Bullmastiff - Doberman - Akita - Rottweiler

AE86JAY

Think I'm going to be getting a dog shortly although the missus dosnt really approve lol have it narrowed down to these 4 (if there are others you think will interest me please post), The plan is to have him guard the house/be a family companion at night and I can bring him to work in the morning (large yard to roam free all day), I want a loyal obedient dog that will be easily trained but will not need a long walk every single day, Every 2nd day I could handle, I will want the dog inside at night and absolutley hate when I go to someones house and see dog hairs everywhere so I presume thats the Akita out of the question? Thoughts on the others? which would best suit my needs? Which would be quick to learn house rules, The Bullmastiff is coming out top most of the time on my list and then the Rottie but I'm still undecided and open minded so let me hear ya, thanks

Dyr

Any experience with big dogs?

Akita means mucho mucho hair, I could make jumpers from the stuff that comes off my fella.

jo06555

Bambi wrote: »

Any experience with big dogs?

Akita means mucho mucho hair, I could make jumpers from the stuff that comes off my fella.

I'm getting an Akita inu very soon and I'm prepared for the hard work as I know it will be replayed to me by her.

chris139ryan

if your thinking of a bullmastif of rotti make sure you become dominant as they are incredibly powerful breeds. always wanted a rotti myself so thats what id pick. as regarding training and who picks up rules easier, it doesnt come down to which breed is smarter as each dog is different so no one can really answer your questions, it all depends on which dog you have your heart set on but all of the above will need long walks daily due to their highly muscular bodies

andreac

chris139ryan wrote: »

if your thinking of a bullmastif of rotti make sure you become dominant as they are incredibly powerful breeds. always wanted a rotti myself so thats what id pick. as regarding training and who picks up rules easier, it doesnt come down to which breed is smarter as each dog is different so no one can really answer your questions, it all depends on which dog you have your heart set on but all of the above will need long walks daily due to their highly muscular bodies

Sorry Chris but this is very bad advice. Being dominant with these breeds is actually asking for trouble.

As the owner of 2 Rottweilers, one male and female, i can tell you, being dominant is not the way to go at all with them.

I highly suggest the Rottie but im biased. All of the above shed, some more than others, the hair that comes off a rottie is a lot more than you think.

All of the dogs you posted all need a huge amount of training and socialisation from a very young age, so if you cant provide this please do not get any of those breeds.
Also regarding exercise, all dogs, regardless of size, breed need to be walked EVERYDAY.

Shanao

Mind me asking why these four breeds? Nearly all breeds will guard and honestly, the four you have listed are quite different from each other. Unless you have worked with and previously had large dogs I would definitely not recommend an akita. They are stubborn and not very easily trained so it takes a lot of work to get them to listen to you. Also, forget about it if you have problems with the hair. They blow their coats twice a year and I have to vaccuum the living room every single morning while my guy is shedding.

A loyal obedient dog will only be just that if you put it in the work and training to make it that. And all dogs should be walked every day. My boy goes off his head if a walk gets missed and I end up walking him at midnight to keep him happy.

portgirl123

agree with what Shano has said no matter what breed you get, what you get out of him is what you put in to him. if you have the time to give him in training and exercise you will have a good dog no matter what breed you choose but as others have said some are easier to train than others.
regarding exersise i dont think any dog would be happy with a walk every other day, they need that walk every day not just to tire them out etc, they need it for sociazation as well

chris139ryan

andreac wrote: »

Sorry Chris but this is very bad advice. Being dominant with these breeds is actually asking for trouble.

As the owner of 2 Rottweilers, one male and female, i can tell you, being dominant is not the way to go at all with them.

I highly suggest the Rottie but im biased. All of the above shed, some more than others, the hair that comes off a rottie is a lot more than you think.

