[ Home  |  FAQ-Related Q&As  |  General Q&As  |  Answered Questions ]


    Search the Q&A Archives


Rottweiler Horror Stories... I am sure everyone who is...

<< Back to: rec.pets.dogs: Rottweilers Breed-FAQ

Question by Rena
Submitted on 3/1/2004
Related FAQ: rec.pets.dogs: Rottweilers Breed-FAQ
Rating: Rate this question: Vote
Rottweiler Horror Stories...
I am sure everyone who is anyone has heard several horror stories about Rotts.  Recently, a friend of mine had a horrific incident w/ their child and 10 yr. old Rott.  The baby is 9 mo. old and she went to get up (to begin to walk) and grabbed on to the Sleeping Dog's skin and the Dog bit her face.  (Causing severe damage.)  The baby will have to undergo several reconstructive surgeries.  The dog was put to sleep.        I have 2 Rotties, 1 that is 4 yrs. old (female) and 1 that is 6 mo.s old (Male).  I do not have children yet, but am so afraid that the potential is there.  My Dogs are amazing but there are no guarantees that my female would not hurt a baby (she has been around children her whole life but is spoiled rotten).  I have heard that Rottweilers have something that just "snaps" in their brain and that they can even turn on their owners.  I am so distraught by all the bad things people say about them and I am looking for someone to relate to, or that knows more about the breed.  Help!!!  I am looking for some relief.  Thanks for listening.


Answer by RottieMommy
Submitted on 3/23/2004
Rating:  Rate this answer: Vote
Hi, I understand your fear.  You should start socializing your dogs with very small children before you have a baby.  Also, ensure they are FIXED.  Yes, some people hate to do this and/or want to breed their dogs, but unaltered rotties are potentially dangerous--this is a documented fact. Your child is more important than a future litter of puppies!  Finally, and most common sensibly--never never never leave a child under the age of 6 ALONE with a large dog.  That's the most important bottom line.  Good luck, and don't worry!  If you follow my advice you and your baby will be fine.  -- Rottie Mommy

 

Answer by megs
Submitted on 4/14/2004
Rating:  Rate this answer: Vote
I have a rottie myself and while we do not have children of our own, my entire family does - including a 3 month old baby.  my dog does want to know what is going on and see if the baby is ok when she is crying.  i don't want to sound like i am blaming anyone for this terrible tragedy - but i am still a firm believer in supervision.  i know a baby cannot comprehend that using a live thing to prop himself up on is not appropriate - but constant supervision and maybe keeping a child away from a rottie during these times or in situations like these may be advisable

thats my two cents - hope no one is offended

 

Answer by MB23
Submitted on 5/29/2004
Rating:  Rate this answer: Vote
I have a 9 1/2 year old Rottweiler (Female). My son who is now 5 has always been around her and she has never once snapped or growled at him. Occassionally she will let my son ride her around the house like a horse.  I have never had a feeling that she would ever harm my son.  I think that if you know your dog you'll know their boundries. Our female is the biggest baby out there and has never been to obedience training.  

 

Answer by Mar
Submitted on 1/11/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I have had rottweilers in my family since I was little. They have never hurt anyone. If a baby grabbed on to any dog any dog would bite.. You have to get your dogs used to kids. My Rotti is so in love with kids when ever company comes over we put her out side so she wont lick the babies. Good Luck!

 

Answer by marcy
Submitted on 1/27/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I have a 3 month old nephew who has received nothing but love from my 1yr old Rotti.  When he is crying she sits beside my sister while she is consoling him.  Her big sloppy wet kisses turn into gentle tiny baby kisses.  We have taken the time to socialize her will people of all sizes.  She adores children and her stubby little tale lets us know just how much.
Although I know she would never do anything to hurt a child, I never leave them on their own.  They are large creatures who love to cuddle and do not know their own strength.  

 

Answer by Samantha
Submitted on 2/14/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
you know what people are allways talking about the bad and never the good.....
my rottie is so good, my previous rottie died.....
bye bye
and just think anout that....
e-mail me for youre thoughts  

crushallfakes@hotmail.com

 

Answer by alyssa
Submitted on 6/3/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
i use to have a rottwiller myself and she died because someone poisoned her and one morning i went to feed her she was dead i lifted her collar and dropped her and she still wouldn't wake up.

