Scared by a Lab puppy - how did it get this way?

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Brass Fetcher

Brass Fetcher

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I was just out jogging with my 1 year old black lab -basically still a puppy in his head and he's not full grown. He likes people. Coming around a corner on a wooded trail comes three other joggers. The first two pass with no problem - I said 'Hi' and 'he's friendly'. The third one in the line STOPS and looks like she is trying to scream but cannot muster the noise. It is getting harder and harder to walk any dog without people avoiding us like the plague. I understand that people did not used to be this way (scared of everything).

Do we share the same opinion? When did things change? I hope everone on THR can walk their dogs without the garbage that we go through.

Thank you,

JE223
 
My wife would have had a similar reaction for a period of time. She is getting better but, she was bitten in the face by a dog she had interacted with before. For awhile she couldn't even deal with our own dogs. It is considered Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.


.
 
The media has played up the mytht that all dog attacks are Pits to the point that the public is beginning to see Pits around every corner.

Think about it
Heavy Bodied + Big Head= Pit Bull
 
I hope everone on THR can walk their dogs without the garbage that we go through.
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Generally, yes. Most people are even intelligent enough to recognize that our dog is really friendly, due to the grinning face, wiggling body and wagging tail that she exhibits whenever she sees people. It can really slow down a walk or jog to have a dog that's so overly friendly, but it's worth it because she's just the best thing we ever brought home!

She's a pit bull. And again, most people see her behavior, and forget about the stereotypes. She's "converted" a few people, who now see the whole breed in a different light than what's been fed them by the same media that demonizes us and blames our guns for crime.

However, a few people where we walk DO jump back from every dog they see, whether it's a huge mastiff, a stern-eyed husky, or a bouncing chihuahua. Their loss. I figure, "Just keep your laws off my life and off my dog's life, and you can go on with your little self-indulgent phobias all you want."
 
JE223,

I am both empathetic and sympathetic to your situation.

Not to sound PC, but for some strange reason, a lot of people are fearful of black dogs. When we got Oliver (at the time he was an 8 week old black lab pup), people would shy away from him when we went out for walks and hikes. On the other hand, when we got Dani (at the time a 6 week old yellow lab pup) people were actually coming up to us and no one ever seemed to be scared of her. Both are great natured dogs.

Go figure...

-Jim
 
Beren, :D . Good point - I hope it was the dog! My apologies to those posters mentioning the PTSD assciated with dog bites. I was in the dark on that one and am sorry if the post struck a nerve.

Yeah, he was leashed... It's just better that way where we jog - he's still a knucklehead and might run off if the wind was right and the park is posted as having a leash rule.

I've heard a few people say that there is a difference between fear and panic. Fear (in an emergency) is natural, panic is oftentimes fatal. Panic at the sight of all dogs, minding their own business, is inconcievable to me - but I've seen those people too.

This did not happen when I walked a black lab (same size, different dog) 10 years ago, in the same neighborhood. There was this one sissy who carried a cane as a weapon and tried to beat my dog once, which just made a nice dog into a not-nice one. (When my dog responded, the man with the cane lost all of the will that he thought he had and basically curled up in front of my dog - weird scene). Other than that, no problems at all. Most people petted the dog.

I'm thinking back about some of the toys I had when I was a kid. Cool toys that fired potentially deadly projectiles and looked like guns, electrical toys that could cut/bruise you if not handled right. Looking at Wal-Mart today, I see nothing but brightly colored plastic with well-rounded edges, etc.

Basically, I feel that our wealth as a nation, and the comfort that wealth brings has moved the vast majority of us into a state of ignorance with respect to the 'real' world. Where some animals are nice and some are not nice - up to the person to decide for themselves, which is which.
 
my dad

is scared of dogs.he cared formy dobie/lab mix for a year and that dog loved dad.she was treated for heart worm while there.he fed her spaghetti O's.and he still cringed when she came up to him. new york city boy second generation dog hater
 
I understand that people did not used to be this way (scared of everything).
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'

Thank the news for hammering in that XYZ is "a danger that could be lurking in your neighborhood" and "it could happen to you". Its a miracle to get even five good minutes of news out of a 30 minute segment.

*newscaster voice*

Ordinary household dirt... found in any ordinary front yard. There could something invisible to the eye lurking there, and it can be deadly to your child and pregnent women. You might not even be aware of it! Coming up next on our top investivative report series. But now, a new study on baby smiles and improved health!
 
It's all in size, appearance and the other folks ignorance.

I've had Labs all my life and have run into the same thing you have, countless times. Is it because their Black? No. I've had it happen with my Yellows and Chocolates. People see "big dog" and go into conniption fits. "Big dog" is anything larger than a Beagle. Well almost, I also have a Bassett Hound that people flock to pet. If I had known I would get this much attention I would have got one when in my teens but now, I'm thinking, please, just leave her alone and let her take a sh*t. :p

Most "dog people" will never have a problem with a Lab, they know better. Although, I did have one Lab that would bite your azz if you got near me, "her truck" or the backyard. However, If I was there, she would be fine. That's rare though. Most Labs are all bark and and all lick.

