Why are people so judgemental?

Question

We have 2 German Shepherds, a male and a female. The male is very large (he has a lot of german in him) and the female is just about average size for an american. We live in town, right by a school so there is quite a bit of traffic around the house (walking and driving). There are several people who seem to think that our dogs are 'bad' or 'dangerous'. And anytime I let my daugher play outside around the dogs I get dirty loks from random people. Our dogs are the sweetest you will ever meet. They are just very teritorial...when anyone comes on our property they raise hell....but that is their job. People just need to understand that the only way either of our dogs would hurt anyone is if we were in danger. Everyone just needs to stop stereotyping dogs!!! How can I get people in our neighborhood to see that our dogs are not a danger to anyone?

Answer 1

screw them! if they don't like your dog...well sick them on them!!!hehe People who are judgemental are stuck up snobs and need to mind their own buisness. to me your dogs sound sweet. my neibors are like that, my dog is sweet

Answer 2

It is because most people are not responsible pet owners. You have to understand that these kids are peoples children and if a mean dog attacks a child, it usually ends in death. I am not saying your dogs are mean, but there are so many allowed to run free, and attack and you hear stories on the news all the time of children being attacked and killed. It is very serious. So if you are the one in a hundred that are responsible, the people are going to be wary, since there are 99 other families out there that are not. A man a few miles from us, trained some pit bulls to fight, they were vicious and mean, after a few years, he just let them loose. They attacked and killed a little boy who was walking home from school. It is really scary and unfortunatly it is what people know. When it comes to kids saftey, you always err on the side of caution. Especially if the dog next door "raises hell" every time my child walks near the home. I have a great dane, but she only growls and barks if someone unknown enters the yard. She doesn't go balisitic though. I would have to say, not knowing the dog and having it barking and growling would be a little unnerving.

Answer 3

When my Pit or Rott/Lab mix is outside, people do the same thing. Then they freak when they see my 5 and 1 year old climbing on them and getting "horsey" rides. When I see the "You're a Bad Parent and You're Going to Hell" look, I smile and say-"Aren't they goofy?" That usually starts a conversation & when they do meet my dogs, they always have a different view. Yes, they'll bark, but only if you come in the driveway 1/2 past my car. But that's ok, bc it means either a)you're stealing my car or b)you're coming to my house. And that's one of the reasons they're there--to let me know what's going on. Your dogs might need some training with the over aggresiveness, but after they calm down, you can try to talk to the people going by instead of watching them run away.

Answer 4

Because they are to stupid to find/learn the truth about things. Most people are very stereotypical and agree on others who think they know it. The only thing you can do is make sure you handle your business and **** the rest!!! I have a pit and I get the same reaction UNTIL they come near or see us walking. He minds his business. BUT....... don't let him see another dog, then it's curtains. Keep your head up and email me if you have any other issues. My first dog was an issue also. I had a rottweiller. Just laugh at those who don't know and look at you funny, cause they are the dummies. Take care.

Answer 5

I found out through owning several large dogs, Shepherd, Siberian, and 1/2 Shepherd/Siberian mix that you can't stop people from thinking silly thoughts. Most people think I'm nuts for having my dogs. But I've figured out that ignorant people are just that "ignorant" most of them have never been around dogs, never owned dogs are was maybe bitten by a dog for some reason, and there is ALWAYS a reason.
My full blooded shepherd will be sure to stop ANYONE from making my nieces or nephews scream or even yell. He is very protective of them and he wasn't raised with them either. An older person told me it was because they can actually smell the kinship. Kinda like the ones that can smell cancer in people. They actually know that they are part of my "pack" so to speak.
All I can say is that you can't worry about those people "ignorance" is not a bad word, it simply means "not knowing, never knew or never learned".
Just make sure there is a fence up around your yard, cause anyone can SAY anything, or may try to abuse or antagonize your dogs which could make their personalities change, this is from experience. My brother, (my neighbor as well) had a half breed red bone dog that he kept on a chain and runner. Our OTHER neighbor (who didn't know how to raise a child) let her son, mean as the dickens, pick on the dog while my brother was at work. He poked her with sticks, kicked dirt in her face and threw rocks at her until he was caught a couple of times. I confronted his mother on that and one other MAJOR issue about her evil little boy, and she made him stay away from our houses. My brother finally had to get rid of his dog because she developed issues with ANYONE who was short in statue. Children or short people if they were small she wanted to bite them, but she wasn't like that as a pup or until that little demon moved in next door. (Just for the record, that boy was so bad, the neighborhood petitioned to have them evicted from there rental house and it worked!) Best of luck to you!

