Pit Bull owner chewed me out for being a breedist!

[Horsefeathers!]

I swear, the last couple of days have nearly made me reconsider my dog owning qualifications.

I have my own grooming studio located inside a vet clinic. I'm not a clinic employee... the grooming part is an entirely separate business. I have been there four years. My beloved Perry (my original Standard Poodle), bless his pea pickin' goofy heart, goes with me to work every single day, so the clinic is just a second home to him. I usually leave about half an hour after the clinic has closed, so I always just turn Perry (and Peanut and Pauly) loose and let them romp through the building to the outside (opens to a fenced courtyard). We have been doing this forever without any problems. Until today. :-?

The clinic was closed, lights out and we all headed for the door, Perry romping about like he usually does. What I didn't realize was that there was a client in an exam room. In four years, this has never happened. You'd have to know this vet and his staff... when it's quitting time, you'd better not be standing in the door, so for a client to be still there was WAY out of the ordinary. Perry being Perry saw people and immediately shot into the room to say hello. I freaked out and went barreling in there behind him, calling him to come out. He responds to me well and he did come out, but the client in there was furious with me. It was a client with a young Pit Bull puppy (about 4 months old, I believe). The lady kept trying to tell me that her dog was friendly, but I only wanted Perry out. I didn't even see what kind of dog it was until I caught up. It could have been anything, for all I knew... alligator, big mean dog, little dog, I didn't care. I was trying to be considerate by keeping Perry out. Besides, I don't know what they were there for... mange, worms, parvo, euthanasia for an old beloved dog, or what. I don't let my dogs interact with patients. Seems like common sense to me.

Soooooo... this lady got all irate with me, telling me that I was a victim of media bias for believing her dog was a threat to my dog (I never said that!) and that her dog was friendly and that I was a breedist and wouldn't have snatched my dog out of there if it had been any other dog and blah blah blah. I was stunned! Geez, I was trying to be polite and undo the mess I had made. :siara:

What I learned was to NEVER assume the building is empty again until I walk through. I shudder to think of if it HAD been some really big, mean (any breed) dog :wallbash: . Perry doesn't know enough to be afraid of other dogs, or people. He's a VERY social dog.

Don't worry with lectures. Lesson learned. I'll walk through from now on. I don't usually leash them at the clinic (I do elsewhere!) because I usually have my hands full when I'm leaving and the building is always (until today) empty.

The last couple of days, I'm wondering if I should have just stuck with cats. Now I'm a breedist? :-? :drinking:

[courtnek]

Dont worry about it. She is a Pit owner who is sick of the continual tirades against Pits. She ASSUMED you were removing your dog because of media hype and all the BS that goes along with "Pits are BAD dogs" - she doesnt know you from Adam and is ASSUMING.....

In a way I feel for her - the Pit owners of the world have had to put up with a ton of shit about their dogs...

About all you can do, if you want to make it straight, is to contact her and let her know that you are NOT one of the biased aholes who think all PITS ARE BAD. Maybe if you explained your actions, she would understand.
Maybe not. Dont be upset over your actions. You can only do what you can do....

[Horsefeathers!]

I'm not really that bothered by it. I mean, I'm really super embarrassed that it happened, but the woman's response stunned me more than anything. I'm not concerned enough about it to contact her. I can understand how she feels. After all, I have a Pit(ish) Bull, too, but common courtesy should be, well, more common. Even with all the media hype and things PB owners have to contend with, I don't think it excuses them, or anyone else, from basic manners and courtesy. If she wants to get herself that hysterical ASSUMING I'm removing my dog because I'm afraid hers is going to tear his head off rather than believe I'm just trying to be considerate, then it's her problem. I never had a chance to respond to her, so I reckon I think she's as rude as she thought I was breedist. If I had said one thing to give her that impression, I might feel differently, but I never even saw her dog until I caught up with Perry.

Anyway, I think it's kind of funny in retrospect. I feel for the woman, having to feel so defensive. I guess what's funny to me is just imagining how embarrassed she might be if she knew I had a similar dog (though I've NEVER chewed someone out for avoiding Penny... for all I know, some people may fear brown dogs, or dogs with white blazes on their chests and white paws...ok, I ain't buying that, but I still wouldn't chew them out unless they SAID something stupid :-? ).

That lady's going to eventually have a stroke if she gets THAT worked up so easily. :o

[Malamum]

In hindsight - it always seems that a bit of communication should be able to fix anything (yeah I know I'm pretending I'm living in that perfect world again).