If someone has been attacked by any dog, they have my complete understanding and empathy for their uneasy feel around dogs of any size and breed.
 
there is hope

i'm not like dad,have had up to 14 dogs at a time.dad goes ape when he sees kid hang all over dogs and lick em back. (tongue to tongue).i was raised in different enviroment and turned out different.so new york city dad has son with a pony a thoroughbred a goat 8 chickens 3 dogs. and a house in the woods.hes never held a gun. but i did get himto go striper fishing.
 
Not to sound PC, but for some strange reason, a lot of people are fearful of black dogs.
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Never thought of that, but I am more cautious around black dogs.
Don't know why, all the dogs that have ever bitten me were light colored and mostly white at that.
Go figure, must be my Wiccan sisters influence.
so new york city dad has son with a pony a thoroughbred a goat 8 chickens 3 dogs. and a house in the woods.hes never held a gun. but i did get himto go striper fishing.
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That's too funny. I was raised for a time the way you will be raising your kids and my son is about as Metro as you can get. When he was born we lived on a small farm with pigs ,chickens, and rabbits.
 
Some people are just scared of animals. I had some guys come to clean my carpets once, and one of them (big, tattooed guy, kind of intimidating) was paralyzed by fear at my cat. Now, granted, he does have a frickin' laser on his frickin' head, but still, he's pretty squishy. Anyway, the guy was afraid to the point that he refused to enter the house, and stood there begging me to put the cat in another room. Not rational, clearly.

Perhaps this is either a bad experience problem, or a phobia of unknown provenance.
 
Well...I'd say the article below explaines alot of it. I'm sure the vast majority of these people were bitten by "dogs that don't bite". Personally, I'll trust your dog when I know your dog, and I'll trust you when I know you, otherwise you and your dog will be viewed a little suspiciously till then. I love it when dog owners tell me how nice their dog is, as he stands there growling at me with his hackles raised....kinda like those mom's of murderers who talk about how their son is a good boy that just went bad for a minute. I like dogs, but I'm not going to trust the judgement of the owner or the dog till I've been around them a bit.

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/statistics.html
Dog Bite Statistics
There is a dog bite epidemic in the United States. There are almost 5 million victims annually -- about 2% of the entire population. 800,000 need medical attention. 1,000 per day need treatment in hospital emergency rooms. Between 15 and 20 die per year. Most of the victims who receive medical attention are children, half of whom are bitten in the face. Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion per year, with $345 million paid by insurance.

The problem appears to be growing. In a 7-year period during the 1990's, the number of dogs rose by 2% while the number of bites increased by 33%. The property/casualty insurance industry paid $250 million for dog bite claims in 1995, $310 million in 2001, and $345.5 million in 2002. Additional losses were paid by other segments of the insurance industry, such as health insurers.

The dog bite epidemic: a primer
Canine homicides and the dog bite epidemic: do not confuse them
The dogs most likely to kill
Children are the most frequent victims
The face is the most frequent target
 
black dogs

i like black mutts. and its does seem to be true that they scare folks.i've got a lab husky mix that sleeps with kittens and chickens and she terrifies folks.they are a lil harder to read and sometimes look sinister
 
If they have teeth, they bite. Nothing wrong with being cautious about any animal in your proximity...freezing up and going all deer in the headlights is a bit much though. If I see an animal or a dog I don't know, I gently massage the butt of my gun inconspicuously...just in case. Nothing wrong with that, and I love dogs. :)
 
I was raised around dogs, hunting and watch dogs.

At 10 years old I had my left calf muscles ripped severely by a German shepard.
I was delivering papers at the time.

About 2 years ago I was sitting on the pavement outside my apartment, near Houston. I was cleaning the rear wheel on my motorcycle. A neighbor came outside with his Rottweiler. The dog yanked the leash off his arm and crossed about 50 ft. of pavement in a full run. I did not even have time to get to my feet.
I put out my left hand which the dog clamped down on to the bone.

This jerk started pulling the dog by the collar and was ripping my hand to shreds. I finally kicked the owner in the groin. I killed the dog with a crescent wrench from my open toolbox. The dog did not let go till the end.

The owner, to this day says that dog didn't do anything requiring me to kill it.

I'm 6'1", weigh 245, any dog that rushes me dies, PERIOD.

I think that with today's population density we need to take a serious look at the regulation of dog ownership, at least in urban locations.

BTW, I get to spend the rest of my life with no feeling, in 3 fingers. Just so some jerk could have a 100lb. animal that he couldn't control.
 
Funny, I have a black dog that is an Australian Cattle Dog mix. He is incredibly friendly.

I get asked routinely if he is a pit bull!? I always follow up by saying, "No, he's not even part pit bull," and asking "have you ever SEEN a pit bull?

Anyway, how's this story for irony: I was walking my LEASED dog and a black woman had two of her dogs RUN ACROSS the street to harass MY DOG. My dog's tail was wagging as they sniffed each other. The black woman was extremely rude to me, couldn't control HER dogs, was reluctant to come get HER dogs and kept asking me if MY dog was friendly or a pit bull! Was SHE witnessing the same thing I WAS? I scoffed at her and told her that she was being prejudiced against the color of my dog and that she should stop being so bigoted!

I agree that many people are incredibly ignorant both about dog breeds and behavior, and way too often judge based on color alone.
 
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