Oooohhh Working dog in training! I like it! Maybe I need to find some sort of vest… I know I steer clear of dogs wearing “working dog” or “assistance dog” vests, unless I’m in a position to ask for permission to greet them. And thank you for understanding. By nature, she greets strangers with skepticism. She sits politely, but will give you the “side eye” when you approach. She still has relaxed posture, but she’s aware. That’s part of what I love about her, and the breed in general. Her ears and tail are all natural so people assume she’s a bouncy friendly lab (I think that’s actually what her tiny bit of a mix is). But no, she isn’t. Couple all of that with the fact that Dobermans aren’t all too common where I’m at. It is very much my responsibility to protect her, and also myself, from liability, so I am hyper aware and careful in public. She’s always at heel and under my control. What really grinds my gears is if she HAD reacted, because she’s a big dog, everything would have automatically been her fault. I don’t have a problem with little dogs, I love all dogs big and small. I do have a HUGE problem with irresponsible people. In the media, and in the public eye, when a big dog bites it must immediately be put down and banned and rallied against. When a little dog bites the reaction is “GASP! What did YOU do wrong?!”. I’m sure as the owner of a large breed dog, and of one that comes with its own misconceptions, you can relate. (BTW, never met a Rottie that I didn’t like. I love their big ol’ noggins!) Oh, and the joggers! Lol! I had a GSD mix growing up that tried to herd the neighborhood kids on their bikes. Made her crazy to watch from the house or fence. She didn’t want to “get” them, but oh boy did she want to herd them into a circle.
