"Is she a rescue?"

[Southpaw]

Took Juno out shopping today. As we were leaving, we get like 3 feet from the door and the employee stops us and wants to pet her. Her first mistake was when she said, "oh, what a cute pit bull!" :doh: So then she asks if she can pet Juno and I say, yeah if she lets you, she can be really shy around strangers so she might back away. Juno then started getting a little overwhelmed, mostly because this big malamute was standing right next to her barking his head off... and then the employee goes "she's so nervous! Is she a rescue?"

....Why is it that, if a dog is shy and gets uncomfortable in certain situations, they were obviously mistreated previously and adopted from a rescue??? Why can't a dog just be shy because that's how some dogs just are? Blargh I hate it because it implies that my dog is clearly whacked in the head and I must have screwed up big time to have a dog that doesn't adore people.

 

[Psyfalcon]

Because every dog, of every breed is just like a perfect golden retriever if you don't beat it.

 

[PWCorgi]

1. I get the same thing with Frodo all the time, that his aversion to people must come from repeated beatings, duh!

You should have just been like "wow, she usually loves EVERYONE, must just be you." and then look at her like she is a serial killer and slowly back away.

2. Juno loved me, but that must just be due to my unequivocal awesomeness!!

 

[Teal]

You should have just been like "wow, she usually loves EVERYONE, must just be you." and then look at her like she is a serial killer and slowly back away.

WIN :rofl1:

 

[Toller_08]

I get that all the time with Dance. It is so annoying. And then when I tell them that she's not, they look at me like I beat my dog, because why else would a dog that is not a rescue be shy? Meanwhile, she's visibly happy with me... it's them she wants nothing to do with. I tell them why I think she's shy and also that Tollers as a breed are not necessarily supposed to love everyone who is not family (though I do add that Dance is uncharacteristically shy whereas the standard calls for simply reserved/indifferent), and that makes them feel a bit better, but still. I don't understand why all dogs must adore everyone and why if they don't then you didn't do a good enough job raising them. People have commented about the Dobermans' apparent lack of interest in them also seeming to think they're shy, but they're not. They're very well socialized and like people, but they're snooty and would rather not associate with you unless you're in our home (in which case they won't leave you alone). Dobermans should not be Labs for goodness sake.

And yet, when I had Echo (Rottweiler) and Tango and my mini Dachshund (Jesse) people would question also why they were so friendly, haha. I guess I can't win!

 

[Babyblue5290]

Funny, I've never gotten that with Artimis :?

 

[Red.Apricot]

I get that with Elsie a lot.

Sometimes, if I know she's not feeling getting petted by strangers (because some days she is, some days she isn't) I'll say no when people ask to pet her. Then they ask, "Is she shy? Is she a rescue? Dogs love me."

It's a little irritating.

 

[MericoX]

I get that with the poodles. Lincoln doesn't like people touching the top of his head, so he's moves to avoid them (he's fine if others pet him anywhere else), and Tsuki will just shy away from people in general and I've more than once had to body block people from chasing her around me trying to pet her.

Then when I explain to others that no, you can't pet Lincolns head but you can pet him back and neck (which he enjoys) or please don't chase Tsuki, and she'll come to you if you ignore her, it's like the greatest offense and walk off.

 

[~WelshStump~]

....Why is it that, if a dog is shy and gets uncomfortable in certain situations, they were obviously mistreated previously and adopted from a rescue??? Why can't a dog just be shy because that's how some dogs just are? Blargh I hate it because it implies that my dog is clearly whacked in the head and I must have screwed up big time to have a dog that doesn't adore people.

You just summed up my Sat last week. Had a women come over to ask me what harness was Enda wearing, and then asked how old she was, and what age did I get her? Then pretty much assumed the rest of the day she was either a rescue or from some BYB. *sigh* no, sadly she just doesn't like that park for whatever reason.

 

[Maxy24]

I get that a lot. He is a rescue, but was born and raised in a loving foster home then given to us at ten weeks of age. He was never beaten or otherwise abused or neglected. But as soon as you say yes they smile and tell you about the abused rescues they've cared for or met and tell me how wonderful it is that we rescued. Or sometimes look at him with pity (but friendly pity, they are always very happy he's a rescue) that he had such a hard life. And I'm trying to sputter out how he's been shy since he was ten weeks old. They are just happy he's a rescue, they're allowed to be shy.

More than that though, after I tell people they can't pet him because he's shy/fearful I get "oh, how long have you had him?" to which I say "almost two years" and then I get a face...it's a hard to describe face, sort of like the face I'd expect someone to make after telling a rude joke about my relative only to have me say they died last week. Somewhere between embarrassment and horror. They can't believe that in two years we haven't turned him into a Labrador who wants to get hugs and kisses from strangers. They would have done that by now of course. Obviously he doesn't trust me or we must be beating him to keep him like this, after two years of love he would want to be friends with the world.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

I get it too, so annoying!

