Not Enough Done by Breeders to Prevent Rottweiler Attacks, According to Dog Trainer

The Dog Guru from Oz, Nina Bondarenko warns that not enough is being done by breeders and new owners to bring out the best in Rottweilers, and prevent accidents.

Following several recent tragic dog attacks involving Rottweilers and the ensuing media hyperbole, breed expert, dog trainer and behaviourist, Nina Bondarenko, was invited by The Rottweiler Club to host a dedicated seminar to breeders and owners that underlined: ’safe Rottweilers are made, not born’.

Headlines such as  “Rottweiler attacks child for no reason, without warning!” does little for the breed’s reputation and perversely this negative public image encourages anti-social people to buy them. And ironically reduces the number of prospective responsible owners who would enjoy training and competing with this intelligent and noble working breed.

Nina’s one-day seminar took place in Godstone in Kent on Sunday March 30th where over 100 pre-eminent Rottweiler, breeders, enthusiasts and owners attended.

Having set up the assistance-dog training program for charity, Canine Partners in 1992, Nina’s effective ‘hands free’ training techniques that are positive reward based helped build the charity’s international reputation. Nina warns that without the collaboration and forward thinking of all breeders, to instill bite inhibition and impulse behaviours from as early as 3 weeks  Rottweilers will not be ’safe’ in today’s society. And there must a uniform collaboration and commitment nationwide.

Nina commented: Rottweilers are delightful, intelligent and loyal; they make great pets in the right hands, but as they were originally bred as a determined working breed, there is a responsibility to all Rottweiler breeders and owners to bring the best out of their breed. We need to act now. The dogs that attacked were not ‘bad’ dogs, they were just victims of their own ignorance and the negligence of their owners.

Today all dogs must be bomb proof. And breeders must ensure that only the best ‘tempered’ dogs are ever bred from; so much can be done to ‘instill’ manners into a pup from as early as three weeks with a ‘Super Start”. For owners their job to socialize and train their dog must start from day one and it continues until the dog dies. A Rottweiler is a huge commitment, particularly in today’s society of anti-dog legislation and media hype.”

The Doyen of the breed, Mary McPhail, said: “We’re sp pleased that Nina – a breeder and judge of working Rottweilers and specialist in canine behaviour, is addressing the key issues that affect our breed. As she has stated a Rottweiler makes a great companion and excellent working dog if given the ‘Super Start, but we take very seriously the way the breed’s reputation is being ruined.

Hopefully this educational event will set a precedent throughout the world for collaboration between breeders and buyers, to ensure that Rottweilers are outstanding canine citizens.”

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