Are Rottweilers dangerous?

bilbot79

A family member just got a Rottweiler puppy. This makes me a bit uncomfortable as they are perceived as a dangerous dog and while I see some people muzzling them in public, I'm not sure that will happen here.

Has anyone had an actual negative experience with this breed?

(Enter stage left...the Rottie evangelists to explain what little angels these dogs are ðŸ˜

Witcher

bilbot79 wrote: »

(Enter stage left...the Rottie evangelists to explain what little angels these dogs are ðŸ˜

What's the point of making this thread when you're already decided on the issue?

endacl

Trained properly and there should be no issue.

Eric Cartman

http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/RecreationandCulture/AnimalWelfare/Documents/New_Banned_Dog_Leaflet.pdf

theyre on the banned dogs list. They likely pose a danger to young children or other animals if left out alone. Im sure somebody will come along to tell us theyre all good and wouldnt harm anybody but in reality unless its a house of adults or atleast teenagers I wouldnt have one around.

The high horse brigade

There's no such thing as a dangerous dog just clueless owners. A Labrador can be just as dangerous

bilbot79

Witcher wrote: »

What's the point of making this thread when you're already decided on the issue?

I'm not decided. I'm looking to hear from people who have had an actual negative experience, if there are none it may mean I have to question my preconception.

alta stare

bilbot79 wrote: »

A family member just got a Rottweiler puppy. This makes me a bit uncomfortable as they are perceived as a dangerous dog and while I see some people muzzling them in public, I'm not sure that will happen here.

Has anyone had an actual negative experience with this breed?

(Enter stage left...the Rottie evangelists to explain what little angels these dogs are ðŸ˜

A dog isnt born dangerous it is raised dangerous, either by neglect, abuse or lack of training. All inflicted by bad owners.

borderlinemeath

Eric Cartman wrote: »

http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/RecreationandCulture/AnimalWelfare/Documents/New_Banned_Dog_Leaflet.pdf

theyre on the banned dogs list. They likely pose a danger to young children or other animals if left out alone. Im sure somebody will come along to tell us theyre all good and wouldnt harm anybody but in reality unless its a house of adults or atleast teenagers I wouldnt have one around.

"Banned dogs list"??


Any link to that or is it just in your imagination?

Seth Brundle

borderlinemeath wrote: »

"Banned dogs list"??


Any link to that or is it just in your imagination?

Eh, he did give a link!

Mike3549

borderlinemeath wrote: »

"Banned dogs list"??


Any link to that or is it just in your imagination?

Based on that link, it looks like they are banned for dcc tennants only

Eric Cartman

Mike3549 wrote: »

Based on that link, it looks like they are banned for dcc tennants only

that is correct, but do you think theres a reason they picked specific breeds ?

borderlinemeath

bilbot79 wrote: »

I'm not decided. I'm looking to hear from people who have had an actual negative experience, if there are none it may mean I have to question my preconception.

I've never had a negative experience with any rotties. Any of them I've handled have literally been cuddle monsters. They are strong powerful dogs though.



Breeds I have had negative experiences with:


Collie
Bichon
JRT
Golden cocker spaniel

eagle eye

Of you get a well bred Rottweiler you will get a very good dog, great family dog which can be an excellent guard dog if that's what you want.
The downside is that a lot of them get bad illnesses early enough in their lives like between 8 and 10.

JC01

Behaviour wise, there the same as all dogs ie it’s 90% in the training/raising of them although the “dangerous” aspect (I hate calling it that) is the same as any larger breed of dog in that they will cause more damage than a ****zu if they do decide to go for someone.

In relative terms there no more dangerous than a Labrador.

Iv met far more badly behaved collies and labs than Rottweilers/ German Shepard’s/ staffs etc.

salmocab

Yes Rottweilers are dangerous just like every dog if they have a moron owner. The thing is certain breeds attract certain types of owners then the breed gets a bad name.

bilbot79

alta stare wrote: »

A dog isnt born dangerous it is raised dangerous, either by neglect, abuse or lack of training. All inflicted by bad owners.

I'm not so sure about that. This article seems to suggest temperament can be inherited. Hopefully this one is the gentle kind.

https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/rottweilers.html

Stheno

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Eh, he did give a link!

They are banned in DCC housing but nationally are on the restricted breeds list and must be on a lead and muzzled in public.

Rottweiler were bred as cattle herders dogs and can have a shepherding instinct

I had a Rottweiler crossed with a ridgeback and he was fiercely protective of me and mine but fairly placid.

I've had other dogs who were just damaged souls tbh.

