Bad press re Rotties- dangerous dogs?

[LauraBR]

With the poor baby girl tragically getting killed by two Rotties, and a toddler getting attacked it seems Rotties are being labelled 'dangerous dogs'.

Which makes me sad. I have two Rottie crosses- one is much bigger than a Rottie, the other much smaller. I would trust the big dog over the little one where kids are concerned (although would not leave a baby alone in a room with any dog).

This http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=3967&&edition=1&ttl=20060928201432 made me think, and made me sad for all the good, responisble large dog owners out there.

 

[Tia]

I have never met a bad Rottweiler in my life. All of them have been exceptionally soft dogs. On a couple of occasions we have considered buying a Rottie puppy; both times we decided against it, not because of the dogs themselves but because of the unfair publicity they get.

I have only ever lived in rural places surrounded by farmland and as I ride out with my dogs, I felt it would be unsafe for me to do this with a dog which many farmers may perhaps shoot just because of the dog's breed.

 

[Onyxia]

Well it would be a pain in the bum for responsable owners to have to prove themselves before buying- but if it helped stop the "well 'ard dog" muppets getting one then I am all in favour.

Have to say though, my family owns GSDs,Danes,Rotties, Akitas ect between them(all daft as brushes!) and the most likely to bite is the stupid bloody yorkie!
Big dog does not = dangerous dog, shame more people dont understand that.

 

[ema76]

what about the 100,000 dog bits by various other dogs that done go reported my friend in scotland has 2 border collies the which are fine but the litter mate of the older one has just bitten my friends daughters face and has had to have 36 stiches to the outside of her face and 24 to the inside there was no lead up to this at all the dog had complete puppy classes run by local vet the dogs it had come from they are fine and the child had NOT had any interaction prior to the incedent she was actually sat on the sette watching telly
needlass to say the dog was put to sleep at the request of the owner
so it's not all rotties

 

[truffles]

I know, I was havinig a good old rant about it at school today.
All the people out there who don't think outside the newspaper articles will go around thinking they're killers, when it was effectively the owners who let them become killers - I don't know the hard facts, but Rotties have a pack mentality - what a good idea letting two, probably unsocialised ones roam about a Pub, where there are bound to be children.
By saying this, I'm not saying that they shouldn't have been put down, as they should because it was only the safe thing to do - But I feel awful for all the sensible, careful owners of Rotties who will probably not be having the easiest time walking their dog.
Rotties are lovely dogs, as long as they are socialised properly etc... and infact, that goes for every single dog out there I would imagine.

Sorry, bit of a pointless rambling rant there!

Basically, I agree.

 

[Cobnut1]

Rottweillers are no more dangerous than any other dog....My ex B-I-L used to have two, and one of them was a total sook...used to climb on your knee for a cuddle!!!

 

[dingle12]

Its owners who make there dogs bad, if they treated them right in the first place and gave them dicipline (sp) they would'nt be so many so called dangerous dogs.I do feel sorry for the rotties out there now i think we will see a rise in crulty, and before anyone starts yes my heart goes out to the families of both cases but for the dogs to turn they must not have had proper control of them.

 

[ema76]

the one from the pub were working gaurd dogs who were on duty but what i ask is why the parents were down stairs whilst leaving a baby alone up stairs whilst they were in the pub and the second question why was the fire escape door open and if they really had to leave a small baby up stairs alone wht was the bedroom door not shut i am sorry but i feel to many childeren are either taken in to pubs or left alone upstairs alone
i have never ever put the pub before my child you only get one child but you can have a drink any time

 

[severnmiles]

When I was little I was walking a terrier past some houses when a rottie came flying out growling, it was quite scary (as I'd been mauled at 5), that really put me off of them, naughty of me but I tarred them all with the same brush.

Then I went to work at a hunting yard who's resident dogs were.....yes....rotties! They had a pup (5months) who was sooo soft, she followed me everywhere and the older dog was nice too. I saw a different side to them then so yes its a shame that they are having bad press, any dog is capable of being dangerous!

