Rottweilers and/or Pit Bulls

[Guest Mutts4Me]

As a foreward, I have to mention tha fact that my workplace is on the street where I live, so after several years of working there, a number of coworkers know where I live, and drive past my house on a daily basis.

That said, I was at work today when one of my coworkers approaches me and asks, "Do those pitbulls across the street intimidate you?" And I stopped in confusion for a few moments, when it dawned on me.

"You mean the Rottweilers? Yeah, they scare the #*%^ out of me." The people who live across the street from me (and not across the street from my workplace, which I originally thought she meant) have 3 Rottweilers running around their fenced-in yard. They're not nice dogs, and I'm quite honestly afraid of them. I pointed out, though, that they don't scare me because of what they are (rotts) but because of what their owners have made them (nasty). My coworker was understanding of that fact and in fact said that she and her husband had at one point contacted a Rottweiler breeder to get a puppy from. Doubting that they understood what they'd be getting themselves into, that breeder didn't sell them a puppy but instead gave them a book. They changed their minds (and I guess never even got a dog). Oh, and the second I pointed out that the beasts across the street from me were Rottweilers, not pits, she realized she'd said the wrong name (I think she knows the difference).

So then after that whole conversation, another coworker who'd been listening in asks "So are they Rottweilers or pitbulls?" (Duh) And I repeated that they were Rottweilers. A few things were said (I forgot the details), and she says "I don't like either one of those dogs." And then I start on my "it's not the breed, it's the owner" rant, which she seems perfectly happy to agree with, yet she still maintains that she doesn't like either of those dogs. Then somehow it comes to light that she doesn't even know what the heck dogs she's talking about. She says that she doesn't know if one of her neighbor's dogs that got into her yard and growled at her was a Rottweiler or a pit bull. I'm confused by that statement, and she asks "well, don't they kind of look alike?" Well, no.

And I try to explain to her size differences and such, and she says that her neighbors definitely kept Rottweilers. "Big black dogs?" I ask (trying to be as simple as possible). Noo... they were tan. Are all Rottweilers black? "Well, yeah, pretty much," I say. "Black with tan markings." Oh, these ones had the tan markings. They were tan and white. "Well, they weren't Rottweilers. Pit Bulls can be tan and white, or all kinds of colors, but that doesn't really mean they were pit bulls, either."

It kinda went on and on from there, talking about dog bite statistics, unusual dog attack reports, and me constantly innotating the whole "don't blame the breed" thing. I was getting so frustrated because this woman seemed to accept that concept, and yet she still insisted she did not like two breeds of dogs which she apparently couldn't even pick out of a line. up. :roll:

[kendalyn]

That sounds very frustrating! I wonder what kind of dog she was talking about??

[abker17]

:roll: :roll: :roll: I hate people like that. :roll: :roll: :roll:

[pei obssessed]

yep, mutts, some people are just like a wall: evrything hits them and bounces off, nothing ever gets through to them. I had a pittie owner just today telling me that Chow-Chow are mean agressive dogs, and when I pointed out that pitties have the same reputation and "it's not the dogs, it's the owners", it sort of did not register with him.
Some people have just a few ideas and hold on to them tightly because they don't get them often, their brain only functions rarely :lol:

[xavierandrea]

:roll: Some people are better off not opening their mouths. That way we will not know they are sooooo dumb.

[Guest Anonymous]

CAn you blame the masses, if it were left up to the media any dog that every bit anything would be a pit bull. they have so many dogs of such a varied appearance yet without fail the dogs are reported as pit bulls. it usually comes out later that they were actually something else or a mix there of... but thats not news worthy so it either doesnt get reported at all of its in the very back of the paper.

Rotties are one of the easiest dogs to identify, it kinda bugs me out that she couldnt tell the difference. Thats crazy.

[Rowie-the-Pooh]

Dog Lover napisał(a):

Rotts and Pits look NOTHING alike. I honestly can't believe some people. And the ignorance never CEASES to amaze me... :roll:

Me too! :roll:

A guy once came up to me and said :"Wow, that's a stunning GSD you've got there!" (Rowie is a Golden btw!)

[Guest Anonymous]

I have seen a gamebred APBT that had the exact markings of rotties. The guy who had him was made fun of, for a short time, by people saying the dog had to have some rottie in him. Needless to say he proved them wrong.

[Guest Anonymous]

Drey has those same rust points and i to ohave seen black rust tri-colors. but the coby is all wrong the lips are too tight, the rottie has a thicker coat and in Daz's case a ultra-thick double coat (it is truelyl hell to keep him groomed). the tail is not docked although that is becoming more accepted the ears even when left natural are not flop like the rottie they are semi-erect. I see where you were going with it, but it would take someone with no idea of either breed (like this woman) to confuse the two.

Here is a black and tan pit bull:

for people who dont know the breeds they could make the mistake. but to those who know what a rottie looks like and what an APBT looks like i dont think they would be fooled. they might think it was a mix( in hmmm's example) but not pure bred rottie.

[Guest Anonymous]

The sad part is that there are so many people who have no idea about either breed. I knew the APBT with those markings was an APBT but how many people would have really been able to tell? I mean, if people confuse a poodle with a pit bull.... One of the major problems with the breed is that people dont know what they erally look like. They are mistaken for just about every breed. If the same lady would have seen one of those rotts attacking someone it wouldnt have been a rott but a pit bull.

