21-07-2025
Woman Rescues a 'Scary' German Shepherd—Then Notices a Shift in Strangers
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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After owning a dog, one woman had only ever experienced people nonstop asking to pet him, but when she rescued a German shepherd, she realized the "scary" canine persona truly changes people's opinions.
Essala, who is known on Reddit as ShoddyTown715, welcomed home Josie, a German shepherd, about a year ago after finding her on the side of the road. She told Newsweek via Reddit messaging that Josie had just given birth to puppies.
"I was driving home from school when I saw Josie tied up with a rope around her neck to a speed limit sign on my neighborhood road," she said. "She was skinny and looked like she just had pups, and when I pulled over to let her off the rope, she just ran to my car and jumped into the front seat."
Essala didn't plan on bringing home another dog, especially a German shepherd. She said she was raised to believe they were "unpredictable biters."
An article from Fobres reported that German shepherds are responsible for about 17.8 percent of dog bite incidents, only after pit bulls and mixed breeds.
However, Essala took a chance on Josie, quickly undoing her prejudice. She fell in love with Josie, who is "all love and zero brain cells." But, while Essala knows Josie is harmless, she started to notice a shift in how others acted toward her as soon as she brought the dog home.
Photos of Josie, a German shepherd, who Essala rescued last year after finding her tied to a speed limit sign.
Photos of Josie, a German shepherd, who Essala rescued last year after finding her tied to a speed limit sign.
ShoddyTown715/Reddit
She shared in a Reddit post to the subreddit channel r/germanshepherds that since having Josie by her side, she discovered how quickly people will back off her. Not that it's a bad thing to her. In fact, it calms her and makes her feel safe as she travels across country.
The change she noticed is mostly with men. Previously, men would try to approach and talk with her, but now, with Josie next to her, they will walk the other direction. Meanwhile, women and children love seeing Josie.
"I find that the people who give bad vibes don't like her, but the people who seem legitimately nice and friendly do," she said.
What Do the Comments Say?
Last week's Reddit post, which amassed over 9,400 upvotes and 514 comments, quickly drew in support for owning a large dog as a means of protection, with many sharing photos of their "scary" German shepherds.
"German shepherds have a magical way of making other people very polite," wrote a Redditor.
A second added: "I love my scary dog privilege."
Some shared similar experiences: "I've always had small dogs, so it's taken me a while to adjust to the reactions I get with my dog. People will cross the street or just freeze when we take our walks..."
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