Anyone noticed the increase of Rottweilers around at the minute?

[Ploppi]

I saw 3 on my walk this morning alone. (Not all together).

I like Rottweilers so this isn’t a negative post about them - it’s a concern.

Apparently since the XL bully ban was announced last year there has been an increase in the buying of both Rottweiler and Cane Corso dogs. The new “Status breeds”.

Ive not looked but I’m assuming Rottweiler puppies are a hell of a lot easier to get hold of than Cane Corso pups - so let’s assume the Rottie becomes the next breed of choice for wrong uns.

Are we likely to see an increase in the number of Rottweiler related attacks/deaths? If so - will the government really ban one of the most popular breeds in Britain? I don’t think they could … it would be akin to banning the German shepherd. So what then?

AIBU to think the way we’re heading is a semi- ban on all bull type/guarding breeds? Meaning you will need a license for certain breeds? Would it actually work?

Rottweiler
all bull breeds over a certain weight
All Mastiff breeds
German Shepherd
Cane Corso
Dobermann
Malinois …

Where is all this heading?

FEIW I supported the XL Bully ban but I’m now worried about where all this will lead. They will always find a new status breed.

Yes to a lot of Rotties walking around at the minute but also where I live the amount of Cane Corsos has gone through the roof. It will end in a compulsory licence for all dogs I think. And it won’t do any good.

I think you should need a dog license before you buy a dog, and similar to a gun license you should answer the question why you want a dog or that dog.
“I want it to work”- great,
”I want a companion” Labrador-good choice
“I want a family companion” -ok why have you picked a Doberman?
“I want a dog to rip my enemies faces off” application denied

This was always going to be the outcome of the ill-judged XL ban, and is precisely why I don’t support it. It doesn’t solve the problem, it shifts it sideways.

You hardly ever see Dobermanns these days, so that’s an interesting example.

I’m a dog lover, always have been, but I’d be a bit wary of all those breeds. It was IIRC a big black Cane Corso that nipped my Gds in a pub. Gdcs love dogs and have been taught how to behave with them, so Gds had asked the owner whether it was all right to stroke him.
’Oh, yes, he’s very friendly.’
The bugger still nipped him!’

Yes! Definitely more Rottweilers. One was off lead and turned on my dog a couple of days ago while initially having a waggy tail sniff. I knew it would turn.
I was attacked by a Rottweiler when I was 9 (unprovoked- I was out on my family’s front drive playing when a neighbour’s dog came running at me). I was bitten by a cane corso 6 years ago. I have no time for either breed.
I have a Labrador. So mine is a big dog.
I Just think all large breeds should be on lead all the time. It ought to be a law.

That sounds awful, Serenity. I’m scared of dogs (many people are) and more bobbies on the beat enforcing the Dangerous Dogs Act would make me feel better.

Where I live there are a few Rottweilers. Very well trained. One is always off lead but he is so well trained. Even if other dogs bark at him he completely ignores them and just gives them a wide berth as he walks past. His owner has always had rottweilers and I think this is the key, for certain large breeds you need experienced owners who are going to train them.

I think we will see an increase in another breed and probably some breeding towards a different shape/weight/look...

We're already seeing a rise in bracycephalic rotties, rotties with heads like giant pugs, it's not a huge stretch to see them getting wider, 'bullier', bigger in general, but staying black and tan and vaguely 'Rottie'...

We may see a resurgence in the livestock guarding breeds, tibetan mastiffs, caucasian ovcharkas, hopefully that'll be pretty self limiting... they've a tendancy to turn on their own handlers/owners when mishandled, and in general have little desire to please humans (which is one reason the bullies are SO popular the poor fatheaded sods are besides themselves to get a kind word out of their people and so eager to please that any muppet can train one, but easily trained dogs are easily trained to do all the wrong things!)

More likely though, the trade in the 'pocket bully' type is going to rocket.

They're clearly not pitbull type, too wide, short etc etc, and are under-height for the XL, so we'll see more smaller bulldogs, more 'old english bulldogges' and 'old tyme bulldogges' etc to get round the criteria. Asides from the absolutely miniature 'toadline' type that can barely walk let alone attack anyone, these will be as dangerous in the wrong hands as any heavy, bull & terrier type.

As someone who takes an interest in the trends in the world of dogs I've seen both LGDs (particularly caucasian shepherds) & malinois have had surges in people breeding & owning them, caucs prior to covid, malis during & post covid.
Thankfully for the caucasians, they haven't really gained traction, with malis the jury's still out but backyard breeding has definitely slowed down a little, hopefully this will continue.
Both LGD & mali temperaments aren't suited to the urban chav lifestyle where a dog literally spends its life crated, stuck in a flat or grotty little shed & just gets wheeled out now & then so they can pose with it.
Neither breed suffers fools gladly & will retaliate (particularly LGDs) if their handler is too harsh (bull breeds, by comparison, are generally forgiving & have high pain thresholds) or ballses up training in general.
Malis need a LOT of physical AND mental stimulation to meet their needs & many poorly bred ones are a neurotic mess of what should be a confident but aloof, intelligent & loyal breed.
LGDs are independent so can be difficult to motivate when training, do poorly in urban environments & are naturally suspicious of strangers, poorly bred ones again are neurotic & a liability.
There will obviously be outliers with any breed, but breed traits are absolutely a thing that need to be considered when choosing the right dog for an individual's circumstances.
I personally don't think that any breed that has been in the UK for many years & is recognised by our KC (GSDs, rottweilers, malinois, various mastiffs & bull breeds) is in imminent danger of getting restricted, as long as BYBs don't ruin them further, although for unrecognised breeds like American bulldogs & corsi it's not as clear cut.