All of the dogs you posted all need a huge amount of training and socialisation from a very young age, so if you cant provide this please do not get any of those breeds.
Also regarding exercise, all dogs, regardless of size, breed need to be walked EVERYDAY.

so getting a dog to respect is wrong, when i say dominant i dont mean over powering the dog or anything i just mean making him obedient, not biting you etc the list could go on.
Not trying to start an argument just i thought you need to do this alot more with highly powerful dogs

andreac

chris139ryan wrote: »

so getting a dog to respect is wrong, when i say dominant i dont mean over powering the dog or anything i just mean making him obedient, not biting you etc the list could go on.
Not trying to start an argument just i thought you need to do this alot more with highly powerful dogs

Respecting a dog and being dominant are two very, very different things. My dogs respect me through good training and handling but im never dominant over them.

barbiegirl

Does it have to be a big dog, our Jack Russell is an excellent guard dog, he misses nothing. So much so he's still in his crate at night, on the landing, cause otherwise we have no sleep as anyone coming within 10 feet of the house is an "intruder". We live in an estate close to the Luas so an alert every 10 minutes was getting a bit tiring.

But all dogs need a decent walk, actually him more so than our Retriever Cross.

chris139ryan

oh ok I seemed to have used the wrong word to describe, my bad

Discodog

AE86JAY wrote: »

Think I'm going to be getting a dog shortly although the missus dosnt really approve lol

There are so many aspects of your post that I would question but this stands out. A huge number of dogs end up in rescues or dead in Pounds because one partner did not want the dog. It may seem amusing but the reality isn't.

Anyone who has researched or learned about dogs would see a problem with these comments:

AE86JAY wrote: »

The plan is to have him guard the house/be a family companion at night

Which would be quick to learn house rules,

You can easily end up with a big, powerful & very confused dog. Learning house rules, whatever they are, is about how good you are at teaching & not how good the dog is at learning.

AE86JAY wrote: »

absolutley hate when I go to someones house and see dog hairs everywhere

Dogs make mess - all dogs do. Doglovers don't care because we consider that hoovering etc is a small price to pay for Canine companionship. Your intolerance of this is worrying.

It sounds like you don't want to walk your dog or clear up after it - no wonder your partner is not keen !

Discostuy

Just thought I would give my views on the Akita.

I currently have 2 females...same litter. They are polar opposites in a lot of ways but very much the same in others.

They blow their coats fully, twice a year...thats at least 2 weeks of serious shedding. It comes out in clumps by the bag load.
They still shed a bit throughout the year, enough to warrant a hover nearly every other day.

I walk mine twice a day, everyday without fail...and to echo Shanao, my two will let you know when they haven't got their walk.

Honestly every dog needs to get out everyday. Otherwise you'll end up with a hyper or agitated dog.

Akitas are very intelligent and very headstrong. They are not easily trained but pick up on what suits them very quickly.
They will not fetch a stick or a ball, and while they love family companionship...they like their space and time alone. They are very loving dogs but aren't overly affectionate.

They are not barkers by nature. My two are very quiet, and will only bark when someone approaches the house (even people they know).
I would not choose to train an Akita to be a guard dog anymore than they naturally are, as they too independent-minded to be fully trustworthy.

What I mean by this is, if they decided to go into full attack mode, its very difficult to get them out of it. It is why they are not used very much by police/riot control.

My two will jump all over people they know. One of them loves pets and attention while the other one is very weary of strangers.
The one that loves attention is also extremely mellow around other dogs and remains very calm even if another dog barks in her face.

The other one can be doggy friendly but if a dog gets aggro with her she will react. They are fierce strong dogs with what seems like a natural fighting ability and an extreme pain threshold.

Off lead on their own they can be fine...but they have very very selective recall and will go mad for any smally creatures (squirrel, hares etc). So this can be frustrating for walks in parks etc.

They are also on the "restricted breed" list which is also a nuisance.



Anyway, I didnt mean to waffle...Ive just seen a lot of Akitas in the pound recently.

