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Old 23 May 2002, 09:42 AM
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RB170
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Hi

After reading Road Runners post about his neighbour and his dogs, I was wandering what the attraction is of owning a so called "Devil Dog".

We've all read and heard reports of kids and adults being attacked and in some cases even killed by Rottweilers, Pitbulls etc so why do people choose to keep them. It's not like you ever hear of a Westy or Snouser attacking anyone and I know they probably bite just as much, if not more, than these other breeds but then they are unable to inflict as much damage.

Do we have these dogs for the same reason we drive scoobys?

Is it the potential they posses for danger that attracts us to them.

I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't have them and I am uneducated in this so please educate me.

Thanks

Mike
Old 23 May 2002, 09:44 AM
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jjones
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dog size is usually inversely proportional to their male owner.
Old 23 May 2002, 10:25 AM
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Diablo
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Cool

At the risk of starting another debate with jjones that statement is perhaps a little ill informed.

Wife and I have a 2 year 8 month old Rottweiler bitch. She is not, in fact, that big at 35 kilos. Had her for 7 months now.

Certainly no "devil dog", thats for sure, and neither are the other 100 or so Rotties we have met over the past few months at various shows, etc.

Unfortunately there are a minority of owners who will buy Rotties, Bull terriers, Mastifs etc, for the image. An image that, unfortunately, Films, TV and the rest of the media have produced.

Of course the breeding of Pit bulls and others for fighting has, effectively, destroyed public faith.

We started looking for a Rottweiler after a great deal of thought and research. They are incredibly loyal, proud, (more so than many other breeds) intelligent, easily trained dogs. As a breed they are great with Kids and other animals. Have had many other breeds previously so know a bit about dogs.

Wanted something short haired, good natured with other animals, especially small furry ones (which ruled out hounds & terriers) and have had labradors in the past and fancied a change.

Once we had met a few Rotties, our mind was made up and when the opportunity came up, we jumped at it. Haven't looked back. There is a saying amongst Rottie owners that once you have had one, you will never move away from the breed. I can see now why that is.

It is a fact that more people are bitten or attacked by terriers and dogs of mixed parentage than by Rotties, Mastiffs and the like. Pit Bulls are officially classified dangerous dogs along with some other breeds and are subject to specific legislation.

Unfortunately, the problem is simple. Big dogs will cause more damage than small dogs because they are stronger and have bigger teeth. Its not exactly rocket science.

The tragic case recently was two cross bull mastifs/staffordshire bull terriers. Quite how that cross occured defies the laws of
acknowledged science, but there you go.

The two well publicised attacks (one of which was fatal) before that were both, if I recall correctly, collies, or collie crosses. Not exactly what you would describe as a devil dog now.

Clearly, that owner was not fit to own any pet, let alone two strong dogs. All is not what it seems with that story. for one, dogs don't try and "escape" when being fed. But whatever, they were quite rightly destroyed.

Its never the dog thats at fault, always the owner. No getting away from that.

For the most of us owners of so called "devil dogs" the whole machismo thing has nothing to do with it. We have the dogs for the traits of the breed.

Dunno who said this, but its spot on:-

The Rottweiler
He possesses courage without insolence
Strength without ferocity
Beauty without vanity
All the virtues of man without his vices

Perhaps this may help.

Scary look (what people expect)



Happy look



And now, the normal look



Hard to believe that pic 1 is the same dog as pic 3 (the cat isn't ours)

Unfortunately, people don't look behind the scary images.

If you are ever in my area (Glasgow), email me and you can come and meet her. Who knows, we might even agree on a few other issues

D




[Edited by Diablo - 5/23/2002 10:30:38 AM]
Old 23 May 2002, 10:33 AM
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I'm the owner of two Staffies and it's definately not the potential for danger that attracts me to the breed. I like Staffies because they make very loving, friendly, intelligent and loyal pets. I've never known a dog to love humans (especially kids) as much as my bitch does. Both of them have never shown any dislike of other dogs or people. They also make very good guard dogs as they become protective or their owners and their property, this makes me feel safe at night and whilst out on walks.