 

Answer by kitkat25
Submitted on 10/26/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
well , i know you guys have your on opinions and all , but think of it this way you have a rotti for a reason . i mean you probably didn't just go out there and took whatever dog you thought was cute . My point is our dogs are our friends infact even more loyal then human buddies so why would they harm your child .... these things are blamed on dogs but .. it's also the kids fault in many ways sure if it were an accident and the dog snapped thats just sad but if it was done on purpose then it's not always the dogs fault  

 

Answer by lambo
Submitted on 11/1/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
i have a rottweiler who is just 8 months, and i have cousinns that live with me, the worst thing my dog does to them is lick their faces, and you said that you hurd tat a rottweilers mind 'clicks' thats a load of rubbish from people that dont have dogs, the same people that think all pitbulls are violent, they are not, dogs are what you make them, and in rare curcumstances dogs may make mistakes and misjudge people or act without thinking, is that not the same as everyone else?!?!?!?

 

Answer by Melly
Submitted on 11/2/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
A true realationship comes from socializing the rottweiler and training it. It can make some mistakes but it is never the dogs fault. Your friend may have not trained the dog well enough to be with children. But never blame the breed just for stories that people heard. that is what causes all the baning of breeds in some states. The dog might have been afraid of the child, and was just frightened. It was never the dogs fault in the first place. If they cannot handle caring for a rottie and doing it right, then they should not have that breed. A rott is not for everyone and should be taken with great thought. and again, it is never the dogs fault. I pitty the poor rottie....

 

Answer by Cat
Submitted on 11/23/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I have a 5 yr old female Rott. and have raised Rottweilers my whole life and have never had any problems until recently. My Children and their friend were watching TV. The 5 yr old friend who has been around my dog for 3 years was petting the dog when out of the blue she attacked her. Luckily there were only small marks on her face. But the fact is that the dog attacked for no reason at all. Luckily I was right there to stop my dog. I never believed what anyone said about Rottweilers attacking for no reason. Like I said I have had Family Rottweilers all my life. We are now looking for a home for her with no children because I cannot chance this happening again. Do yourself a favor and never say never always be careful and never leave the dog unattended.

 

Answer by #1 Rottie Lover
Submitted on 12/16/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I beleive in supervision anytime their are small children and dogs in the same house/enviroment. I also strongly believe what MB23 stated about knowing your dog and their boundaries.  I have 2 rotties, 8mth old (male) and 3yr old (male). I also have a 4mth old pit bull mix. All of my dogs have been around small children since they were little  even though I do not have my own children yet.  My 3yr old will let our friends small children climb all over him and do whatever they what. I completly trust him with any child.

 

Answer by proud rott mom
Submitted on 12/21/2005
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
for the lady who is afraid of having kids around her rotts . . . the lady who had her rott put to sleep bc it bit her baby is jsut bs!! u have to train ur rott. rotts are very inteligent and if u never train that brain they dont know how to use it. if a rott is untrained then u yourself are liable for what the dog dose. they need mental stimulation or else they become distructive, uncontrolable, unpredictable, and unhappy. i suggest u spend more time playing with ur rotts and teaching them tricks and most importantly GIVE THEM A JOB!! once u do that u will have happy and predictable dogs, that would end up giving there lives for your kids.

 

Answer by Warwick
Submitted on 1/16/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
We all know that any large dog can harm the smallest child even if they don't mean to.  I have a Rottie Puppy he is 17 weeks old and he whines when he's around people because he loves attention and wants to be known. Even the littlest child gets a lick and love. He's my second Rott, and I'll tell you my first Rott wouldn't let anyone around my new born daughter when he stood gaurd that was it except my wife and I everyone was not allowed to pick her up and he would always keep his eye on her.  Rotties are family loving protectful and loyal to their owners.  Just make sure you get a PURE BREED GERMAN BLOODLINE NOT AMERICAN remember the genetics in these dogs matters.  It started in Europe and that is the real Rottweiler NOT AMERICAN. These are MUTTWEILERS. If you have any questions E-Mail me I've done a lot of research on the breed. basswr@aol.com

 

Answer by rottie2
Submitted on 1/23/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I av got a rottie age 2 and he is great wiv childern and people he would never hurt a fly. You could do any thing wiv him ride him or anything. I think its the way people bring them up!

