'Status dogs'

CorvusCorax

CorvusCorax

Deary me...
Joined
15 January 2008
Messages
62,192
Location
End of the pier
Visit site
I see this statement a lot and it makes me chuckle. Yes, obviously, some people are drawn to certain types of dogs because they have tiny wotsits and they think it will make them look hard and make them be feared by people.

These days it is bull breeds but back in the day it was 'Alsaaaaaaayshuns'.
In fact, if you look at such esteemed organs as Sky News' comments feature or the letters pages of the tabloids, you still will find people of the opinion that anyone who owns a Shep, Rott, Staff or Dobe is a chav who wants to look hard and that they should all be shot and that if we want a dog, we should all own collies and labs because they NEVER do ANYTHING wrong (no offence to any collie or lab owners, but it is a sentiment which has been aired before, just using it as an example.

Which got me to thinking - I remember going to a seminar years ago by a man called Brian Wootton who is a breed historian and wrote IMO one of the best books on the breed, who said 'none of us in this room were initially attracted to the breed because of character, it's the look that drew us in first, before we found out all the wonderful traits and the adaptability'.
And he was right, in a way, you look at a dog before you ever know what it is like on the inside.

However my mother and I both write, professionally, indeed, she was a librarian.
The man we bought our dogs off owns an electrical company.
The man we bought our last bitch off, makes shrouds.
The lady we bought the female before that from, was a sheep farmer.
I also know undertakers and doctors and graphic designers who own GSDs - we can't all of us, have this type of dog because we want to 'look hard'?

Any thoughts? I know it's a Saturday night ramble (my best mate blew me out, the cow!!!) but I'd love perhaps especially Staff owners to air their views, bearing in mind comments on another thread.
 
I definately went for a Springer because of their reputation for being 'ard... :p:D

We get a lot of GSDs in the kennels and 90% of them are owned by respectable business men or mad women. The remaining 10% are blokes who definitely don't need a dog to make them scary!
 
Once, when we were weeding the stream, I gave directions to a bloke in his car, holding my black lab by the collar, and holding a machete in the other hand. He didn't half move quick!

As I said on the other thread, there are many staffs (for example), owned by NORMAL people bringing up NICE dogs. But, as with fashions, chavs atm thinks staffies are the "in" breed, so thats the one the w@nkers pick. Doesnt mean it stops other people owning staffies for different reasons =]
 
I have greyhounds to confirm my status as someone who is lean, well muscled, glossy and gorgeous.... well they say dogs are like their owners? :p

Ummm, well, yeah I wish :rolleyes::D:D
 
Errrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmm...............

You chav!!:eek: You know you only have 2 Alsaaaaaaaaaaaaayshuns to look hard!!;):D:D

In all seriousness I have never chosen a dog because of the 'status' or the significance it would attach to me! :oThe dogs in my life in the order the have appeared are as follows....

Italian Greyhound
Lab x collie
Labrador
Irish Setter
Cocker Spaniel
Labrador
Cocker Spaniel
Labrador

Ok there is a pattern emerging in there but as over half of the dogs mentioned were rescued there wasn't any thought to the breed more that they needed a good home:). Essentially the common theme with all of them has been that they are people/family friendly dogs. I'm a sucker for a nice a dog and frankly it never ceases to amaze me that I don't have a pack larger then CAYLA!!:eek::D:D

Not sure that answer your question at all though..........I blame the wine *slurp*;):D
 
My old lab used to look after us, he would certainly see off any dogs that came aggressively towards his peeps, and he wasn't keen on fishermen 'lurking' in the reeds on the other side of the canal:o Many an innocent fisherman must have had their day spoiled by a rather large lab yelling his disapproval at them (and no doubt scaring off every fish within a mile or so!). And he scared the life out of a copper once, by chasing a cat over our garden fence into the dark, and getting it to land on the copper who was at that moment passing looking for some nefarious types... And he guarded the house and garden when we were out.
 
