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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be scared of two rottweilers unleashed by my local lake?

213 replies

Chequers · 28/01/2008 11:54

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Original poster
Chequers · 28/01/2008 13:14

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Hassled · 28/01/2008 13:14

I have no idea re rottweillers but have come to confess that when I read the thread title I had visions of the lake somehow rising up in a Ghostbustery sort of way and unleashing rottweilers from its churning waters .

Original poster
Chequers · 28/01/2008 13:15

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dittany · 28/01/2008 13:18

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GColdtimer · 28/01/2008 13:18

"BTW a brief survey of my urban area suggests you are hopelessly optimistic in your assessment of the motivations of Rottweiler owners."

Completely agree with that. And how are you supposed to know if the dog owner is responsible or just wants one of these dogs to match his/her "image".

I don't think YABU, for what its worth.

lol hassled.

WendyWeber · 28/01/2008 13:19

ROFL, hassled!

(Disney would do that scene very well )

hercules1 · 28/01/2008 13:24

I have 2 huge dogs who could easily kill a grown man. I also walk them off the lead too. I tend to put my cocker spaniel on teh lead more tbh than the other two.
But I never take them to places that aren't dog friendly - i.e. childrens parks etc despite my kids wishing I did.
I don't think you are being unreasonable though and I would have been scared. But like you I realise it's my prejudices.

InLoveWithSweenyTodd · 28/01/2008 13:29

Of course it's frightening, of course they should be on leads in such a public area. Other people don't know whether the dog is well trained, or if it is so clean that it pisses eau de cologne and it's as peaceful as the Dalai Lama. People see an aninmal with sharp teeth which is not physically restrained. This causes fear and terrorises small kids.
Would anybody like to be bounced up by an 6 ft tall animal, with teeth big as thumbs, no matter how friendly its intentions are? That's how a toddler sees a dog approaching him.
And this goes for all dogs of a medium-big size not just rottweilers, as far as I am concerned.
Thank you OP and all the dog owners who keep their dog on leads when other people are around.

Ubergeekian · 28/01/2008 15:55

I think you are being perfectly reasonable. Rotweilers are dangerous animals and there is no excuse for allowing them to run loose in a public place. I bet ?.htm">this bloke thought his pet was under control.

Ubergeekian · 28/01/2008 15:58

Bugger. This one.

worzsel · 28/01/2008 16:35

it would be a shit life for a dog if they had to spend their entire life on the lead !

lucyellensmum · 28/01/2008 16:51

I think you are being unreasonable, but understandable in light of the bad publicity. I think so long as the owner is confident that he has the dogs under control, seeing them off lead is OK. We were in greenwich park on Saturday and we walked around the corner and there was two rotties and a GSD, oh, and a lab off the lead - i was with DD, so i thought best to keep her close. Then i saw that they were with owners who clearly knew what they were doing and were happy for the dogs to be off, i relaxed. The dogs showed no interest in us whatsover so i felt no threat at all.

I have owned two rotweillers and i most certainly did not want them as a look at me im hard status symbol. They have a steady temprement, and TRAINED PROPERLY they make good family pets. So to say all rottie owners are macho idiots is just plain stupidity. I will probably have another rottie one day, but not whilst DD is young. But the same goes for a labrador.

As for the dogs being off lead, i dont agree with you im afraid, is it simply because of the breed? It sounds like it is dog walking area and i think the owner is entitled to let his dogs run free as anyone else. I used to let my first rottie off most public places, because he was very obedient and would ignore people, unless encouraged over for a stroke (surprisingly lots of people like rotties - they are an impressively handsome dog). My second rottie was not so easy, he was a rescue and a bit nutty, so i would either only let him off in the woods, there would be the occasional family but they would be expecting lots of dogs, i used to let him off the lead in the winter on the beach, but not in the summer, because he was stupid and wanted to say hello to everyone and that is not acceptable. The same with my jack russell, he has no brains and thinks the world is his friend, so i keep him on the lead in populated areas, more so than the rotties actually as he has crap recall.

I would expect the dogs of course to be under control enough that the owner could call them back to him if a family wiht small children came along, lest they bowl the children over like skittles.

Please give the rottie a break, get to know a nice one, you couldnt hope for a more affectionate, calm and loyal pet.

Blandmum · 28/01/2008 16:54

The trouble is though, that none of us can tell if the rotvieler that is running loose is trained or not!

And we can't tell if the owner is resonsible or not, because the nutters don't go round with 'Fuckwit' painted on their back.

My SIL was bitten by a dog off the leash, and the idiot ownner refused to put the dog on the leash, even after the dog 'went for' another passer by. Some ownders are a disgrace and often refuse to accept the damage that their animals cause

lucyellensmum · 28/01/2008 16:57

The question you have to ask yourself chequers is, would you have felt the same if they were labradors? If the answer is no, you have your answer you are being unreasonable, BUT, i think it is understandable. Shame you felt you had to change your walk, if you see them again, ask the owner if they are safe with other dogs and introduce yours to them, preferably off lead and you will be pleasantly surprised. Of course if the owner has a burberry cap, hoodie and big chunky gold jewlery, give him a wide berth!

