him a bone, of course)
OMG! I must give your dog pets and hugs and smoochies and more pets!

I wish you were my neighbor, just so I can pet your dog when you take him for walks. :D

[iviles]

I I swear, if someone broke into our house, he would sniff their crotch and try and get them to play. *sigh*

You too :lol:Mine would help them carry the stuff out the door until someone touches one of their toys.
I dont blame you I get fustrated about peoples reactions to my dogs too. They are 15lb and are so small I have to have a cat bell on them so they dont get stepped on in the house . I let them out to a little grass area in front of my house with out a leash. If they see you they will run to you. Ive had people compleatly freak out! Worse yet the little one is a mixed breed so she has a serious underbite and one tooth is always sticking out.
But she handles it so much better then I do. I think she enjoys seeing people freak out so if she knows your scared of her she will bother you like crazy.

[draftermatt]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/draftermatt/Picture004.jpg

1. What the hell is that a fox?
2. Is he nice?
3. Oh, is she nice?
4. Can I pet it?
5. Isn't that one of the nintendogs?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/draftermatt/TaterasPup.jpg

1. What the hell is that a Huskey?
2. How could a collie and (the dog above mate?)
3. There's no way she's his mother (he's the size of a collie now and lives with my parents)

[Evil Queen]

OMG Draftermatt! They're so precious! Can I pet them, can I hugs and loves all over them?! *squeal!* I adore all of them!

Edit: Yeah, I'm in dire need of a dog. Really I am. :(

[iviles]

SO CUTE draftermatt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These are mine :DThe fuzzy one is american eskimo, pomerainan, and tea cup Chihuahua. The short hair is a wenner dog/ black lab mix.


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t65/iviles/thegirls-1.jpg

Hey evil queen since your in huston they have the spca and they are always looking for foster parents and perminate homes. Even though they are the biggest brats I know they have saved my sanity plenty of times.

[draftermatt]

OMG Draftermatt! They're so precious! Can I pet them, can I hugs and loves all over them?! *squeal!* I adore all of them!


Sure, but let me warn you that if you pet mine (Sasha in the 1st pic) she'll never let you leave.

[Becks]

Draftermatt, those dogs are just too adorable for words.

Now please excuse me while I turn into a girlie puddle.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Evil Queen - me too...dire, dire need...

Unfortunately I can't have one in my apartment, and my roommate doesn't want pets so I can't even get a kitty (which I would if I could but I want a Chi of my own someday too). Basically I just want a warm fuzzy thing to curl up with.

[iradney]

Basically I just want a warm fuzzy thing to curl up with.

Heheheh

Should I say it??



Ooooh I have too!

Raps is warm and fuzzy!!

*runs away and hides*

[FuzzyKitten99]

Many see my dog, which is a siberian husky, and think he's a wolf. But anyone who owns or has owned a husky knows they are worthless guard dogs. They may get to be big dogs, but their brains stay puppy-mentality forever.

[crazylegs]

Raps is warm and fuzzy!!

*runs away and hides*

Do we know if he is warm though?

[BookstoreEscapee]

Heheheh

Should I say it??



Ooooh I have too!

Raps is warm and fuzzy!!

*runs away and hides*


OK I walked into that one...:lol:


I went into Petsmart today (when I'm in that shopping center I like to go in and see the kitties up for adoption, even though you can't play with them)...I saw a guy with a 3-month-old Boxer puppy...I love Boxers, especially as puppies...I saw a girl with some sort of Big Dog, possibly Mastiff or something along those lines...a guy with 2 little floofy things that just got their hair cut (they were cute except the one had something wrong with one eye and it was kind of bulging and red...)...another guy with a Big Dog, might have been part Boxer or Mastiff, couldn't tell, but he was trying to make friends with the baby Boxer. I got to pet one doggie at least...

I just sent a text to my ex asking when he's free, since I want to get a gift card for my cousin's fiance's wedding shower from Eastern Mountain Sports and the closest one is down near where he lives (despite the fact that I was trying to get him to drive his ass up here for once...)...but if I'm gonna drive all the way down there I want to see the dog, dammit!

