Dog attack

[Lorna]

Another Rotty dog attack on the same day as the posting about the Rotty who was the best police dog in Scotland. Let's hope we don't get another extreme response from nutty dog haters.

"Dog kills owner in horror attack

Police said the dog was "dangerously out of control"
A 78-year-old man has died hours after being mauled by his rottweiler dog as he lay on an east London street. Witnesses said James Rehill "looked like a doll" as the animal shook and bit him in Plaistow, on Sunday morning.

Residents tried to free Mr Rehill but it was only when police officers discharged six fire extinguishers at the dog that it released its owner. Mr Rehill was taken to hospital suffering from severe head and facial injuries and died later that night. "

BBC News
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Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[John Thomson]

So sad........we always hear graphic sensationalist details about an attack.....but never the trigger for it.....dogs are not like humans ...........they don't do this to get on the front pages of the tabloids
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Michael]

Thtsa really a shame for the man but i find it hard to beleive that the dog just decided to attack him i think tht mabe thers been somehting going on behind the scenes that hasnt been addressd. its a real shame because its the breed that gets the blame and that is not the case!

[Lorna]

I agree John. Something must have set him off. That poor beast must have been terrified by six policemen firing 6 fire extinguishers at him. Surely there had to be an easier way to handle him. Extreme?
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Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[Michael]

To be honest im surprised they were that tolerant and didnt just shot him in the head

[John Thomson]

[Barry]

No one can condone any dog doing such a thing or acting which prevails to a death. I just always wonder as to how,why these things happen? Not wanting to speak out of turn, but why would a 78 yr old man have a Rotti in the first place? These dogs need strong character owners who in turn have the time, ability, will power and a certain level of fitness/ strength to control. There is always more to it than reported. The Rotti who killed the 18 month baby not so long ago, was kept outside, constantly, and the grandparents who owned it, had only got it when it was just over a year. It was approx 2 years at the time of attack. My view is certain breeds should be very wisely taken if taking on not at first puppy hood. I support and am all for rescue and to take a dog from the dog home or suchlike, but not a Rotti! These dogs as like with a few others need to be carefully brought up and socialized to a very high degree. As many will know this is what molds your dog, gives his/her their personality. This is when most dogs pick up what they like and dislike, and also when they experience first hand, experiences they do not like and very often stay with them throughout there doggy lives. Any such reports on Rottweilers I have read never mention the background of the dog. As my first sentence says it is terrible when this happens for all dog owners not to mention Rotti holders. For the person and family involved also, but 9/10 I feel the reasoning is underlying!!!
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Barry, Kylie & Jay with precious Rotti Tikka

[John Thomson]

The wolf in your living room.............
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Michael]

john do u think a dog who has attacked someone like that can be helped or is the best thing to put it down?

[Barry]

Yeah John, my wee wolf Tikka!
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Barry, Kylie & Jay with precious Rotti Tikka

[John Thomson]

Put down...no question..........the dog has killed.

My interest is the sequence of mistakes that led to that and how they can be avoided in the future. I firmly believe that training is paramount.......however turning up to do a 30 minute class once a week is useless. it takes interaction with other dog owners and I firmly believe that talking with and walking with other owners is the simple key to making dog ownership safer.
Knowledge is everything!

I am proud to walk every day with dogs that due to circumstance my not have still been with us but for the work and determination put in by their owners and our group who daily take a leap of faith and are prepared to walk with what others may describe as 'problem dogs'.......for me it makes all the work worth while.

I constantly look at what other local training club and groups do and cam across a local group who charge £76 for a 7 week block of classes and will only take 'well socialised dogs'! and then go on to talk about their success stories!
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John Thomson
www.cumbernaulddogtraining.co.uk

[Lorna]

Barry, As someone who rescues large dogs I do want to make the point that they can be turned round, even Rottweilers. One of my old neighbours was a Primary head who took her rescued Rotty to school with her for years.

In my original post I mentioned the irony of the two posts on the BBC News site on the one day re Rotties. This was the other one:

Force mourns 'formidable' friend

Mac was found in an industrial estate in 2003. The first Rottweiler to be used as a police dog in Scotland has died after being diagnosed with bone cancer. Central Scotland Police paid tribute to six-year-old Mac, who joined the force in 2003.

During his time with the force Mac was instrumental in catching 206 criminals and locating 31 missing people and £69,000 of stolen property. Handler Pc Jonathan Inglis described him as a great ambassador for the Rottweiler breed.

Mac was taken to the vet after developing a limp and was diagnosed with cancer just after the new year. He was put to sleep on 16 January.

"Together we apprehended hundreds of people, recovered thousands of pounds of stolen property and more importantly found a lot of missing persons, in some instances saving lives ." Pc Jonathan Inglis

Sgt Cameron Shanks, of Central Scotland Police's dog section, paid tribute to him.

He said: "It was a shock how quickly his illness took over. We are all very upset at the loss.
He was very obedient and reacted very quickly to his handler's commands. He had a massive presence due to his stature and was exceptionally loyal."

Mac was found wandering in an industrial estate in Falkirk in 2003 and taken to a pound. When no-one claimed him he was taken to the Dog Section at Central Scotland Police and placed with Pc Inglis and his family. He distinguished himself during his police training in Strathclyde in 2003, being named best dog on the course.

'Happy animal'
Mac attended 1,785 calls throughout the force area during his career. Pc Inglis said: "Mac was a fantastic police dog and a great ambassador for the Rottweiler breed. Together we apprehended hundreds of people, recovered thousands of pounds of stolen property and more importantly found a lot of missing persons, in some instances saving lives. Mac was an exceptional dog when at home with my family and I. He was placid, gentle, very sociable and was part of the family. He will be missed greatly by a lot of people, but most of all he will be missed by me".

Sgt Shanks added: "Mac and Pc Inglis were a formidable team. We take great pride in the fact that Mac was rescued from the dog pound and turned into one of the most effective police dogs the force has ever had. His time with us was enjoyable for everyone, especially the dog himself who was a very happy animal. He will be sadly missed by everyone."
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Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[JennyMc]

I agree with you over the irony over both stories they should have made them one story to give a more complete picture rather than sensationalizing the attack story in a bid to win ratings . It's never dogs fault there is always a people fault that leads to these incidents and they happen with all breeds but you can't grab headlines with tiny ones just the bigger breeds who are all stereotyped . Caesar and all other TV shows deal with more toy dogs who are aggressive than bigger breeds on their shows

[Emma*]

[kirsty]

Got to agree with Lorna, my two are rescue dogs, Bob was always ok (always took a bit of a lunge at other dogs while was on the leash and we did address this - but apart from this was a placid big dog) and is only now becoming a bit of a problem and I am the first to admit this is something I am doing wrong, not Bob's fault.

Dodge on the other hand was a nightmare, overly dominant, didn't like being handled, and had every dog he met on its back with his teeth round its throat. He is a really good boy now. Has not taken a lunge at a dog in ages and will let some people he trusts touch him. Still does not like to be pushed or pulled around or forced to do something he would rather not do, but this is fairly common to the breed.

Bob was also rescued because his 74 year old owner could not handle him. He was only 4 when I got him, so what was a 70 year old doing getting a huge breed like bob???? (and he did turn out huge - he is 7 and a half stone)

Most of you know Dodge's story but was just to let the newbies know that the breeds perceived as dangerous dogs can also be turned around