Strangers' Comments... - Page 3

I think the reason why people say "I used to have a shepherd.....he weighed 130 lbs" is because their dog meant so much to them that it grew bigger in memory.  I hear it a lot, people always first think mine is a mix because they aren't used to working line GSDs, then they inevitably get a wistful look on their face and tell me about the greatest dog they ever had - a GSD.   Sometimes when they tell me how big their dog was I say "really wow, what a monster, and I bet he was a great dog.  Mine just weighs 85lbs", they usually respond with  "really? he looks much bigger".  The last thing I would EVER do is crap on their memories by telling them their old dog that they so obviously treasured was incorrect in any way.

People ask me what breed of dog my mutt is al the time, and get all dissappointed when I say a mutt. Or, even better, they say 'that's not a mutt! He's too pretty to be a mutt' Err, then what is he?

And one time, someone said 'watch out, that dog's has four dewclaws' (or something like that) and backed away. I'm still dumbfounded.  What does having all the dewclaws matter at all?

Emoore: Back when I was the dorky kid who studied dog breeds in my spare time, I could not for the life of me figure out how to pronounce Malinios. I could identify one a mile away, but try to say it, heck no. I'm still not sure I pronounce Tervuren right. (And yes, I really would study dog breeds everyday, and could name more dog breeds than my family combined. I was a very strange child.) But I always asked people 'May I ask what breed of dog that is?", instead of asking if it was a certain breed, so I didn't feel as stupid when I was wrong, lol.

Here's my apparently vicious 4 dewclawed non-mutt:

Whatever! You guys are just jealous your dog is puny, unlike my 120 lb Italian Greyhound

My uncle's neighbor's ex-wife's boss's cousin had a 185 pound sheppard.

Yeah, he's a real maneater, I'd watch out...


But, seriously, has anyone else heard anything about the four dewclaws thing?

And I'm hoping my next dog will be dark sable. I hope I get such crazy comments as y'all. You can't say that they never make you laugh. Maybe I have a weird sense of humor.

I have noticed that when I mention that I have a shepherd, at least half the time the person will start talking about the time they had one. I thought GSDs were for more experienced owners? It seems like everyone has owned one at some point, lol. And when he was a puppy, everyone would ask if he was mixed. I don't think most people realize they get darker as the get older (I didn't, if we're being honest. Oops.)

There are a couple of dog breeds that have 4 dew claws, AKA Double dewclaws.....Great Pyreneese, Neuf, Lundehunds, Icelandic Sheepdog, Anatolians, Estrela Mountain Dog, Saint Bernards, Kuvasz, Beauceron.

I am sure there are more but these are the ones I could find.

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

I have a red & black with a blanket pattern, people readily recognize her as a GSD. I have a dark red sable, people think he is a mix, GSD with a Great Dane was one suggestion. My melanistic black & tan they think is a mixed breed, & my grey sable is a coy-dog, coyote, or a wolf. Wolf, on the other hand, they almost always id as a GSD....strange! jackie harris

I've gotten a lot of the "what a small dog" type comments from people who think a GSD is supposed to be 130lbs. I also had someone demand I give them a puppy because they were (supposedly) a professional model.

My winners have been:


"That's a wolf! I know what wolfdogs look like!" -- random "experts" telling methis dog is part wolf.
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/forum/65879.html

"I have a male. He's AKC. We could breed them and split the litter!" -- said by a random chucklehead who wanted to breed his poorly bred male to one of my dogs as I was walking through the neighborhood. The only problem was, the dog I was walking was the same one as the link above; a MALE!

And there was this incident...
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/forum/57745.html