 

[StillandSilent]

Every freaking time with Gambit. They ask to pet, I turn them down while he is slinking behind my legs. Then they look at him and go 'Oh, poor baby! Someone's been mean to you, haven't they?"

No. No one has ever mistreated Gambit. Gambit is problems stemming partially from being a coy, and partially from utter neglect in the first 6 months of his life. Period. How much each plays into his issues is something we can never know for sure.

 

[Cthulhu7]

Took Juno out shopping today. As we were leaving, we get like 3 feet from the door and the employee stops us and wants to pet her. Her first mistake was when she said, "oh, what a cute pit bull!" :doh: So then she asks if she can pet Juno and I say, yeah if she lets you, she can be really shy around strangers so she might back away. Juno then started getting a little overwhelmed, mostly because this big malamute was standing right next to her barking his head off... and then the employee goes "she's so nervous! Is she a rescue?"

....Why is it that, if a dog is shy and gets uncomfortable in certain situations, they were obviously mistreated previously and adopted from a rescue??? Why can't a dog just be shy because that's how some dogs just are? Blargh I hate it because it implies that my dog is clearly whacked in the head and I must have screwed up big time to have a dog that doesn't adore people.

I WISH Cthulhu was shy, and he IS a rescue. He wants to meet EVERYONE. And he's still being aggressive towards other dogs. *jealousy*

 

[Sweet72947]

People ask me that about Daisy sometimes. And she's not a rescue, she was free from my friend's dad, the one-time BYB. Daisy was born with incorrect temperament for the labrador breed. Not only does she not like strangers until she really gets to know them, she doesn't want much to do with her own family a lot of the time either. She's happy just to be fed and to sleep on the couch, and to go outside for a walk now and then.

I mean yeah, it might have helped if I'd socialized her more as a puppy, and if she hadn't been raised with our aggressive beast of a Chesapeake bay retriever, but she still would never be "normal".

 

[Laurelin]

Yeah I get that sometimes. I also get people telling me that Mia is sooooo shy! Really, she's not. This last time we were at petsmart and summer was giving someone love. Mia stayed away and then the guy called her over she walked over, sniffed his hand, then walked off. And he just kept going on and on about how shy she was. No, she's just indifferent to you.

Trey was a shy dog. Mia is just aloof and doesn't like strangers. She's not afraid of them, just has no use to meet them. And no, you making baby/kissy sounds at her and trying to force yourself on her isn't going to make it better.

 

[sassafras]

All the time with Pip. IT IS OK TO BE SHY.

Some day I want to say "He's just shy of strangers, just like me, but he doesn't have the social skills to cover it up like I do", smile sweetly, and just walk away.

One time at the dog park some lady insisted on pursuing him, her giant winter cloak flapping, yelling "IT'S OK DOGS LOVE ME DOGS LOVE ME" before I recovered my wits and told her to stop scaring my dog. The next time I saw her she gave me the stink eye and muttered something to her friend that started out "I've seen that lady before and she never..." before I got out of earshot. In my mind I always complete it as SHE NEVER LETS SCREAMING WHACKITRONS SCARE HER SHY DOG OH YEEEEEAAAAA.

 

[Renee750il]

Every once in awhile with Kharma, lol. Usually from some asshole who wants to walk right up talking baby talk with their hands out in front of them, assuring me that "all dogs like me" while I tell them "she's a breed that doesn't accept strangers readily, you NEED to stop."

SURPRISE!

There's Kharma, plastered between me and the asshole, standing sideways giving them the Baleful Glare out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, she's just shy, poor thing. You don't need to be afraid of me! ALL DOGS LOVE ME!"

Um, no . . . it's the nature of the beast and you might want to consider being afraid of her -- and me, more importantly -- if you're going to keep acting like an ass. I know my dog. You don't. I also know she's poised and is well satisfied as soon as someone retreats and won't give an over the top reaction or I wouldn't have her out in public. We've worked hard on that and its paid off.

Do not meddle in the affairs of Filas, for you are crunchy and taste like chicken.

 

[mkj2013]

I just beat people to it and say, yeah- she acts like she's been beaten- she's just a chicken *lol*. Usually cuts them off haha

 

[sassafras]

Yea I never really get the "all dogs love me!" thing... it's like some people's self esteem hinges on whether or not my dog likes them. And really, if you would just back the eff off he probably WOULD like you, he just doesn't like people forcing themselves on him!!

But what do I know. I've only lived with him for six years. :/

 

[Emily]

LOL neither of my girls are shy but Keeva is starting to have less and less interest in strangers as she grows up. She'll go up to them, accept a pat on the head, and then move on like, "Eh." Unless they're kids. She LOVES her some kids.

But I've still had people be like, "Oh why don't you want to give me kiiiiisssesss?!" After she has already humored them with pats and returned to me because she just literally has no interest in/use for them.
Me: "She's not very interested in strangers."
People: "Oh, wasn't she socialized?"

*facepalm*