Rottweilers & children: Best case scenarios

[vshund]

I see many posts from anxious parents who have a Rottweiler or a new puppy. This is a rather disturbing situation in many ways. I'd like to address some common sense tips and offer an opinion too.

Number one. A Rottweiler is a WORKING BREED DOG. The "working" part means that this was a dog who's been genetically selected over many generations to do a "job". That job used to mean herding cattle and guarding an owner's possessions in transit and in the home. The "job" didn't mean as a plaything for young children. Yet clearly a disturbing number of parents seem to believe this is just the breed for their under age 12 youngsters. Is it?

Number two. People, let me disabuse you of this notion: this is an incredibly strong [as in like an ox] dog breed. This is a rather stubborn breed too. A dog of this caliber and genetic heritage doesn't do well with out formal obedience training. Yet how many parents out there buy the dog on a whim, or because the parent wants this dog breed, then find out that their cute little bear puppy turned into a rambuctious, ultra-strong, headstrong young dog who can jump all over the kids, growl and knock the kids over? People who have children under age 12 are going to have an incredible amount of work on their hands, really the same amount of work as another child, when they purchase or adopt this breed of dog. This is NOT NOT NOT a Golden Retriever or a Lab who has been bred for many decades to be non-assertive and non-dominant/strong-willed. Yet time and again we see posts and inquiries from anxious, uninformed parents asking the most mundane questions about dogs, much less this breed.

That is very very bad. No one has any business buying or adopting this breed of dog unless they'd done massive amounts of learning about dogs first and the breed secondly.

Number three. Parents, your dog is NOT a plaything for the children. A two-year old child is very cute, but a two month old puppy Rottweiler is not an appropriate new addition to your home if you have infants and toddlers in the house and you've never had this breed before. The chances of success are nearly zero in those cases because the owner [usually the mom] quickly allows too much child access to the puppy, overwhelms the small creature and the dog reacts like a tired two year old human: it can snap, growl or become a little bitey. Then you see the posts from terrified parents asking if the dog will become a child-eater. The answer by the way is NO, but the children have violated the dog's personal dignity and space and it's reacted like any other animal would, with it's teeth. So parents who violate the first rule of ownership, allowing uncontrolled access or too much access to the puppy or young dog, will be surprised and not in a good way.

Number four. Do not buy this breed of dog if you're a first time owner and a new parent with an infant or toddler. Do Not Buy This Breed of Dog. See above. In fact, do not buy a dog at all. Raise your children until school age, then bring a dog into the home with the complete understanding that YOU will as responsible and caring of it as you were your own children. That means FORMAL obedience classes that you need to research and know about first, then you get the dog. Get the dog for YOU not your children!!! This is a basic. This isn't a small terrier that might get on well with children and able to run around the neighborhood with the kids, and this isn't a Disney movie either. The dog will NOT be running around anywhere with anyone, much less your children or child. This is dog breed requires a 6 foot tall full fenced yard, a program of ***daily*** outside exercise off your property unless you have acres of it, and formal daily obedience work and classes at least once a week. For life!

Number five. If you have several children under the age of 12 years, then you should reconsider this breed of dog. Two days ago, I received a phone call from our local SPCA shelter. I knew what to expect to hear. They have an owner surrender 18 month old male Rottweiler puppy. He was from a home with three kids; ages 3, 7 and 9 years of age. Gee, I wonder why he's in the shelter? Actually, I don't wonder. I see it all too often. Dogs purchased as cute furry pups, allowed to become out of control youths and then the kids end up nipped, bitten or knocked down. Or all three. The dog's profile was that he was supposedly "dominant". I doubt it. He's probably fearful of any more assaults on his dignity and physical space. He is untrained except for house-training. He's a chewer, a barker and a jumper onto people. All classic signs of a PARENT who failed. Failed to teach the dog any manners. Failed to abide by the number one rule of dog ownership: training, training and more training. Failed to protect the dog's best interests. Failed to be a responsible owner. Failed to a good citizen and friend of dogs. By the way, I'm going to evaluate the dog on Monday. He's from a nice line but still the product of back yard breeder dogs who're the number one source of dogs for most parents who are deluded into thinking that a large, strong, stubborn working breed dog is appropriate for their household and their children. If I find that this dog isn't a good candidate for a NON-child home, he'll sadly be euthanized.