I had an encounter once some years ago with a very strange and dodgy looking bloke on a towpath and my male dog just walked up to the bloke and fronted him out, no growling or barking, just lots of staring while I walked past, once I was a safe distance away my dog came running after me and we carried on with him looking behind every now and again to see if the bloke was still there - he wasn't! If my bitch hears anyone outside the house at night she growls and barks - just enough to put any potential burgler off

I've never seen either of my dogs show any real aggression other than when playing with their rope toys and that's only playfulness. The local kids love my bitch and all ask to take her for walks My male is too old now for games and walks and spends most of his time asleep but still loves the company of humans. Both of my dogs were rescue dogs and they seem grateful to have been given the chance to be part of a loving family - something that Staffies love

I think a lot of dog behaviour is down to the way their owners treat them.

Sal



[Edited by scoobychick - 5/23/2002 10:38:00 AM]
Old 23 May 2002, 10:36 AM
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jjones
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diablo,

you got to admit that if you see a bloke walking an alsation he is invariably 5ft tall
Old 23 May 2002, 10:41 AM
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Diablo

Your Rottie is gorgeous They are lovely dogs, I'd love one if I had enough space but I do a lot of boating and a Rottie just wouldn't fit on a narrowboat Rotties seem to me to be a lot like Staffies in many respects but are probably a bit more intelligent

Sal
Old 23 May 2002, 10:42 AM
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Diablo
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jjones,

Ok, I'll concede that one...LOL



Cheers Sal

D
Old 23 May 2002, 10:42 AM
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MarkO
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Red face

You labelled the top picture 'Happy Look'. With those glowing eyes, I'd say she matched the 'Devil Dog' description perfectly.

(for the record, other than the odd genus of dogs which have tendencies to attack randomly and unprovoked, I'm all for big dogs, providing they're properly trained. As is usually the case with these things, it's the owners who are invariably the problem - when a problem exists).
Old 23 May 2002, 11:06 AM
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Mr Emery
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Angry

Gulp !
All these kinds of dog , in rotties staffs ect have the potential to attack!
I would ban the lot!!!!!!
no need for them , maybe in the cops at most!
Its the potental of the dogs mentioned.
IE a small poodle is not going to cause as much damage if it gets out of control or in the hands of a d1ckhead
steve
Old 23 May 2002, 11:06 AM
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RB170
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See now that's what I call education.

Thanks Diablo, I have always liked Rotties but given the reputation attached to them my wife would not entertain having one.

I think I'll show her the bottom picture, that is a wonderful shot but best not show here the top one eh?

Maybe she'll change her mind

Mike
Old 23 May 2002, 11:08 AM
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Chris J
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MarkO, I think you'll find the happy look is the one in the middle, and the top one is labelled something like 'scary look'.

have to say in the bottom piccy the dog looks well mellow.

Chris

[Edited by Chris J - 5/23/2002 11:09:13 AM]
Old 23 May 2002, 11:15 AM
  #12  
MarkO
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Good point. Didn't realise the labels were above the pics.

Mr Emery, that's a rather blinkered attitude, but I can see where you're coming from. Unfortunately, a bit like with cars, a large majority of the general public simply aren't equipped (in terms of finance or responsibility) to correctly handle these dogs.

Having said that, some can be remarkably tame. I used to know a guy who had a 14st bull mastiff which was called Dave. It was a beautiful and affectionate dog, very playful and gentle. The scariest thing about it was the smell of its breath. However, the owner had it perfectly trained and disciplined, and also exercised it frequently (the dog would run behind him on 20-mile cross-country mtb rides). Satisfied dog == calm dog.
Old 23 May 2002, 11:21 AM
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Just to basically back up what "real owners" have said above

I myself have a Border Collie and have friends staying with me at the moment with another Collie and a Rottweiler. All of them are well trained and are very affectionate. I must admit to being wary of Sally the Rottweiler at first but she's the softest dog I've ever met. I recon she thinks she's a lap dog anyway, it just looks so funny when she decides to sit on your lap and lick your face as she's so big!!!

Rich
Old 23 May 2002, 11:25 AM
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Diablo
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Quote

Gulp !
All these kinds of dog , in rotties staffs ect have the potential to attack!
I would ban the lot!!!!!!
no need for them , maybe in the cops at most!
Its the potental of the dogs mentioned.
IE a small poodle is not going to cause as much damage if it gets out of control or in the hands of a d1ckhead
steve


That's the kind of blinkered view we don't want.

They have no more potential to attack than ANY other breed of dog. German statistics show most dog attacks by labradors

Agreed a small poodle is not going to cause as much damage in the hands of a d******, but where do you stop?

