I was at a BoyScout/CubScout event yesterday with the entire family including the fur kid Max. I had the family at the picnic table and I put Max at a down stay under the the table. I got up to get my kids and wife some drinks and three CubScouts jumped in my seat, did I mention I was a little fat?, when I got back with the drinks the grubby little scouts had managed to smear red and blue cupcake frosting all over his head and were trying to feed him cookies. So now my regal looking white GSD looks like clown dog from the circus. I was a little peeved. I had previously explained to this kids NOT to pet Max. So, my suggestion is: Keep your GSDs away from surgar charged carbonated life forms. Before you ask where was the wife unit, she had her head turned chatting it up with another mom.

Another reason not to get a white dog..Heh..Heh.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Did you get the color out of his fur yet? That is one thing I have been telling my children ASK THE OWNER first!!!

Yes, we got the color out. I guess with some kids you have to repeat yourself at least 10 times. And a number of ppl can not help themselves. seeing a good looking well trained dog is like crack to them and they just have to pet your dog.

I'm seriously considering making a shirt that says don't pet my dog and wearing it when we go out. perfect strangers reach down to pet him on top of his head. the fish lady in petsmart actually tried to pet him from behind!! it's a wonder he didn't bite her (he bites me all the time <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think this thread really sucks.

Good for you V.C. I honestly was wondering how long before you lost it. I cannot believe how many people out there care if people touch their dogs. I don't want my dog to protect me quite honestly, because of all the crazy judges out there. Touch my dog do whatever you want with them. If you try to take my dog or my money, I am perfectly willing to give you a beating. I don't need a dog to protect me and a gun or knife is a more reliable form of protection. I have never ever had a dog that I would take out in public that couldn't be petted. I like when they lean on them or put their butts on the persons legs for a scratch. I don't understand the obsession. If your dog is not good with people keep him the ____ home. I always hear people talking about the buttwad at the dog park with the uncontrolled dog. How about the guy with the dog who he has totally over rated getting squirrelly with people in public because they want to pet the dog??????? Do you really think that people petting your dog is going to keep him from defending you? Do you really believe that someone who is not afraid of your dog won't run him? That great big sleeve is not in site and the guy is really coming......... Holy cow don't depend on your poor dog, RUN!! I guess this is the long way of me saying that I have never seen a difference made in a dog because the general public touched it. He will protect you, or he won't, period.

Lets see, board dedicated to primarily protection/biting dogs.......

For a pure protection dog I don't care if they are petted either. Not much protection if the dog can't be out and social around people. But people are MORONS, and I have had several come up to YOUNG dogs in training, ask to pet them and pull away in fear when the dog approached them stimulating the dog's prey drive. Got to be quick to save them from their own foolishness. You have to be very careful about who you let approach your dog and pay attentionfor them to do something stupid.

It's not that I personally want uncontrolled, aggressive dogs, but I'm naturally jealous and to see my puppy fawning over someone just gets my blood boiling. It doesn't help that I receive comments like, "Oh, are you sure you're feeding her?" and "She loves me more than you!" I don't mind people petting her, but when they start giving her commands and telling her "No, don't jump!" I want to slap them upside their heads. I like my jumping dogs. It's not my problem if you go up to a puppy straining on the leash on a wet, muddy day. Especially if you saw me trying to cross the street before I meet you and you run up to greet me anyway.

Now, my older dog, I can trust him around children and dogs and anyone else, but any time anyone wants to give him affection he has this annoyed look on his face. He'll greet old friends with a wag of his tail, but reserves his kisses (which are rare), and his excited little dance only for me. He's deaf to others' commands and has gotten the reputation as 'dumb', but one call from me, even when he's out of sight and on the other end of the street, will send him running. That's the type of dog I like. He has actually driven people away from him because when they say "Hi" to him he gives them one look and then snorts and looks away.

It's selfish, but it's not like I'm doing the world a disservice by refusing them my dogs. It keeps their clothes clean and, in the case of the older dog, keeps their pride intact.

It's not about protection, it's about people who don't know how to handle dogs, or who don't know the personality of my dog. You can't just walk up to anybody's kids and pick them up. Why shouldn't work the same with dogs?
I know my dog nips and bites hard during play, I would not want some child to walk up to me while I'm in line and grab his tail. There is a proper way to socialize, but it's not having random people just walk up to your dog and start petting him. I've been training Sabian to go into a down position to accept petting. He jumps, so I don't appreciate people who just walk right up to him and start grabbing him and encouraging him to sniff all over him. This is about people encouraging the dog to do things your training him not to do.