 

[PapaFrita]

I know one Rottie who IS a nutter. HOWEVER, I blame the owners entirely for not having socialised her properly and keeping her chained up all day for most of her life; that can't do a dog any good.
All other rotties I've known have been lovely, affectionate dogs. I don't think they're any more dangerous than any other breed (allowing for size, etc) but unfortunately I think they seem to be sought after by eejits who want to look 'hard' and don't give them the proper training/care.

 

[severnmiles]

Very true, my girl wasn't socialised properly and she's fine with the vet and that but I wouldn't ever trust her with strangers.

 

[Tierra]

Mine's currently laid on my bed with a teddy in her mouth (various teddys have to go everywhere with her).

Ive had a few dogs over the years and the rotty has been by far the softest we've had. She's an absolute sweety and I find it so sad that they're getting such awful press at the moment (equally what has happened to these children is tragic and I wouldnt want to make light of it)

My auntie has worked for many, many years in A&E and she always tells the story that the worse dog related injury she ever saw was a man in his early twenties who's leg had been severely damage round his thigh by a westie!

My dogs (have a sibe too) always go into town with me during the day and at least there's one rotty here who can hopefully do some good local PR for the breed! (The teddys often have to go to town with us too...)

 

[severnmiles]

Awwww, sounds a lovely dog!

 

[TGM]

I have known some lovely Rotties who were great with kids, and my mum had a Rottie x GSD who was also a great dog with a lovely reliable temperament. I don't think dogs like this are inherently more aggressive than other breeds, but if they do show aggression they are capable of doing much more damage than a small dog.

 

[Greyhound]

I makes me sad too Izt.

I would have a Rottie any day.

You get out what you put in, if you dont put anything in the dog will revert bad to insticts for its own preservation.

Gh

 

[Thistle]

I used to have an oversized staffie around the time of the pitbull attacks 15years ago. She was the sweetest loving dog but i constantly got asked if we would be rehoming the dog, and used to get followed by groups of kids chanting killer dog. This was in rural derbys.

 

[Sooty]

Although Rotties are getting a bad press at the moment, they are undeniably very powerful dogs, with the strongest bite of any breed. They were originally bred as guard dogs, then used as cattle herding dogs, so they are obviously pretty adaptable. There will always be irresponsible owners for dogs of any breed, just as there will always be spates of newspaper reports on one particular breed. Personally I don't believe Rottweillers are any more or less potentially dangerous than any other breed. I wouldn't have one purely because I don't particularly like the look of them.

 

[haybales]

watching the news last night the mother of the toddler who survived an attack made a comment that i think totally epitomises the sensational press at the moment:

"these dogs should be controlled, just like lions, you cant just buy a lion can you?"

oh my word!

 

[PiebaldHorse]

It should be the owners that get the bad publicity, not the dogs! I have 2 german shepherds and a westie, my two big dogs love playing in the park and they are great with other dogs. Children can run up and pet them.

Yet years ago they were the most evil dog to have, and if I remember right, they were talking about banning them or owners to require a special license.

There is a rottweiler near me and its the friendliest thing you will ever meet, my friend was attacked very badly by a labrador near her home, yet people say these dogs will never attack!

I really feel for the families of these children.

 

[Tierra]

Lets face it.. majority of animals have the potential to be aggressive and people need to learn to respect that. It just then depends on the *tools* that the animal is equipped with to display that aggression. The whole problem with society in general is that there is an absolute lack of respect for everything (gets down off soap box!)

As someone above said, rotties are big, powerful dogs (along with the GSDs and a couple of other breeds), so if they do get annoyed, you're going to know about it

At least most people on here have the intelligence to work out that you cant tar the whole breed with the same damn brush!

 

[PiebaldHorse]

Also i dont think that people should get a dog without reading up about them first!!!

 

[prose]

I would never judge a dog based solely on its breed. I volunteer at a no-kill shelter and out of the hundreds of dogs I've walked over the past year, my favourite was a Pit Bull. He weighed 80lbs and used to crawl on your knee for a cuddle. Incredible with kids, other dogs and not a bad bone in his body. I loathe the idiots who use this breed for fighting and have ruined what used to be regarded as a family breed in the United States.

