Eager for a day of playing at the park quickly headed south for a Rottweiler after another owner refused to let their dog play with him.
Owner Anouk Lodder shared the experience she had with her Rottweiler in an April 23 TikTok video posted to the account @dycederottweiler. Dyce, a 3-year-old Rottie, was so excited to play with a Labradoodle, but that dog’s owner refused, saying: “No, that black Rottweiler looks scary.”
The Labradoodle owner then walked away and let the dog play with the others at the park. Heartbroken, Dyce sat in the grass watching the dogs have fun without him.
The caption reads: “He was so confused…”
@dycederottweiler/TikTok
Lodder shared with Newsweek via email that she was feeling sad and angry at the same time when this happened. She couldn’t stand seeing Dyce be confused at doing absolutely nothing wrong. She was especially mad because a different Labradoodle in the past caused Dyce trouble.
“Dyce was bitten by a Labradoodle a few months ago,” she said. “So I felt so mad because it’s unfair to call a Rottweiler scary and the same breed bit him three times in a row.”
To take his mind off of it, Lodder called him over and she let him play with the ball. This, unfortunately, wasn’t the first time a breed prejudice has kept others away from Dyce. Lodder said it has happened a few times before.
Are Rottweilers Aggressive?
Looks can be deceiving, but a saying as old as time can also apply to dogs—never judge a book by its cover. Rottweilers often get lumped into a category of being mean and aggressive given their lathe stature. They can weigh between 80 and 135 pounds.
However, Rottweilers are protective but not inherently aggressive. They are big, powerful dogs that, like any canine, can pose a threat if not properly trained and socialized. Signs that a Rottweiler might be aggressive include snarling, growling, baring teeth, snapping, barking, lunging and wide eyes. Owners who notice these aggressive tendencies are advised to seek help from a dog trainer or animal behaviorist.
In a breed-by-breed comparison of aggressive behaviors, Rottweilers scored roughly equal to poodles, Labradors and golden retrievers, according to Dogster. But even with nearly equal comparisons, Rotties get the distasteful reputation attached to their breed.
A 13-year fatality report compiled by DogsBite.org identified breeds of dogs involved in attacks from 2005 to 2017 in the United States. The Rottweiler was ranked second with 45 fatal attacks over 13 years behind pit bulls with 284 incidents. Other breeds on the list included German shepherds, American bulldogs, Mastiffs, Huskies, Labrador retrievers, boxers and Doberman pinschers.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.