I lie about Opal's breed all the time. People are fascinated by her: they love her huge ears, her color, how friendly she is (once she warms up).

Cardigans are a relatively unknown breed, and so I tell people she's just some random mutt and that I have no idea what she is.

Or, I let people make up their own stories, which is usually more amusing. One person told me that she *for sure* was a pit bull/border collie mix. One person said she thought Opal was an australian shepherd (maybe because she's blue).

 

Sometimes it's the best way to go... it's rude but you know what... if someone is going to base their breed off what they see walking around town, they really haven't done their homework. I can't tell you how many breed books, breed sites I've read.... and I still am learning about new breeds every day. You can't do enough homework when you pick out a furry family member... I mean you don't pick our spouses on the internet from a picture.... why your dogs? (ok, some do both... LOL)

 

I dunno, I picked out Kit on the internet from this picture:

It was posted on petfinder. I think that's an acceptable way to pick out a dog, provided that you do some breed research, meet the dog, etc.

 

Hm.. not sure why you wouldn't choose to educate rather than misguide. Who says any of these people wouldn't do their research? I also don't see what's wrong with liking a dog for its looks.. I think the Koolie looks AMAZING, I could never have one, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be fawning all over one I saw in person lol.

 

I agree. You don't know these people at all... But I also get what you mean when you say that too many people get dogs for the wrong reason. Just a few days ago I met this young lady in our neighborhood who went to the pound to get a small dog and came home with this giant 8 months old pit bull/labrador mix, who was slightly anxious and fearful. First time owner. She said she just fell in love with him. I thought to myself that this dog likely will end up at the pound again. Unless... she takes an interest, does her homework on both breeds and starts working with this pup. Didn't sound like it though.

 

I picked out my Maremma ont he internet after researching and talkign to the breeder at length. When I was satisfied I paid and had him flown down. Never regretted it, one of the most stable dogs i've met.

 

As far as whether picking out a dog based on a picture or appearance, to each their own I suppose (I prefer to meet the dog, but then I also purchased a puppy with no information (at the time) on her breed, so that's basically akin to choosing by appearance as well.)

Being interested in a dog because of the appearance isn't a problem, but its certainly a good idea to look into the breed.. which isn't always done.. I ran into a very exhausted and frazzled looking lady at Petsmart once. She had a beautiful brown and white English Spaniel on the end of a leash. The dog was skittering across the linoleum, slipping and sliding in every direction, grabbing everything in sight and generally taking her on a high-energy joyride. I expressed to her fondness for Spaniels, and reminisced about how equally energetic my spaniel had been. She responded "If I had known I wouldn't have gotten her. Me and my husband didn't know anything about them, we just saw one in a dog park and liked the way they looked" exact words. I hope she worked it out, they're wonderful dogs.

And GottaLuvMutts, that is an exceptionally good looking dog! Who couldn't take home a face like that?

 

And GottaLuvMutts, that is an exceptionally good looking dog! Who couldn't take home a face like that?

Thanks. I'd been obsessively searching petfinder for weeks, and I swear my heart skipped a beat when I saw that pic. Nearly three years later, I still can't believe what a fabulous dog I picked out - she's one in a million.

More on topic, I'm with CoverTune here. Educate, don't misguide. Tell the truth about what kind of dog you have, but make the people see both sides - the good and the bad. I know nothing about maremmas, but every breed has good sides and bad sides to it.

If someone asked me about my dog, I'd try determine what kind of owner they'd make, and then tailor my response accordingly. For someone who could handle her, I'd say "BC mix. Enthusiastic, athletic, happy, loves everyone" For someone who couldn't I'd say "BC mix. Very high energy, obsessive, needs mental and physical stimulation daily". Kit is intense enough that she'd prove my point either way.

 

I didn't mean a particular dog, I meant a particular breed...

 

I'll be honest, there've been a couple times I haven't corrected people about my dogs' breed. Not for any particular reason, I just don't want to come across snotty. I feel like a lot of times that I say 'Well actually, they're papillons...' it comes across as snobby.

Just yesterday, in fact, a couple were fawning over Summer and when they were done petting her, the girl said 'I really love pomeranians.' I didn't correct her, just thanked her for loving on Summer, who was eating it up. Maybe that's wrong, I dunno. It's just much less of a hassle that way.

I've never called them a breed they are not, however. I don't think I'd ever do that.

 

I guess I wasn't in the mood for chatting as i had to PTS my other dog yesterday and know people pretty well and knew if I told them there was a good chance they'd go and get one.

