Oversteppin the bounds

[Calle Roo]

I'm super sensitive, so sometimes I take things personally; however it seems that there is no norm for non Frenchie owners. I think people turn into erratic uneducated maniacs around FB. Hehe

One time I was sitting outside of a restaurant waiting for my to-go order and a woman bent down to pet Q and the next thing I know, she picks her up. Q got squirmy almost instantly and the woman luckily was able to set her down, instead of drop her. Really lady?

Q-Roux isn't the cutest FB I've seen, but she IS a FB. I don't know if it's because of the breed, but it seems that people lose their marbles when there is a FB in their vicinity. I've literally seen women jog from one end of the store to my side just to see Q. Kids drop to their knees to rub her ears and squishy face. Men give me googly eyes (which I'm not complaining about). And people think they can pick her up without permission i.e. Petsmart employees.

Oh and the things people say... I've had several people ask how old and when I tell them, they don't even ASK if she's done growing, they blatantly tell me that they think she would look the best if she stays the same size. Or people questioning what's WRONG with her tail. Or the employee at Pet Club that asked if she is a mixed breed. I said 'If she is, I got ripped off by the breeder' then told him to go take a break so he doesn't insult other customers. The manager was standing by and said that he was thrown off because she's a puppy and so small for a FB. I rolled my eyes and went and pouted while picking out dog food.

And Q has a blue leash/collar and a purple set. I (and her vet) thinks the blue looks great with her colour; however everyone else assumes she is a boy and asks if it's a boy instead of going for the 'What's its name' verbiage which usually makes it pretty clear on their gender. I don't know how people have made it this far in life to not know how to NOT insult someone and their loved/valued/cherished animal.

Anyone else?

XoXo from Quella La Roux and her mommy too!

 

[lkclark]

That's quite a list!

Nothing really offends me. I don't care if they refer to him as a girl-dog or if they ask if he is a pug (which has happened three times) or even if people pet him without asking (I'd like for him to get used to it). The one thing that irks me is when people ask "how much was he?" It probably shouldn't bug me as much as it does, but alas. My answer? "He was a gift."

 

[KimB3384]

My neighbor (who I don't really care for anyway) came over the other night to tell me she'd sprayed weed killer on her sidewalk, then bent down to pet Bisou and said, "Oh my, you're so ugly you're cute!" Any points she made for giving the heads up on the poison were quickly deducted.

I typically enjoy the attention Bisou gets, but I've never had anyone try to pick her up. I might wind up in jail if that happens.

 

[Cbrugs]

I think people I have encountered have always asked if they could pet Jax before just doing it. He loves the attention and goes crazy and I think he gets his feelings hurt if we pass someone and they DON'T pay him any attention. I haven't had anyone try to pick him up but at a muscular 30 pounds, it would not be an easy task.

 

[eeturk]

He loves the attention and goes crazy and I think he gets his feelings hurt if we pass someone and they DON'T pay him any attention.

Hudson does this too. When he was a puppy I let EVERYONE pet him and handed him off to as many people as I could so that he would be a friendly, well adjusted dog. Worked like a charm. None of that ever bothered me.

The one thing that does bother me a tiny bit, as previously mentioned, is when people ask how much we paid. I always smile and say "he's priceless to me."


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[Julie Stevenson]

That was a long one! Lol. No one has ever picked up or petted my boys without asking. I guess I'm lucky. I always say yes of course. I'm actually guilty of picking up another Frenchie at the park but she had my batty in her arms so I figured it was ok. Lol. I do get asked if he is a pug sometimes or what is it? I have also had it asked is he mixed? I quickly respond ummm No. He is a pure bred french bulldog and one of the most expensive breeds available thank you.

The people in Petco and petsmart have always asked to pet the boys. I'm pretty sure that's a rule so if they don't you should remind them that this is a dog with teeth and they should always ask first due to safety issues. You never know what dog is going to be aggressive or scared.

Most of the time people are super nice and yes I have people from all over come up and want to see the boys. I couldn't get from one side if the outdoor mall to the other without being stopped every 2 steps and hearing OHHHHH. WHAT A CUTE PUPPY. CAN I PET HIM?


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[davidh]

Most of the times people will ask before petting, and I have never had anyone try to pick up any of my Frenchies before. I think I would have to say something about that.

 

[MamaAndi]

I've heard of people buying the working dog vests...they say something to the effect of " please don't pet me, I'm working". If you have lots of over zealous people grabbing your dog, I could see doing that. It's not unheard of that people snatch and run with dogs....it's common knowledge they are pricey. I can understand being a bit put off

 

[FrenchieDante]

As far as the picking up goes, I'd be not so much offended as annoyed at people who didn't ask. I mean that's just common sense! I'd say to just be diligent in saying "please don't pick her up" while you're in social environments. Or tell them, "she doesn't like being picked up" or make up a lie that she has a tummy ache -- nobody wants to get thrown up on LOL

Regarding the tail, the size & mixed breed questions... these dogs were not so popular in America for a long time. They've recently made a come back. When people see one, they're fascinated because it's not a breed you see often. In May I met my first french bulldog and instantly upon seeing her I was confused. My thought... "What is she??" I can relate to this question because I'm of mixed race and constantly get the "What are you?" Question. Yeah, the wording there might be offensive, but I politely explain my ethnicity and where my parents came from -- they realize i'm a human -- and i'm happy with myself because hopefully the inquisitive person will walk away a little more enlightened LOL. Same with frenchies... People will be confused, fascinated, unaware etc. thus the questions! And there's your chance to educate them on the breed. I had a ton of questions when I met this frenchie in May... Her owner was sooo informative about the breed. He was passionate about FB's and it rubbed off. At the time, i didn't even want a dog. Needless to say two months later I have a frenchie. Try to look at it that way.