I also had several German shepherds a wolfhound and lurchers and honestly didn't find any difference

Its how the pup is brought up that will make the difference

artanevilla

There is no such thing as dangerous dog breeds. Only dangerous owners.

TheChizler

Eric Cartman wrote: »

theyre on the banned dogs list. They likely pose a danger to young children or other animals if left out alone.

You shouldn't leave ANY dog alone with young children.

JC01

Eric Cartman wrote: »

http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/RecreationandCulture/AnimalWelfare/Documents/New_Banned_Dog_Leaflet.pdf

theyre on the banned dogs list. They likely pose a danger to young children or other animals if left out alone. Im sure somebody will come along to tell us theyre all good and wouldnt harm anybody but in reality unless its a house of adults or atleast teenagers I wouldnt have one around.

Genuine question, are you a dog owner?

Would you have any breed around a house with young children?

Doctors room ghost

They are prone to going overweight and have a short enough lifespan but if they are raised right from a pup they will be as sound as a bog carrot.

alta stare

bilbot79 wrote: »

I'm not so sure about that. This article seems to suggest temperament can be inherited. Hopefully this one is the gentle kind.

https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/rottweilers.html

I had one he died this year. I trained him from the moment i got him. He was by far the best dog i have ever come across. If they are looked after they are really pleasant dogs.

alta stare

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

They are prone to going overweight and have a short enough lifespan but if they are raised right from a pup they will be as sound as a bog carrot.

They will go over weight if fed too much with zero exercise not because they are prone to it.

borderlinemeath

bilbot79 wrote: »

I'm not so sure about that. This article seems to suggest temperament can be inherited. Hopefully this one is the gentle kind.

https://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/rottweilers.html

Ask them about the breeder, look up their details online and you should get a feel for how well they socialise and rear their pups. Some breeders put a huge amount of time and effort into their pups and ensuring that they are improving the lines and the breed. Others, particularly if sourced online, not so much.

alta stare

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Ask them about the breeder, look up their details online and you should get a feel for how well they socialise and rear their pups. Some breeders put a huge amount of time and effort into their pups and ensuring that they are improving the lines and the breed. Others, particularly if sourced online, not so much.

100%

Also any clued in buyervwill also spend time around the litter and pick out a dog which they see is best for them. Before i picked my fella i was there an hour watching him interact with the litter and his parents. I also picked him based on his reaction to me.

bobbyss

Witcher wrote:

What's the point of making this thread when you're already decided on the issue?

Poster wants other people's opinion. Seems fine to me regardless of his own.

Sheepdish1

bilbot79 wrote: »

A family member just got a Rottweiler puppy. This makes me a bit uncomfortable as they are perceived as a dangerous dog and while I see some people muzzling them in public, I'm not sure that will happen here.

Has anyone had an actual negative experience with this breed?

(Enter stage left...the Rottie evangelists to explain what little angels these dogs are ðŸ˜

Hi OP, I think it is good you are asking this as opposed to jumping to conclusions:) Any dog on restricted breed list, by law should be on leash and muzzled in public, whether people agree with the restricted breed list or not that is the law.

no dog should ever be left alone or unsupervised with child, regardless of size, breed or temperament.

VonVix

I have had one single bad experience with a Rottweiler, but he was seriously physically abused (to the point he was made unconscious) a few months prior which left him struggling to cope around anyone who was unfamiliar who got close enough to touch him, he would go from 0 to 100 in two seconds, with no obvious tells than a bit of floor sniffing and avoidance behaviours, he'd pretend you weren't there... it was nothing that would give you any huge red flags, no growling or snarling, nothing... and I wasn't informed of it until afterwards. But this incident had very specific circumstances, the fact he was a Rottweiler had nothing to do with it.

I've only been bitten aggressively once by a Yorkshire Terrier. I've been bitten by other dogs before, but this Yorkie was the only one that wasn't behaving straight out of fear, he just wanted to go out of his way eat me because he had resource guarding issues when it came to another dog he was with (that again, I wasn't informed of lol)!

Seriously though, the only thing that would make a Rottweiler more dangerous than any other dog is that they have a more powerful than average jaw strength, if one wanted to hurt you, they could, a Chihuahua could come at you with the same intent and not do much more than pinch you.

What's important is that a puppy, of any breed, is raised with respect, gentle/considerate handling, proper familiarization when it comes to different environments/people and an understanding that they are a living creature, not a toy or disposable object.
People create dangerous dogs, whether it's by abuse, lack of familiarization, poor breeding, or all of them combined, people have a hand in it somewhere along the line.

