I had to jump in on this one..;) before I got roxanne(my first Rott) my aunt(mother's sister) had a Rott she keep chained in the yard. (They live in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas so no A.C.) She never feeds any of her animals and I have had several choice words for her over the years. Anyway, back to Diva, she was chained in the back yard next to the cow and goat. She was fed 1 cup of Old Roy a day and to boot, she was nursing puppies.
Well, one day, (my aunt swears to this still) Diva "attacked" her teen age son (who was known to kick Diva evrytime he was around her) while he was feeding her and then somehow got off her chain and killed the goat. So, out came the shot gun and bye bye Diva :(
Needless to say, this being my mom's only close experience with a Rott, she was HORRIFIED when I got Roxanne. She forbid me to bring her to her house when I came to visit. She didn't want "one of those dogs" eating her Chihuahuas.
I told her I was not coming to visit until I could bring Roxanne as I was not about to leave my 6wk old puppy alone in my house while I went to Arkansas. She got pretty lonely with out me visiting and after assuring her Roxy traveled with her mini kennel, she relented. That was almost 3 yrs and 4stubs ago. During our first visit, her chihuahuas antagonized Roxanne horribly. She just kept ducking and would run for me to save her. My mom at one point felt bad for her being in her kennel and picked her up and put her in her lap on the couch. Roxanne, stretched up my mom's chest with her little legs stretched out behind her and went to sleep. it only got better from there. 3 years later, my mom asks to talk to Roxanne on the phone!
I have no idea what they "talk" about. lol She even took up for her when my neice was visiting and a house guest commented on how terrible it was to have a Rott running around with a 3 year old. (my neice's parents have 2 Rotts,so she lives with them)But when that guy tried to pick Katie up and she started crying, guess who was the first one there to investigate. Roxanne made it in .5 seconds I guarantee it. Its one of the only times I've ever heard her growling at person. Granted, that's not something I'd reinforce but, I think it speaks for her love of children. My mom has several farm dogs and would never dream of having any dog over ankle high running through her home. Guess whose dogs have free run of the house?;) They really grown on her. She wants me to teach them how to herd so they can work her cattle for fall sales. (I'd have to become really close friends with Judi W. ;) My aunt still swears their visious, I just roll my eyes and remind her, if she was starving me with puppies to feed and the only person that fed me kicked me after they put my food down, I'd tear his as* up too. BTW, for some reason none of my dogs have ever liked her. You can see the tumbleweed rolling through the house when she comes over to visit my mom. Even the chi's make themselves scarce. She reminds me of cruella deville. :p As far as putting them up when anti Rott people come to visit my house, I won't. I feel this is my house and my dogs live here, they don't. I have full faith in their house manners and if someone is uncomfortable with them, they can either..stay away or get used to my dogs laying in their various resting spots minding their own business. I do make them all lay down when someone not familiar with them comes over. I feel it makes them easier to wrap your mind around for someone not used to rotts. When there are visiters to my house my dogs just go about their business. That's one thing i'm rententive about. I hate going to someone's house and having a dogs nose in my crotch or all over me the whole time I'm there, so, I made sure mine didn't do that. Wow, this has become a book, sorry ya'll. Just to recap, some people will always hate Rotts, others can be brought around. Just make sure you train your dog(s) well so you never give them a reason to perpetuate the hate. THE END:D