We've got two large rottweilers. I am aware that they can look menacing to some people, and know that their sheer size is intimidating to some, especially combined with the reputation that the breed has.
But, they are well trained, obedient dogs, and neither have ever shown serious aggression to another dog or person.
Today I have had a rep from DHE round to the house to advise me that someone has complained about my dogs 'attacking' her dog. The incident, if you can even call it that, occurred a few weeks ago. I was walking the dogs, and saw family approaching. I stopped, and made my dogs sit because the two children wanted to stroke them. In my experience, parents tend to be happier about children approaching rotties if they are sat nicely. All smiles, so we started on our way. Woman in the family was walking a smaller dog on the lead-it growled when my dogs went in for a sniff, and there was some general dog headbutting. Nothing serious as far as I could see, but she reacted by shouting 'Jesus!' as I pulled my dogs away and started on my way again.
I can see how she might have thought that they could turn, but to report us for 'attacking' her is ridiculous. A rottweiler attack would be very serious, and not something that would need to be investigated, as it would be obvious that an attack had taken place.
The lady from DHE spent twenty minutes with the dogs and told me that she agreed that the complaint was stupid, but I am still a bit that it was taken this far. Does anyone have any experience of what they could actually do. I have been assured that they won't remove permission to keep them, but it concerns me that they could in the future. I have to stress that they are very well behaved, but people have expressed concern about them, just because they are rottweilers. Am I being over sensitive?