If this is your first dog, or you dont have much experience with large dogs...i would advise against getting an Akita. They are great dogs...but they take a lot of hard work and training to maintain, and are not for everyone.

Stu

borderlinemeath

Discodog wrote: »

There are so many aspects of your post that I would question but this stands out. A huge number of dogs end up in rescues or dead in Pounds because one partner did not want the dog. It may seem amusing but the reality isn't.

Agree with Discodog, every member of the household needs to be in the same frame of mind and want the dog to be part of the family. Not only will you have problems with the dog bonding with your girlfriend if she's not fully behind the decision but it will put a strain on your relationship as well. And if the cause of the strain is the dog, then it's usually the dog that has to go.

Dogs make mess - all dogs do. Doglovers don't care because we consider that hoovering etc is a small price to pay for Canine companionship. Your intolerance of this is worrying.

It sounds like you don't want to walk your dog or clear up after it - no wonder your partner is not keen !

All dogs will shed at some stage, and if you have your dog inside at any point during the day then you will have dog hairs. A shake or a quick scratch and there's dog hairs on the floor or on the rug again. It's a fact of life if you own a dog.

And yes, dogs need to be walked every day. As my OH says if ours don't get their walk they become agitated and hyper and some dogs will become destructive if they don't get enough exercise. And once again the owners blame the dog when in fact it's the owners fault in the first place.

are you serious

AE86JAY I really think your thread should have been named Bullmastiff - Doberman - Akita - Rottweiler - A good CCTV system

All dogs shed hair however much it might differ from breed to breed. If your dog is inside the only way it wont drop a hair will be if you shave it!!

Not even the laziest of dogs can do with one walk every second day.

I really think you seriously need to re-think the dog thing! If your worried about your home security, a couple of CCTV camera's would surely keep you safe, or make you feel more secure.... No hairs either!! :rolleyes:

Gladius

I'd recommend a Rottweiler I have one myself and he's a great dog there very friendly and placid once you give them some tlc they'll never give you any trouble. I heard the Akitas can be a bit risky because they like to be the boss

Cedrus

Discostuy wrote: »

Just thought I would give my views on the Akita.

Off lead on their own they can be fine...but they have very very selective recall and will go mad for any smally creatures (squirrel, hares etc). So this can be frustrating for walks in parks etc.

They are also on the "restricted breed" list which is also a nuisance.

It must be a real pain watching out for Guards or people who have the cheek to be worried about the safety of their children and might report you.

boomerang

If getting one of the above breeds (and I would include Dobies and GSDs in this warning) you MUST get that pup out and about, mixing with other dogs of all shapes and sizes and interacting with kids, men, women - all kinds of people. These dogs are naturally guarded in their behaviour and tend to be stand-offish and wary of dogs/people they aren't familiar with.

If you only rotate the pup between home and the yard at work it will have a very limited variety of experiences. Believe me, you do not want a 50kg dog that is scared of situations/people/dogs it is not habituated to. You'll get a bad reaction from a lot of people anyways because you have a restricted breed - but if the dog is lunging and barking at people when you take it out in public because it's scared, people are really going to rear up on you and tell you your dog is vicious and should be put down.

ziggy23

Cedrus wrote: »

It must be a real pain watching out for Guards or people who have the cheek to be worried about the safety of their children and might report you.

Oh would you stop:rolleyes: That guy sounds like a very responsible dog owner. You sound like you'd call the guards even if you seen one of these breeds.

Shanao

Cedrus wrote: »

It must be a real pain watching out for Guards or people who have the cheek to be worried about the safety of their children and might report you.

