Rottweilers are known to be aggressive. Unjustified, says the Rottweiler Werkgroep Emmen, which tried to correct the negative image of these four-legged friends during a World Cup qualifying match on Sunday.
No, the rottweiler is not as intimidating as it looks, says Ida Baks (64). She is a board member of the Rottweiler Werkgroep Emmen. On Sunday afternoon she stands on the side of the association’s snowy training field, near football club Drenthina.
A real World Cup qualifier for rottweilers in the field of vigilance and obedience will be held there this afternoon for the first time. The battle is for the Butterfly Cup, named after Butterfly City Emmen.
“Unfortunately, he does exude that intimidatingness,” Baks sighs about the dog breed. She herself raised seven rottweilers. “People just have an image and that’s it. While no dog is born false. We take care of that ourselves.”
Bad image
There is no question of aggressive behavior on Sunday afternoon. All eight participating dogs seem impressed by their owners and listen carefully to the commands they are given, even if at some point they have to bite a person in a special sleeve.
Baks emphasizes that biting is taught in a playful way. It serves to train obedience and the dog is only allowed to bite on command, and has to let go immediately when the owner says so. “This is a fun game for the dogs, it certainly doesn’t make them aggressive,” Baks reassures. “Rottweilers are inherently hesitant.”
As obedient as these rottweilers seem, the breed is known for being aggressive and unpredictable; a watchdog that can suddenly bite with its large teeth and powerful jaws. That image is not completely out of the blue. In recent years, several rottweilers have also been involved in serious biting incidents in the Northern Netherlands.
Two years ago, a rottweiler bit a resident of Hoogezand in the forearm. The municipality of Assen seized rottweiler Renzo in 2018 after several bite incidents. In 2016, a then two-year-old toddler in Nieuw-Buinen was seriously injured after being bitten by four rottweilers. How many rottweilers or other breeds have been involved in (serious) biting incidents in recent years is unknown. As of 2017, the Rottweiler is on a government list of 21 “high-risk dogs.”
‘Bite force more intense than that of a poodle’
It hurts Baks that the rottweiler is in a bad light. “Recently there was a report in the newspaper De Stentor about a biting dog. And what kind of photo was it? From a rottweiler! While the message was not about a rottweiler. Then I go out of my mind, then I get so angry. I called the newspaper to get a story.”
She does agree that a bite from a rottweiler can have major consequences. “The bite force of a rottweiler is of course ten times more intense than that of a poodle or a dachshund. And the rottweiler holds on, and sometimes wants to pry and tear. That will give you bigger wounds.”
‘To be consequent’
For Jacob Hidding (56) from Veenoord, all these incidents are irrelevant. He has been a member of the Rottweiler Working Group for ten years. On Sunday afternoon he will show what his four-legged friend Storm Suarez can do. Rottweilers aren’t for everyone, Hidding thinks. “You have to be clear to the dog: yes is yes, no is no. Just like with children. But a dog matures quickly, so you have to be on top of it. And you have to have time for it, but that applies to any animal.”
Hidding took Storm to the association from the start to get used to people and other dogs. That, he says, has paid off. “Ours is really a treasure. It contains a high labrador content.”
“Rottweilers are very loyal, sweet companions in the family,” says Baks. With a good upbringing, the number of biting incidents with rottweilers or other breeds can decrease, she thinks. “Take your dog to an association, work with him. A dog is not an animal that you can leave at home all day. It is very important that the dog is physically and mentally active so that he can lead a happy life.”