I was caring my 6mo pup from the car to my doorstep in my arms today when my neighbour saw me and said - “oh is he too lazy to walk?” I told him the reason I am carrying him is because he had an operation on his paw removing a broken nail. I would just ignore this comment but this is not the first time this particular neighbour makes snide comments and I noticed this really brings me down…once he came over asking for my help with something and I had my pup on a leash next to me (training to greet visitors politely). Few times my pup managed to politely sniff and stay around, few times he jumped up, few times when I asked him to sit and he sat nicely. However then my neighbours started giving the attention and my pup ignored my sit command so my neighbour said - “does he ever sit? Are you planning to train him? Maybe you should take him to training classes” This was said with a smile but kind of just in a weird way, and I didn’t really reply back anything at the time because I was a bit shell shocked and didn’t process that it was actually quite rude…there were plenty of other comments he made that it’s just way too much to include it all here. anyways sorry for a long post…I just feel like some of these comments really bring me down because I’m putting so much effort into training my pup and I also know that he is still a pup and he will learn as he matures…in the meantime I just want to tell anyone who makes comments about my pup to fuck off
@mickeyroe I am gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you are a younger woman? I feel like 99% of the rude ùnsolicited comments I get about my dog are from older dudes. They can be so entitled and patronizing, and dog training is just one of those topics they love to chime in on. My bf doesn't ever get comments like that while out with the dog. Recognizing that it's some weird misogyny thing helps me meet it with a frosty glare and not take it personally.
@xsmbthu3hoa Ohhhh I’ve never thought about it in this way…we are both similar age in our thirties (he is few years younger), I think it’s more of a case he is an asshole but also not a dog person and never had dogs and would never consider one so also has no idea what he is talking about (probably only has ideas of how the dogs should behave from movies). But I agree with your point - I don’t think my male friends get as many rude comments about them and their dogs
@xsmbthu3hoa Omg, 100 % this. Somehow I get all the "helpful guidance" on literally everything puppy related from family, friends, random neighbours, strangers in the park. But my uncle can shove their dog's nose in the poo as a teaching measure and no one has anything to say. I'm so done with this.
@bereanone I’ve stopped walking my dog in the neighbourhood because of the amount of ‘advice’ I was getting from older guys. Someone told me what to feed my dog completely out of nowhere. Since I take my pup on a short drive to a park, I’ve had much less as everyone keeps to themselves for the most part
@xsmbthu3hoa Yep. My neighbour craned his neck around my privacy fence today to look into my sunroom and tell me my puppy didn’t need to be corrected for barking. I wanted to egg him. Men always be giving their opinion.
@xsmbthu3hoa This 100%. So much mansplaining. I have a happy, healthy, pretty well behaved almost 7mo puppy, she is a total joy. One day, I'm walking in the park with her (this was a couple months back), and some guy comes up, and then tells me how important it is for puppies not to walk for too long with a puppy (I'd been out for 10mins tops). Then, not long after, another dude comes up to me because I have my puppy in a K9 rucksack to avoid her getting strained by a long walk, telling me she has 'legs of her own to walk on'. So, no matter what you do, men are going to feel entitled to give their unwanted opinion and shove it down your throat because you're a younger woman so that must mean you have no idea of how to raise a dog. I'm going to start my courses to become an IMDT accredited dog trainer soon, and can't wait to come back with 'oh where did you get your certificate in dog training? I got mine from the IMDT' and see how they like it.
@peccator I love that! Congrats on starting your courses, you are going to love it! Animal behaviour is a very cool field and honestly so applicable to people in your life and yourself too. I literally have been working as a group class instructor at a dog training facility for a year, and I get "helpful" advice from dudes all the time! I feel like usually younger guys and women actually notice that I have a bait bag, clicker and general handle on what the hell I'm doing so they don't give me tips.
Dog training is one those favourite topics for "experts" to tell you what you're doing wrong... but honestly it's much worse if I'm doing any work on my car with the garage door open. Lord forbid a woman changes her own tires without getting a bunch of helpful comments from the peanut gallery... (Except that one neighbour who used to let me borrow his jack, that guy can stay)
@xsmbthu3hoa Ohh that sounds amazing, I hope you're enjoying it and I can't wait to do things like that properly myself! I love dogs and helping people understand dogs.
But oof yeah, anything technical seems to bring out that kind of ridiculous response from some men. I work in software engineering currently, and thankfully my team is nice but it definitely gets some of that attitude from men as well.
@xsmbthu3hoa Totally agree with this! I get unsolicited advice all the time (I'm a woman, early 30s so not young really but I'm quite short). Not just from guys, a lot from older woman like 60+ who think think know best. My partner on the other hand, over 6foot, gets nothing. So frustrating
@xsmbthu3hoa Absolutely this, though I gotta say I experience the same with older women as well. No matter if it's a woman or man, they won't say shit to my boyfriend, but keep telling me how to train/handle my dog.
@xsmbthu3hoa Oh my gosh yes. I grew up with huskies and got my own when I was 24. Suddenly every man at the dog park wanted to tell me how difficult huskies are and how it was ok if I couldn’t handle it. Meanwhile he’s a friendly, healthy, well behaved dog causing no problems… umm ok?
@xsmbthu3hoa Same here.... my bf is completely left alone when walking our pup. I on the other hand not so much. However, I had a great victory the other day. I was practicing they "stay" command in our favorite park. While my puppy waited patiently for his recall, a older dude walks by and says "haha He won't listen to you anymore as soon as I start distracting him, you will see", and he proceeded calling my dog and making a big fuss. I couldn't believe my eyes when my puppy stayed where he was not paying any attention to this a*hole. He walked away defeated , and I was so proud.
, and I was so proud.