Well seeing as one of the akitas original tasks was guarding CHILDREN then thinking they are child aggressive is moronic. We have no kids in our house and yet both of my restricted breeds, one of whom is an akita, absolutely love kids, even strange ones who run up and grab hold of his ears or face (though i wish their parents would control their kids:rolleyes:). A two year old fell backwards onto my fella one day and he moved closer to him to support the kid so he didn't fall to the ground. What a dangerous beast everyone must have been thinking!!

andreac

I agree Shanao. My 2 are the same, but Cooper is more into kids than Flo. He adores them. You should have seen him at the Pet Expo when all the kids were hugging and cuddling him, he was just loving it and was so gentle.

Cedrus

Snip.

andreac

Cedrus wrote: »

Under the Control of Dogs Regulations, 1998, additional rules were imposed in relation to the following breeds of dogs in Ireland:
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• English Bull Terrier
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Bull Mastiff
• Doberman Pinscher
• German Shepherd (Alsatian)
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Rottweiler
• Japanese Akita
• Japanese Tosa
And to every dog of the type commonly known as a Ban Dog (or Bandog), and to every other strain or cross of every breed or type of dog described above.
The regulations state the following:
• These dogs, or strains and crosses of them, must be kept on a sufficiently strong chain or leash, not exceeding two metres in length by a person over 16 years who is capable of controlling them.
• These dogs, or strains and crosses of them, must be muzzled whenever they are in a public place.
• These dogs, or strains and crosses of them, must wear a collar bearing the name and address of their owner at all times.
These rules on muzzling and leashing do not apply to dogs used by the Gardaí, the Dublin Harbour Police, State Airport Police and bona fide rescue teams in rescue operations. The rules on muzzling do not apply to guide dogs for the blind. Fines of up to €1,269.74 can be imposed for breaches of this legislation.

2 years ago a neighbour of mine had to destroy his Akita after it attacked his nephew, it does happen.
3 years ago my small dogs were attacked by bigger dog (not a listed breed) whose owner was unable to control it. If it ever happens to me again I will be breaking the attacking dogs spine since it would be pointless to try and break its bite.

Why did you feel the need to post this law??

Discodog

boomerang wrote: »

If getting one of the above breeds (and I would include Dobies and GSDs in this warning) you MUST get that pup out and about, mixing with other dogs of all shapes and sizes and interacting with kids, men, women - all kinds of people.

I think that this is essential with any breed. I do not have kids but I have ensured that my dogs are all good with children & other dogs. The key is confidence. If the dog feels confident & secure then it can easily take different situations in it's stride.

Cedrus: A quick search here will show you that most of us are very familiar with the ridiculous restricted breed list. What we need is a restricted owners list . I have tried to trace & discover the process that led to the choosing of breeds because it makes no sense to any dog expert.

Your neighbour's dog didn't bite because it was an Akita or because it was a restricted breed. It almost certainly bit because of poor ownership.

Hellrazer

Cedrus--because you only have 15 post here Im going easy on you.
The cruelty that you posted goes against the forums rules so I suggest the you go and read the rest of them.Next time I wont be going as easy.

cjf

+1 on what discodog says about confidence it's so important for a happy balanced dog no matter the size. I got my dobie when he was 6 months and he lacked confidence took time but now he way more sure in himself and like andreac didn't bat an eyelid at pet expo this year with and kids who wanted to pet him. Slowly exposed him to all different environments and with patience he learned not to be such a worrier! Never forget minding a litter of 3 pups for a weekend and he spent the whole weekend army crawling on his belly around the house trying to be in their gang! Few years ago that would have made him take to my bed til they were gone from the house! I call him my armadillo hard on the outside soft on the inside! Dobes are mega sensitive Velcro dogs and they are demanding at times ... About 50 times a day!! defo not for everyone but don't know that I'd be without one around now!

JyesusChrist

If you arnt willing to even walk him once a day then you shouldnt even get a dog. You seem to want the dog to just fall in line right away and not put in any work yourself. Do some research and get educated before even considering buying a dog.

Sheikh

andreac wrote: »

Sorry Chris but this is very bad advice. Being dominant with these breeds is actually asking for trouble.

