GSD stereotyped - Page 1

http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/us.jsp?feature=newz_1004baby_mauled You know it's unfortunate today a 5 week old kid was mauled by a dog after the grandmother left the room momentarily. I sympathize for the entire family But after seeing the huge ad concerning this I was concerned after it showed a picture of a German Shepherd. After reading the ad I noted the dogs were mongrels (mutts). It's already bad you have uneducated, unethical breeders who cause behavioral problems in pups/dogs but for the media to paste a German Shepherds picture on this headliner was way wrong in my opinion. There are many mongrel dog pictures out there where they could have easily used this instead of portraying the German Shepherd Dog. I'm not just b*tching here. I did write the author. I can care less about a reply but this is just another reason why the GSD will be viewly as a "viscious dog" in some states for visuals like this http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/us.jsp?feature=newz_1004baby_mauled

I agree that irresponsible media coverage is one of our worst enemies. You now have to deal with the BS "reality" shows. Whenever they want to present a "dog" issue, they put a shepherd on their show. Could someone pleaseeee donate a beagle???? We need our parent organizations to take part and start really "protecting" the breed. There really IS strength in NUMBER.

Having had rottweilers their picture is flashed at almost every attack i had a person approach us in public and verbally attack me for owning a murderer for having a pit i told them they were mistaken they told me i had a pit cause they saw a picture like my dog on news for killing a child and the news person said it was a pit.

That picture is deeply offensive towards me :( How can theses people (trying not to cuss) do this to such a beautiful breed? Talking about bad material.

Yes it is. You know "image is everything" and how easily this can create perception because my mom called concerned after seeing the ad and knowing I have 6 dogs I give full run of the house. She was worried about me sleepind waking up to a creature like this. Of course I had to inform her the real dog that mauled the baby was not in fact a GSD and secondly even a poodle under the wrong hands could maul a dog. The problem just lies in the fact that they could have taken a picture of this dog or a mongrel instead of using a GSD

I just sent CNN a hateful letter. Heres what I wrote: After being on the URL: http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/us.jsp?feature=newz_1004baby_mauled. I am deeply offended by the graphic picture that your staffs had to use when the story has absolutely NOTHING to do with the German shepherd breed of what so ever. It clearly said that the dog was a Mutt and the dog that’s on the website is not a mutt but clearly a German shepherd who was pumped up to take the graphic picture to make it look mean. You and your staffs clearly failed to educate people about the German shepherd breed. It really amazes me how you guys can manipulate the public so much into thinking that some dogs are dangerous of which isn’t the case at all. I wish that all of your staffs, including AOL news staffs would stop and get educated about a certain breed before framing them of doing something that had nothing to do with the breed. I am a proud owner of 2 German Shepherds and they aren’t killers at all! They’re more like pussy cats. Brittany

Oh that isn't hatefull. You should have read the one that I sent them. lol I was very hatefull. and let them know that they are liers and missleading the public, they are sappose to be a "news team" reportign the truth, all they are are "gossips" just as bad as the tabloid mags. They misrepresented the GSD and lied to the public, and are causeing damage to a breed that had nothing to do with the situation.....and I went on and on repeating it in every what that I could. I have also had a large group of people email them. I think that everyone on this board should. They will see that they are being watched and need to report the truth. I also told them that they need to repent and appoligize to the public for miss-leading them to believe that it was a GSD. and that they could go down to the pound and pump up a Mutt there and take a pic or just not have a pic at all. I also didn't think that the owner of the dog gave them purmission to use the picture for this situation. And that it is obiouse that this dog is a trained dog and it is the uneducated and untrained tht are a problem in this country. Yeah I was angree. I also told them that from now on I will assume that CNN is misleading me and nothing that they say is the truth. Heather

This is horrible and I too sent a letter to them too. Here is the direct link to write a letter to the Editor Make sure you quote the above link that LuvCzechDawgz posted into story in question. Here is the link to make your complaint. http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form6.html?1 Blast away! Birdy...

wow i just read my message, and I can't spell. haha. I did use spell check when I emailed them. hahaha lol Oh God I fell of off my chair. hehehe

This is the type of fuel that the insurance compmanies are using to put the GSDs on the bad dog list. When this comes around to the voteing on the issue someone is only going to remeber the headline and the picture, and say "OH yeah a GSD just ate a 5 week old kid, it was on CNN" and then everyone there is going to feel like it is their duty to help all the babies in the world and ban the breed. I know that might sound pretty hatefull on my part. But let me tell you I am a single mom and my son has been raised with dogs all around him. I TRAIN myne tht is the difference. Another thing that has been on my mind....I live in the country and even if I didn't train and breed ect. I would own a GSD. And anyone that decided to break into my house would be alot happier to be attacked by my dog. Because I am a great shot and own guns too. (I have been shooting since I was 6 years old and was an Military Police Officer in the Army, as was my husband, who was killed on duty) The dog is the first defence, it is what you use befor you shoot. big differnce I can call off my dog, but once that bullet leaves my shotgun thats all she wrote. You are SOL....Here is my point. The insurance company never asked me if I own guns. They did want to know about the dogs, and I had to do the big song and dance there in the office of they are show dogs, and good with kids ect. But all and all it is my right to protect myself and my home, and son. I said that I would protect this country from fourien and domestic terrioism....and if someone is breaking into my home that I own, rent, live in...with me and my son alone I have the right to use whatever means to stay alive and my dog, or my gun that is my right. We really need to ban together and do something about this issue. It is unfair that I am paying higher rates or being discriminated against by the insurance companies and the media because I own a large dog. It is not the dog it is the owners with untrained dogs that are the problem. Ok my fingers hurt.... Heather