The gender thing, i don't know. Gender roles and gender identification & sexual orientation is becoming so broad and accepted in the human world - that I can't get mad about an assuming person calling Danté a "she". Maybe in his head he's a she anyway, lol. As long as he isn't offended I won't be either... But if someone hurts my baby's feelings they're gonna get it lol

 

[lkclark]

@Dante

That's actually pretty funny, because the first Frenchie owner I decided to direct a few questions was a total prick. Lol. Typical snot-nosed, SoCal yuppie. But his dog was a lovebug regardless and I knew it was meant to be!

 

[MaplesMommy]

Whenever we are out people always stop or i hear them whisper'look at that puppy.what a cutie'. A lot of people want to pet maple but so far all of them always asked first. Maple LOVES people, she always looks at them which is pretty cute and makes a lot of people stop and pet her. When people dont pay attention to her she gets disappointed,I can tell. It probably has something to do with her puppyhood when literally every person we met went 'awwwe' and gave her sooo much attention.
We have a pink leash and a pink collar and people still call Maple 'Bud' , 'Buddy', 'cute guy', 'good boy' etc. I dont get how people miss the whole pink= girl thing and I usually say 'its s girl' but I am not offended. In the end theyre not trying to be mean,actually its the opposite,they love my pup so why be upset at them?
I only had one person ask why we got her tail cropped. She was just curious though and found it interesting to hear they were born like that.
However I do get a lot of 'What kind of dog is this?' Never had any mixed breed or pug questions though
And there was one time we were on the way back from a show and my boyfriend got something at the gas stadion and I gave maple some water when I heard a girl (she was in her 20's) scream 'OMG its a French Bulldog'. She seemed so excited and I totally seen myself in her.Frenchies are sooo rare where I live when I first seen one I freaked out like a teenage girl going to her favourite bands concert

 

[KimB3384]

That's actually pretty funny, because the first Frenchie owner I decided to direct a few questions was a total prick. Lol. Typical snot-nosed, SoCal yuppie. But his dog was a lovebug regardless and I knew it was meant to be!

Choked on my yogurt on that one. :haha::haha:

 

[FrenchieDante]

[MENTION=648]lkclark[/MENTION] so glad my first frenchie owner experience was a good one! Glad he wasn't able to deter your from the blessing that is bear!

 

[jmariepienta]

Olive is the same way. If we are out and about, like say going for a walk and someone is walking our way....Olive immediately gears herself up for attention. Her walk switches awkwardly to the side, her little bat ears lie down tight to the side of her head, and she shakes so hard you think she's having a seizure. Most of the time the other person acknowledges her and Olive is content that she made a new friend. However, if the person decides not to pay her any attention and walks by, oh dear! Her heart breaks into a million pieces.

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[2bullymama]

UGH... picked her up, really? I would have definitely said something and stopped her from doing so.... :nono:

 

[winginit66]

Never had anyone that we didn't know try to pick up any of ours. Pet yes, ask if they are OK to pet, yes. When the puppies were very small I would approach other people with small children and ask if they would pet them in hopes that they would not be so weirded out about kids as Gidget is. (I have a 16 and almost 13-yr old boys that are 6' and 5'7", so they are not around small kids, i.e. toddlers) I have had people on several ocassions as 'how much' which I find very awkward and need to come up with something automatic to say.

I've heard a few mistakenly refer to the puppies, especially Wilson, as a Boston terrier (really??? ever seen a brown / white boston???). Heard a few pug comments. Oh well, everyone can't have as sophisticated tastes and knowledge as we Frenchie owners, right?

 

[Julie Stevenson]

UGH... picked her up, really? I would have definitely said something and stopped her from doing so.... :nono:

Yeah - I would not have allowed someone I didn't know pick up my dog either.....No No.

 

[Calle Roo]

It was Q's first outing and it happened so quickly, I didn't know how to respond. When the Petsmart employee took her out of her stroller or the Banfield employee swooped her up, I was less cautious because they were employees of a pet company, but either way, Q is very squirmey and I often times have trouble carrying/holding her. It's definitely a no-go going forward as well as not allowing them to give her treats such as the bank teller, Walgreens or at the pet store check out. Bubble wrap? Check!

Yeah - I would not have allowed someone I didn't know pick up my dog either.....No No.

 

[Fitz]

That's quite a list!

Nothing really offends me. I don't care if they refer to him as a girl-dog or if they ask if he is a pug (which has happened three times) or even if people pet him without asking (I'd like for him to get used to it). The one thing that irks me is when people ask "how much was he?" It probably shouldn't bug me as much as it does, but alas. My answer? "He was a gift."

Finally I have an answer! I get the "how much" question all the time. I don't really know what to say so I usually say he was expensive but worth every last penny. I like your approach better. Some have even pressed me for a dollar amount after I have given a vague answer. One lady (I think she was drunk) informed me that she could get a lot for my dog on Craigslist! Needless to say I left - immediately.

 

[lkclark]

Finally I have an answer! I get the "how much" question all the time. I don't really know what to say so I usually say he was expensive but worth every last penny. I like your approach better. Some have even pressed me for a dollar amount after I have given a vague answer. One lady (I think she was drunk) informed me that she could get a lot for my dog on Craigslist! Needless to say I left - immediately.

Yep! No one's business.