Mooooo

Would depend on breeding and treatment by owner. They are big powerful animals so that alone increases risk. Behavioural traits are inheritable so if parents are aggressive offspring can be more prone to it. They are intelligent so the more controlled exposure they get to people and other animals the better.
In terms of experiences don't have one but have been to places where they rolled for a belly rub, others where they barked and watched from a distance and unfortunately a neighbouring pair who cornered and attacked a 600kg cow leaving her with cuts on her head and face and permanent lameness on a front leg. If he's the a person to leave em out the back and not interact or train the dog I would be wary.

twowheelsonly

artanevilla wrote: »

There is no such thing as dangerous dog breeds. Only dangerous owners.

Greatest myth of all time. Some dogs are inherently dangerous breeds. Yes, they can be controlled via proper training and supervision but nothing that you, me or anyone else can do will take away their instinct. We can minimise the risk but never ever eliminate it.

IMO, Labradors are one of the most dangerous as they almost always appear quite placid and have a 'good' name yet they're one of the most prolific biters of all dogs.

Corkgirl18

Any rottweiler I've dealt with have been absolutely beautiful dogs. Super affectionate and just love cuddles!

VonVix

twowheelsonly wrote: »

Greatest myth of all time. Some dogs are inherently dangerous breeds. Yes, they can be controlled via proper training and supervision but nothing that you, me or anyone else can do will take away their instinct. We can minimise the risk but never ever eliminate it.

IMO, Labradors are one of the most dangerous as they almost always appear quite placid and have a 'good' name yet they're one of the most prolific biters of all dogs.

Can you explain a little about this "instinct" you speak of that can make dogs dangerous? Instinct to do what, exactly?

ED E

A pug can be a nasty piece of work.

An Akita can be a nasty piece of work.


The difference is the damage they do. Id much rather meet a drunk driver in a punto vs a 40ft, same goes for dogs. Try getting a bully to release a bite.

Ave Sodalis

To be fair, there are certain breeds that are not particularly suited to being pets because the vast majority of people would not have the level of handling skills to be able to keep them. I would not recommend a Mal, or an Anatolian to your average pet owner. I would be cautious recommending a working dog breed to most people.



Rotties are big, strong dogs OP, that have high energy requirements. The only vicious ones I've heard of usually have a reason (either trained to be that way for ego, not trained at all, or abuse). They need good training from an early age because they are large, and they are strong, but they do generally enjoy training, or having a "job". They are prone, as most dogs are, to destructiveness if they aren't properly trained and don't have their energy requirements fulfilled.



If you gave me a choice between being locked into a room with the average Rottie, and locked into a room with the average Chihuahua, Pom, or JRT... it would be the former I would pick every time. I wouldn't leave my fantastically tempered 12 year old lab who has never even attempted to hurt anyone in his life alone with a child.

bilbot79

Thanks for the replies. In theory it all sounds ok but I still don't feel comfortable. Maybe I will when I get to know the dog.

muddypaws

bilbot79 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. In theory it all sounds ok but I still don't feel comfortable. Maybe I will when I get to know the dog.

Turn the question around. Why don't you feel comfortable? Would you feel better if it was a Labrador or a golden retriever?

shakencat

I must be a terrible parent.

I own a lab and a rottweiler.

And we have an 8month old baby.


I have zero bad words to say about either dog, would never leave her alone with them (or any dog) but she toddles along crawling and they don't bat an eye.



They are both well trained, fed and walked every day.

Myself and my other half have often said we'll gladly continue getting Rottweilers - our lads temperament is amazing.. Just a pity about their bad name.


Alot of people stop us on walks and say 'he is handsome, what is he?' While hand is out petting him.

We say rottweiler, some jump in fright when they hear the breed, plenty wouldn't know a rottweiler from a black lab.

bilbot79

muddypaws wrote: »

Turn the question around. Why don't you feel comfortable? Would you feel better if it was a Labrador or a golden retriever?

Yes. Completely comfortable, they are never in the news and it isn't illegal to take them outside unmuzzled.

muddypaws

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Mike3549 wrote: »

Based on that link, it looks like they are banned for dcc tennants only

that is correct, but do you think theres a reason they picked specific breeds ?

Because they are the dogs on the Restricted breed list. The chihuahua was originally going on that list because it sounded like a dangerous dog - that's the level of knowledge that went into the list. How come German shepherds are on the list, but not Belgian or Dutch? What makes the GSDs more dangerous than a Malinois?

borderlinemeath

bilbot79 wrote: »

Yes. Completely comfortable, they are never in the news and it isn't illegal to take them outside unmuzzled.

A Jack Russell killed a 4 day old baby in the UK a few years ago. Complacency around size, ability and the fact that certain breeds is on an arbitrary list is what is dangerous.

shamrock55

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I've never had a negative experience with any rotties. Any of them I've handled have literally been cuddle monsters. They are strong powerful dogs though.



