Rottweilers and Children

We’ve all heard the horror stories about Rottweilers mauling children, other dogs and the like, so I’d like to share our experience with a big, strong, harmless female Rottweiler named Sasha.

We picked Sasha out as a 9 week-old puppy from a breeder called Kimbertal Kennels. They were great people and after hearing about the fact that we had to put down our previous male mix which we got at North Shore Animal League, they brought out this massive Male. Jolly Roger was his name. He was 151 lbs of muscle and scared me to death. Never judge the book is what I learned, for he was gentle and kind- the type of dog you want sitting next to you for hours with his head on your lap. Sasha was his daughter and thankfully, was a chip-off-the-old-block! The breeder said “go ahead, pet him.. ” which I did reluctantly, but Jolly Roger paid me no mind and I became more comfortable. They explained that you want a dog that you can do anything to(within reason of course) and it will not react negatively.. I sat in awe as they opened his mouth, flopped his ears, even covered his eyes. “Amazing”, I thought… But it was a function of breeding and training. This was a sound dog.

Sasha grew to be 125 lbs by the time she was a year old and we learned that Rottweilers don’t reach adulthood until about three. She had plenty of feist in her, but not a single time did she get out of line with a family member or friend. Sasha played with our oldest daughter so gently, you couldn’t believe it was possible and no matter what Sharon did to her, Sasha never so much as raised her voice. Sasha had this really deep growl that was her way of communicating with you. No teeth mind you, just a low growl. It was her way of getting our attention if we chose to ignore her and I miss it terribly. She contracted nose cancer of all things at age 7.5 and we had to put her down rather quickly. If cloning was around then, I would have paid $30,000 for another of her. She was that good. She made believers out of the worst skeptics with her big smile and warm heart. All Sasha needed to do was lean on you and you could just sense her power, yet she never abused it. God do I miss her.

So if you’re considering a Rottweiler, I would say this to you:

1. never buy a puppy unless you can meet the parents and see for your self what their temperament is like- for this is paramount. My brother had a Rottie that had to be put down after biting several people and we saw the father first-hand… he was absolutely insane and would have ripped us apart if he could have gotten out of the cage. IF the sign was anymore obvious, it would have bitten us. Shame on us. Backyard breeders should be avoided at all costs unless you can meet the parents and have a chance to see for yourself!
2. Do not kid yourself- a Rottweiler is a strong, incredibly powerful dog with Jaws that can crush your skull. If you are a weak person by nature, do not get a Rottweiler. I don’t mean physically weak althought that plays into it as well… I mean mentally weak. Followers need not apply! A Rottweiler will take over your house if you are not in full control at all times. Ask any Rottie owner. Sasha used to chew rocks into little pieces and these huge muscles would bulge from the top of her head.. a testament to the jaw power she possessed.
3. GET A TRAINER! I cannot stress this enough. A trainer who understands Rotties is essential. We were fortunate to meet a fellow named Tony Filippone who was an incredible trainer. He trained three of our dogs and had such a presence that the animals dared not disobey him.
4. NEVER TAKE A ROTTIE TO THE LOCAL DOG RUN where others run loose. You are asking for a disaster here even if your dog is as good as Sasha. Dogs are pack animals and the last thing you want is three of them teaming up on a yellow lab who is sweet. It happens all the time
5. Never leave a child alone with a Rottweiler. NEVER
6. Socialize your Rottweiler from the moment it has receive all of its shots and is cleared by the Vet. The more people, dogs, cats and uniformed people he meets, the better your life will be.
7. You are responsible for all of his actions, so teach him well and be a strong leader.
8. If you cannot spend a lot of time with your Rottweiler, do not get one. They love their masters and are pained by long separations. They need plenty of exercise.
9. Do not buy them Soccer balls. They last about 4 seconds… )