I just try to keep a dark sense of humor about it and keep my straightest face if people are really rude. Sometimes you just can't fix stupid and have to have a little fun with it. I think every breed attracts comments and questions based on misinformation that has been perpetuated out there via the media or movies.
When I had my German Shepherd Dogs it was- Is that a police dog (mostly from kids)? No, they are family dogs.
Do you speak German to them because they are GSD's and they know that language from birth and/or their mother-dog spoke it? Ahhhhh, sure. I actually tried to speak canine but I couldn't roll my grrr's correctly or hit the high howl just right so they gave up teaching me and we stayed with German.
I also had arguements about their coloring and if they were pure since they were both red sables but looked nothing alike. My female was a long coated black/red and my male a standard coat of straight red with no black (like deep Golden Retriever coloring). No, she's not a Belgian-Do you have pure breed papers?-Yes, I have her papers. They are in german. Do ya wanna see them?-Oh, if they are in german then she must be a GSD. ( I feel sorry for those poor GSDs from the Czech Republic or Holland. They must be confused about who they are.
One of the 2 dogs I have now is an English Black Labrador (very stocky build and 85 lbs). My favorite conversation (with an adult in Rochester) was: Is he pure?- Yes.- He looks big. I thought Labs have skinny legs and small chests. Are you sure he doesn't have Newfie?- I have his papers. I saw his Mom and Uncle. He looks like his uncle. No, he doesn't have Newfie in him: some Labs get a very thick, dense coat in winter since they were used to retrieve birds in icy waters. He's lived his whole life in NY as a family dog though. First near Buffalo where his breeder lives and now in Rochester.- Oohhh, yeah. If he was born near Buffalo then that is why his coat is extra thick. It's really cold there. (as opposed to single digit tropical Rochester???)
I do have little kids ask me if he bites since he is black and big and gets hyper-wiggly when he sees them. I tell them only if you bite him first. If you promise not to bite him and give him gentle lovies then you can pet him. We don't want to scare him.
My Anatolian mix they just ask me what he is from across the street (It might have something to do with the cold, silent, unwavering stare as they approach, pass by and until they are about 100 feet past us). Very rarely does anyone ask to pet him unless they have a big dog too, but I do get those vicious big dog comments or ones about him attacking/eating their precious fur-darling as it strangles itself barking and lunging at us as the owner drags it by. Dakota knows better then to react but I still give him the "leave it and sit" which he obeys. My usual comments back are " Oh, he only eats little dogs on Wednesdays so you are pretty safe today" or " He only likes the small ones with short coats. The really hairy ones get stuck in his teeth." I also like to use the "Don't worry. I'm not sure my dog recognizes your's as a dog since it is wearing such an interesting outfit."
My favorite is when my son (who was then 2 years old), Dakota and my dog trainer friend were with me at Petsmart checking out . An older lady was behind us and made a comment about it being dangerous to have a mean looking big dog with a young child. Someone might get hurt. I promptly turned around, kept my cool and told her, " You are completely right. I've been socializing him, taking him to playgroups, exposing him to lots of people of different ages but he still has a tendency to bite people when he gets overexcited or wants to start a fight. He's already bit my older daughter several times." To which the lady now had a horrified but I told you so expression. "I think my only option is to find a special muzzle for him when we are home or out. Do they make ones that are approved by child protective services for 2 year old boys? Let's just say, I have never seen anyone get so red in the face in their life. As for my dog trainer friend, she almost peed herself laughing.