Well I thought it went without saying... :p

The stereotypical Springer owner we get is a mature gentleman, usually in Barbours and wellies, often with flatcap. They are slightly scruffier than lab owners and slightly more abrupt, the dog is usually squirming around at their heel in a worshiping kind of way :D
I don't fit into this category at all, bar the wellies and scruffiness! My dog does not worship me!! :p :D
 
I don't think there is a question, just a discussion :)

To go back to my original point, my mother got her first GSD as a present for doing well at school. She wanted a GSD because she loved Roy Rogers and Trigger and of course her first dog, who from pics looks like he was the size of a small pony, was called Rebel.
So....maybe a 1960s equivalent of a chav :p
Needless to say her dreams of galloping through the fields on her loan pony, a fat cob with huge feet called Flash, hilariously, with her faithful dog by her side, did not go as planned :o
 
Well, i believe in the old saying that people and their dogs tend to look alike. So i bought a basenji because i want to be tall, slim, elegant, athletic and beautiful :D
 
I got mine because he was going to be PTS otherwise. Poor little mite :( I dont think of status when I get my dogs really. Only got my Mastiff because he was a rescue. Although I did want a smaller dog who could come everywhere with me and got a JRT because the are a bit 'harder' than other small breeds :eek::eek:
 
Mine are a mix of reasons, some I love the breed i.e. whippets, but on aying that one jumps stupidly high so was kept because I was worried he would be an escape artist and the other randomly collapses.
The lurchers shaggy boy and bull x bitch), because of behavioural issues and the wirey P (never thought I would own one of these) he will remain with me as im not spending that much time on a dogs behaviour for it to be ruined, the deerhound was kept by OH because its his breed.

HOWEVER the akita (I was affraid she would end up in the wrong hands) and the rotti where kept because they look "well hard":rolleyes: and I needed protection for night shift and lost my shepherd and none in mams rescue at the time, so I took the rotti (and I love this breed) now!

Rufus (shaggy heinz 57) ran away from the home I placed him in and dissapeared for 3 days:eek: I slept in the area and was a wreck (he stayed)

Pancake, had a bloody home and the woman never rang when she returned from her 6 week holiday:mad: the homes then offered where couch potatoe like homes and she is now used to hunting and running for miles in a large pack and is slim as hell, I will let her go if a suitable home that can offer this much exercise comes forward.
 
CAYLA said:
Pancake, had a bloody home and the woman never rang when she returned from her 6 week holiday:mad: the homes then offered where couch potatoe like homes and she is now used to hunting and running for miles in a large pack and is slim as hell, I will let her go if a suitable home that can offer this much exercise comes forward.
Click to expand...

Give it up Cayla, we all know Pancake is with you for life... I bet you bumped the poor rehomer off so you could keep Pancake for yourself:eek:
 
As a family we always went for temperament and only got into GSDs after "George" moving in!:D Had it not been for George I dont think we would have had Shepherds due to their reputation for health and temperament problems reported in the seventies and eighties.

I would never have considered Mastiffs had not OH wanted one. He didnt want it to look "hard". He wanted it because he had had one when he was a child and it was the softest lump ever. :) His dog, Druid, was, in fact, a Bullmastiff.
 
Well my mum used to breed Rough Collies and I still love them to this day, she now breeds Shelties and miniture Poodles!

I have had Collies myself and a Boxer.
I now have two Rotties that we rescued from diffrent places and I wanted Rotties because of the bad rep they have as a result of those films and bad owners.
I am very happy with my two and if I had a bigger house I would rescue more!!
All they want is affection, direction and exercise. I am also doing a sponsored walk tomorrow at Greenwich Park for Rottweiler Rescue Trust where there will be about 90 Rotties!! (harmless plug!)

I think the young and/or inexperienced people get certain dog breeds more for the look. The majority get passed on to kennels once they see what's involved in dog ownership rather then it being a result of the breed.
 
We had two Alsatians when I was little at home (yes we did call them Alsatians then - GSD was a new fangled word to be snorted at! ;) ) This would have been in the 70's which is when (I think) it was all in the media about how viscious and dangerous they were etc etc (ie today's staffies). But we just felt that they are very intelligent dogs and needed to be brought up in the right hands.

The second one we got, Dad just brought her home one night, he had gone to visit a family and was shocked to see and learn that the kids tormented the poor dog, they wrapped her legs up in the hoover lead and dragged her around amongst other things :(

We should have changed her name actually, because quite often you would call "Sheba" (original eh!!) and she would run a mile, we had her for years and she was a lovely dog but if ever small children came to the house we would have to keep her shut up - we could never trust her. And even years further on down the line and you were out taking her for a walk, very ocassionally she would run off if you called her - every time you would find her sitting by the Landrover waiting for you. Poor dog obviously never forgot her past :(

The first one we had was so incredibly obedient and loyal - I remember as kids we would ride off on our ponies and Blakely would want to come too but she couldn't because we rode on lanes - I would shout at her to stay! An hour later when we came back she would always still be sitting in the exactly the same position!

