The Misunderstood Mutts Appreciation Society

[superlambanana]

I have a 6 year old Rottweiler and naturally I get a lot of "ooh, a Rottweiler, you're brave" comments, and people being scared of her. She is soft as anything, very loving and soppy, makes us laugh, and wins over everyone who gets to know her. I love her to bits and I'd definitely get another Rottie.

Anyone else have a misunderstood canine friend?

Anyone else

[superlambanana]

Stupid phone- ignore unfinished sentence!

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Mine is misunderstood in a different way. He loves big dogs (like yours) but he is a 7 kg Border Terrier. Owners always panic ' Be careful! Don't you scare him! Be gentle, he's too small for you!'

Where as my dog is thinking great fun, hopefully this one can play! I am sure he thinks he is 10 times the size he is!

[tabulahrasa]

I've got a Rottweiler as well...I've had comments about eating babies, cats and other dogs.

I can barely get him to eat enough food, never mind the fact that he lives with and adores both children and cats and he's completely desperate to play with every dog he meets, lol.

To be fair fan - I'd be telling my boy to be careful with yours, he's terrible for sticking a great big paw on other dogs and just sort of general throwing himself at them...he weighs about 6 stones, it might hurt him. I mean it hurts me when he runs into me...he's got faulty brakes.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I do get your point and yes, 6 stone on the wrong spot would not be a good idea but in general he does prefer rough and tumble with big uns and is a champion of duck, twist and run off underneath them before popping up on the otherside.

I expect a miriad of injury in that silly dogs lifetime unfortunately. The risk of big dogs is only the start. Terrier exuberance for life with little care for consequences and the idea they get in their heads that they are invicible and 70 kg probably causes huge trouble for many a terrier. He can find trouble 30 seconds before me so I now try to carefully risk assess before he is let loose!

[tabulahrasa]

It's not because I think terriers are delicate btw...it's just that I've got a big clumsy oaf, lol.

He fairly regularly manages to fall over hard enough to land flat on his back, he knocks over the cat with his big head just trying to lick her and flopping down to sleep dislodges furniture.

I tripped and fell once while on a walk, he jumped on my back as I lay there clearly thinking this was some fantastic new game...I couldn't get back up for about five minutes and I'm not a small person.

He has absolutely no concept of the fact that he's a big dog and not in fact one of the cats, seems to have no awareness of where most of his body is and does everything with 110% enthusiasm - it does make him very entertaining, but also makes me very nervous when he's around smaller dogs.

He's actually pretty teeny for a Rottie as well, I dread to think of the consequences if he was a full sized one, rofl.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I have the opposite problem...mine keeps leaping off things only to realise he is not as big as he thinks he is and can't get back again. His harness comes in very handy for hauling him up and out of scrapes!

[ShinyPenny]

Oh I love Rottweilers!

[HelgatheHairy]

I have a Golden Retriever. The public perception seems to be lovely calm, placid dogs. Not my boy! He's pretty well socialised but still wants to meet every person and dog on the planet and be their best friend! Unfortunately he thinks the best way to make friends is to jump on people! And people with smaller dogs get a worried look on their face when they see him coming because he tends to "Kangeroo" (Hopping on back legs)(He's only just a year old and I'm working on having him sit and greet people and he's on a lead so I don't actually LET him jump on people)

Love Rottweilers too!

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Oh mine strains at the lead doing Kangeroo hops if he gets het up wanting to meet other dogs and I do an about turn until he calms down for a polite greeting. And people don't react any better to a small dog doing it either as he freezes and it looks quite agressive although he is anything but.