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AIBU?

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Original poster

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

176 replies

chankins · 04/01/2008 20:59

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 ?

OP posts:
moljam · 05/01/2008 11:34

agree with whispy 'On the lead - off the lead - makes no difference. A dog can be aggressive either way'

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:35

Of course dogs can be aggressive on or off but I will disagree with you about never letting a dog off the lead. It only has 2 choices if there is a confrontation - fight or flight - and it cant run off the lead so must fight. Dogs have to be defensive to protect themselves on the lead.

But your dog is smaller than mine and would no doubt get sufficient exercise this way. Mine wouldnt.

But I only walk them in doggy areas, never ever where there is slides etc so we only tend to meet other dog minded people.

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:36

I'm not presuming anything about your dog. Just telling you my experience of dogs. Of course I realise dogs off the lead can be aggressive. I've already said my dogs get little dogs going at them a lot who are off the lead!

whispywhisp · 05/01/2008 11:42

Well we can only go on our own experiences can't we?

I have two dogs - and I have already said one of them was on the receiving end of a large rottweiler OFF the lead. My dog is a labrador. She didn't stand a chance with the rottweiler being that much bigger and heavier. And as I've said I had to kick the dog off mine.

Any dog can bite - yours included hercules. Just because they've not shown tendencies to bite before doesn't mean to say they never will.

It is my choice to not let my dogs off the lead - but I think you're wrong in stating my choice is wrong hercules. Had I not had my labrador on her lead she would have tried to run away from the rottweiler and given the size and weight of the other dog she would have ended up in a far worse condition than just a pulled muscle.

Wisteria · 05/01/2008 11:47

whispy - are you saying you never let your lab off the lead, even though she's well behaved and well trained?

My dog is generally off the lead, beautifully trained and well behaved, not round children but only because she has a tendency to think that they all want her to steal their football and play with them........ she has to walk to heel until we are in a field or on the beach/ other dog friendly area.

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:47

Where did I say I thought you were wrong? I said I thought dogs never left off the lead were more likely to be aggressive in my experience

Of course i realise my dogs can bite! But they are not on the lead at home either..

Imo and ime and from the dog training I've attended with all of them and everything I've ever been told by trainers or read points to them being far less likely to bite if allowed to be off the lead as long as they are fully trained.

Of course they can be attacked still but as I said they get got at all ready on the lead. My small dog (I have 3) has been snapped at several times off the lead by large dogs (not mine). Fortunately he has been fine. If a rottie attacked him on or off the lead then he'd be done for either way.

AnAngelWithin · 05/01/2008 11:48

YANBU. I would have done the same. I do however think that rotweillers get a lot of bad press. Any dog can be aggressive. A lot depends on the training and even the genetics of the animal. I think a lot of people think that big dogs are harder to train (or they do around here anyway!) so they don't bother. We have a labrador, and though she is the most lovely thing on the planet, I would NEVER trust her or any other dog 100%. That is impossible. When we walk her she is on the lead until we are in the middle of a field!! She is too friendly for her own good and would go and day hello to anyone and everyone, and though a lot of people don't mind, there are those that do, and I respect that that is their choice. Not everyone wants a dog mythering them while they are out!!

A lot of the media coverage about dogs attacking has been when the child/baby has been left in a situation where it is alone with the dog. That to me is stupidity in itself. I know someone who had her dog put to sleep because it bit her daughter. Only when the animals was put to sleep was it discovered that there was a piece of a childs toy rammed down the dogs ear.

Another thing is that it is all too easy to walk into a rehoming centre and walk out with a rescue dog these days. Rescue centres are over-run, so are eager to rehome the dogs perhaps without checking the home/family first.

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:49

I couldnt have a lab if I were you as I'd never be able to give it sufficient exercise on the lead.

Staceym21AtLast · 05/01/2008 11:49

i sort of understand where you are coming from, but not all dogs are like that you know?

my mum has a half bull mastif, half doberman looks a bit like a pit pony really! poeple look at him and think 'big dog, scary dog, dangerous dog' of which only one is true, big dog. if you get close enough to see he will be shivering as you are a stranger and he is scared. the worst he would do to you is possibly trample you as he legged it.

people have often said do i leave my kids alone with them, to which i answer yes, my kids can climb on him, push him around, even ride him (with supervision). they take his food/bones away from him (something both i and my parents have insisted upon, to show the kids are superior (cant think of another word) to the dogs.

if i had an incling a dog was aggressive (my aunties dog used to be before i had kids, but my dad and her came to blows when she didnt have it destroyed immidiately, i took the dog taking a chunk out of her sons cheek before she did) i wouldnt let my kids near it and would remove my children from the situation.

i think my rambling has been to show please dont judge all dogs because of their size/breed. its the owners that need looking at not the dogs, generally you will see a certain type of owner who has an agressive/dangerous dog

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 05/01/2008 11:49

frisby - I've no idea if Rotties are dim. I live in the country so there aren't any here. ?! But certainly some breeds are smarter than others - border collies are allowed to join Mensa I believe.

hercules - agree with you about small dogs being allowed to jump all over big dogs. Our Dane is such a target, mostly small and big dogs love & respect him but medium sized dogs are intimidated by his height so get all growly & bitey. But Labs have such good temperaments that even when they're snarling in his face and/or snapping at him, the owners do nothing. Fortunately, he is a star of a dog and if faced with too much aggression either returns to my side for me to deal with it or, and particularly if the DCs are with me, pins the other dog down until I intervene. No doubt when he squashes the other dog, he looks like the villain. But at least he doesn't get bitten.

