German Shepherds Forum banner

German Shepherds and Rottweilers?

3K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  Chip18 
#1 ·
Anyone else ever have any issues with their German Shepherds and other Rottweilers? Last night marked the 5th different Rottweiler to snap on my pup and leave him with a wound. My guy is almost 9 months old and the other dogs have ranged from 1-5 years old, both male and female. I know un neutered pups can sometimes bring around unwanted attention, but he's met 100's of different dogs and the only ones to actually leave a mark are the Rotties.
 
#2 ·
I don't think the issue is other Rottweilers. How many more times are you going to let your pup be exposed to potentially dog aggressive dogs? You are quickly teaching your dog to become dog aggressive by a lack of supervision. You should never let another dog approach your pup that you don't really know. You also can't ask someone if their dog is okay with other dogs because there are a lot of clueless people out there. You might want to find some dogs you know are absolutely okay/social with other dogs and let your dog spend some time with them to help mitigate any potentially learned dog aggression.
 
#4 ·
For sure, let me just finish bubble wrapping my pup. Should I also keep him inside all day to protect him from all the dangerous dogs in the world?

I asked a question about Shepherds and Rottweilers, not a question about advice on raising a dog. He's fine without your "professional" advice.
 
#3 ·
Maybe unusual but I have appreciated all Rotties I met so far. I like them but I don't think they are very compatible with a WL GSD; too laid back in daily life (the ones I have known).
And yes, no strange dogs for my pup(s), no matter what their owners think.
 
#5 ·
You say he is fine but has been aggressed toward on five different times by five different dogs and wounded at least once. You shouldn't bubble wrap him or keep him inside all the time, but rather, take the responsibility of knowing how to protect him from potentially aggressive dogs. It is a dog raising issue not a breed issue. And my advice is not professional. I do this for free.
 
#8 ·
Ive owned german shepherds and bullmastiffs my whole life. And 1 rotty mixed in there which I gave away. Didnt care for that dog much. So I have a tiny bit of experience with this......
Its probably something YOU are doing thats causing the problems.
And sorry, but if its a big tough rotty, or any other big properly bred mastiff type dog, your lucky an injury is all your dog got.
Youre going to get your dog killed......
Just keep him away from the mastiff breeds period.
You talk about bubble wrapping your dog......but youre not far off. Mastiff breeds have a very very short temper with other dogs....rottys are a mastiffs breed
And sorry, but a german shepherd is not going to win that fight....
5 times this has happened?
Its not the dogs its you messing up somewhere.
 
#9 ·
Oh, and as far as keeping him inside to protect him from all the dangerous dogs in the world...... If those dogs are capable of swatting your dog like a fly then yes, you should be protecting him
My area is overrun with poorly bred pits. Big 80lb type pits that run loose often.
When we had our last bullmastiff we would leave our dogs outside for short periods of time unsupervised. That particular bullmastiff would have squashed the average pit like an ant. Now we dont have that bully anymore.... No illusions here that a german shephuerd could win a fight with an 50-80lb pit.
So, actually my current dogs do stay inside specifically to be protected from other dogs when we are not there with them. Theres no shame in it.
 
#11 ·
There's a certain amount of dog aggression that's just always been kind of accepted with Rotts. Different reasons and different amounts, but its there. If you're around the dog is my baby type of folks, you're in the wrong company. If your shepherd is a little timid or submissive, that can get him bullied by a Rott with an oblivious owner. If your shepherd is growing into a man, getting that testosterone boost at 9 mos, that can get him bullied by a Rott with an oblivious owner. The Labs and mixes you probably see more of, are just more neutral to those things.

So you avoid the people who don't think they need to control their Rott. That's what's meant by protect your dog. Some dogs and even when it comes down to breeds aren't a good match, unless its kept under enough control.
 
#12 ·
My dog was charged by a female rott at rally run thrus. They were working rhetoric dog off leash and it charged my dog on the other side of a ring gate. The dog didn't think to jump the ring gate and instead crashed into it, at which time the lady in charge screamed at the dog in such a way that it stayed flattened to the ground where it had kind of wound up after crashing into the ring gates. They went and retrieved it. I had nowhere to retreat and had stuffed my dog behin d me up against a wall and was prepared to throw down with the rott but thankfully didn't have to.

The dogs owner was a very nervous small lady using a head halter....

I no longer take my dogs anywhere where other dogs walk offleash after bad experiences with previous dogs and my current senior who got beat up around a year old.

I do not allow my dogs to greet other dogs on leash. It's just an unnecessary risk.
 
#13 ·
I have never put my dogs with a Rott in a setting where they had contact. Our trainer has 2 Rotts and one of them was in every class, without issue. Now I have been charged by a Rott, bit by a Rott and my older golden was attacked by a full grown Rott when he was a puppy. My parents had a couple Rotts and I never brought dogs around them either. I love the breed but I do not necessarily trust all of them.
 
