What is breed-ism? When a dog dislikes other dogs based on their breed alone.
Both Maggie and Ziggy have breeds they dislike, but Maggie is the biggest breed-ist in our house. Maggie doesn't like Miniature Schnauzers. They're nothing but trouble, in her book. But there's another breed that Maggie really doesn't like....
WHIPPETS! Grrr...
Why doesn't Maggie like Whippets?
My cousin has Whippets. Lovely, friendly, good-with-kids Whippets. Her oldest Whippet, Penni, is a bossy female who is a year or two older than Maggie. Maggie met this Whippet when Maggie was only 8 months old. Penni, as the oldest bitch around, felt it was her job to put the interloper Maggie in her place. She soundly told Maggie off (no injuries - just insults).
When the two met again a couple of years later, Maggie (who was by this time a bossy bitch in her own right), immediately peed and rolled over. Maggie has never done that before or since.
Fast forward seven years. Maggie and I don't really see any/many Whippets when we're out and about (they're not exactly a ubiquitous breed at obedience and agility trials). We finally do see one at an obedience trial. I think nothing of it. Clearly Maggie is thinking something about it - but she doesn't give a clue to her plan...
Maggie and I are next in the Open ring. I'm doing some heelwork to get her ready. She's heeling along very nicely - perfect focus on me, right by my side. Suddenly there's a little tension on the leash. I look over to see her giving an air snap right by the Whippet's nose (the whippet was just standing there doing nothing). In the next stride, Maggie is back by my side, heeling perfectly with a big smile on her face.
The Whippet owner was aghast (and that's putting it mildly). I apologized, but inside I was secretly smiling. I thought it was hilarious. Maggie is one sly bitch. Seven years later and she still remembers that Whippets are trouble, and she decides to exact some revenge...
Are any of your dogs breed-ist? If so, what breeds?
Sam isn't particularly fond of BCs because of the stare. He really doesn't like the stare. He will, however, give a BC a chance to prove it can be polite. If it is, he's ok w/it. Otherwise, my dogs don't seem to have any breedist issues. Although the pushed-in nose dogs do give them all pause. "Why are they making those WEIRD noises?"
ReplyDeleteSpencer does not like GSDs. It goes back to an obedience class where there was a woman with an out of control GSD that she could not handle. The dog made a move towards me, and Spence went after him. Ever since then, he is certain they are not to be trusted.
ReplyDeleteWhen he was getting his CD, we followed a GSD into the thing all three times that he qualified, which meant we had to be fairly close to them at the gate (one time a little too close) and of course it meant he had to do sits and downs next to them.
The time when we got a bit too close, the GSD and his handler had NQ'd and the handler was peeved and jerking him around a bit as they came out of the ring. This precipitated a little dog cussing between Spence and the GSD. The judge saw this, and when it came time for sits and downs, she let us set them up crooked so they could face away from each other, and she told the GSD handler that if her dog so much as looked at Spencer, she was going to remove him from the ring.
This judge was a little bitty woman, who a lot of people don't like to show under, but I respected her for how she handled that. She stood as close between them as she could and made sure there was no problem.
This does seem to just be an "on-leash" issue - off leash, he seems to do fine around them.
Ziggy agrees with Ike and Bug. Those are the two breeds he doesn't like. He's actually rather afraid of Goldens & Labs. He agrees that they're too exuberant -- they sometimes tackle him and play too rough.
ReplyDeleteMy GSPs all hated SharPei, the Cardis are odd they just don't like individual dogs. We have big dogs (GSP) and little flat face dogs (Brussels Griffon) so it isn't the size. I guess they most dislike bulldogs.
ReplyDeleteNow my guys LOVE Goldens! They seek them out if they see one in the distance. They get all squiggly and goofy when they greet one up close. And Wilson's best friend since he was a pup is a chocolate lab.
ReplyDeleteJimmy hates pretty much all puppies regardless of breed.