Breeds I have had negative experiences with:


Collie
Bichon
JRT
Golden cocker spaniel

Do you mind if I ask what bad experience did you have with the cocker

twowheelsonly

VonVix wrote: »

Can you explain a little about this "instinct" you speak of that can make dogs dangerous? Instinct to do what, exactly?

I'm sure that this doesn't really need explaining to you but that would be the instinct to defend or to attack. You can train a dog all you like and 99.99999% of the time they'll do as trained but no dog could be considered 100% safe.

borderlinemeath

shamrock55 wrote: »

Do you mind if I ask what bad experience did you have with the cocker

Not just the one cocker spaniel unfortunately. I've met quite a few that get aggressive when nervous. And also met some that resource guard - food in particular, mostly golden, but one black one that people guards.

alta stare

twowheelsonly wrote: »

I'm sure that this doesn't really need explaining to you but that would be the instinct to defend or to attack. You can train a dog all you like and 99.99999% of the time they'll do as trained but no dog could be considered 100% safe.

Nor can many humans.

Hellrazer

The restricted breed list is a load of balls to be honest.
The people that devised it or try to implement it haven't a clue and pulled the breeds on it out of their arses.

Heres a post I made a good few years back about an issue with the restricted breeds list and a social worker who hadn't a clue.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61018928&postcount=1

I never did get my rottie though

I went one bigger and got a Newfie. Im just glad that social woker left us and moved on before seeing the newfie!!!

Oh yeah and for what its worth the only dog that ever bit me in any type of aggressive way was a Westie...that was a snappy little ****er. You don't see them on this list.

alta stare

shakencat wrote: »

I must be a terrible parent.

I own a lab and a rottweiler.

And we have an 8month old baby.


I have zero bad words to say about either dog, would never leave her alone with them (or any dog) but she toddles along crawling and they don't bat an eye.



They are both well trained, fed and walked every day.

Myself and my other half have often said we'll gladly continue getting Rottweilers - our lads temperament is amazing.. Just a pity about their bad name.


Alot of people stop us on walks and say 'he is handsome, what is he?' While hand is out petting him.

We say rottweiler, some jump in fright when they hear the breed, plenty wouldn't know a rottweiler from a black lab.

Id thank this post a million times if i could. 100% spot on.

bilbot79

borderlinemeath wrote: »

A Jack Russell killed a 4 day old baby in the UK a few years ago. Complacency around size, ability and the fact that certain breeds is on an arbitrary list is what is dangerous.

That is seriously tragic and the mortality element has a lot to do with the age of the child aswell. The JRT could be reasonably dangerous to a 2 year old but highly unlikely to be able to fracture it's skull.

Poor baby

Heat_Wave

What are people's thoughts on Alsatians? There is one in our estate, and his owner walks him off the lead. He went for a neighbour before and they complained, yet the owner continues to walk him off the lead. I saw him this evening and had to turn home as I was frozen with fear when I saw him. It really angers me that I cannot walk in my own estate

shamrock55

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Not just the one cocker spaniel unfortunately. I've met quite a few that get aggressive when nervous. And also met some that resource guard - food in particular, mostly golden, but one black one that people guards.

I can sort of relate to that, we have a golden cocker and he's great for the most part in fairness but he can be a cranky fecker in certain situations, plus he's the biggest pain in the arse on a lead if he sees another dog he goes absolutely ape which is so embarrassing and nothing you can do will stop him, I actually have to pick him up till the other dog is out of sight, he's gone for German Shepard and everything, once he went for 2 big huskies while all 3 were on their leads one huskie pinned him to the ground by the neck, I actually thought that might calm him down but alas I was wrong, 90% of the time he's a sweetheart though lol!!

uck51js9zml2yt

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Not just the one cocker spaniel unfortunately. I've met quite a few that get aggressive when nervous. And also met some that resource guard - food in particular, mostly golden, but one black one that people guards.

Had one that we took in on a rehoming. Agressive when nervous. Have 2 young kids and just couldn't chance it. On the advice of a friend whose a vet we gave him up again for rehoming which she sorted very quickly thankfully.

Beautiful dog but scared of his shadow. Just wish we knew before I got him.

alta stare

Heat_Wave wrote: »

What are people's thoughts on Alsatians? There is one in our estate, and his owner walks him off the lead. He went for a neighbour before and they complained, yet the owner continues to walk him off the lead. I saw him this evening and had to turn home as I was frozen with fear when I saw him. It really angers me that I cannot walk in my own estate

Well if the dog is going for people then the owner needs to be dealt with. Its those kind of people who give dogs like that a bad name.