[Lady B]

Having just received this from a very close friend this is well worth sharing.
"Please read, learn, and keep it to pass along to others (just be sure to give Angeli credit) that just don't seem to get it - dogs are NOT people in fur coats. AND no dog EVER does anything for no reason!

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I see people posting, wondering how "we" can prevent serious, antisocial incidents involving our Rottweilers.

I see people posting it's the owner's fault. Never blame the dog. Put the dog down. Keep them locked up. Keep the kids locked up. The media picks on our breed. Our breed is built to kill people. Our breed should be this - our breed should be that.

There are three key points that put most every situation into
perspective.

1) Dogs behave like dogs
2) Humans do not understand dog behavior
3) Not every dog or every breed is right for every person/family/situation

Someone posted that dogs do not have morals/ethics. Correct because those are human values. However, canines have a very strict code of conduct with appropriate reactions to every action.

Humans are for the most part clueless regarding canine code of conduct. An inablity to communicate effectively with their dog is the overwhelming cause for almost every canine "behavior" problem. It's really a human problem, not the dog's.

Rottweilers should not be owned by the general public. Rottweilers should go back to being a "rare" breed, with the knowledge that there are something like 4 million dogs in this country the term "rare" is subjective.

I read or heard someone explain that bringing a puppy into your home is as much of a cultural shock to the puppy as it would be to a human baby being given to a wolf pack to raise. The food is different, the language is different, the rules are different. This person correctly stated that we expect miracles from dogs.

In the canine world infants and young adults are protected members of the group. However, they must adhere to the ranking of the family and in that respect they are at the bottom of the ladder. A distinct population of domestic dogs view infants and children in the same manner as if they were juvenile canines.

In the canine world communication is acheived via a complex combination of sound, facial expressions, body expressions and scent. The combination is variable to the unique individual situations - by the minute, hour, day, week, etc that a canine may encounter or engage in. If an initial communication is ignored, a series of graduated additional behaviors unfold.

Putting the two together in the context of living with humans -----

An adult or child attempts to do something a dog does not think they should do. The dog warns the person/child with facial expression and body posture. The adult/child does not notice and persists with their intentions. The dog warns the adult/child again, this time with more severe facial and body expression, possibly even vocally. The adult/child still does not notice and continues on. The dog - having failed to make his/her point politely, reacts in a natural canine manner by using physical confrontation. The adult/child does not possess the fur/skin of
a canine and injures easily. Additionally the adult/child does not know how to respond to this "surprising" behavior and does so inappropriately to the canine code of conduct.

A chain reaction occurs. If there is more than one dog involved, the reaction is more marked as it is normal pack behavior for multiple members to "pick on" and discipline other pack members. And in the case of foreign intrusion it is normal for extreme aggression to be shown by multiple pack members.

This scenario accounts for a good chunk of "problem" dog incidents. Another chunk occur because of the undying belief of many humans that dogs are stuffed animals. And sometimes the two chunks coincide.

And finally, with most all breeds there are segments of the breed's population that accept human behavior without question(level 1). And a segment that deals with it but isn't too sure(level 2). And another segment that really has a problem co-existing with most stupid human behaviors(level 3).

Of those three levels, the first level is purely genetic. You really
can't make these dogs think different of humans than they do. The other two levels are partly made and partly genetic. You can make a level 2 dog into a level 3 dog and vice versa. You can make a level 2 dog into a passing level 1 dog. Level 1 dogs with extreme abuse and neglect can become level 2 dogs if certain taught "triggers" are touched.

The vast majority of the guarding breeds are level 2 and level 3. Only a small percentage are level 1. This only stands to reason as the definition of a guarding breed is one that guards against outside intrusion. Either to the home, to the flock or to an object.

If your life and family needs demand a level 1 dog - please do not get a breed of dog that rarely produces one or is even suppposed to be one.

Common sense. If you want a quiet dog - don't get a barky breed. If you have white clothes and white carpets - don't get a dark colored breed. If you like to stay inside and watch tv - don't get a breed that needs to be outside and active. If you want a dog that stays by your side - don't get a breed that is bred to be followed on horseback.

We can address the public issues, public perception and public problem by breeding Rottweilers intelligently. To be Rottweilers, to be placed in homes suitable for Rottweilers. Which greatly decreases the number of home options. Which decreases the number of Rottweilers bred. Which gets our breed out of the press.

We can educate ourselves, our family and friends about canine behavior. We can get our puppies out and about, here and there, as much as humanly possible before they are 8 months old. We can teach our puppie manners, rules and abide by those rules ourselves.

We can always observe, watch over and listen to our dogs. In their language.

Dogs are dogs. It's what we like about them, it's what we should respect and expect about them."

Angeli Modjeski
[B]Email address deleted due to Rottweiler.Net does not allow the postings of personal email addresses. Justice[/B]