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Vicious Dog or Family Pet?
I own a rottweiler. Rottweilers are among that small group of dogs with very, very bad reputations. Because of that reputation, achieved through the unscrupulous behavior of a number of ignorant, criminal pet owners, my dog is viewed by many in my community as a vicious animal. Now, my rottweiler, henceforth referred to by her name - Sadie - is a nearly 4-yr-old baby. She loves everyone, and everyone loves her. That is, everyone who actually visits my home and has met her loves her. She was a rescue dog, weighing in at just 40 lb when I first met her two years ago. Now, at a healthy 75 lb, she's a big girl, tall and muscular, and she does present an imposing picture that quickly becomes comical when that little stump of a tail starts wagging so hard her entire back end wiggles. It continues to amaze me how loving and friendly Sadie is, after the way she was treated the first year and a half of her life. What people need to understand is that Rottweilers are naturally territorial and protective of what is theirs. They're also very energetic and vocal dogs, and a growl is often an invitation to play, rather than a sign of aggression. (Sadie growls at me when I'm in the kitchen and she knows she's getting dinner soon.) Proper socializing and training will help many rottweilers overcome their instinctive territorialism. However, for some dogs, that training will not overcome everything. Sadie is well behaved and well trained. But she has one problem that we cannot seem to help her work through. She chases cars. Now, she can't actually CATCH one, because she's supervised when outside and can't get out of her yard, but she will growl and lunge whenever cars go by in the alley. The only thing I can think is that she must have had a bad experience with a car as a pup, because she even goes after my car. Or maybe it's something about wheels, because she has attacked my lawn mower tires. At any rate, this is the one issue that she cannot seem to overcome, and this is the main issue that makes neighbors fear her and think she's a vicious dog. She also growls at people walking down the alley, and they think she's being aggressive; but watching her from my side, I recognize her invitations to socialize and know that if one of these passers-by would speak to her, she'd be beside herself with joy! Sadie spends 98% of her life inside the house, because a handful of people fear her. She lives a rather pampered life, but I'd love to be able to just put her outside and let her run around the yard for a couple hours. I can't do that, though, because I get "anonymous" threats in the mail if she's outside unsupervised for any length of time. It's really very sad, because if people would just educate themselves a little more about dogs - and the "bad" breeds in particular, they would understand that it's not the breed that's vicious. The vicious ones are the unscrupulous owners who mistreat and deliberately make these animals that way. |
My vicious dog, being "eaten" by a 3-lb kitten!
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I have a Rottweiler too, and like yours, my Lola is a love. I had no idea that the breed could be so mellow... of the numerous dogs we've had, she is just about the best! Ours is also a rescue, now 16 months.
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May, 2012
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