 

Answer by Pho
Submitted on 2/8/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
Actually, the baby grabbing the dog and the dog biting her is not a rottweiler trait. Almost any dog would do it. The child probably surprised the dog or grabbed it in a place that was painful and it was instinctive to bite at the pain. I have a labrador who would do the same thing. I have seen a variety of dogs snap at people who pulled at them while they were unawares. Your children should be fine. If there is too great concern on that though from your part then you best not take the chance at this point and better get a small dog until you are ready for a big one. Many small dogs are prone to certain diseases due to a larger number of inbreeding. Be careful what breed you choose and put some serious research into it.

 

Answer by shan
Submitted on 3/14/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
if there is ever a thought in ypur head to not have your child around your dog, you should not have him,sorry, just my opinion, i have a 7 year old son who can be pretty nasty to our rott, even slaps him in the face,i would never even think milo could ever hurt anyone, he is the most loyal dog i have ever met, we just brought a new puppy in the house too and he even shares his food bowl without growling, how many dogs let another dog in there food dish and just stand and wait till the puppy is done,he is very tolerant i would say, just a big baby

 

Answer by Elise
Submitted on 3/25/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
When I was 5 years old i was malled by my neighbors rotty. I required 100 stichers and plastic surgery. I'm 16 now and  still have a large visible scar on my face from what that animal did to me. I was not being supervised by my friends parents after i was left in their care. Supervison probly would have prevented this ever happening to me..

 

Answer by rottie guy
Submitted on 8/26/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
Temperament, temperament, temperament. The temperament the dog has when you get it matters. How its temperament is allowed to grow and mature in an atmosphere of security and socialization matters. But most of all, the dog must display calm fearless courage. When every moment of tolerance like I have just described (calm fearless courage) is displayed it must be rewarded. Whenever the appearance of something other than calm fearless courage is displayed it must be met with sudden verbal rebuke from the owner. If this is practiced repeatedly the excellent temperament the dog has will improve. For myself I have owned 4 rotties, one currently. All of them were adopted, as adults and I knew their temperaments before I took them home. So I didn't give myself a project dog. None of them were trained when I adopted them so I trained them all myself. No one has been bitten or attacked by my dogs. At one point in 1998 two 8-year-old boys walking past my house (to go home from the school bus stop) jumped into my yard, over the fence, to get away from a transient that was approaching them. Both the male and female rottie that were on my porch (I was home at the time and had let them out to relieve themselves which they did and were waiting on the porch to come back inside.) jumped to their feet ran past the children and stared down and barked at the transient. Now my dogs live in my house, they are not allowed around other human beings when I am not around. This prevents some less than desirable person from affecting my dogs with abnormal human behavior. This exposure to stupid people has caused more damage to good dogs then there is space here to describe. When I hand feed my rotties, I offer cheese with my fingers closed around the cheese. This causes the rot to remove the cheese with its tongue. I assume that if a child offered food to my rot when I wasn't looking that, that should not be the first time that the dog encountered closed fingers around food.

 

Answer by Prissys Mom
Submitted on 10/15/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I grew up around rotties, My mom got our first right before i was born and we have always had them. Im also the oldest of 6 so all of my brothers and sisters grew up around rotties. We breed our female and she would even let my brother and i in her birthing box while she nursed. Im a firm believer however that training is essential. We would take our dogs food and toys just to keep them from getting possessive. To this day my 8 year old rottie is an angel around small children. She Moves slow around them and lets them climb, crawl and bite all over her. Im about to have my first child in February and i would have no problem leaving my child alone in the room with my dog. However if for some reason she did bite i would have her put down.

 

Answer by Dog queen
Submitted on 11/12/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
To answer ANYONES questions. First and foremost...a dog NO MATTER WHAT THE BREED, should NEVER be left alone with your kids, you cannot assume that your dog will not hurt your children while you are not in the room! and it is not the breed that is harmfull, so dont blame the breed, any dog can snap! now if your concerned about introducing a new baby to the family and you are unsure of your dogs reaction, bring a peice of the babys clothing home from the hospital and let your dog smell it before the baby arrives. when the baby arrives you insure your dog that as well as YOU are the pack leader, your baby is also a packleader, never leave the baby on the floor at your dogs level, and be sure to let your dog know that the baby is the owner of the house before he is, u can do that by not letting the dog mall, lick to much or be around the baby whenever he pleases, its up to you to let the dog sniff the baby and lick and kiss when you want the dog to, not when the dog wants to. and also when you take your dog on a walk he should not be walking ahead of you OR YOUR BABY, he should be walking aside or one step behind you. this tells the dog that you and your baby are the packleaders and he is the follower. you will get alot more respect out of your dog if you show him who is boss.