Good grief - that was a boring and totally unrelated ramble to the thread!! Sorry - bit bored tonight!!
 
It's all good :D

When they were first brought over they were registered as 'Alsatian Wolf Dogs' - I have a cigarette card collection of dog breeds and it is on there!!!
I think the KC are in discussion to drop the word 'Alsatian' altogether, they are still officially 'German Shepherd/Alsatian'.

We're no longer at war with Germany now thankfully and can call them their proper name :p :D
 
CareyR said:
well they say dogs are like their owners? :p Ummm, well, yeah I wish :rolleyes::D:D
Click to expand...

Cor, I don't! Springers are MENTAL, you know!

kirstyhen said:
The stereotypical Springer owner we get is a mature gentleman, usually in Barbours and wellies, often with flatcap. They are slightly scruffier than lab owners and slightly more abrupt, the dog is usually squirming around at their heel in a worshiping kind of way :D
Click to expand...

OH's Dad to a T! I would ROFL if OH ever wore that outfit, tho! More of a jeans and Doc Martens boy.

We got Springers cos the OH grew up with them and I couldn't face the grooming involved with a Keeshond with which I grew up (they were the breed used as guard dogs by the lady in the 'big house' where Grandma was housekeeper: they're v noisy!)

The next door neighbour, old dear of 75, has a GSD-must be her 5th or 6th. She just likes them. Hers is soppy, the last one was a bloody menace, though. Went all funny/overprotective after her husband died.

Makes me laugh how many young chavs have Staffies: I went up to one a few weeks ago for a stroke and the kid was shamed at his dog trying to lick me and be all submissive!

There is a foul youngster in town with his Akita a lot: he goes up to other dog owners and asks if they want a dog fight. I'm really hoping he'll ask the OH so he can be arrested on the spot!

I don't understand the GSD/alsatian thing: the neighbour insists that the long haired type are GSD but the short haired are Alsatians. It would be a shame to get rid of the Alsatian name as that's their place of origin.
 
Last edited:
Well for me, it went a bit like this:

Me: I really, really, REALLY want a dog of my own.

Mr BC: No.

Me: I am not going to back down on this.

Mr BC: *sigh* Fine. But it has to be a cool dog.

:o

It could have been a total disaster, admittedly, and it's been bloody hard work but I don't think I'd be without one now. One last slog to get through the lingering effects of separation anxiety and it'll be plain sailing for the next howevermany years.

Husky people are absolutely mental and I've met so many amazing characters through the breed. We're going to a meet-up in October with 90 dogs in attendance, it's going to be chaos. :D

Maybe it's a bit shallow but there are definitely dogs that I would discount purely on the basis of their looks, even if I completely admired their temperament and attributes.
 
I have 2 GSD, but I don't know if they are classed as 'hard' as they are both white! They are also both rescues - we didn't choose the breed, but felt sorry for the timid nose we met poking out of a rescue centre kennel - didn't see enough of her to see what breed. 7 years later we have been given a second as another rescue. Both are the most amazing dogs with children, and are great with my 5 your old daughter, gentle with my kitten, and have great fun hacking out with me on my horse!
 
cinammontoast said:
I don't understand the GSD/alsatian thing: the neighbour insists that the long haired type are GSD but the short haired are Alsatians. It would be a shame to get rid of the Alsatian name as that's their place of origin.
Click to expand...

Nope, GSDs and Alsatians are exactly the same thing, long, short, black, white, all the same breed, the original and correct name is the German Shepherd Dog, Deutsche Schäferhunde in the original language.
The Alsatian name was introduced in the war years because of anti-German feeling. A lot were brought to the UK by diplomats and officers who recognised their worth (they were only around from the early 1900s) and it would have been a big no-no to have a dog with a German name in the UK back in those days, hence the new name.

ETA - the UK is the ONLY place where the name Alsatian is used - every other country translates to their version of German Shepherd Dog.
 
Last edited:
I usually lurk, but couldn't resist this thread! I think we got given the new boy because everyone figured that our house was trashed already with our bitch - all the white fur is NOT good!
 
At least sable blends with the mud though.....
Here is my bitch, doing what she loves best.
nimmy4.jpg

and being used as a pillow!
nelly2.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top