Ban Scoobs because they are dangerous in the wrong hands????

What we need is stricter control over the breeding and sale of ALL dogs, with the owners (not the dogs) having to pass a licence test before being allowed to own them.

Then you remove a lot (but not all) of the undesirable element.

D



[Edited by Diablo - 5/23/2002 11:27:41 AM]
Old 23 May 2002, 12:45 PM
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MarkJackon
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I think its a problem wherby blokes with ego problems get a big dog and turn it into a big bad dog as part of their image. My uncle had a Doberman which sounds scary but was a lovely dog.

I have 3 small boys (6,4,3) and we have a Cocker Spaniel which is so docile with the kids but can be a nouty b*stard with other dogs and postmen (she doesnt realize its a cliche), wont be getting another dog though,

Our friends have a Westie which is what I would class as a "Devil Dog" as its so sweet looking but completely evil, At least Rottwielers look formidable and you give them a bit more respect
, its bitten me (Savaged my finger and made a right mess of it) with no warning, it bit my youngest for no reason as he crawled past but luckily he had a fleece on and it got that and not his face, last time they brought it round my wife was getting something out of the fridge, the dog wanted something too and tried to stand on the step so my wife used her foot to move it (hands full) and it went mental and bit her foot.

I went mental and I told them after this incident that I would kill it if it bit anyone else (and I meant it), they came round last Saturday sans dog, funny that....

Dont know why they bring the little S*it anyway, do you take your dog to friends houses ?

What I am saying is any dog can be dangerous, just the bigger ones can inflict more damage if the mood takes them. Any dog needs to be treated with love and respect, however you need to weigh up the odds, if you have 3 small boys you dont buy a Rottwieler for them to ride on, wind up, dress up, poke, prod and cuddle as it may just eat them !


Old 23 May 2002, 01:13 PM
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Brendan Hughes
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Funny you should mention poodles. I believe the poodle came the third highest in the stats for biting people. Nervous and stroppy.

Our weimaraner barks his head off at visitors and savages hell out of the postman from the other side of the door, but most people want to dognap him as he's so cute.

I don't much like rotties or their owners, but I am fully prepared to admit that this is a result of media hype rather than objective experience, and I'm willing to be proved wrong. Diabolo, thanks for the cutie pic with the cat - that should be brought out more often!
Old 23 May 2002, 01:34 PM
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mutant_matt
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Just like to add that although I'm not a fan of these types of dogs, Sal's two dogs are frightening......they *will* try and "happy" you to death with liking and much wagging of tails.... (Sal why *is* Scooby always so pleased to see me? )

RE: the quote "All these kinds of dog , in rotties staffs ect have the potential to attack!", that's true but like the man said, any car (let alone a Scoob) is a dangerous and efficient weapon in the wrong hands, but quite rightly, we don't ban cars, we try and keep dangerous drivers off the roads. And to re-itterate what that Army General said in that famous radio interview where the female presenter asked him:

"Presenter: Surely, teaching young men how to fire a gun is equiping them to be killers?"

to which he replied,

"well you're equiped to be a protitute, but you're not are you?"

LOL

BTW, my Brother-in-Law has two Staffs and they are both scary dogs - but I put this down to their complete lack of training (one even ate the baby's cot last week (good thing the baby hasn't been born yet!!!!!!! ))

Matt

Old 23 May 2002, 03:55 PM
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DJFish
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Diablo,
Your puppy's gorgeous, I only wish I had the lifestyle to support me owning a dog, my choice would be a GSD (I'm 6'4" by the way and grew up with wolfhounds(not literally)) and my uncle (police dog handler) always had them and I think they're great.
Unfortunately my job/commitments don't allow me to own a dog so I have to go all gooey at other owners pictures and get bloody annoyed when events like what happened the other week occur.
It's a genuine tragedy and our thoughts should be with the little girl involved, at the end of the day, if a kid burns itself on a cooker you dont see people trying to ban cookers, responsible ownership is the way to stop these things happening, not by persecuting a breed which was engineered by man in the first place.

Dave
Old 23 May 2002, 05:32 PM
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RB170
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Diablo

I've sent that last picture of your bitch to my b...wife and she now wants one...