 

Answer by Denise
Submitted on 11/13/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I am on my third Rottie. My  9 1/2 year old is such a gentleman but he is and has been a lot of work. My 7month old has a lot to learn and we are going through dog training. The most important thing you can do is to socialize them while they are young. It is also important to always keep an eye on them as well as anybody around your dog. You have to always second guess and be two steps ahead when you own a Rottie. They are wonderful dogs and great with the family. You as a Rottie owner just have to be constantly aware of who is around and what they are doing so that you can be prepared on how to handle any situation that comes up. There are a lot of people out there who are just predjudice against Rotties and so you end doing a lot of educating on the breed. It is a hard job but so worthwhile. I hope this helps.

 

Answer by rottielove
Submitted on 12/17/2006
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I don't have a rottie but my uncle does. and it only growls if it don't know you. i feel that if you dont trust your dog around kids because you have  a bad feeling listen to that feeling.

 

Answer by lindz
Submitted on 1/7/2007
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I have heard the stories too and was apprehensive when we introduced a 5 yr old rott into our family. My son was 4 yrs old at the time. Since then we now have a daughter and a new rott...the dog will be two in may, and I have absolutley no fear that either of the dogs would ever hurt my children. They romp together and the dogs are protectors to the children. I heard once before that the rottweiler breed is only loyal to one person and over the years that has proved to be untrue. Our dogs are the best. They play with, protect, and obey every member of this family. They even respect the demands of a five year old girl. I stand by rottweilers being excellent family dogs. My boyfriend always says...a dog is as good as its owner. Rottweillers, pitbulls ect.. get a bad name when you get insecure people getting them to raise them to be tough and bad a--, only to boost their own insecurities. Again, a dog is only as good as it's owner.

 

Answer by jack
Submitted on 2/4/2007
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
That is very unfortunate about the attack, but if anyone thinks an aggressive dog is anyone's fault but the owner is WRONG. If you get bit by ANY dog it's your fault! That's right folks, the dog is reacting to you and your behavior. Dog's are not naturally evil or aggressive. They develop these traits being around people who don't understand them.    
"rott'shave something that just 'snaps' in their brains"!?                           WHAT!?  I wonder where people here this crap.  Learn to discipline and reward these dogs that have saved more lives than you will ever know. You must establish leadership over the dog (any dog). Establish the infant over the dog and make it understand that this new child is part of your family. Problem solved.

 

Answer by Many
Submitted on 3/6/2007
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
I have had and currently own a Rottie. We just put ours to sleep in Aug 06 because of lung and bone cancer. Even towards the end when she was in so much pain she never bit or tried to bite, she would grumble then get up and walk away to be alone or away from the kids. Our current one is just as awesome with kids and people. She will literly get dive bomb by my youngest who is 4. As with ANY DOG you can not leave them alone with young kids. The Rottie that bit was sleeping and didn't know what was on her just that it hurt. More supervision could have pervented this sad story. Start meeting children and slowly letting them play gently. It's not usally the dog who's at fault it's the person who owns them and doesn't train them. The are not happy if they are not used for what they were breed for and thats work. Find something to keep them busy each afternoon or so then they will be happy relaxing with you later.We have 5 children and they love their dog as well as the dog them. Good Luck!

 

Answer by mark
Submitted on 3/28/2007
Rating: Not yet rated Rate this answer: Vote
horrible,mean dogs are cool!HAHAhahHAHAHAHHAHAhAH! Yeah, yeah!

 

Your answer will be published for anyone to see and rate.  Your answer will not be displayed immediately.  If you'd like to get expert points and benefit from positive ratings, please create a new account or login into an existing account below.


Your name or nickname:
If you'd like to create a new account or access your existing account, put in your password here:
Your answer:

FAQS.ORG reserves the right to edit your answer as to improve its clarity.  By submitting your answer you authorize FAQS.ORG to publish your answer on the WWW without any restrictions. You agree to hold harmless and indemnify FAQS.ORG against any claims, costs, or damages resulting from publishing your answer.

 

FAQS.ORG makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of the posts. Each post is the personal opinion of the poster. These posts are not intended to substitute for medical, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. FAQS.ORG does not endorse any opinion or any product or service mentioned mentioned in these posts.

 

<< Back to: rec.pets.dogs: Rottweilers Breed-FAQ


[ Home  |  FAQ-Related Q&As  |  General Q&As  |  Answered Questions ]

© 2008 FAQS.ORG. All rights reserved.