But if it were me (again in hindsight), I would put my fuzzy butts back in my room and close the door. Go over and give her puppy a bit of a pat and say something along the lines "Sorry for letting them rush you like that - wasn't expecting anyone to be here". I would then, just for conversations sake say something like " I actually have a pit too, her name is Penny... etc etc......"

If anyone can still be rude after that then they are not worth worrying about. Though sometimes things happen so quickly that people never get to say what they would actually say if they had more time.

PS - love your new avatar - can we see some more pics?

[Horsefeathers!]

I think it all just happened so quickly. She was probably startled by Perry's sudden presence, followed by my sudden presence. I was really trying hard to apologize. I would love to have visited with her little pup if I'd had the chance (depending on what she was there for... I know I'm somewhat of a germophobe, but I usually don't have contact with patients with contagious illnesses... too many critters in my house to risk an outbreak), but by the time I got my gang herded out the back door, she was leaving. I really didn't mean to make such an impression. Still, I don't think I'll try to contact her. I reckon some things are better left alone.

Glad you like the pic! The bad news is that I can no longer get photos uploaded onto my computer. The digital camera still works fine, but something is wonky between it and the computer. I even tried uninstalling the software and reinstalling it, but it doesn't work. I am sick without my digital camera. I am going to try to upload the software on my best friend's computer and if it works, look out... I'll be bombing y'all with photos!

[Guest Anonymous]

You know, this lady could be the type that give pit bulls a bad name. Her dog was only about four mo., you said, so how does she know it is friendly with other dogs. Most pits don't turn on, or form dog aggression, until they are a bit older. She will keep thinking this until one day when her dog attacks another. Then she will say" I don't know what happened, he just snapped!"

[Queen Bitch]

Yeah I think it's too bad you didn't get a chance to tell her that you have a Pit (ish) Bull as well.


You use the word wonky, I thought I was the only one!

[ellieangel]

Hf you can't help what happened its gone now :-? that woman will no doubt be spouting about this for the next few days and then all will be forgotten.

I always clip my dogs on their leads when another approaches but I often feel bad when its a dobie or a rottie I feel like I want to tell the owner it's not because of their breed but because Rio is nervous.

[imported_Cassie]

It just blows me away by how defensive people can be....a bad owner is the one who has to state...."my dog is friendly" nobody knows how their dog is going to act in all situations. I have seen "friendly" dogs caught by surprise by another dog and had to consort to a frontal confrontation on first meeting....even the sweetest dog may have a hard time to act really good with a face to face surprise meeting.
I would have done exactly as you had and I wouldn't give it another thought...

common sense and good responsible dog owners would never had gotten mad about you taking your dog out of the situation. I also would have been worried about privacy for the person in room, diseases etc.

I own a Rottwieler, and she loves people, cats and "some" other dogs...I don't expect "everyone" to love her. I have a sister in law who is scared to death of my Rottie, but, she loves all 4 of my Newfoundland dogs...when she comes to visit me at my house I put my Rottwieler away in the kennel along with my Newf's (don't want her to be lonely) although I know my Rottie would just love to see her, I will not put my Sister in law though a meeting until she is ready (its been 3 years now :lol: ) I don't take offensive...I can understand her feelings...its when people stop understanding how other people feel and may react who shouldn't own any breeds which people may be frightened of....if they get defensive then don't set your self up to have to be defensive....
perhaps I don't make sense, but its early early morning..I'm on my way to work... :cry:

[Guest Anonymous]

Being a Pit bull owner I know first hand what it is like to have others, pet owners, people walking kids or just anyone...grab their kids, grab their dogs or cross the road. It does hurt, and sometimes it kills me to bite my tongue, when they sometimes either ream me out for having a dog "like THAT" in public...or tell me the crazy myths, sorry truths..that they have heard about the breed. It hurts, it probably does not get any easier with time either.

That being said, I would be hurting not helping the breed if I freaked out like that woman did. I want to think that maybe she was suprised by your dogs sudden appearance, or maybe she was really worried about her dog because it was ill?, or maybe she was having a bad day, week or life. Or maybe she is tormented by others about her dog, and does not handle it well. But none of those reasons truly excuse her behaviour...because if she is like that..it is possible that her dog is too. I personally believe dogs pick up personality traits that their owners have, or habits..like flying off the handle.

It's really hard sometimes to have your dog, insulted and put down even before people give them a chance. But if you do take that woman's route and freak out, you will only succeed at making people more wary of the breed. But not because of the actual dog, but it's owners. She might have the right idea, but she's going about changing minds the wrong, wrong WRONG way!

Any how, I am rambling! I don't think you really did anything wrong. I think you did what any respectful owner would do.