Janis,
I'm 22, and I look like I'm 12 when I have no make up on (Which is most of the time). I've even had cops pull me over and ask if I was old enough to drive. So I get a LOT of little girl comments, especially when I'm out with my Great Dane. Oh yeah and I'm only 5 feet tall. I'm always told "Well sweety, maybe you should get a dog more your size" or "He's gonna eat you up and gallop away with you inside of him!" or "What're you going to do if he wants to go one way and you want to go the other?" or the ever popular "Who's walking who?"
I'm a bookworm. When I was younger I had no friends, and books and research became my friends. I've researched the Great Dane since I was 16 (Which, incidentally is when I got accepted into University of New Hampshire with a full ride schoalrship, which I turned down). I learned all there was to learn about Danes, and when I finally got mine at 21, I was totally prepared for him. But you can't tell that to anyone. People are blind to reality and instead choose to live in the world they creat in their own heads. I have to laugh when rather large men are concerned about my (Well trained) dog running away with me, while their Jack Russell is pulling them down the aisles.Â
For the most part I play the dumb blonde, and say "Oh REALLY!?!?! Thank you so much I never would have known!" unless they get nasty about it, in which case I let loose with how ignorant they are and quote several sources that they can go to if they wanted. (By the way, did you know that the Egyptians used Great Danes to eat the Jewish babies in Egypt during Moses's time?
 Says one know it all lady, courtesy of my local Petsmart. The Great Dane as we know it wasn't established till the 16th century.)
Ang