[Rapscallion]

Raps is warm and fuzzy!!


Mostly around the moobs.

Rapscallion

[Evil Queen]

Hey evil queen since your in huston they have the spca and they are always looking for foster parents and perminate homes. Even though they are the biggest brats I know they have saved my sanity plenty of times.Oh, I know. My roommates said I could have a dog and I'm currently on the hunt for one that will be okay if I leave him/her alone all day (I just got full time hours but my S/O works from home so someone is always there). I was originally looking into adopting a "pound puppy" from the Humane Society but they're so expensive here. My last dog was maybe $30 and that included getting fixed.

[Evil Queen]

Many see my dog, which is a siberian husky, and think he's a wolf. But anyone who owns or has owned a husky knows they are worthless guard dogs. They may get to be big dogs, but their brains stay puppy-mentality forever.Huh, that's odd because mine grew up to be a very polite lady.

Of course we had to nicely drill that into her for the first few years (read: 4 + years) but I have noticed Siberian Huskies mellow with age.

[Shangri-laschild]

Many see my dog, which is a siberian husky, and think he's a wolf. But anyone who owns or has owned a husky knows they are worthless guard dogs. They may get to be big dogs, but their brains stay puppy-mentality forever.

My best friend has one, and the second there is trouble, she runs and hides. She's also the most stuborn dog I've ever met. Imagine the worst horrible raging evil bitch with split personalities story you've ever met. She's sweet as hell but if you piss her off enough, she knows which stuff is yours and acts accordingly. That being said, she's still my favorite dog ever.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

My boy was a 30 pound American Eskimo, a particularly pretty breed of dog. In addition to this, he was exceptionally cute even for that breed. He had more rounded, puppy-like features than usual. He was CUTE.

He was a rescue, and as such, a little high strung sometimes. The problem was that he was so cute people gushed over him, particularly kids, and always wanted to pet and cuddle him, which wasn't good because he bit. So I had to not let him be around children, and be careful with him around people in general. He was extremely obedient and affection with family, and his favorite friends, but his breed combined with his history made for a bit of a volitile dog. A georgeous, adorable biter can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. :o

And people would let their dogs come up to him, and I'd protest, and they would invariably say "Oh, my dog doesnt' bite." And I would say "Well, mine does." and they'd act like I was leper after that. Hey, at least I understood my animal and was honest about it. Geeze. People who think their dogs won't bite are kidding themselves. All dogs will bite if they are triggered to do so. Mine just happened to be a quick draw and a hair trigger. :o

I loved that dog, he was awesome. Had severe liver failure about three years ago and I had to put him down. I still miss him.

[Andara Bledin]

We used to have a massive German Shepard / Saint Bernard mix. He was huge. And he thought he was a lap dog. Our poor legs.

Anyway, on the topic of biting, he only ever bit twice in the entire time we had him.

The first time was a very unpleasant mailman who had a habit of going into people's yards for no good reason other than to mace their dogs. This was back around the late '70s. So the jerk gets into our yard with our massive barking dog (he hated men wearing hats) and hits him in the face with his spray. Well, that really didn't do much more than piss the dog off, so he bit the guy right in the abdomen. It's really lucky for that guy that he only bit as a warning, and not as an actual attack. Oh, and the guy tried to sue, but since he had assaulted the dog in the first place, they found it to be a case of self-defense.

The second time was a kid. A bunch of us kids were up on the porch and the dog was out there with us soaking up the attention. My mom was fairly certain that the girl in question was actually either hitting him or pulling on him pretty hard. Again, it was a very quick bite motion, only this time all he really did was graze her arm with his upper canines. Her parents were very upset, but nothing ever came of it.