 

The way I look at it, the people who need to have a cardigan will find their way to the breed like I did.

On the off chance that I meet someone who I feel would be a good fit for the breed, then I do and have educated extensively and gone as far to give out my mentor's card.

 

I "picked" Chester out because of a photo... well, that is what drew me to the shelter and his personality won me over once I there. If someone asks his breed, I usually say either "Rhodesian Ridgeback mix" or "the kind you get from the shelter" depending on the context of someone asking. I can understand not wanting to get into a deep discussion with strangers, but I also am open to talking more about Chester's personality and needs (which are typical Ridgeback, part of why I guess that as his dominate breed)

I also currently have a Pit Bull foster and am getting all the attention and flack that comes with that. Ranging from people admiring her (as in "Wow, she's pretty, I have an AmStaff and they are great dogs too") to quotes like "You got any others for sale?" and one woman who had been saying how nice the pup was and how much she liked bull dogs and how this other bull dog she met was great until someone informed her that Luna was a Pit and then she suddenly backed away and became quite subdued...

My vote is towards a quick little sound bite.. something like "Yep, he's a ______ and they are great but oh boy, do you need to know that they are ______"
My example is that I say "Yeah, as far as I know he's a Ridgeback. They are great if you are looking for an active dog that loves to hunt and run. Cats and squirrels better watch out." It is enough to warn off the people who just think oh, pretty, and enough to start a conversation with someone who might really be interested. And oddly, I've actually ran into a Ridgeback breeder who started laughing and agreeing with me when I said that...

 

i guess I should have told them, however i was feeling so bad about my other dog dying yesterday i sorted of just wanted to zone, so i walke dinasecluded area and people still stopped me, I didn't feel like talking so I guess I just told them something that required no real conversation, as I'm on the verge of crying constantly and was afraid I was going to break down.

 

Honestly, if you wanted to tell strangers to eff off, there isn't really anything wrong with that IMO. You are having a bad time, you are not required to deal with them. They will get over it. If you wanted to talk about your breed, great, if not, then its not like you have to or anything

 

Come on guys, doesn't he look like a GoldenX to you. lol

(he just had a brush excuse the amount of hair behind him, somebody is moulting)

 

This picture reminds me of just why I love mountain dogs

I don't think you were doing something wrong when telling them he was a golden retriever mix. People will buy it anyway; not many are familiar with LGDs and nowadays Golden Retrievers come in white(ish) too. If they're intent on getting a dog like him, they're probably better off with a Golden Retriever.

Then again, there are also people out there who think they've adopted a Golden Retriever and really ended up with an LGD. I guess that's the other way around
There came this huge, robust, stark white, longhaired dog on a street barbecue a year ago. I was super impressed and thought I knew the breed... but the Slovensky Cuvac, Tatra & Maremma do look alike a lot, so I asked just to be sure. They told me it was a Golden Retriever. Well... That was definitely not a Golden retriever.
Anyway, this story makes me sure of the fact that people can and will mistake LGDs for Golden retriever (mixes).

 

I don't think you were doing anybody any harm in calling him a golden mix. If that couple decide to get a golden now hopefully they will research goldens anyways before getting one. But it's not like these people absolutely NEED a maremma and you've just ruined all the chances of them getting one. If they were meant to have one they'll get one! But maybe a golden is a better fit for them and you've just opened their minds to the possibility. Who knows? This couple will get the dog they want to get and there's not much you can do about it. Heck they might get another maltese, LOL!

IMO I think it would be worse if you really had a golden mix but advertised him as a maremma, so that the people you spoke to went off and got a maremma expecting it to act like a golden. Whereas a guardian breed is obviously going to be a lot different and not as easy of dog for most owners compared to a golden. I think a lot of people fall into a similar kind of trap when they meet someone who has a "wolf hybrid," that's really just like a husky/shepherd, and the owner raves about how well behaved the dog is and how perfect it is with their children. And then the person listening is mislead and actually goes out and buys a real wolfdog and gets way in over their head. THAT'S the kind of situation where it might be harmful to give out false information.

But honestly, even though you KNOW your dog is a maremma, what if you had found your dog as a stray and really did think he was a golden mix and told that to everybody who asked? What's the harm in telling anybody that that's what he is? If it makes your conversation with a stranger easier for you, I say go for it. There have been times when I didn't feel like explaining that Basil is most likely a purebred Papillon, but that sometimes Papillons turn out bigger than standard and that's why he's so large for a Papillon. So instead I just said he's a Papillon mix. But what if he really is a Papillon mix and I've gone around all this time calling him a purebred Papillon?? Hehehe. :biggrin1:

ETA: Wow that really turned out longer than I expected, I really rambled on there, LOL!

