Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Should Rottweilers be Banned?
Published on August 30, 2010 by Ryan O'Meara · 13 CommentsThe UK media is all a buzz – again – following a highly publicised and horribly tragic incident involving two Rottweiler dogs and a young girl in Scotland. As is now par for the course with these things, the phone in shows are asking whether it's time to add Rottweilers to the banned breed list. Comments on newspaper websites raise the same question; should the Rottweiler go the way of the Pit Bull (type) and other prohibited breeds?
Well, the short answer to my own question is, no.
No, the Rottweiler should not be banned.
The longer answer would contain an explanation as to why.
Banning a dog breed is not a viable proposition.
It's been tried and it fails.
It costs the public millions and it has proven over and over again to actually exacerbate the problem, not stem it.
To suggest that there are some breeds that are inherently or genetically predisposed to attack, kill or maim people is to misunderstand the nature of the domestic dog.
A dog is the product of its upbringing and environment as WELL as its genetics.
The issues that need to be tackled are, in fact, mind blowingly simple and obvious and we all ought to ask why our Government has yet to address them
1) Irresponsible supply and production of dogs – the wrong people supplying owners who are ill-equipped or ill-suited either to dog ownership in general or to a particular breed of dog for their personal circumstances and lifestyle.
2) Lack of training and dog knowledge – I am NOT kidding when I say, MORE than half the dog owners I meet are woefully short of any real understanding of dogs and I would dare to suggest that more than half the dogs I meet are not adequately trained. A higher percentage than is healthy have absolutely ZERO training.
3) Irresponsible dog management – that is, dog owners who let their dogs stray/run up to people/fail to recall and generally have a complete lack of consideration for other members of society. Lack of dog management also extends to a failure to properly understand the specific needs of specific dogs, be that diet, exercise, social interaction and mental stimulation.
These three elements are 100% more important in the grand scheme of things if we REALLY want to see a positive improvement in the relationship between dogs and society.
Calls for a ban on this breed or that breed – whichever breed happens to be drawing the fire of the media and public at the time – will solve NOTHING and in fact will go a long way toward making the problem worse. That's not idle speculation either. After all, we HAVE breed bans in place and they have been ineffective, expensive and massively unsuccessful in actually driving down dog attacks and driving up dog ownership standards.
If we want to tackle the problem of dog attacks, we have to tackle the dog owners who are, ultimately, responsible for them. Until we do, we can expect more of the same.
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Readers Comments (13)
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I agree, there is no such thing as a bad dog, but there are irresponsible owners, different types of dogs need different handling. Lots of people buy dogs because they like the way a breed looks and the image they perceive that dog will give them, without realizing that certain types of dogs were bred to have specific characteristics and a working dog needs exercise. All dogs need training, but certain types more than others.
I had Dobermann Pinschers all my life, never been a problem, most of them rescues because people got them, then became aware that the dog needs mental stimulation and lots of exercise and realized they don’t have the time or don’t want to put in the effort.
All the dogs were extremely friendly, even with strangers and kids, breeders will possibly dislike that as being a bit aloof is part of the breeding standard, but I rather have a friendly dog than one according to breeding standards.
Raising or training a dog is not rocket science, they are not humans, you got to understand the mentality and the breed and treat them accordingly.
I currently have a 5 1/2 year old bitch, she loves kids, cats and all small furries, will pester people to keep on stroking her by offering the paw and tapping them gently with the nose. I got her over a year ago, untrained and overweight but otherwise well looked after (the owner simply didn’t have enough time and did what was right for the dog, he has my full respect for being responsible), she’s now in peak condition, loves to do tricks (they respond so well to praise and treats) and despite the fact that she has never lived with cats, she now worships my 2 cats and is eager to clean them (the cats don’t always like that). Pretty useless as a guard dog, a burglar would be in more danger of being drowned in dog saliva than being bitten, but I don’t want a guard dog, I want a family pet.
Amazing how often I met people who see a big black dog and think they need to try and wind the dog up. Or owners of small dogs who let the dogs run riot, or a certain element of society who thinks having an aggressive dog is “manly”…
No they should not be banned – at the end of the day its the owner – it is their repsonsibility to train the dog correctly. They are a fantastic breed, I have had one myself and they are great pets.
TRAIN THEM CORRECTLY – INFACT THE OWNERS COULD DO WITH THE TRAINING
In my opinion, no, they should not. No breed should be banned. Take a look at this video, many will already have seen it but it just makes me smile every time I see it. I hope I have a dog like this one day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfPC0FMFu0A
I have had rottweilers for around 20 years they are a great dog and breed i have no problems with them they were all male rottis and lived long happy lives its how they are socialised and trained
i have at the momment a rottweiler called grace she is 5 months old and a great help
i was told some time ago that i have parkinsons disease so i thought lets turn a negative into a positive and train grace as an assistance dog with the help of the correct training regime and trainers they are called walker dog for parkinsons
we both seem to be doing fine with clicker training and she is even at her age doing very well to the extent of prompting me when i freeze this happens when you have this disease
i am keeping records for my self and it will be nice to say hey this is grace she is an assistance dog
oh yes she is a rotti
no dog shoud be banned – i totally agree. it is ALWAYS down to responsible ownership. i think that training classes should be compulsory and also regulated in what it taught and how. at the end you get a pass certificate or have to re-take the class if you fail. i have taken all of mine to training classes and one is still a work in progress ( a blade of grass is SO much more interesting than returning to mum when the mood takes him) but i am perservering as i do not want to be one of those owners who fail to control their dogs.
When will people ever learn and follow sensible advice re training.