To every parent who visits this site looking for answers to basic dog questions; ask yourself if you haven't made a grave mistake and ask yourself if you don't bear ultimate responsibility for this dog and ask yourself if you are going to be a responsible person who will train their dog or if you're going to be the sort of person who dumps the dog at the SPCA in 18 months for someone like me to pass a life or death sentence on the dog? If you're that latter person, then do NOT buy a dog, much less a Rottweiler.

vshund
Valerie Peterson

[vshund]

Best Case Scenario of Children & Rottweilers:

1. children school aged 12 years and up,

2. parent/s as primary dog caretaker/s,

3. parent/s take dog for formal dog obedience classes beginning by age 4 months for puppy and any age for dogs acquired from rescues or as older dogs,

4. parent/s do all feeding and exercise, training and other care

5. parent/s supervise dog and child or children at all times, dog not alone with children, unless children over age 13 years and are responsible youngsters,

6. parent/s socialize dog from early age and

7. parent continuously learning about dogs and behavior and teaching the dog appropriately.

Reality Check: Best case scenario is a person not buy this breed of dog if they have infants, toddlers and very old relatives to care for in the same house.

Sorry if that seems harsh but it's based on years of experience with dogs and this breed and years of experience as a parent, instructor and friend to dogs.

[los1]

Well I tend to disagree with you but only somewhat. Well so what happens if you get a rottie with kids over 12 and have another baby ? Your theory would be get rid of the dog because you have a infant.I have a pup and an infant and it works for me however , there will always be cases where something goes wrong. We as adult should always watch and supervise not just rottie's but any animal around kids and adults unfamilar with the animals.I believe yes do all the research you can about the breed but only you and your family knows how 1 would fit into your home.Well just my 2 cents no harm meant .

[Canula2000]

Overall I agree with this however I feel there are too many variants to say nobody with children under 12 should own a rottweiler. I have a 6 and 3 year old. I feel like I am a very responsible owner. Why should I limit myself to labs and goldens. (although I do have a labrador!) As long as the owner understands the breed there should be no problems.

[vshund]

Los1, if you read the item paragraph "Number four." you'll note I write that getting a Rottweiler if you already have an infant or toddler is not a good idea. Reasons are obvious enough.

Unfortuntely, I see a very high number of people who become new parents who dump the dog. Right now, a popular website, petfinder.org, where you can see many Rottweilers for adoption nationwide, has many dogs who're owner surrenders because of a new child. It's the number 2 reason for surrenders. That's not counting all the people who dump the dog on the side of the road or in a field or park.

I've been a new parent. An infant or toddler is a full time demanding job that saps energies. Often there's no time or energy left for a large working breed dog. Good intentions are meaningless if eventually the dog is dumped. You'll note in my example of a current dumped Rottweiler I'm going to evaluate that the youngest child was noted as age 3 years. The dog is 18 months. Meaning the people got the dog when they had an infant at home and 2 other children. Guess who's been dumped? I'm sure the parents had those good intentions. But those aren't enough for a Rottweiler. Neither is being left in the yard or chained up because the parent is "afraid the dog will hurt the kids".

If this weren't such a regular problem, I wouldn't bother to address it here. But it is a ***huge*** problem nationwide and more parents than not end up dumping the dog when they're overwhelmed and the Rottweiler becomes a youthful 95 lb. untrained beastie in the house.

Congrats if you can make it work. It's going to take a tremendous amount of work. Not something I recommend to most new parents. Something most rescues won't get into either. They usually won't adopt to people with kids under age 12. Listings at Petfinder.org confirm that reality.

[JeanT]

I think vhund's thread is excellent and should be considered for a sticky. As she stated, it was prompted in large part by the number of posts on here from parents who are afraid their Rottweiler may turn into a "child-eater" and personal experience with the number of owner-dumped Rottweilers. Her thread goes to prevention of owner-dumps or incidents, and if it's too late (a Rottweiler is already part of the family), then a wake up call as to what needs to be done now to ensure that the children and dog lead a safe and rewarding family existence.

[Storm's mom]

I agree with vshund. I wouldn't want to have a puppy or new rottweiler at this time with my one year old and even with my two it is a lot of work. They are never along together and if I so much as answer the phone I have to put my son in his play pen. To not do this would be unrealistic and potentially dangerous. If I'm doing something that I can't watch them closely I tell the dogs to go to bed and I close the door. Rottweilers are not play things.

