There are a lot of misconceptions about the rotwieller on this thread. Some of them based on truth.
Rotweillers, like other breeds, have breed traits. Rotties tend to be very even tempered, calm animals. Extremely loyal and loving, without being over protective. They are pretty much afraid of nothing which is why they don't tend to bark and growl. However, it is not true that they never bark or growl to give a warning. They do, BUT it is likely that they will simply just bite.
Aussie, your experience of rotweillers must be extremely limited if you view them as all aggression and no intelligence. They are extremely intelligent and non agrresive.
An aggresive dog is usually a frightened dog.
BUT just because a dog isnt naturally aggresive does not mean that, in the wrong hands, it is not dangerous. The problem probably lies with the aggresive and unintelligent owners if the truth be told. Saying that, most rottie owners are responisble. However, the ones who have the status symbol dogs stick out like a sore thumb.
The problem in my opinion and experience, is that the rottie is an incredably dominant and confident dog. These dogs need to have a dominant and confident pack leader (owner in other words) who can kindly but firmly keep the dog out of the alpha position in the pack. What seems to be the overall trend in all of the tragic cases i have heard with rotties lately is that the dogs have attacked when the owners have not been around, so either the animals/children have been with a relative/friend or worse, with other children. That is lunacy, i don't think that the dogs were frightened of the children, but they probably see them as a threat to their pack, especially as they are normally not allowed to interact, therefore a negative association is already established. Without the pack leader there to reassure the dog and make it clear that the child is not a threat and must be treated as a dominant pack member the dog attacks. Im not saying this is the case, just my thoughts on the matter.
I love rotweillers, have owned two, as i have previously posted. Do i think they are safe around children ABSOLUTELY NOT.
There is another argument that other breeds are just as dangerous. Yes, that is true, as a vet nurse i was always being bitten by terriers and collies. Never by a rotwiellier, maybe that was partly because we would tread more carefully around the big dogs subconciously, but i think more down to the bigger dogs not being scared. I was only ever scared of a dog once, that was a golden retreiver, it had the most arrogant pig of an owner and it clearly rubbed off on the dog BUT again, i do actually think there ia more of a problem with a rottwieller. Its the strength firstly, my two were amazingly strong and would pull my 15 stone partner plus chair across the room in a game of tug. Also, it seems, although ive not experienced this personally, that rotties are not snappers, so they wont be the dog that just snaps and gives a nasty bite, once they "go" thats it they are determined and that is what is so scary.
We decided to rehome our rescue rottie when we had DD, we decided that once she was mobile he would have to be rehomed, this was because, although he was lovely and never showed any agression towards the baby EVER, i could not garuntee that i could always keep them separate, there may always be that split second when my back is turned and i wasnt willing to take the risk. Sadly Yazz passed away before he could be rehomed, on reflection i think that was better for him as he was a rescue dog and would have been difficult to rehome, especially as this was after the incident on the news with the rotties in the pub and battersea had told me he would more or less be unhomable, due to public feeling and reservations about the breed.
This breed needs to be very tightly regulated. Personally i would support a ban as we dont need rotties and they dont need us, if you see what i mean, however i would hate for the travesty that is the dangerous dogs act to rear its ugly head again.