Answer 6

I 'm sure i get looks to..but ya know whatever think as u will u don't know me..u don't know my kids or my dogs....which are rottie mixes by the way..who my daughter can walk (she's 4) and i keep a hold of an end not because i don't trust the dogs ... because i don't what her dropping the leash she 4 so something shiney might send her a stray...and a dog following right behind her...(we don't walk on the road..its a trail in town no cars.) my dogs also bark at walkers by...in my view it is a dogs job in my home to tell me someone is coming before i know they are. they bark at car doors being shut...or our chippy they would like to catch...the nieghbors dogs to a point i correct that. nieghbor just got the dog this winter..so it is a work inprogress. However When i say enough it ends.

any way shepherd are my fav breed and like any breed need training and are one of the easiest breeds to train. ur dogs are not bad dogs because they tell u someone is walking by..most any dog is going to do that..and most owners want that...to a point.

a shepherd was not always seen as a big bad breed (like many many other breeds) they got mixed in with stupid ppl who did not train..or beat their dogs.

the first seeing-eye dog was a shepherd.

i would try talking to the nieghbors (*cringe* hate nieghbors or maybe its just the ones we have now......need the country life!)or when u walk them and someone crosses the street ask them if they would like to meet a nice shepherd....or just deal and blow them off...lol

Answer 7

Some people have nothing to do but to mind other peoples business. I live in the country so my dogs are fortunate not to have to be in a pen. I think according to what you say that it may be a good idea to have a fenced in yard. That way your dogs will be safe at home and be able to play with your children. They still will be able to have them protect your property and your children will be safer. They would not be subjected to strangers and your dogs could still play with them. You may even post a sign that prohibits strangers from coming onto your property, that way if they come into the posted yard, it would be their own fault, not yours. Take care and protect yourselves.

Answer 8

Basically, there is nothing you can do to stop people from being judgmental. All you can do is continue to be kind to your neighbors even when it seems they don't understand. In time someone might feel free to ask you about this situation, because they see you arn't bothered by what they do. They won't feel threatend to come to you and ask. Than you can explain how you feel in a respectful way. People are more apt to listen and respect when there are respectful words said and non accusing actions. They might come to see that it is not always as it seems.
If nothing changes, all you can do is be happy in your life, and in what you know to be true. Never live to please other people, doing this will make you miserable and unhappy. People are judgmental because they don't understand, or they choose not to understand. It is unfortunate, but true.

Answer 9

But what does "being territorial" and "raising hell" mean to the person who's walking by your home? What does that look like to someone who doesn't know you or your dogs? I wouldn't feel that I'd want to be understanding of dogs who were allowed to aggress at me, nor would I be inclined to "just stop stereotyping" when I've just been rushed at by large sets of teeth.

Answer 10

When I let my daughter play outside with my APBT, I probably get the same dirty looks you do! LOL. It doesn't really matter to me what other people think of my dog. If they're scared, that's fine -- good thing it's not their dog and they don't need to worry about it. Some people are just ignorant and you know what they say about that! It's bliss!

Answer 11

o that sucks....my neighbors complained about my dog barking ( she only barks when she hears people outside which is her job) and she doesn'tbark that much anyway we had to build another fence so she couldn't get to the front because of them...... whats just as bad is that they have a dog and it barks all the time so you"cant hear it" ...but actually you can and then my dog , a lab, is hyper and jumps and barks at other dogs when she's on a leash ( but is soo kind offleash) so people are scared of her ...this one time in the morning this guy was coming around to pass out papers well i walked ut to take my dog on a walk and he was right there ...he scared my dog and my dog flipped (i unfortunately lost hold of the leash)...well she just jumped at him ( thats how she acts to strangers when she wants to play) and he thre his huge stack of papers down on her head...well that made her angry , by that time i got hold of the leash and apologised...ya and you know the neighbors who complained about my dog barking ..my dogs hate him and since dogs are great judges of personality .....i trust my dog....plus my friend has a german shepherd and they are some of the sweetest dogs ever....i mean they'd have to be to be guide dogs like many of them are ...but ya i understand how people are some people are just jerks who hate animal