As the owner of 2 Rottweilers, one male and female, i can tell you, being dominant is not the way to go at all with them.

I highly suggest the Rottie but im biased. All of the above shed, some more than others, the hair that comes off a rottie is a lot more than you think.

All of the dogs you posted all need a huge amount of training and socialisation from a very young age, so if you cant provide this please do not get any of those breeds.
Also regarding exercise, all dogs, regardless of size, breed need to be walked EVERYDAY.

As a responsible Rottweiler owner of some years, I'm afraid I have to disagree with this. Let me start by saying that there is no more rewarding breed to have than the Rottweiler. They are wonderful, loving and intelligent dogs. They do however need to be carefully raised so as not to become a danger to you or someone else. They need a lot of socialising with people and dogs. You should never have a Rottweiler just left in a back yard without company. It will become highly territorial and dangerous. Dogs are pack animals and you will be considered by the dog as a pack member also. The pack will have a leader. If you are not willing or able to take on that role then the dog will be the pack leader. Again, this is a potentially dangerous situation. You get to be pack leader by being dominant. Plain and Simple! The dog won't mind not being pack leader, it just needs to know that someone is. He/she will test the waters from time to time to make sure you are doing a good job. They are a challanging breed to own, but it is well worth it. You will never have a better friend!

andreac

Sorry but the, whole dominance theory is so outdated and shouldnt be used on any breed. If you have to be dominant over your dog then your dog doesnt respect you if this is how you need to treat him. I own two rottweilers and I can tell you dominance is not the way to go with rotties and you will very few people who agree with treating any dog like this.

Sheikh

andreac wrote: »

Sorry but the, whole dominance theory is so outdated and shouldnt be used on any breed. If you have to be dominant over your dog then your dog doesnt respect you if this is how you need to treat him. I own two rottweilers and I can tell you dominance is not the way to go with rotties and you will very few people who agree with treating any dog like this.

With the greatest of respect, I disagree. Perhaps you are confusing dominance with some type of cruelty? In any event while I am not sure what theories you are referring to, theories come and go, while for thousands of years the needs of a dog have remained constant. Here are the thoughts of Cesar Milan on the subject. I would be interested to hear your views. I agree with all of the below. Cesar is most definitely referring to a relationship of dominance.

The first step in assuming the role of pack leader is to understand dog psychology. We must recognize dogs as animals and remember what is important to them as a species.
Dogs don't know you as your name, your race or your achievements. You could be the president of the United States; dogs don't know. What they know is the energy you share and the activities you participate in with them.
Dogs don't follow emotional or lovable leaders; they follow calm, assertive leaders. The mother is calm and assertive when she's giving birth and that's the first energy that they experience.
You must project calm, assertive energy before you share love with your dog. Love is a human gift; were the only pack leader who will love them. Their dog pack leader won't throw a birthday party for them or reward good behavior.
Most dogs that live in this country have shelter, food, and lots of love. These are the dogs that often become unstable because they're not working for food and water. Dogs need a pack leader to feel balanced and connected. They need to be told every day what to do. Leadership is forever and love is forever. But sometimes we get lazy and only share loveno leadership.
Once you share calm, assertive energy and the dog goes into a submissive state, then you can share love and affection.

The Rules
Dogs also look to the pack leader to set rules, boundaries and limitations. People often ask me at what age they should start training their puppy. The answer is immediately!
The dogs mother begins training her puppies from birth. She makes them wait for food; she controls when they play and how far they travel. Adult dogs need these same rules, boundaries and limitations from their pack leader.

andreac

Ha, cesar milan, the dog whisperer, yeah right....:rolleyes:

Sorry but it doesnt surprise me that you are a cesar fan, when you are into dominance over dogs.that man treats dog appaulingly. He shocks them, chokes them and kicks them and you think this is how you treat a dog by dominating them?
There are very few people who agree with cesars methods as they are so outdated answer even on the verge odd being cruel.