Ryan indubitably has the most accurate handle on that and the overview of the situation.
In effect how do we train owners to be responsible dog owners who care enough to train and correctly look after their dogs.
CIeo is my beautiful Rottie who may well become a PAT dog – quite obedient; well more than any child, teen or adult I know,
I just don’t get the media after many years being a part of it. They have spent so long skewing stories sensationalising the rare and tragic events that they aren’t prepared to redress the balance in their respective media. They have no concept of how distressing such stories can be to owners of the targeted breeds that they condemn and incitement to slaughter by inciting public hatred.
I wonder how many Public, Private, Grammar, and Convent school students have been convicted of murder or other serious misdemeanour’s yet they aren’t subjected to lethal injection. How many seemingly ‘normal’ humans that go out to pubs and clubs are habitually are arrested for breach of the peace, assault and GBH? Like football hooligans who go for trouble, not for the football or entertainment factor, that to is a pattern.
Dogs do what they do because for the most part it is that which we ‘allow’ them to do. It becomes a behaviour that is apparently correct to them.
I suspect people can see the parallel to Animal Farm………..
Banning rottweilers – or any dog breed – is typical of the inept, over the top reaction our society has to any sort of tragedy.
I don’t own a rottie, but I know people who do, and I have met them at the place where I go dog training. And that it the key – although there are many responsible dog owners, there are many others who let them do ‘their own thing’ and don’t understand that having a dog is a major commitment. In most cases, it’s just annoying, like the man who has to swing his aggressive dog out of the way so it won’d come into contact with mine. But is some, it just has tragic consequences.
No Rotties should not be banned. If it was any other breed then it wouldn’t have been publicised as much, it’s just cause the media knows people will go on a vendetta against these breeds.
If you ban every ‘bad’ breed you won’t get rid of dog attacks and make people safer you’ll just have more publicised dog attacks by labs and spaniels. It’s ridiculous.
Anyone that is stupid enough to completely trust ANY breed of dog with ANY kid of ANY age is an idiot and shouldn’t own one.
ALL dogs have the potential to attack a kid and cause damage, my mum owns a Pomeranian cross and we don’t even trust him with my 3 year old nephew.
You shouldn’t ban dogs you should ban idiots that don’t know how to train or raise a dog or who are the type that want certain breeds just for their look.
I work with dogs and I have met hundreds of rescue Rotties, Staffies and Pitbulls, all have been brilliant dogs with no problems, the only dogs I have ever met with aggression issues or that we would NEVER re-home with children or allow no contact with children AT ALL, have been a Collie, Spaniel, a few Jack Russels and Terriers and several Labradors!
All the others including the Pitbull have passed EVERY behavioural test that has been set and have been shown to be brilliant with people and other animals.
BSL is one if the things I hate the most and anyone that knows me knows that I love all of the ‘bad and dangerous’ breeds of dog and there is nothing I hate more that vendetta’s against them and the bull***t that the media spreads.
I’m not the type of person that thinks every dog of those breeds are angels and could never do anything wrong, however I hate that entire breeds are being blamed for the crimes of only a few!!!!
Ok my rant is officially over! ^_^
Of course they should not be banned I have had them for nearly 40 years and they have all been brought up first with my children and then my grandchildren.
Any dog can be made dangerous by the morons who own them.
A well trained rottie who is socialised and loved makes a fantastic dog.
What to do about it, well to start with a dog license won’t help, the people who think it clever to make these dogs nasty and let them roam certainly won’t buy one. They won’t attend training classes either.
Perhaps if the owners of the dogs who transgressed where made to pay a hefty fine and/or where given a penal sentence it may make them think about getting another one. At the moment the poor animal is just PTS and the owner gets off Scot free to go and get another one.
All responsible rottie breeders check carefully where their puppies are going and do all they can to help the breed. But there is always Joe Soap down the street who manages to get one, mates it without thought and sells them for a quick fix to anyone who has the money.
The DDA is a complete farce and costs millions to implement with many family pets seized and PTS just because of what they look like.
If the courts came down hard on the people who own the dogs who maim people it would be farer than tarring us all with the same brush.
i love my dog and my kids do x
No. The owners give rottweilers a rotten name. I love my rott and have had him since the alst 8 years and he is a big oaf to put it mildly. He is a thoroughbred. Its how you breed, train and raise these dogs is important.
No they should not, i am a owner of a 6year old entire male, my firstdog my first Rottweiler I love the breed he in return loves my family and me including my 9 year old and 2 year old who frequntly gives him big hugs, he is a very loving and relaxed dog unlike our jack russell puppy who is distroying everything. its a size thing these dog deserve loving owners who want them for more then just looking good! my boy is my life and i would do anything for him but i pass more then one mother of a young child in the street that are happy to leave their child face hight with a big dog rarther then move them to one side or pick them up its ignorance or stupidity! no dog is safe with a child and i could scream the amount of times i have heard its ok he has a muzle on NO!!!! its a gentle leader im small hes big i like to have controil when walking . we cant educate these people and many more rotties will suffer, its also the breeders problem i would love to have a litter from my boy so i still have part of him when hes gone but i wont because i couldnt gaurntee that i could take back the dogs i sold if it diddnt work out, to may people are breeding for money itsnot fair for the dog or the breed, time we started blaiming the owners!!!!
rotties should not be banned i have had male dogs for about 20 years and they are loyle and loving and its down to the people who dont look after them my last dog is 3 years old and his previous owners abused him never took him out left him on a bolcony with out taking him for a walk now he,s that loving and a great guard dog and lovly around my grandaughter its the people who should have a bad name not the dog.