I haven't really seen an increase tbh, but appreciate we all have different experiences. I do recall, in the 90's, that Rottweilers, Dobermans, Weimaraners and Vizslas all had a surge in popularity - a few folk where we lived loved to let them off lead and let them bound up to people and other dogs, which we hated! I do think that all of these dogs are much more attractive looking than most XL Bully Dogs, however I agree that they can be potentially dangerous in the wrong hands (all dogs can, but being bigger obviously makes them stronger). I feel like dog licenses might help a little, but you will always get people who ignore the rules, and with police etc already stretched I am not sure how it will be managed!

Correct. it it allowsthe government to LOOK as if they doing something.

As to the suggestion from another PP that licences with questions asked would stop the unsuitable people from owning dogs - really? You really think that they'd bother getting a licence in the first place, much less answer the question with "to rip someone's face off"?

One of the reasons dog licences disappeared was that too many people didn't bother getting one.

Also, my family has Dobermans growing up and they were very nice family pets.

I have a Dobermann too 🙂

Licencing wouldn't stop idiots getting dogs.

It would however give police a cause to seize dogs without having to wait for an offence involving injury/death to another person/animal.

So say for example, dogs over x weight and x height have to be licenced - and you have to be able to produce that licence (tag and licence card system, tag on the dog, card in wallet)... no tag/no card = dog seized.

Unfortunately with every idea theres always downsides and the major one is that such people with no intention of compliance will keep dogs in their homes, cellars, sheds, and not take them off the property. That means under exercised dogs in poor housing, needs not met, there are much higher chances of them injuring someone on the property, and going nuts if they escape the property and behaving fearfully if cornered.

Even with that likelihood though... a neighbour complaint 'I think next doors dogs are not licenced' could be followed up relatively easily.

IF.. of course, we have police with the skills and facilities to do this, plus the database required. Currently, we do not.

I have had several friends with dobes, almost all of them have died of DCM at a worryingly young age.

The breed is in a lot of trouble health wise, but a lot of people seem to burying their heads in the sand.

No. I've had Rottweilers over 20 years and no, I've not noticed an increase. Will we see an increase in Rottweiler related attacks or will we just see an increase in idiots who are attracted to breeds that look 'hard' and just shouldn't have any dogs full stop? I suspect the latter.

@WiddlinDiddlin I can see the smaller sizes of American bullies being the next 'thing' as well, they already have plenty of these dogs available to set up their pyramid schemes/money laundering operations.
I don't think corsi will really take off, although more handler focused than LGDs they'e still a mastiff, & they don't respond well to poor and/or inexperienced handling.

I have had my Rottie for 4 years and I have seen an increase over the last year or so.

It frightens me because this is what happens. You ban one breed, and they all just move to the next large breed dog and start the process all over again.

I have never came across an aggressive Rottie. My girl is the sweetest dog you could meet and any others I have met over the years have also been the biggest teddy bears and so friendly.

However, this was because they weren't exactly the hype or craze at the time and only the enthusiasts owned them.

I dread to think of the amount of incompetent dog owners now moving to Rotties, overbreeding them and not respecting the breed's requirements.

It will surely lead to more attacks.

All I am hoping for is, at least if a ban etc comes in on them, it won't be for another lot of years and she will have passed the rainbow bridge by then.

Yes and cane corsos have been on the rise for a couple of years.

Breed specific legislation is a waste of time and money which would be better served on addressing all aspects of irresponsible dog ownership

I grew up with German Shepherds. They are wonderful intelligent dogs.
I hope they dont become a "status" breed for idiots.

Personally I think that licensing and chipping should be compulsory for all dogs but (and spaying/neutering to put the kibosh on backyard breeders) but it'll never happen successfully.

The argument seems to be there’s no point in BSL because it wont work. There’s no point in licensing because it wont work. So what? We should continue to do nothing?

what irritates me about this whole debate is people who keep saying what we shouldn’t do, and never suggest an alternative.

There are plenty of alternatives. There could be a full overhaul of the laws around dog ownership. There could be a return of the dog warden. There could be funded dog ownership and training classes. There could be education about dog safety in schools. There could be more reasonable insurance, spay and neutering fees. There could be proper management of those that commit related offences via the criminal justice system.

@FatherDickByrne Oh good idea. Get the dogs seeking the naughty dogs

It’s not true that people are burying their heads in the sand, there is tons of research going on regarding DCM. Testing is available from 2 years old and responsible breeders are working hard to eradicate the disease from the breed. Unfortunately something like 70% of Dobermanns now have DCM and 50% will die of it before the age of 7. It’s terrible - but people are working hard to sort this out.

What we need is an outright ban on all unlicensed breeders. For issues like DCM but also for the issue in question here - temperament.

For example, The German Shepherd is supposed to be a well rounded dog with sound temperament- intelligent, loyal and highly trainable. This WAS the case 20 years ago. In the past 10 years I’ve not met one that wasn’t an anxious mess. This is due to backyard breeders.