If you feel you need to dominate your dog then thats your choice but its not the way to go with any breed and in my experience even more so not to do it with rotties.

Wibbs

Sheikh wrote: »

With the greatest of respect, I disagree. Perhaps you are confusing dominance with some type of cruelty? In any event while I am not sure what theories you are referring to, theories come and go, while for thousands of years the needs of a dog have remained constant.

The theories of dominance as espoused by Cesar Milan et al are based on woefully out of date research into wolves*(captive adolescent wolves) in the 60's. Indeed the original researcher agrees he was very wrong in his dominance theory.

The first step in assuming the role of pack leader is to understand dog psychology.

Right so, straight away wolves aren't a "pack" in makeup. That's a name, not a scientific description. They're a family unit. Sometimes in the case of bigger packs an extended family unit. The "Alpha" pair do not get to the top by being dominant, they get to the top by being parents. When their pups mature they leave the family and go off and start their own family and become the alphas in their new pack. Pretty much like humans do. The major difference between a dog and a wolf is dogs have been domesticated and domestication causes a number of effects, chief among them is neotony, IE retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult. So a dog remains in a puppy mindset throughout life.

Most dogs that live in this country have shelter, food, and lots of love. These are the dogs that often become unstable because they're not working for food and water.

That sentence is daft beyond measure.

Dogs need a pack leader to feel balanced and connected. They need to be told every day what to do.

More to the point they require a family led set of tasks to follow. Not unlike kids in this respect(though that's where the similarity ends they are NOT furry kids the way some treat them).

Once you share calm, assertive energy and the dog goes into a submissive state, then you can share love and affection.

Being calm is one thing, but asserting dominance especially the way Cesar does it, or worse when someone watches him doing it and tries to copy him could be bloody dangerous. The "dominance roll" he does is one bloody dangerous thing to do. Contrary to what he suggests, wolves do not do this. Any wolf that did would likely end up badly injured. Wolves "know their place" within certain boundaries. The submissive wolf rolls on its back of it's own volition. They know their place because the alpha is the parent and this role is established early on. Not through dominance Cesar style. It's a subtle difference, but it is a difference.

Other things he suggests? Never letting a dog go ahead of you, or never letting a dog pull on the lead as this rejects your dominance. Utter hogwash. If one looks at wolves which Cesar refers to, members of the pack often go ahead of the alpha pair. Go back to human families again. If your kids wlak through a door ahead of you does this mean they're the dominant ones? No, it doesn't. How do Inuits and their large dog teams work then? They outnumber him or her maybe 10 to one, they're doing the pulling, they're going ahead of the driver, yet who is in charge? Who tells them to stop, who tells them to go, who tells them to go right or left? The lead dog? Nope the bloke at the back going mush!. Playing games of tag with dogs? There is zero evidence that this increases aggression or dominance in the dog. Indeed there is evidence of the opposite effect. The other thing I've seen him do is overpower the dog into submission by backing them into a corner until the dog shows submission. That is seriously dangerous. Has no one heard of the danger in a cornered animal of any type?

People often ask me at what age they should start training their puppy. The answer is immediately!

Of course there should be boundaries, but again not through some daft domination stuff.

The dogs mother begins training her puppies from birth. She makes them wait for food; she controls when they play and how far they travel.

Eh how? Wait for food? If they're still suckling they pretty much feed on demand. If they're in the wild regurgitating food this is very much on demand. The pups lick the adults faces and lips to stimulate the regurgitation of food the second they come back from the hunt. Yea they wait alright, because they're too young to be much use on a hunt so they stay with the previous years juveniles in a doggy/wolf creche.

