I get it.
Me walking Sherman and Leroy is a site to see for most people. They are large and I am small. Together they outweigh me by 180 pounds, give or take a few.
I get it.
But why, oh why do people have to be so corny about it?
I mean, I’m a sociable person, especially when it comes to talking about the dogs, but when I’m out for a walk with them I am in my “thinking zone” and if you and I are going to stop and chat let’s make it worth both of our time.
Usually a walk doesn’t go by without someone saying something, and I am always cordial. I force out a smile, I give a little giggle, and I make the best attempt possible NOT to role my eyes or respond with what the voices in my head are telling to me to say.
Take these scenarios, for example.
1. Silly Person: Are those bears you are walking there?
Voices in my head-Yeah. I am walking 2 kodiak bears on a leash, in Ohio, down a main street.
2. Silly Person: Who’s walking who? (usually followed by a stupid laugh.)
Voices in my head-I am walking my dogs. Don’t you see that? They are walking right alongside me, they are not pulling me? I have worked very hard on getting them to walk so nicely. They stop when I tell them to stop, they speed when up I tell them too. I am walking my dogs and you have a weird laugh.
3. Silly Person: They should be wearing one of those barrels around their neck.
Voices in my head-This is a Newfoundland, not a St. Bernard, dufus. Have you ever seen an all brown St. Bernard? Oh, and we’re not in the mountains and they are not rescuing people trapped under 50 feet of snow……..and we don’t carry brandy in a barrel anymore we carry the brandy in a thermos in our backpacks.
4. Silly Person: They must eat you out of the house.
Voices in my head-Yes, they ate my whole house and now I live in a cardboard box, until they decide to eat that too.
5. Silly Person: My wife’s sisters husbands uncle once had one of these.
I get this all the time. Everybody’s wife’s sisters husbands uncle has owned a Newf, which is very surprising to me.
Me-Oh, did your wife’s sisters husbands uncle have a brown Newf?
Silly Person: No. It was a light golden color.
Me-So your wife’s sisters husbands uncle had a Golden Retriever?
Silly person: Yeah…..that’s what it was, but it was bigger than yours.
Voices in my head: Of course it was.
Is it just me or do you get crazy questions when you are out walking your dogs too?
Karina
Tuesday 23rd of July 2019
Hilarious! We contemplated making cards to answer everyone questions when we are in a busy area walking our brown Newf around. We get the same questions over and over... Is that a bear? How much does he weight? How old is he? What's his name? He must eat alot? Does he shed? Cmon' of course he sheds, look at his coat! LOL
We always get the St. Bernard comment, eyeroll!
It's so good to connect with other Newfie parents about this stuff, other dog parents just don't understand :)
Jen
Friday 26th of July 2019
OMG, making cards is an awesome idea!! I might have to do that one of these days!!
Jenny Bryl
Tuesday 23rd of July 2019
I've had people insist that Doug was NOT a Newfoundland, but a black St. Bernard, or a Bouvier. One jerk had the nerve to say "what is that thing?" Seriously? If he had a kid with him I would've pointed to them and asked the same question. I've started to just ignore people when they aske the stupid questions. Maybe I'm being rude but one can only stand to hear those questions so many times. Am I right or am I right?
Jen
Friday 26th of July 2019
I've had the Bouvier comment before too! Lol
Paige
Saturday 20th of July 2019
Yes I get these all the time!!! Almost every time I walk I get a couple of these if anyone sees us. “Do you have a licensee for that bear?” Has been said a couple of times. Yes I do, I run a circus and my newf is the main site. I mean it’s understandable, but weird how it’s always the same comments from different people.
Jen
Monday 22nd of July 2019
Right?! It just gets so old sometimes, especially when you're taking a walk to clear your head. Hahaha
Clowie
Saturday 20th of July 2019
Change bear to polar bear for us and the rest is the same!
Jen
Monday 22nd of July 2019
Oh I bet you get that all the time!!!
Cheryl
Saturday 20th of July 2019
Love your posts, so helpful.. We own a 2 year old 124 pound black newf in Canada, so we always get the bear joke. We actually had a customer at my work think we were bringing a bear into the store. He actually got very mad until he realized it was a dog. We also get people telling us that so and so of a friend had a newf but was much much bigger and was white. Lol We politely tell them if it was white it was a great pyrenees. I think the strangest question was if our newf was a miniature newf. Because a neighbor had one three times the size of ours. It's funny how people's memories get altered over time. It makes for great stories when we get with our newf fanciers club yearly get togethers.
Jen
Monday 22nd of July 2019
Hahaha. We used to always get asked if our landseer was a cow. Hahahaha