re my reaction to a rottweiler dog ? Or would you be the same ?

[chankins]

Not sure if I over reacted today or not, but was at the beach with my three dc, my sister and her three dc, and my mum and her jack russel dog. All was fine until we saw approaching a large rottweiler off the lead, with a young couple and their toddler in a buggy close behind. TBH we said amongst ourselves why do people with little kids have dogs like that ? but then proceeded to pass without comment.
However then another large dog bounded up and started hassling the rottweiler, who didn't like it and started racing around, growling and snapping at the other dog. This ended up bascially on top of my mum and her little dog, and three of the children. (The other three were in buggies.) Neither owner had any control of their dog and they ignored the owners calling them away. I kept calling my dd1 (5) away from the scene as I was worried a fight would break out and she and her cousins would be caught in the middle. In the end I walked over, grabbed her arm and pulled her over to me and the buggies, and her cousins followed. I said to her ' come away from all those dogs'. The girl then got very shirty and offended and made comments about the rottweiler obviously not biting anyone. This was at the same time she shouted at her toddler to shut up as he was crying. We ignored and walked away. But honestly, why do people with small kids own such powerful dogs, and then can't even control them ?

I have a small child and two big labradors. But they are never off the lead in this type of situation for the reasons you describe.

I do think that people with rottweilers are most likely sick of the reaction people tend to have to their dogs, which may be why the girl didn't deal with the situation very well?

It amazes me and shocks me too. I hate to see it. I was walking along the road not that long ago with my dd when an alsation (on a lead) jumped up at her. The woman holding the lead had no control. I was really angry.

Yeah I did think that she must get it all the time, especially with the latest story in the news. But they should accept it, its natural to be wary of dogs that are bred for guarding. If it had passed quietly and came when called I would not have got nervous. Whenever I see people with powerful dogs off leads, I assume they are off lead because extrememly well trained, and I don't tend to panic. Also, I had to say something to dd1, as she wouldn't come when called either !

I think I wold be the same TBH. I'm not scared of dogs, I have one myself, and know that it is the way that the dogs are brought up etc, but when I go to the shops near me I have seen a rottweiler off the lead. It is very well behaved and doesn't go up to people or anything, but I can just feel myself cowering just because it's a rottweiler!

Yes jack russels can be nippy. We had a few growing up and one bit my sister on the face, so I know all dogs can be dangerous. The difference is you can easily overpower a jack russel, pull it away and lift it up etc.
I just don't understand people having guard dogs as pets, if thats what it was, with small kids. What happened to that baby in the nes could just as easily happen to theirs.

why do so many young couples have rottweilers now? it seems to be the latest must have.

i would have freaked out at them.

I'd have been the same Chankins - wish people would keep them on a sodding lead

I think at the end of the day no matter what breed of dog it is an owner should have full control or else it should not be allowed of a lead. If a dog doesn't obey its' owner it potentially can be a danger to others.

It bugs me a little to see dogs off leads on the streets. I know that they are usually well trained and stick by their owner's sides, but if you are scared of dogs it would be so frightening to think that the dog could run at you at any moment and the owner would have no hold over it.

Are Rottweilers alowed of leads in public areas? You certainly didn't over react.

off

i certainly don't think you over reacted chankins.

I have owned two rotties. One that we had from a puppy when DD1 was about 4 and our other was a rescue dog, DD1 was 14 and DD2 was not even thought of I was vigilent about training both of my dogs, the first was an absolute star and i trusted him as much as i would trust any dog (not 100%). Yazz, our rescue was a diffrent kettle of fish and i NEVER would have taken him on if i knew we were going to have another baby. We did decide to rehome him but before we could, he passed away

I think there were two issues here, firstly, the dogs (both of them) should have been on the lead. I always had my 2nd dog on the lead around people as he was unpredictable, the first would sit whenever i told him so i would allow him off lead but would put him back on the lead if we were approaching children, so that parents didnt worry.

I used to get some very odd looks walking yazz along with the pram, and i could tell people were thinking that i must be some sort of scummy chav owning such a big "aggresive" dog. It used to upset me to see people cross the road to avoid them both.

I have worked as a veterinary nurse and the amount of times i have encountered rotweiller owners who simply have not got a clue!! I actually asked one particular woman to please rehome her dog, she was pregnant, it was her partners dog and she was actually frightened of it, the man was a prick - however, i think they did rehome the dog. These sort of people make me sooo mad. The rotweiller is a lovely dog, my absolute favourite breed. BUT i would happily support a ban, they are strong and powerful and in the wrong hands, a time bomb.

My DP would love to have another rottie, but i will not have one with a small child in the house. Maybe when DD is about 10, but i simply dont have the time and energy required to adequately train a big dog now.

I am very laid back around dogs, but i would have been concerned in your shoes and i would have been quite direct about voicing it.

I should say though, most rotweiller owners ARE responsible dog owners and with firm and kind handling, you couldnt ask for a more loving family pet (just not with young children).