Where did you get your's from and are there any kenels that you could recomend

Cheers

Mike
Old 23 May 2002, 05:36 PM
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PG
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Labeling dogs as dangerous really annoys me ![img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

there is no such thing as a dangerous dog just dangerous owners !
It is like saying that one race or nationality are dangerous. A generalisation based on a preconcived idea mainly based on media coverage !! Then again when will we ever see the headline 'ROTTIE LIES ON THE COUCH WITH CAT'
The list below shows that the Rottie is an intelligent dog and will do its level best to do what you teach it !
Ranks 1 to 10
Brightest Dogs


Understanding of New Commands: Less than 5 repetitions.

Obey First Command: 95% of the time or better.

Rank Breed
1 Border Collie
2 Poodle
3 German Shepherd
4 Golden Retriever
5 Doberman Pinscher
6 Shetland Sheepdog
7 Labrador Retriever
8 Papillon
9 Rottweiler
10 Australian Cattle Dog



Diablo,

I went to the SKC show at the weekend but LJ decided (as did I) that she would struggle to cope with the size of a full grown rottie. So this is our newest addition



He is ours come July 4 Names please???
Old 23 May 2002, 05:45 PM
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STi go fast
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rat
Old 23 May 2002, 05:51 PM
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MarkJackon
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First command they should learn is

"Owwwwwwwwwwwww, let go yer F**cker"
Old 23 May 2002, 05:58 PM
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PG
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STi go fast,

Rat !! I hope not ! Damn expensive rat if it is!

Give him a chance he is only 2 weeks old but be asured once he is big enough I will hunt you down and let him loose !!!
Old 23 May 2002, 06:04 PM
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call him "minicab"
Old 23 May 2002, 06:21 PM
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PG
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Its amazing what you can train a dog to do


Old 23 May 2002, 06:39 PM
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drumsterphil
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Angry

What crap, whoever said these dogs should be banned. Get a brain, it's not the dog that creates it's behaviour, it's the way the dog is brought up by it's owner.

My parents have had Rottweilers for over 20 years and we have NEVER had a problem with any of them. They are incredibly intelligent, loyal and trustworthy animals. Your blatant, shoot from the hip attitude is on a par with jack the lad who buys such a dog as a status symbol (cor, look how hard I am, I've got a rottie).

Don't take issue with the dog, take issue with the owner.

DP.
Old 23 May 2002, 07:04 PM
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stephen emery
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Angry

fair coment but you get a big dog like a rottie and get a prat in charge of one .Then the dog has a hell of alot more chance of causing serious damage compared to a poodle or the like.

i agree they are good owners out there!
but why get a dog that has the rep that a rottie has ?

not good owners the real problem ( but why as above in the first place) the problem is a owner with a potentally dangerous dog!
And the rottie , staff ect R

BAN THE LOT NOW!

steve
Old 23 May 2002, 07:36 PM
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drumsterphil
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So, in response to the occasionally sensationalised story regarding a big-dog attack, you want all these dogs to be banned?

What about the rights of the majority who have no problems with their dogs?

I have no doubt that supposedly placid species like golden retrievers, labradors etc have caused serious injuries, but due to the 'rep' of rottweilers etc the press will always grant those attacks column inches over other less aggressive species.

I assumed this was a free country and with that comes the choice to own the dog that you like. Supposed your ban occurred - where does it stop?

And while we are at it let's ban all cars that can do more than 70mph. I mean in the hands of the wrong person they are lethal, different subject but same principle.

DP.


Old 23 May 2002, 08:04 PM
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stephen emery
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See ya point m8

suppose with a fast car can kill in the wrong hands and hell of alot more fequently!

think its the image of thugs with agressive dogs i don't like.
fast cars i don't think have an agressive image. And hence don't look that frightening , the dogs do look agressive !

steve

maybe a ban to extreem and an expensive licence the way
Old 23 May 2002, 08:15 PM
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Alas
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Good thread!!
I have a large dog in my house that could quite easily be classed as a "devil dog". I got him from a rescue home as his look frightened people off no-one else would take him. I did not get him to be macho but because as a family we have had large dogs all our life and have not had any trouble with them. He's a French Mastiff(Turner & Hooch) and as such is big, brash, boisterous and goofy.
He is also loyal and amusing and I have no worries when I go away on business about my wife being left on her own. You get out what you put in to dogs. If you're an aggressive tw*t the chances are the dog will be too. At least you have a chance of training good behaviour in dogs. Pity we can't do the same for some of the pr*cks walking about.
Rant off
Alasdair


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