refused campsite since I have a GSD - Page 5

KCzaja, we didn't ask that question, I would not go there even if they did make exceptions in the future for GSD's or dogs with CGC's etc. I won't support any campground that bans any breed. There are still plenty of campgrounds that allow dogs, so I'll spend my money at them. Given the price of gas and that fewer campers are traveling any distance anymore, one day they might wish they had been a bit more thoughful. This is an oceanfront park in NC, so they will soon be sold to a developer as most of the east coast oceanfront parks on Atlantic Beach already  have been and condos will take the place of RV's. Many parks in the the rest of the outer banks - Hatteras, Duck, etc - still accept dogs. For how long is anyone's guess.

We rarely see GSD's when we are camping. Most dogs are labs or mixed labs or little yappers that try to tear their way out of their RV's when someone walks past. Funny no one ever bans them, isn't it? I found the dog most likely to bite to be a Dachshund.

Since you too are a camper I think you will agree with the song I've been singing for the last several days - enforce the exisiting rules and ban the deed, not the breed. Sadly they just don't get it and again I'm with LMH, trying to educate the general public on responsible dog ownership is futile. I wish the law would require that dog owners were licensed instead of the dogs. If a person had to pay $100 or more to own their first dog there would be far less impulse buying of dogs and certainly fewer dogs sitting in shelters.

A few years ago, I took my then gsd puppy to a midget football game.  My brother was the coach, and I wanted to see his team play.  Dogs were allowed at this particular field, so I did not anticipate a problem.  I was only there a few minutes when the President of the football organization came directly up to me and told me I had to leave.  I couldn't believe he actually told me that I had to leave because dogs should not be in places that children were.  I pointed out that there were no signs to that effect and that how was a dog to learn how to behave around children if they should never be in the same place?  Also, I asked why I had to leave when the the yappy cocker spaniel and terrier dog were allowed to stay.  He told me that it was because mine was a German Shepherd and the other dogs were nice dogs.  I couldn't believe that this jerk was discriminating against my pup - who was only 4 mos at the time.  I mean really - what did he think she was going to do at that age. 

In addition, I have been trying to get my 6 year old shepherd who is a certified therapy dog  into our local school in their after school autistic program.  Libby does so well with my 10 year old niece Dallas who has sever ADHD, so I thought she might be able to help these kids as well.  I got the run around from the school, stating insurance, etc.  I thought Ok - they don't have any dog programs, so it will take sometime.  I just found out that they have 2 labs that just started coming in over the past few months.  Very frustrating.  I wish people would simply judge the handler and the dog, not the breed.   

YellowRose. I don't have your email address. Mine is blitzengsd@comcast.net Thanks for sending them all that great information.

If AB 1634 passes in CA the rest of the states are likely to follow suit and none of us will ever need to worry about owning a dog of any breed since there will no longer be any dogs bred in the US. The AR people will never rest until we are all out of business. It's very frightening.

It's a good idea to show the world at large that a GSD (or any breed) can be a good citizen. However, I really don' t think, in the big picture, it will make one bit of difference. Breed specific bans are mainly based on bite statistics that are not accurate when the breed is identified. Also, the circumstances are never taken into consideration. Many breeders are bitten breaking up dog fights and those stats are combined with the vicious bite stats. If you are bitten breaking up a fight, it might be best to say the offending dog was a mix. I also suspect many breeds are incorrectly identified. How many here could tell the difference between a Malamute and a Siberian? I've bred Mals for 35 years and sometimes I have to look twice myself.   Many non-doggy people will call any black and tan or solid white dog with prick ears weighing over 30 lbs, a GSD.  Dogs that bite people are rarely owned by the person who was bitten. Many belong to someone who picked it up at the humane society or off the street. Most  human society workers don't know one end of a dog from the other let alone the breed. How many have seen ads for a chihuahua x Great Dane mix. I'd love for someone to explain to me how that is even possible especially if the chihuahua is the dam.

As I've said before, I don't let strangers mess with my dog no matter how much I trust my dog. We were camping with my first GSD in SC. He was on lead walking past a woman who jumped upon a bench screaming at the top of her voice - keep him away from me. This was a dog that would never bite anyone and I told her that. Her response was - yeah, that's what they always say and I've been bitten 3 times now and I HATE DOGS.  If these morons want to touch an animal, they can go to a petting zoo. They're not touching mine.