[los1]

Like I said I do agree to a degree. Safety is very important however, just like our breed always gets a bad rap. Please address the issue not only about our breed but all large working or large breed we at times do the bad rap on our own breed. When speaking of negative, address the issue as a whole not just singleing out 1 breed it's not far to the ones who's breed don't fit the neg. mold.Which I'm saying is all breeds of dogs has it's bad we need to address the positives hell society does all the neg. True anyone who is looking to get a pup/dog should always do it's homework weather rottie or poodle not all breeds work for all families.Peole always talking about the bad but can never give stats. actual numbers and the fact to that matter is there are far more good that happens than bad thus the breed works for many. If there are 4 rottie's that are given up but 1,000 in the same area who are not hum actual fact is 96% works. Ive only read 1 person here who thought that maybe she/he should give up their rottie because of behavior issues and this person was heart broken to even have to dicuss the issue . So what makes you think the ones who did give their dogs up actaually gives the correct reason instead of the 1 they know will work?

[SABELLESMOM]

Personally, I think this is VERY WELL written and thought thru. I'm not about to nit-pick each senario to death. Yes, we've all seen the family that has small children and "it works"... a large number DON"T.

It's meant for John Q Public. In that context, it works for me. We should save it as information for the next one who asks the question. :)

[tugger5000]

Originally Posted by SABELLESMOM

It's meant for John Q Public. In that context, it works for me. We should save it as information for the next one who asks the question.

Completely agree. It's an exceptional dog that will tolerate the "roughness" associated with children, let alone one of the working breeds. The majority of people are not able to give a dog the training/socialization that is owed to him/her when there are young children in the house. If you want an animal that you don't have to train... get a cat. :D

[Ilovemypuppy]

Originally Posted by tugger5000

Completely agree. It's an exceptional dog that will tolerate the "roughness" associated with children, let alone one of the working breeds. The majority of people are not able to give a dog the training/socialization that is owed to him/her when there are young children in the house. If you want an animal that you don't have to train... get a cat. :D

I completely agree and feel this is a well written article from someone with first hand experience. I think it deserves a sticky too.

[Judi W]

I like the post. The important issue, is that adding a dog is not getting a built-in petting zoo. I doubly agree that when we get questions that show a high lack of knowlege of dogs let alone understanding or respect of this very strong bodied and strong minded breed it surely does look like trouble coming down the road. For some it goes marginally OK out of just plain luck. For others, the dog takes the brunt of the ignorance for not meeting the Disney movie scenario and sadly a child takes it often with a bite.

[los1]

Originally Posted by Judi W

I like the post. The important issue, is that adding a dog is not getting a built-in petting zoo. I doubly agree that when we get questions that show a high lack of knowlege of dogs let alone understanding or respect of this very strong bodied and strong minded breed it surely does look like trouble coming down the road. For some it goes marginally OK out of just plain luck. For others, the dog takes the brunt of the ignorance for not meeting the Disney movie scenario and sadly a child takes it often with a bite.

what Disney movie you whatch have a rottie? Liking the post have nothing to do with the realism of a post thats your opion as well as others who don't agree we are all intittled to our opins. Yours don't say to much but you agree . how many end up in a bite bet you can't give me stats on that so stop saying many without out fact except your plain opion say that instead of many.

[excellrott]

Los1, I think you're taking this subject way too personally. It is just a few tips for the uninitated and people who may be getting a dog while their kids are small or who are having babies while the dog is at home. Stats have nothing to do with the fact that a lot of people w/kids are writing about problems and giving up their dogs. (You don't read about all of them here). It is a good post for first time owners or new parents. Not harsh or bad or against you. Smile and take it in the spirit it is written. :p

[JeanT]

I realized that I did a poor reply (above) because it sounds as if I'm criticizing some people who have come here with questions. I did not mean it to sound that way.

I think that if you go to any breed-specific discussion group, you will find questions from new(er) owners that make you wonder how much they knew about that particular breed before taking it on. Since this is a Rottweiler discussion group, obviously that's the focus, not because Rottweilers are being singled out for negative treatment.

I think the intent is to try to improve the reputation of Rottweilers by making potential owners think long, hard, and above all honestly about themselves before taking on a Rottweiler. I no longer encourage anyone to get a Rottweiler. There are too many owner failures in the shelters or in the news.

How many people who read here hoping to get help and secretly (sometimes not so secretly) are wishing they had never gotten that damned dog in the first place, when what they've gotten is exactly the dog they selected - they just don't know what the breed characteristics are and how much time and effort goes into training. Some will honor their obligations to their dog and make it work, with gratifying results. Others either can't or won't, and the dog goes to the pound.

What would you say to a marathon runner whose heart was set on the most adorable Basset Hound puppy to be her running companion? If only the contradiction could be so clear in the case of Rottweilers and potential owners, many of whom I will grant have the best of intentions.

I used to think that all children should be lucky enough to live in a home with dogs as part of their family. I'm not even sure of that anymore, after what I've seen turned in to shelters - good dogs, bad owners. What life-lesson is that for a child?