I'm so frustrated!

[mixedupdog]

This is a post from the Lab board I belong to. Now don't get a bad impression from them just from this post. It's a very busy board with something like 3,000 members, so there's all different kinds of people and opinions. Most of them are terriffic people. Even this person is nice, just misinformed. This just happens to be one of the breed-predjudiced people who have very set ideas about certain breeds of dogs, and will not be persuaded otherwise. All Great Danes are sweet, most other Giants are mean. Especially Mastiffs. 
A friend of mine has a black lab, Shelby. She has had her since she was a puppy. She is five years old. She was an only dog until a dirty, big homeless dog followed her hubby home one day. The best we can tell he is a Rottie, German Shep mix - they named him Charlie. He has fit right in his new family. He is a true lover.
When I first met Shelby she acted down right EVIL. Growling and barking at me (certainly not a greeting like my dear lab gives). Charlie on the other hand was a lover. I can't even fathom a growl coming from his mouth.

WELL, last night my friend's DH took the dogs out on a walk. It was pouring the rain. DH didn't put the dogs on a leash. Well, they walked up by the neighbors house (on the sidewalk) and out runs TWO Mastiffs! Shelby (the lab) goes RUNNING in fear. Big Charlie jumped right in front of his Daddy, hair standing up, teeth gnarling to protect him. It is a good thing too. One of the Mastiff's lunged and got Charlie in the neck. The other was trying to get in on it. Finally the owners came out and tried to pull the Mastiff off, but not before another bite wound in Charlie's side. The owners thought it would be safe, "we didn't think anyone would be out". Can you imagine if it had been a CHILD?
Luckily, Charlie is okay, a little sore, but OKAY.
It is so funny because they always thought Shelby would be the one to protect them, if a situation ever arose. Our dogs can surprise us.
Needless to say, Charlie is getting extra treats and extra hugs and kisses now. LOL!

Now the way I read it, this guy came up to these dogs yard, with his dogs unleashed, in the dark, in the pouring rain, and when the Mastiffs tried to warn them away from their yard, his dog challenged them.
How were those dogs (the mastiffs) supposed to read that situation?

[ZooCrew]

Well, I think both owners were in error.  I don't care how well behaved your dogs are, off leash, I doubt both were walking only on the sidewalk.  I'm guessing they were walking near the sidewalk on the grass, maybe marking as they went along.

The mastiff's owner should have known how they would react, and not given them access to an open yard with no restraints.  But I do notice that neither dog attempted to lunge at the man, only the dog (not that it's okay).

As for this poster's prejudice it makes me sad, as it does in all cases.  People are close minded b/c they don't know how to be any other way.  I guess I should say I hate all labs, b/c most of my experiences with them have been bad.  I agree they're not my favorite breed (for other reasons), but I certainly don't hate them, nor think that all of them are mean.  Unfortunately for most people, it only takes one bad experience for them to form a poor opinion of one thing or another.  And nothing you will say or do will change their mind on that matter.  I really do feel sorry for them, they could be missing out on alot.