*on the subject of wolves, Cesar had one episode on wolf dog hybrids. To be fair to him he said he had no experience with them(though given he thinks he's echoing wolf dominance that's a tad odd) so sent in another "expert" to deal with a couple of examples. Pity said expert didn't realise or know that the dogs she was dealing with had about as much wolf in them as I do. They were dogs perceived as wolves(and likely charged at a premium for it). Plus some of the stuff she did I would not attempt with the real deal high content animal. If Cesar tried the dominance roll on the real deal he'd likely not survive the encounter in one piece. If he tried the backing into a corner stuff he'd likely end up in the morgue.

Don't get me wrong I like Cesar. He seems to have a genuine and heartfelt love for all dogs and will go out of his way to try and help extreme basket cases and their owners. I just disagree with applying those theories willy nilly. BTW I'm not so taken with the extremes of the overly touchy feely love bombing positive reinforcement types either. they can be just as bad with a more intractable dog. Sometimes dogs do need a spot of negative attention IMHO.

Sheikh

andreac wrote: »

Ha, cesar milan, the dog whisperer, yeah right....:rolleyes:

Sorry but it doesnt surprise me that you are a cesar fan, when you are into dominance over dogs.that man treats dog appaulingly. He shocks them, chokes them and kicks them and you think this is how you treat a dog by dominating them?
There are very few people who agree with cesars methods as they are so outdated answer even on the verge odd being cruel.

If you feel you need to dominate your dog then thats your choice but its not the way to go with any breed and in my experience even more so not to do it with rotties.

You have stated a number of times "very few people agree......." Just for clarification, is this based on survey evidence or are you drawing on your own experiences and from people you have discussed the matter with?

I am not in fact a Cesar fan as you put it. I was simply pointing out that perhaps the best internationaly known dog trainer out there would support what I am saying and appears to be at odds with your views.

In any case, I am open minded and do not assume to know everything. What I would really like though is some advice from you on handling the following scenario. Your 9st Rottweiler in your presence makes aggressive snarling gestures towards your 2 year old child. Using current thinking, what would be the correct way to handle this situation be to ensure the safety of you, the child and the dog. I am genuinely open to revising my thoughts on this if you can give me a very specific answer that deals with the issue effectively.

Wibbs

Sheikh wrote: »

You have stated a number of times "very few people agree......." Just for clarification, is this based on survey evidence or are you drawing on your own experiences and from people you have discussed the matter with?

To be fair there are a fair number of behaviourists out there who disagree with his methods. I'd even go so far as to say the majority. There are any number of scientists who would strenuously disagree with his wolf theories and comparisons.

I was simply pointing out that perhaps the best internationaly known dog trainer out there would support what I am saying and appears to be at odds with your views.

Bear Grylls is an internationally known survivalist but people who actually know what's what will tell you PDQ that Ray Mears is far more an expert in the field(and with far fewer stunts just for the cameras).

In any case, I am open minded and do not assume to know everything. What I would really like though is some advice from you on handling the following scenario. Your 9st Rottweiler in your presence makes aggressive snarling gestures towards your 2 year old child. Using current thinking, what would be the correct way to handle this situation be to ensure the safety of you, the child and the dog. I am genuinely open to revising my thoughts on this if you can give me a very specific answer that deals with the issue effectively.

Well better trainers and behaviourists will doubtless be along soon. Speaking as an rank amateur I'd not get into a dominance pissing match at that point in such a scenario anyway. If the dog is already focused and wound up I'd not aggravate it. I would most certainly not try crowding the dog or worst of all dominance roll it. Too easy to make a very costly mistake for all concerned. First I'd calmly and quietly get between the dog and the child and then remove the child from the room. I'd then try to figure out why the dog suddenly tried to pull the snarling with the child. Has something changed in the recent past kinda thing? Did the kid do something? Either way the dog would know bloody well my (calm)displeasure in tone of voice and body language, both on the spot and after the danger to the child was removed.

Cherry Blossom

Can we all keep this thread on topic please, I have said before if people want to have an in-depth discussion on dominance theory then start a thread on the topic. If you feel it is relevant to another thread then link to it.