^-.-^

[Saydrah]

I admit I haven't read this whole thread (at work and limited time to goof off) so maybe this has been mentioned, but my cousin who is currently teaching in an Africa not very far from Jo-burg and has mentioned that a fear of dogs is common in the village where she teaches, and that it has to do with a cultural belief that dogs are sources of misfortune and seeing or encountering one is bad luck (cats also suffer from this bad PR in some areas, though cuz is in a village where some people keep pet cats) not a comment on the race of the person holding the leash or related to fears of police dogs. Just an irrational fear somewhat like the cultural association of mirror-breaking or black cats with impending bad luck.

[iradney]

I admit I haven't read this whole thread (at work and limited time to goof off) so maybe this has been mentioned, but my cousin who is currently teaching in an Africa not very far from Jo-burg and has mentioned that a fear of dogs is common in the village where she teaches, and that it has to do with a cultural belief that dogs are sources of misfortune and seeing or encountering one is bad luck (cats also suffer from this bad PR in some areas, though cuz is in a village where some people keep pet cats) not a comment on the race of the person holding the leash or related to fears of police dogs. Just an irrational fear somewhat like the cultural association of mirror-breaking or black cats with impending bad luck.

Tell your cousin I say hi! And welcome!
I think it depends on the tribe to be honest.

The one day I was walking the Hops, and I had the most fascinating conversation with a Xhosa dude. He told me that in his village, if they saw how Hopper obeyed me, they would say I was a witch :lol:

[unclejampuff]

My family bred and trained bloodhounds for years. They are very silly dogs, just want to nap in a warm spot while someone rubs their ears. They are also VERY curious dogs, wanting to smell every single thing they can slap their noses on. I have a dear friend who is a little afraid of dogs. First time she came over, 5 hounds immediately rush over to greet and smell and lick her. She screams and runs away. Unfortunately, my dogs think this means play. Poor girl, it is a little scary when a bunch of big dogs run after you and jump all over the place. Excitable hounds are not a calming sight(except for me, who misses her babies dearly).
As for on the street, seriously, a dog on a leash is rarely a threat. I usually ask "May I say hi to your dog?' before smothering them with love. When a owner replies that the dog is not good with strangers or sick or otherwise grumpy, I understand and walk away. How many of us freak out when a SC gets too close? I've considered biting some. I have a problem with certain breeds(not because the dogs themselves are bad, but these breeds tend to have bad owners who teach them bad habits), and will usually distance myself from them. I NEVER approach a dog with food on me. I feel that a owner should keep an eye out for behavior that will excite or upset the dog. My hounds were fascinated by babies and would knock them over in a mad dash to SMELL. I always let kids and parents know before letting them come near. If I'm walking by a dog and the owner doesn't pull it away from me or warn me, I'm assuming nice dog.
It's one thing to be genuinely afraid of dogs, another to shriek for attention or amusement. It's not a frickin Hound of Baskerville. Even if it was, wouldn't yelling at an aggressive dog be a bad idea?

[Evil Queen]

I always make a good point of asking people if I can pet their dogs (this lady staying in the hotel I currently work at had a beagle, sweet little girl and they let me pet her everytime they walked by!) because of one incident with my old dog (KC). These kids came running up to us (myself and my dog) in the campground (this was back during a time when my family and I would go camping a lot) and POUNCED on my precious baby. Well, that was the first time I heard my dog threaten anyone (with angry growls, baring her teeth and nipping at the kids). Surprised me and since my dog had a habit of being quiet, it scared those kids shitless.

They knew of my dog and had seen her and the family with her around the campground. I have no idea why they thought it would be a good idea to pounce on a strange dog but whatever. First time I ever gave e bunch of kids a tongue lashing -- as I was still a kid myself. Been doing it for fun ever since. :D

[draftermatt]

My dog is normally okay with people as long as they allow her to sniff them a bit. She may want to jump in your lap for loving but she's not going to hurt you.

My wife's grandmother hates dogs, and when she comes over it's always a huge ordeal because she refuses to let the dog get near her and the dog doesn't understand.

Last time she came over (my wife's birthday) her grandmother threatened to leave because we wouldn't put the dog in a room somewhere and my wife said "why should I put her away, she lives her and she just wants to sniff you"

Then her grandmother sulked the rest of the night.