The most aggressive little blighters I've ever encountered have to be chihuahuas. So many people have them in NYC and dress them in dresses, let them sit on their laps permanently etc., that they have no clue how to interract with other small dogs at the park. No, a chihuahua can't really do much but it just underlines how bad ownership can bring out the worst traits in any breed. (And no, I don't hate all chihuauas -- allowed to be "normal" dogs they are happy, well-adjusted, and love to run about just as much as any other dog.)

 

[GinaB]

Blame the owner not the breed. Or the breeder making their dogs too d*mn inbred.

 

[mrdarcy]

Any dog can be dangerously aggressive - their owners to blame 99% of the time.

Personally though I would never have any 'guarding' breed of dog - including rotties, GSD's etc. Well trained they are as safe as any other breed but they have been bred over the centuries for guarding ability - their natural tendancy is therefore to protect their pack leader and territory. In the wrong hands these instincts result in dangerous dogs and unfortunately because of the type of dog they are they can attract owners who shouldn't have any sort of dog let alone something big and powerful.

 

[Dougie]

any roties i have met are the biggest sooks out. at work we see alot of rotties the one i remember most is a dog called blue. in for 6 weeks. i spent 2 hours sitting in his kennel one night...i just cldnt leave him he would cudle into as you tried to slip out. the most gentle natured dog ever!!!! much better than my vizsla

 

[Doreys_Mum]

I once met a rottie who'd been bought off chavs. She lived in a coal bunker behind their flat with a male, and when they took them into the flat, they used them as ash trays.

Her new owner wanted to buy the pair but the chavs would only part with the bitch, so she bought her. She was covered in fag burns, unsocialised, and kinda shy - but lovely. Not a bad bone in her body.

I don't know why there have been a spate of rottie attacks recently... but what I do know is that I've not ever met a bad one. I've been sat on and had one try and crush me to death with a pile of slober on top... but thats as bad as it got!!!

 

[The Virgin Dubble]

Every day, all over the country, there will probably be numerous dog attacks by many different types of dogs, but these attract little interest.
However, when there's a fatality, suddenly, every attack by that breed of dog will warrant enormous media attention.

Rotweillers are arguably one of the most intelligent and loyal dogs, but like any dog, they will react to the circumstances they're kept in, and act accordingly. Therefore, when treated like a guard dog, they will act like a guard dog - that's what they have been trained to do.

Too often you hear stories of dogs being put down after biting children who have tormented them. And no matter what dog I owned, I would NOT leave them with children, unsupervised, mainly because this alone can make even the gentlest animal turn on them.

Over the years, we've had numerous rotties, and they make the most wonderful pets. If I was looking for another dog, I would have one tomorrow.

 

[filly190]

I have a six your old rottie bitch and I have done my dog training and awards with her. She is soft and wonderful with myself, husband and friends.

However, her guarding instinct is very strong, this has not been encouraged in any way, she is our baby girl. Because of this we are very careful with her. If we have deliveries to the house, we pop her away. She has done her job with the warning back and we thank her for that.

She has had a moment which took us aback, last year a sales man came to the house and boldly walked into our kitchen, he had seen us, we had'nt seen him and the cheeky sod marched in. Our rottie was in her usual spot by the kitchen door and promptly shredded his trousers. It happened that quick, it was a split second of his leg coming through the door.

He was unhurt and we called her off when we heard him scream. She had'nt barked, she had obviously heard him coming and decided to take action. The strange thing is all of our friends just walk in the kitchen and never knock and she lets them in. People she has'nt seen for months/years are remembered and welcomed.

Nothing came of it, he spoke to his boss and was told that in future he would remember his manners. Since then we have watched her like a hawk, but todate she is as gentle as ever.

 

[jinglejoys]

When I was a kid the dog was part of the family and went with you everywhere.They learnt social manners and people learnt how to approach or leave them alone.
Part of their basic training was going shopping and learning sit stay etc.
Nowadays they can't go anywhere and if they do you have to leave them in the car which of coarse means you don't take them out and they don't meet people or other dogs.

Poor old Chance just knows her teddy

 

[buckybee]

The only one i konw is one me and my x got as a guard dog - turns out she's as soft as a brush and doesn't know how to bark at anyone! A sweetie in all respects! xx