[meehkim]

Note before reading: Angry rant that should contain many bad words..but I tried to contain myself...

So I went to Petsmart w/ Titan this past Saturday to buy some dog toys for him. Keep in mind that Titan tries to lunge at every person and dog there to get them to play with him, so I have been trying to make him sit before he can say hello to anyone (I am trying to teach him self control/how to greet people and dogs properly before he gets himself hurt).

I am standing in line at the cash register, when he tries to lunge at the lady in front of me. He catches the lady's attention, and she obviously wants to pet him. So I make him sit, and then let him play with her. Then this lady continues to talk to Titan saying "Your owner is much too serious for a playful puppy like you"...


EXCUSE ME???? really? did she really just say that in front of my face? what a rude *insert appropriate cuss word here.* I was fuming when I heard that. there is something called TRAINING YOUR DOG. who does she think she is?? people seriously need to learn some manners. she should be lucky i let her dirty ugly self touch my dog!!! i regret holding my tongue. I should have said to her "I'm sorry, but my dog is much too cute for YOU to play with"

RAWRRRRRR

 

[cbrand]

I think she was just trying to be funny. Cut her some slack. But if you want a come-back, you could always say something like:

Yes, 'cause the world doesn't have enough poorly trained dogs in it already.

Or


Winston Churchill had Miniature Poodles. They are serious dogs for serious people.

 

[KPoos]

Well, people are stupid and don't stop to think about things before they say them and she was probably one of those people that thinks that dogs should just be allowed to be wild and crazy. People will say similar things about children if you control your kids. I think the poorly trained dog comment is a good one.

 

[taxtell]

I hate that.
People tell me all the time about how Flip is a doodle or doesn't look like a poodle, or is too small, etc.
OK Random Poodle Expert.

I especially hate it when he jumps on someone (which he KNOWS better than to do) and they say 'oh no it's ok' when I tell him 'off!'. It's NOT OK. Then they act like I'm the meanest person ever because I don't let my dog jump all over them and be an annoying PITA.

 

[meehkim]

Yea, I initially thought she was trying to be funny, but I thought about it for another second, and I just got really angry because it was an indirect insult. You were trying to be funny by insulting the owner? C'mon man, have some common sense!

And yes, good come back, cbrand! I will definitely quote you the next time someone says anything remotely similar..

 

[Mercury's Mom]

Ive gotten that kind of comment more than once and that I need to let my spoo just be a puppy. I am training Merc to be a therapy dog so I put him in a sit or down before people pet him and for some reason Im apparently squelching his spirit. Does he mind sitting before getting a treat or pet? Of course not. Merc gets plenty of time to relax and just be a puppy but out in public is not play time. Would they rather he bounce all over the place and knock them down with his big poodle feet?

Its not really the words the people use that tick me off it's the tone and looks they give you. I try not to let it bug me to much and usually just say something about how he's in training (then people think they aren't supposed to pet him, but thats only for service dogs) or that he needs to know what appropriate behavior is in public (as I glance at their out of controll dog knocking down a display).

Just remember that you are training Titan for his benifit as well as those around him and don't be afraid to let people know. There are know it alls everywhere and they are never shy so you don't need to be either.

 

[PonkiPoodles]

I don't get angry at people anymore - it's just a waste of time.

First cause the people who are pissing you off either really don't give a sh*t / are stupid/ clueless/ are trying to get you pissed off/ are just rotten people to begin with (add whatever you want to that list)....and you can't change any of that, so why bother.

And secondly, I like being happy... and NOBODY is gonna change that! So, I just flip them off and go on my merry way! :biggrin:

Besides - there is nothing wrong with being serious.

 

[Harley_chik]

Just write her off, people like that usually have some of the worst behaved dogs. (Her's wasn't with her; could it be he's too out of control? Just a thought.) I get those comments all the time w/ Harley and they come from family members who's dogs are always jumping on people, can't walk on a leash right, etc. They think crating is just cruel and tell me to relax "he's just playing" when I correct Harley for something. Several of these people who think crating is cruel keep or have kept their dogs on chains and/or tie out btw. Good for you for training Titan to behave.