 

I don't lie about my dogs' breeds...the ACD mix looks cool and, when she was younger, was a pretty spectacular Frisbee player, she's not easily identifiable as part ACD unless you really know dogs and can spot the temperment and build. People do want to know what kind of dog she is, but she's a bit scary, no one will want to go out and get one just like her . She's to be admired from a distance. BC mix is very obviously mostly BC and most people recognize that, as they've all seen "Babe" .

I DO lie, sometimes, about the breed of my neighbor's lovely Pitbull. He's a terrific dog, with the nicest manners (dogs and people). I take him out to walk with my dogs sometimes because neighbor is disabled. If people don't already know that he's a Pit (in which case they say how nice he is) and ask, I tell them he's a Boxer or a Boxer mix...learned my lesson, because the first time I told someone the truth, they became afraid, insisted that I "shouldn't bring that thing out in public" and generally got upset.

 

.
I DO lie, sometimes, about the breed of my neighbor's lovely Pitbull. He's a terrific dog, with the nicest manners (dogs and people). I take him out to walk with my dogs sometimes because neighbor is disabled. If people don't already know that he's a Pit (in which case they say how nice he is) and ask, I tell them he's a Boxer or a Boxer mix...learned my lesson, because the first time I told someone the truth, they became afraid, insisted that I "shouldn't bring that thing out in public" and generally got upset.

Why not tell them he is a Pit and let people see how terrific a Pit can be? Most of those people that are scared have probably met other nice Pits but been told they were "Boxers" or other mixes whereas meeting the occasional bad behaved Pit with an owner who brags about his tough PB means to them that all PBs are bad/scary. Unless your city has BSL against Pits, then do the breed's reputation a favor and show off that good dog

My aunt is scared of Pit Bulls but she's been seeing all the photos of my little Pit foster curled up on my lap or playing with my dog and it is helping her see that a dog is a dog for the most part.

I agree with Nargle that is important part is never misleading someone in a way that is likely to lead them to a dog that they can't handle, like the wolfdog example.

 

Yeah, I've been around people a lot and can generally work out what they're like as dog people. The girl was very very sweet and quiet and Ammo was already taking advantage of her submissive side lol. The guy had absolutely no clue because he though he was a samoyed and was very sure. With everything going on I weighed the options and took the path I thought best. Their personalities and lack of experience could not hold a LGD for long IMHO.

 

People ask me what Dexter is and how they can get one several times a day when I bring him to civilization.

I'm just honest with them. Yes he's gorgeous and appears calm in front of strangers, but he needs at least 2 hours of exercise a day. Turns most people right off.

 

Can't tell what your boy is from the pic?

 

Canadian Inuit Dog (with broken ears)

 

You shouldn't lie actually.. Just talk to them directly and you will feel better.

 

That is so sad Canaqua.

I've played around with ideas what to call our mutt, just for fun. My husband suggested "pitbull" (she's 10 lbs currently and won't get much larger). After reading your post I think that is what I will say from now on .

 

It'd be pretty much impossible for me to lie about Busters breed. Most people recognize a Saint Bernard when they see one. A few have asked if he's mixed with something (usually Great Dane since he's tall & thin) and once someone asked if he was a bear.

I opt to educate those that think they want a Saint after meeting Buster, starting with the gross factor. Shedding- twice a year my 140lb dog blows his coat. Daily grooming is required (20-30 minutes at a time) as is daily vacuuming/sweeping. I still end up with fuzzy carpets and fur blowing around the hard floors or caught under edges of furniture. Drool- absolutely not a breed to get if you cant handle drool. Drool in the bottom of water bowls, drool on the floors, drool on clothes, drool on the ceilings...and even drool on the TV. All it takes is a shake of that massive head and the drool flies, hitting every imaginable surface. If they make it past that without turning green I'll touch on the financial side, these dogs are expensive. A routine vet visit can push up to $300, "urgent care" such as the skin & ear infections he's prone to due to his allergies can be close to $200 (and I live in a fairly inexpensive area). He goes through a 30lb bag of food every 3 weeks and can not eat anything with grains, poultry, eggs or lamb. Since many locally feed their dogs for $20 or less per month, $50 every 3 weeks for a "special diet" sounds insane (Buster eats TOTW Pacific Stream). Very rarely will anyone want details of what happens should he get into something containing his allergens...staph infections, ear infections, diarrhea, refusal to eat, weight loss (oh yeah, and more $$ at the vet).