I won't feel too guilty for upsetting the girl then. I didn't say anything to her anyway, so she was being oversensitive. I don't think they should have allowed the dogs to 'play' or whatever it was they were doing so close to our kids for so long anyway.
Always haunted by the memory I have of my next door neighbours dog when I was a teenager - it was a kind of mastiff, like a rottweiler but brown, and they had 3 dc, all over it all the time. One day another neighbours alsation was running about in the street and stuck its head through the front fence of their garden. The mastiff type grabbed it by the neck, bust through the fence and dragged it pretty lifelessly around the road for ages. People were whacking the dog, trying to prise its jaws open, and the alsation was jjust hanging theere as if dead. Amazingly it survived and was running around again the next week. But it makes me shudder, the power of such a dog, imagine if that had been a child at the fence ?

My friend has two, she has had three in total and each one is lovley. My child is not allowed anywhere near them, I have known them years. They are after all animals and my daughter sometimes gets excited and lets out little screams as one year olds do. Even though the dogs are good and the owner responsible they are still animals and may get startled, it is not a risk I am willing to take.

I got bit on the neck by one years ago and still have the scar, it just missed going any deeper and was going for the pulse area it came back and I had to stick my hand in its mouth, I have three scars there too, if the owner had not threw it into another room and put a chair up against the door it would have killed me. Even after it was put in the passage it still kept banging its head on the door trying to get in. It got put down and as much as it had to be put down it was my fault. It was a rescue dog and it came and sat in between my legs facing away from me, I put my head against its head and it must have felt threatened. I'm sure if I had understood more about dogs when I was young it would not have happened.

just to say, the rottie is not originally bred as a guard dog, but rather a herding dog, for cows. As a gaurd dog, they are OK, as anyone who has been on the receiving end of a rotweiller "stare" would testify im sure. However, they do tend to not bark or growl, so whoever said, there is no warning with a rottie is right, however they tend to stare if they are likely to attack. It can be quite unnerving. Having been on the receiving end, once with my own rescue dog when we first got him and once with a dog at the vets, it is not pleasant. So IMO a vocal and showy GSD is a far better gaurding breed.

Any dog owner (and parent as well in this case) who doesn't understand that a parent would be nervous that their child was in the vicinity of a growling snapping dog, especially one that won't come when called, deserves no sympathy whatsoever.

Crikey phatmouse ! I'm amazed you can be so calm around your friends dogs ! Talk about scary.

it doesn't matter what breed of dog it was - it should have been under control. you say the other dog didn't come when called either - the owner of that dog is just as much at fault.

You can't trust any dog, no matter how well you know it, something may just happen to freak them out. They are pack animals and as such have rivalrys and jealousies. If they feel threatened for any reason they will attack. They NEED to be trained well so that they know their place, so to speak. So I get very annoyed at owners who do not take them to classes and get them well trained, it's very irresponsible!

I would not have a dog atm because I do not have a secure garden and the time to offer it, or the disposable income to support it.

About 3 years ago my neighbours got a Rottweiler, he is a lovely gentle dog and I am not particularly worried about him. Then they got a second one, who is a totally different character and I most definitely don't trust him. I am more wary about them both now as they will be very much pack animals. They are well trained and have been taken regularly to classes, but I usually scoop dd up if we are going to be too close to them if we meet them out and about.

Another neighbour has a small staffie type dog which is not trained and uncontrollable. Do not like it one bit! These type bite and then don't let go, not to be trusted at all.

Other neighbours have a spanial of some kind and I have no worries about her, she's lovely and has grown up with two kids so it would take something very extreme to make her snap.

I think it would be respectful of owners, if they have a big powerful dog of a breed likely to attack out of the blue, that they muzzle their dogs when out and about, especially off the lead! I would because I couldn't live with the consequences, no matter how little I expected it of the dog.

Just my opinions, fwiw.

phatmouse, how terrifying for you - i think you have done really well to be relaxed around dogs after an experience like that

there are so many around now. it's like the 'look at me i'm ard' sort of status symbol. mostly owned by thickos unfortunately.

Thats what I reckoned festiveandfirsty - she was a mum so she should have been understanding, instead she gave a load of lip and acted all offended.
From what some of you have said, perhaps the dog was just playing, and making play noises rather than growling then, but I was also worried they would knock one of the dc over, or attack my mums little dog who is only a puppy. I guess I'm glad I dragged dd1 away, the risk is not worth taking is it, as you never know what sort of owners the people are.

I have a staffie and GSD and wouldn't do that in that situation - my dogs are only let off the lead in an open field with literally no one (and I mean no one) around.

you are def not unreasonable - the woman was in the wrong thinking that you wouldn't mind her dog behaving like that around your young children.

also echo what lucy says with children and my dogs infact children/buggys with another dog in tow or not my two are put on a short lead so they can't venture away from my leg - most of the time thou Imake the dog sit while the family pass and then we carry on.

that would scare me i dont mind big dogs as long as their owners can control them they obviously couldnt