#14 ·
We have a Rotty pup in class, but the owner is a good leader, and her dog is actually not an issue. The other shepherd, well she is an 18 months old sable, and a little reactive. I like her, but I heard her owner say her next dog is not going to be a shep. :(

I hope that, as she perseveres with the dog, she will come to not want anything else.
 
#16 ·
Oh by and large the reactive Shepard owner is "stuck" in the old my other dog was not like this bit??? Been there done that got the stitches ... but it worked out fine in the long run. :)

If you can, ask her what her "other dogs were" most likely that is the basis for her statement??
 
#15 ·
Ah well .... I know Rotties, some of my best dog friends have been Rotties, I don't have a problem with Rotties. But I don't discriminate based on breed. I don't do ... "is your dog friendly folks" if they have to ask ... they don't know dogs, they don't know mine... much less their own.

I don't know you, I don't know your dog ... you keep your distance, I'll do the same, we're good thanks is how we roll. I have not heard the term "bubble Wrapped dog before???" But I like it ... so call me the king of Bubble Wrapped Dogs! Be it a Shih Tzu a Lab or a Band Dawg ... no dog I do not know ... gets close enough to mine to do them harm without getting past me!! (And only one dog has when I messed up ...but that's another story.)

But aside from that ... my dogs have "NEVER" been harmed by an unknown dog??? I don't put my dogs out there as bait dogs for some tool and his untrained, poorly disciplined dog. That the owner does not understand??? What's the point, when my dogs go out and about ... they expect to come home free of injury caused by handler error.

So most likely ... if the OP wants to better understand ... what is the problem with Rotties??? Most likely they are in the best position to know??? Five freaking times .... start taking notes and you'll better understand what to look for ... "When Rotties go wrong." It's "NOT" an approach I would take or recommend ... I guess I'm good with "Bubble Wrap Dogs." :)
 
#19 ·
Oh well most likely ... I;ll give him then credit ... they must have one tough puppy as he was not saying my dog has been attacked five freaking times and is now dog reactive on leash! That must be one tuff puppy! :)

Heck after many, many successful defenses of Rocky ... I messed up once under perfect circumstance in a "that dog scenario" and Rocky got nipped! And now he is not quite so willing to stay behind me and let me deal. In the past he stayed behind me as I told him to "Stay" but the last "attempt" as I was out of position and Rocky saw the charging first but I countered the dog at the last second, with my stick and Rocky was beside me and ... "pretty ticked off!" but I said "Stay" twice cause I was not sure he would?? But he did ... had he not ... the gutsy owner that retrieved her lab would have had 80 lbs of Lab and 112 lbs of ticked off GSD right in her face!

But the OP, five times and apparently because of actions the owner is taking??? I can't imagine that ... poor dog. On the other hand ... you know that's most likely why a lot of Pro's use their own personnel GSD's or Mal's, in aggressive dog rehab ... they are tough dogs ... no doubt.
 
#18 · (Edited)
It is individual for the dog. Boxers are the only breed I would say I have ever seen not like my dog or visa versa. There has never been any kind of altercation but when I used to take him to the dog park it was always a boxer I had to watch and would leave early because they just focused in on mine and I could tell he was uncomfortable with them. Have not been to the dog park in years but what moved next door...Two boxers that hate my dogs. They only fence fight occasionally. Most of the time theirs are fenced on the other side and mine have a separate dog area so they are only out in that part with me but when those boxes get loose it is a mess. Luckily mine have great recall off the fence. If I see the boxers first I can call mine back before it starts and put them up. My neighbor has to spend 30 minutes chasing his to get them put back up.
 
#20 ·
German Shepherds and Rotties by nature are not " socialites " with unfamiliar dogs. If your dog has approached/interacted with hundreds of dogs i think that is the problem more than the breeds. I have owned and bred both and at same time in the past....they got along fine, but they were familiar with one another and structure was instilled. When you approach dogs outside your pack, ( especially on leash) you never know how they will react....especially the other dog.
 
#22 ·
There is a Rottweiler at our IPO club that we train with a few times a week, my GSD female likes him a lot and is very comfortable with him, never had any issues, he looks intimidating but is a really nice dog. There are mostly GSDs at training and the Rottweiler has always been fine, not dog aggressive. But with the training that we do and the fact that all dogs are working lines people do not want their dogs running around and playing with the other dogs. Dogs are usually off leash but they are there to engage and train with their owners, not other dogs.
Not saying to bubble wrap your pup but maybe limit his playing to only dogs that you know to be friendly. I'd hate to see your dog get seriously hurt from another dog attack or learn to be reactive from all the negative experiences.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top