 

If somebody had warned me about Plott hounds, it's unlikely Esther would be living with us now.

Sometimes ignorance works out just fine when it meets persistence.

 

I trained a Plott (only one) he was a nice dog. Come to think of it he was the persistent one, I also had it covered though, as I was the Ignorant one, worked out fine.

 

Stationgirl I totally wouldn't judge what you did - given the "mood" you were in. Sorry to hear about your dog by the way. Although, if it were me and of course I was feeling chatty enough.. I would inform people of the breed, but thats not really relevant. You probably did the couple a favor in the end. I don't know anything about Maremma's but by the looks of yours it seems as though the breed could have some "high" demands, much like other breeds I suppose LOL.

I used to get stopped by people all the time about Cash, people always wanted to know what he was (either people had no clue, or they knew..never guessed), and I know that the breed is a good all around dog for any type of owner so I recommended them and bragged them up big time, and, I got my breeder some business and ran into the new Shiba owners at dog parks and they were so happy with the dog! So I felt like I did a good thing..

However with my Kelpie mix, Cash is definitely out of the spotlight now, everyone gravitates to Thumper, and I always feel the urge to correct people because the breed guesses just blow my mind - "OMG what a cute miniature pinscher!!" - WHAT!?! Then I USUALLY just say he's "australian Kelpie" becuase you can imagine how annoying it is to sit there and tell a stranger he's "australian kelpie with a bit of border collie, australian shepherd.." Anyway, people here have no Idea what a Kelpie is, most have never heard or seen one here and they are extremely rare in Alberta, most live on farms and are usually mixes with heelers or BC's, and are never seen walking down the street or at the dog park, and there are no breeders here so fortunately I don't have to worry about someone going and buying one, and I would definitely never recommend someone buying a Kelpie based on thier beautiful looks and perfect size lol - because there's a lot more to these dogs than meets the eye as I'm sure you know!! LOL. Its just funny some of the wild breed guesses Thumper gets all the time. His agility/obedience trainer didn't believe he was either Kelpie or Border collie, she initially thought doberman mix.

 

When people make comments about breeds to me I always so.... did you know the most aggressive dog in america is the chihuahua? (and by aggressive it means the most documents animal to human bites)

I don't have to lie about Brody's breed.... only 3 people have guessed correctly... ever (and two worked at Petsmart)

 

I lie about my dog being a dog...

It bothers me to no end... "Why don't you put a saddle on that thing and ride it". "That's not a dog, that's a horse!"
I know they're trying to be funny and creative but it's not... one day I am just going to come back with something snarky like "A saddle huh, maybe your wife will let me borrow one from her thighs"

That would be mean... LOL. Funny, creative... LOL

 

I'm sorry Nargle if I offended you, did I lie??

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/li_yippers_big_nippers_EsuEAx5j7TkzZArVFttI0J

No... there are plenty of studies and articles on such behavior.

I read an article several years back that small dogs bite 10x more than large breed documented cases... but the fact is they do little damage and 90% go unreported.

 

I'm sorry Nargle if I offended you, did I lie??

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/li_yippers_big_nippers_EsuEAx5j7TkzZArVFttI0J

No... there are plenty of studies and articles on such behavior.

Well, yes, if that article is supposed to back up your claim that chihuahuas are responsible for most of the documented dog bites in America... since that article is about dog bites in New York City. :/

TOP TEN MOST AGGRESSIVE DOGS:

http://www.ehow.com/list_6011449_top-10-aggressive-dogs.html

The daschund being first and the chihuahua being second... (the article I read many years ago had the chihuahua first)... pit bull isn't even on the list.

LOL, ehow with dogbreedinfo as one of its THREE references and no reliable dog bite data to back it up... but it must be true, because it's on the internet. -.-

And a worse truth is, it's almost always a human's fault. People get small breed dogs because they're cute and portable. They have small bowels, they can drive around with them, they're light fit into carriers, they have clothing options... they're the perfect accessory.

% to %... a large breed owner is more likely to bring their dog to obedience training, than a small breed owner. That is because a lot of small breed owners are ignorant... they want a dog not as a companion, or to serve a purpose... but to accessorize themselves. (NOT ALL... but plenty) therefor there are a lot of poorly bred, poorly trained small breeds who have the "large dog syndrome" or the "ankle biter" phrase glued to their forheads.

It's unfortunate, but it's reality. Not knowing all of this... is ignorance.

The last line, in light of the first two paragraphs, just made my irony meter explode.