[Guest Anonymous]

too true, too true.
Its sasd how people can pass judgement ona dog they kow nothing about. it behooves you to do research, especially if your one of those"pit bulls should be banned, they are all monsters" people yet they seem to know the least about the dogs. These are two of my favorite breeds ( I think i am a LITTLE biased :) ) both are misunderstood. BUt when i walk Daz usually alone, people cross the street and say look at that huge dog; they are put off by his size. WHen I walk Drey and Deja they cross the street and say "look pit bulls, they will bite" they are put off by thier breed.
and to be honest none of them are overly dangerous.

[Guest Anonymous]

Drives me nuts! I remember walking a little 30lb bitch. She had lost part of her lip when she tried to eat her way out of the kennel and tore it on the fence. This one lady was walking with her son and he started to head toward the "pretty doggie". His mom freaked out saying "thats a pit bull!" and kept going on about how my dog would bite him. She practically ripped his shoulder out pulling him back. She hurt him more than my bitch would have ever thought of doing.
I get that kind of response quite often. The funny thing is... a lot of old men and women LOVE my dogs. They are constantly stopping, petting and asking about my dogs and when I tell them what breed they are they dont freak out. Now, the younger generations freak out. Saying I have killer dogs and they'll turn on me and bite and what not.
How many people, though, arent scared about things they arent educated about?
Put the ass in assumption...

[Guest Anonymous]

i HEAR YOU THERE!! little kids love deja, they come running over wanting to pet, her and pick her up(although lately she has gotten HUGE, so they dont ask for that anymore)
and older guys...Like biker guys and old ladies say how pretty they are.
our other fans are Thugs, idiots, and morons...we dot associate with them, or only long enough to know they are idiots.

[drjeffrock]

Ya, I def. feel you guys. People see my girlfriend and I walking our dogs, and they will cross the street quickly.
Unfortunately my pittie that I adopted bit a neighbor of mine a couple months ago. We are seeing a behaviorist, and Dex is doing much better. In fact, he does not even pay attention to people on walks. He does get a little riled up when he sees little kids screaming or other dogs.
It is extra tough for me to promote our breed positively as Dex has already learned that he can get a response from biting someone. Needless to say, I dont let complete strangers come up to play with him. No doubt, APBT's are some of the sweetest dogs when it comes to humans. I know that it is far from the breed standard to be anything but little love bugs (towards people.)
I think Dex' previous owner abused/neglected him. So, it kind of sucks when people want to play with him and I have to say "Sorry. He is still learning to be a good boy."

[Guest Anonymous]

That is a much better thing to say then "he bites" I usually tell people that i dont want to pet my dogs that they will jump up, or they are in training to break that. most are really accomidating to that. and those that are like "i dont mind" I step up and say "I do mind, we are trying to break bad habits... im sorry" But you dont usually have to many people that press the issue. My rottie loves women... he gets that from me.... but because he outweighs most people, it can be kinda scary for them, even if his intentions are good. and scared strangers are a bad thing.

[courtnek]

I know how you feel RNP, only in reverse. EVERYBODY wants to pet Freebee and encourages their kids to do so, cuz she looks like a Lab. However, she doesnt like strangers or small children, and will back away
behind me with her ears flattened. Then I get accused of having a "vicious Lab, what did you do to this dog?"

sometimes you just cant win, no matter what side of the streeet you're on....

:evil:

[Guest Mutts4Me]

Wow, I'd never actually seen a pit with rottie markings. He looks nice :)

And if the woman had seen that dog and been confused about the breed, that would've been understandable. But she saw three tan and white (and not BIG, but stocky) dogs that she's been convinced for some time are Rottweilers. And even that I guess would be fine (not everyone taught themselves dog breeds at an early age like I did), but having the audacity to judge something you've never taken the time to know... I don't know. It's like some one avoiding a Hispanic person and explaining it by "I don't like black people." That's wrong all together, but it's also like, huh?

It's okay though. I've worked with this woman for years, and she's really nice. But her line of thinking is sometimes beyond my comprehension. Talking about TV shows, I said I liked "Friends" and "Will & Grace," and she said that she liked Friends, but she'd tried to watch Will & Grace, but didn't really like it "because it seemed a little too gay" (that is the premise, with 2 main characters being gay and all... and if you have issues with that, then don't watch the show). But the best thing I've ever heard came in a discussion about restaurants. She said she'd gone to Applebee's and had their fajitas, and when I asked if she liked them, she said "they were okay, but I didn't like the fact that you have to make them yourself. It seems kind of wrong to have to make your food at a restaurant, doesn't it?" (For those of you who aren't familiar with the chain, they serve all the indgredients on a hot skillet with tortillas on the side so that you can make them to your own taste, and this practice is normal just about everywhere).

Anyway, I almost printed a picture of a pit bull and one of a rottweiler, and maybe of one next to the other if I could fine one, but I highly doubted that'd sink in either. . .

[kendalyn]

Geez, this woman sounds thick as a brick!

[Guest Anonymous]

Gesh.. some people.. wouldn't you just like to get in to their heads some times to see what they are thinking about?