I see people posting, wondering how "we" can
prevent serious, antisocial incidents involving our Rottweilers. I see
people posting it's the owner's fault. Never blame the dog. Put the dog
down. Keep them locked up. Keep the kids locked up. The media picks on
our breed. Our breed is built to kill people. Our breed should be this -
our breed should be that.
There are three key points that put most every
situation into perspective. 1) Dogs behave like dogs 2) Humans do not
understand dog behavior 3) Not every dog or every breed is right for
every person/family/situation
Someone posted that dogs do not have
morals/ethics. Correct because those are human values. However, canines
have a very strict code of conduct with appropriate reactions to every
action. Humans are for the most part clueless regarding canine code of
conduct. An inability to communicate effectively with their dog is the
overwhelming cause for almost every canine "behavior" problem. It's
really a human problem, not the dog's.
The general public should not own
Rottweilers. Rottweilers should go back to being a "rare" breed, with
the knowledge that there are something like 40 million dogs in this
country the term "rare" is subjective.
I read or heard someone explain
that bringing a puppy into your home is as much of a cultural shock to
the puppy as it would be to a human baby being given to a wolf pack to
raise. The food is different, the language is different, and the rules
are different. This person correctly stated that we expect miracles from
dogs.
In the canine world infants and young adults are protected members
of the group. However, they must adhere to the ranking of the family and
in that respect they are at the bottom of the ladder. A distinct
population of domestic dogs view infants and children in the same manner
as if they were juvenile canines. In the canine world communication is
achieved via a complex combination of sound, facial expressions, body
expressions and scent. The combination is variable to the unique
individual situations - by the minute, hour, day, week, etc that a
canine may encounter or engage in. If an initial communication is
ignored, a series of graduated additional behaviors unfold.
Putting the
two together in the context of living with humans ----- An adult or
child attempts to do something a dog does not think they should do. The
dog warns the person/child with facial expression and body posture. The
adult/child does not notice and persists with their intentions. The dog
warns the adult/child again, this time with more severe facial and body
expression, possibly even vocally. The adult/child still does not notice
and continues on. The dog - having failed to make his/her point
politely, reacts in a natural canine manner by using physical
confrontation. The adult/child does not possess the fur/skin of a canine
and injures easily. Additionally the adult/child does not know how to
respond to this "surprising" behavior and does so inappropriately to the
canine code of conduct. A chain reaction occurs. If there is more than
one dog involved, the reaction is more marked as it is normal pack
behavior for multiple members to "pick on" and discipline other pack
members. And in the case of foreign intrusion it is normal for extreme
aggression to be shown by multiple pack members.
This scenario accounts
for a good chunk of "problem" dog incidents. Another chunk occurs
because of the undying belief of many humans that dogs are stuffed
animals. And sometimes the two chunks coincide.
And finally, with most
all breeds there are segments of the breed's population that accept
human behavior without question (numbered simply for clarity) (level 1). And a segment that deals with
it but isn't too sure (level 2). And another segment that really has a
problem co-existing with most stupid human behaviors (level 3). Of those
three levels, the first level is purely genetic. You really can't make
these dogs think different of humans than they do. The other two levels
are partly made and partly genetic. You can make a level 2 dog into a
level 3 dog and vice versa. You can make a level 2 dog into a passing
level 1 dog. Level 1 dogs with extreme abuse and neglect can become
level 2 dogs if certain taught "triggers" are touched. The vast majority
of the guarding breeds are level 2 and level 3. Only a small percentage
are level 1. This only stands to reason, as the definition of a guarding
breed is one that guards against outside intrusion. Either to the home,
to the flock or to an object. If your life and family needs demand a
level 1 dog - please do not get a breed of dog that rarely produces one
or is even supposed to be one. Common sense. If you want a quiet dog -
don't get a barking breed. If you have white clothes and white carpets -
don't get a dark colored breed. If you like to stay inside and watch TV
- don't get a breed that needs to be outside and active. If you want a
dog that stays by your side - don't get a breed that is meant to be
followed on horseback.
We can address the public issues, public
perception and public problem by breeding Rottweilers intelligently. To
be Rottweilers, to be placed in homes suitable for Rottweilers. This
greatly decreases the number of home options. This decreases the number
of Rottweilers bred. This gets our breed out of the press. We can
educate ourselves, family and friends about canine behavior. We can get
our puppies out and about, here and there, as much as humanly possible
before they are 8 months old. We can teach our puppies manners, rules
and abide by those rules ourselves. We can always observe, watch over
and listen to our dogs. In their language.
Dogs are dogs. It's what we
like about them, it's what we should respect and expect about them.