The argument that if an animal can kill an adult is a bit daft - a labrador can kill an adult - get things in perspective guys.

lucyellensmum · 28/01/2008 17:00

i agree to a certain extent MB, but perhaps i am being a bit niave, but i tend to think if a dog is off lead then it is OK.

I think it is a matter of common sense. If you have a big dog, dont let if off the lead where there is a strong chance of there being young children around. I think that should be regardless of breed.

HalleBerrysBikini · 28/01/2008 17:01

Exactly - how are we supposed to tell the good, considerate owners from the people who don't give a shit. Sorry, but the fact that any dog (regardless of breed) is allowed to run hundreds of feet away from the owner in a really public place full of small children already gets me thinking that the owner isn't as considerate as they could be....I think if we were talking about an urban area with this being the only piece of land the dogs could run on then the owners wouldn't have much choice about where the dogs could run. In this case, there's a field next door which sounds infinitely more suitable for letting any dog run around than a path with children on it.

All I've heard from people posting that the OP is unreasonable is that not all rottweilers are bad. I haven't heard a single argument as to why the owners shouldn't just walk over to the field in order to show a bit of consideration for others.

Original poster
Chequers · 28/01/2008 17:04

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Chequers · 28/01/2008 17:12

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nortynamechanger · 28/01/2008 17:12

I haven't read the whole post.

I'm a dog lover (have had dogs as child and adult) and have a 3.5 yr old DS.

On Boxing day we went for a walk on Camber beach - do this most years since childhood.

My DS was knocked over by 4 different dogs in the space of 30 minutes, he got so distressed we gave up and went home. (it was 2 labs, a collie and a springer) All the owners said, "he/she was only being friendly" - well that makes it ok that your dog has terrified and knocked over my ds then. (who before I am critisied was only walking next to me, not miles away, and yes I did try to grab him each time with varying degrees of sucess)

IMHO ALL dogs who are off the lead should be UNDER CONTROL.

lucyellensmum · 28/01/2008 17:14

I dont think my posts were argumentative, and i wasnt being sarcastic when i said, perhaps i am being niave, i was being serious. I was JOKING about the chav thing. I think you CAN tell if a dog is under control, by its demeanor and the owners actions. At least i can, but then maybe im special!

Alambil · 28/01/2008 17:19

my mum's boss (a dog trainer - has 40 yrs experience) had his german shepherd nearly KILLED by a WEST HIGHLAND TERRIER ... can't get too much smaller than that (unless you go for these "fashion" dogs).

Yes, you read right - a German Shepherd was nearly killed by a Westie.... didn't reach the papers though; I bet it would have if it was the other way round.

As for Rotties = dangerous, that is no more accurate than saying all kids are rogues; they aren't ALL rogues, but some are.

My mum has trained people with Rotties, Staffs, Ridgebacks (9 stone dogs) and they are all under control on a check chain and lead; no muzzles, no harnesses; just a metal link chain that happens to be called a check-chain collar.

The problem, as has been said, is knowing whether the dogs are trained or not. TBH I wouldn't trust a dog - ANY dog - off lead bounding up towards me; whether that be a 9 stone Ridgeback or a 1 stone Cocker Spaniel.

I would trust my DS with my friend's rottie, my other friend's Ridgeback etc because I know the dogs. I know how they were/are trained and I know that even I have control over them - training is universal at the dog school mum works at - the lessons have dog-swaps so the dogs are trained by all sorts of people and therefore controllable by all sorts of people.

In fact, I haven't met a more soppy, friendly dog than my mate's Rottie - she is THE most soppy thing you have ever seen; won't eat you to death but may well lick you to an inch of your life

lucyellensmum · 28/01/2008 17:20

cross posts chequers - i think it was the "am i being niave" thing that sounded sarcastic on my part. Seriously, i do think like that, and maybe i am being niave. But it does read as sarcasm.

appeasing smile to chequers

Original poster
Chequers · 28/01/2008 17:35

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Chequers · 28/01/2008 17:40

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Alambil · 28/01/2008 17:50

Absolutely - a dog is only as good as the person at the end of the lead.

A dog doesn't think "ooh, I think I'll just go and sit down here because it is a curb at the road" - it is told to by its Alpha (owner).

If you don't have the Alpha status, you're losing the battle with whatever dog you have.

It is very sad that these dogs are being destroyed because they are "just being dogs" most of the time; the people who left them to turn our this way should be punished and the dogs rehomed into places that CAN train them. In fact, mums boss has helped train dogs that were on death row - even the police were shocked by the results he got!

It is all about training - there should be a law in this country that if you want a dog, you MUST take it to training until it reaches absolute optimum standards. Once the puppy bit is out the way, training only costs £10 a week at our school; hardly a lot is it, to ensure that you have a family / life friendly dog.

The other issue is of course this attitude of "I wanna look 'ard" - it is these yobs and irresponsible owners that are giving breeds of dogs their bad name (minus a few - proper bulldog type dogs are highly strung huge risks - no matter how well trained but the majority of these "dangerous dogs" are perfectly fine when trained correctly)