 

[Trillium]

You know you were doing right to work on teaching manners. You'll always get people that think you are too strict on you kids or dogs. Then again the reverse is also true. Don't let it get to you and keep working on it. I'm in the same process and it sure makes life easier when they have manners when we go out. Not to mention a lot less embarrassing.

 

[Olie]

I honestly cannot stand people that act that way! Condescending. But then I have met people who are just born smart asses, put on earth to annoy us:doh: But you took the high road! And you are doing the right thing too.

 

[WonderPup]

LoL, poor you. I know that can be frustrating. When I worked at P.S. I took one of the advanced classes with Howie to help the new trainer (she took my place) figure out what she was doing with more advanced training. Seriously they should offer more instruction to their new trainers that come with no experience at all but whatever. Anyway John worked there part time in the evenings for extra play time cash and every week I would come up early for the class and bring him dinner and we would eat together in the break room. Howie of course always was with me and he KNEW the drill. No begging, under the table, down, and stay. There was this seriously WEIRD guy who volenteered with the cat adoption center and he came in and called Howie out from under the table with a big peice of food. I stopped him and put him back in down, he knows the only word that follows STAY is a release cue, NEVER come when called or lets go or anything like that, those follow wait. Anyhow I had every intention of releasing Howie and letting him go say hello but the guy got ALL kinds of grouchy and called me a bitch and a lot of other names and said he was going to report me to the store manager for animal cruelty - ROFL.
I also had a customer standing in front of me in line on my BIRTHDAY for heaven sake tell my new puppy that I had gotten the night before that she was sooooo sorry she had such bad luck with mommies. Dog shows are such a hard life and it's was sooo unfair. Holy cow, lady, it's an italian greyhound - how hard a life can going to a show once or twice a month really be?? Are you serious? When I made a comment that it would certainly not be a hard life she got all high and mighty and told me she used to show sammies and sorry but YES it was a hard life and just awful sometimes fo the dogs. I just smiled and said well you must have treated your dogs very differntly from the way I do mine *shrugs* mine sleep in the bed and on the couch and are treasured pets that happen to go to shows from time to time not show dogs who sometimes get to be pets.

Keep a cool head about you, you know how you want your puppy to behave. Don't let anyone offend you and don't let anyone get in the way of your training either. I often warn students that when they are teaching the sit to be greeted behavior that people will try and pet the dogs and tell you they don't mind it jumping all over them while you are trying to get it to sit.

 

[Mister]

I think she was just trying to be funny. Cut her some slack. But if you want a come-back, you could always say something like:

Yes, 'cause the world doesn't have enough poorly trained dogs in it already.

Or


Winston Churchill had Miniature Poodles. They are serious dogs for serious people.

Ha ha i like the Winston Churchill one!

 

[spoospirit]

If the intent was, indeed, to be condescending or insulting to you it really isn't worth the stress to respond in a negative way. I like Cbrand's suggestions for a response.

You do know that you were doing the right thing for your puppy. That is what is really important.

Personally, I like to take moments like these to educate the persona/people who are making comments that show that they are ignorant of proper training methods to have a good dog. A smile and a happy explanation of why I am doing what I am doing has always gone a long way toward diffusing a situation and leaving the person with an understanding of my actions.

 

[Olie]

If the intent was, indeed, to be condescending or insulting to you it really isn't worth the stress to respond in a negative way. I like Cbrand's suggestions for a response.

You do know that you were doing the right thing for your puppy. That is what is really important.

Personally, I like to take moments like these to educate the persona/people who are making comments that show that they are ignorant of proper training methods to have a good dog. A smile and a happy explanation of why I am doing what I am doing has always gone a long way toward diffusing a situation and leaving the person with an understanding of my actions.