Wisteria · 05/01/2008 11:49

oh and hercules is absolutely right - normally trained dogs (ie not trained to be nasty) dogs tend to only be aggressive towards each other when one or both are on leads - they may snap and growl at each other but that is only to determine who is dominant, as soon as that is decided then they either play together or leave each other alone. In a lifetime of owning dogs on farms and personally that is my experience and I have never known any different.

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:50

I agree I am fed up of people making assumptions about a dog just because of it's size.

Alambil · 05/01/2008 11:50

Get a training line - 12ft rope that acts like a lead but is more freedom for the untrustworthy dog. You are still in control that way - have to watch people's ankles though as the dog goes bounding off and the rope gets tight lol lol

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:51

I have a dane too! Soft as butter [never left alone with my kids, I know he is a dog}.

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 11:53

Have you gone on the sully website for danes? There is a thread somewhere there about all the comments people get about their big dogs!

Wisteria · 05/01/2008 11:53

As Lewis says training lines are great (with caution) until your toddler walks across the park/ garden, the dog tripwires her as it rushes across to bark at another's dog and she ends up with gravel in her forehead my 14 yr old dd has the scar to prove it!

Alambil · 05/01/2008 11:55

That is a good point Wisteria - sometimes it can look as though dogs are fighting when infact it is just a "sorting out the pecking order" thing.

Mums dog knows how to put a pesky dog in it's place - she growls, bears her teeth (right back to the gums) and shows the whites of her eyes - to the untrained (human) eye, she looks ready to attack but in actual fact, she is showing the other dog the signs that she isn't happy and if they ain't careful they will get a nipped leg (not even hurt - just mouthing) if they don't stop peeing her off!

That is natural behaviour - not much you can do to stop it because that would be like telling humans to not argue their corner in a "discussion"!!

whispywhisp · 05/01/2008 12:01

wisteria - yes, I do not let my well behaved and well trained labrador off the lead - because as I have already said she is 12yrs old, arthritic (thanks to the rottweiler) and likely to be the weaker of the two should she be approached by a dog who wants to play or worst still if she were attacked/flattened by another dog again.

She gets 2-3 walks a day - on the lead - she has our garden to run around in, chase a ball etc....more than adequate for a labrador of her age. And far more than what a lot of people do - ie those that never walk their dogs and those dogs that don't see the light of day.

Looks to me as though I'm now being criticised for keeping my dogs on long, 15ft leads? And there's me thinking I was being a responsible pet owner - ie one that keeps her dogs under control and not able to go and bother your much larger dogs who (hercules) appear to not like little dogs bothering your larger dog? Well..there you go then... I keep my JRT on a long lead and there is one less little dog going to annoy yours. OK?

bohemianbint · 05/01/2008 12:01

YANBU. I've started a couple of threads on my thoughts on dogs in public!

I am a total wuss and scared to death of them. I am often to be seen legging it out of parks if there are dogs loose in there, all the while planning how I will kill one with my bare hands if it tries to eat DS...

Wisteria · 05/01/2008 12:02

The other day my lab got cornered by an Akita whose owner was desperately trying to prevent his dog from getting to mine (who was off the lead), I asked him to let them get on with it, this has been going on for months as we are neighbours, after some panicking he did. My dog was put to the floor and held down while Akita growled etc and then the next minute they ran off chasing each other.

To the untrained eye it would have looked horrendous but both dogs were fine....

hercules1 · 05/01/2008 12:02

It's not an attack on you. It's a discussion about dogs on or off leads. I am sorry you took it that way.

whispywhisp · 05/01/2008 12:03

bohem...my point exactly. Hence why I keep my dogs on leads - so if you see a dog on a lead are you ok and don't run from the park?

whispywhisp · 05/01/2008 12:04

I didn't hercules. Just don't label dogs as being on a lead as aggressive/far more likely to bite etc etc...it could also be the case that owners are trying to act responsibly in their own way.

Wisteria · 05/01/2008 12:05

whispy, hadn't picked up that she was 12 to be honest, so not so damaging to be on a lead permanently.

Honestly though, it is very unusual to find a lab of 12 who isn't arthritic, so I'm not sure if you can blame the rottie for her arthritis.

How did you keep her slim when she was younger if she could never run 'til she was worn out?

whispywhisp · 05/01/2008 12:05

wisteria - you were lucky then. Mine wasn't

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