Yep thats a great idea - kind of like giving it back to them nicely - the thing is we always remember the negatives...........humans tend to do that so maybe next time the preson won't forget the message!

 

[Marian]

I don't get angry at people anymore - it's just a waste of time.

First cause the people who are pissing you off either really don't give a sh*t / are stupid/ clueless/ are trying to get you pissed off/ are just rotten people to begin with (add whatever you want to that list)....and you can't change any of that, so why bother.

And secondly, I like being happy... and NOBODY is gonna change that! So, I just flip them off and go on my merry way! :biggrin:

Besides - there is nothing wrong with being serious.

Yeah, what she said.

 

[Birdie]

I think she was just trying to be silly, I doubt she was saying you shouldn't train your dogs or any of that nonsense. She was probably just joking around and noticing that you were being serious with your dog, when most people just let their puppies run rampant. Don't worry about it, she probably didn't even think she would offend you.

Normally people compliment me on Desmond being well behaved (I LOVE it when people ask him to sit to be petted instead of me, it makes me so happy. I was trying to get him to sit in the store earlier so a nice woman and her young son could pet him, but I wasn't being nearly firm enough and he didn't hear me giving the command. The lady stands up, signals and tells him to sit. Sure enough, he sat and was loved on for a nice while, I was so proud. )

I know if someone DID comment that I was being too serious, I would probably just laugh and say "Well, it's better than breaking my arm every time he lunges at something!"

 

[frostfirestandards]

I hate that.
People tell me all the time about how Flip is a doodle or doesn't look like a poodle, or is too small, etc.
OK Random Poodle Expert.

I especially hate it when he jumps on someone (which he KNOWS better than to do) and they say 'oh no it's ok' when I tell him 'off!'. It's NOT OK. Then they act like I'm the meanest person ever because I don't let my dog jump all over them and be an annoying PITA.

I have very few pet peeves in life with my dogs, this is a major one. ITS NOT OK, because *I* dont want *MY* dogs doing this to me, judges,strangers or friends.

I will allow them to stand on their hind ledgs if invited to do so, but I dont want them to assume they can do it to everyone.


my other pet peeves with my dogs in public are:

* mothers who force their frightened children to pet a dog (I won't allow it)
* Toddlers especially, but anyone in general, hugging my dogs or kissing them
* people who make fun of Kaden's hair

 

[KPoos]

That's like when people offer your kid candy and you say "no, we don't let them have candy" and they give you looks like you need CPS called on you. I've gotten the "it's okay" remark when Harry has greeted guests with jumping and I say NO it's not okay with me and I'm training him not to greet people like that. Smelling is okay and when I say enough he needs to back off and he doesn't. He gets too excited when people come to the house so I've been putting him in a sit stay and making him wait until I say he can greet people.

 

[spoospirit]

That's great Kpoos. I have started working on the same problem. When we get home from going out in the car, I make them sit/stay until we have come out and approached them. It not only is teaching them good manners but is also a huge safety measure. They now have to sit/stay anytime someone comes to the door as well. They are getting pretty good at it too and I'm proud of them. They learned quickly that they won't get any attention until they show some good manners.

 

[KPoos]

One of the best things I've ever implemented by Cesar Milan was the relaxed, calm state of mind when coming into the house. I was letting them just bolt through the door until we saw an episode where he was training these dogs to relax at the door and wait until they were allowed into the house. It was creating this anxiety in these dogs, getting them riled up, when the door was opened. So he would make sure they knew he was at the door and wait until the whining stopped. Then open the door a little bit and wait. Each time he was waiting for the clues that the dogs had calmed down a bit. I've worked on it enough that Mia will lay down in about 2 minutes and wait. Harry still is anxious and it has taken him as long as 15 minutes to finally relax and I can let them in the house. I just stand at the door waiting for them to relax. What it has done is make them more aware of going through doors without just rushing through.