# Rottweiler/Lab mix dangerous?



## Phenix

Hi this is my first post on this forum. I have a 11 month old female Rottweiler/lab mix on hold at the humane society where I live. She is adorable and very sweet. Some people are telling me that she could be mean/dangerous due to the rott in her. Could she be a mean dog becuase of her mix?

The other question I had is...she has no training whatsoever....her previous owner payed no attention to her. As a result she doesn't know her name and is not house broken. How hard will it be to train an 11 month old dog? My brother and I have experience training dogs, we trained both our family dogs who have sinced passed, but they were pups when we did the training.

This dog is a love muffin and I would really like to take her home, I just need to make sure she wont turn ou to be dangerous and that I will be able to train her.

Thanks for taking you time to read my post!


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## Crazy Acre

*Dangerous*

I adopted a similar dog from a shelter that had a no-kill policy. she was a shepard/rott and her name was Chloe. She was house-broken though and as tame as they come. She was with us 3 wks and playing fetch in the back yard...when she decided to jump a small openeing in our fence where the fence and gate come together on the corner. She ran down the street to the neighbor's house two doors down and attacked our neighbor's dog which was on a leash and on a stake in front of their house. no reaction time and the neighbor jumped in between Chloe and his dog to try to pull her off his dog. He sustained injury to his hand and his dog had to have over 100 stitches. His dog made it...but to make a long story short he sued me and my homeowner's coverage paid him actual damages of $25,000. I was cancelled from my house insurance and I moved out of the neighborhood. Chloe had to be returned to the shelter and she was then adopted by another party almost 2 years later. The only moral of this story is she too was a love muffin but noone told us the dark side...the shelter didn't disclose any bad about her yet they had previous knowledge...our neighbor was able to get a sworn statement from the previous owner that she had informed the shelter of this bad behavior and they didn't divulge it on the paperwork (it was ommited on purpose!) and can you even believe that this dog was adopted out again??? Be careful...I hope it works out for you...there was probably some abuse in her past I'm thinking that she turned out that way...you never know with any dog you adopt really....Take Care


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## Dulce

You can never know ahead of time.

It depends on the work and effort you put into the dog. Put the dog in training classes, and be consistant.

I house trained my 4 year old dog, and my 1.5 year old dog. It's possible. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Be patient, as it will take LOTS of time, and consistancy, and patience.

There's no quarentee that he will be exactly HALF Rott.

Good luck!


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## Nastya

Well, I know many Rotts that are sweet, so I don't think the dog will be dangerous. 
As for the training, the prime age for training is a year max because they attain more information or something like that. But, you can still train it, it'll just take more time.


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## DogAdvocat

A dog can be trained at ANY age. Even old dogs CAN learn new "tricks". Get her in a training class, and be consistent. Use a trainer that teaches positive reinforcement, and you do the training - don't send her away to be trained. If you already know a trainer, have the trainer go with you to the shelter and evaluate the dog. There's never any guarantees, with any dog, and the larger the dog, the harder it is to control (physically), which is why it's so important to train and build a bond with the dog. 

As for training an adult dog, I've always thought it was easier than training a puppy because puppies are so interested in everything going on around them that it's hard to keep their attention. That's not true with an older dog. It's like the difference between keeping the attention of a squirmy 2-year-old child and a 10-year-old child with a longer attention span.

The only thing I would be concerned about would be bringing in a large power breed with smaller beings like young children or smaller animals. If you don't have those to worry about, then give it a go.

As for housebreaking, do it like you were dealing with a young pup. Get her out frequently, go with her, and name it/praise it. "Good girl, potty!!!!!" When inside, be vigilant. If she has an accident inside, say NO!!, and then say "Let's Go Outside!!!!" If you find it after the act, roll up a newspaper and whack yourself across the nose for not being vigilant.


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## skelaki

And don't be afraid to issue appropriate voice and leash corrections when needed. She'll need to know both when she's done something right *and* when she's done something wrong (as long as you catch her in the act of either one).


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## Sawyer

I think this breed is misunderstood. 

He will need socialization and training - all dogs do - but with a dog this strong and big you should ask your shelter for referals for training classes right away. Get him started asap. I like DogA's suggestion of taking a trainer with you to the shelter!


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## Phenix

She is actually not that big. She has the body of a lab and only the coloring of a rotteiler. I looked up pictures of rotweiller/lab mixes and she looks nothing like them. She doesn't have that big powerful rottweiler build.

Since my brother and I are the kids in our house....27 and 24 respectively (I know I know...time to move out) we dont need to worry about youung children and there really aren't that many young kids in the neighborhood anymore. I have already looked into training classes for her.

Thanks for all the input, it has been really helpful!


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## Keno's Mom

She should be ok. Personally I don't like the rotties, and am a little leary of them. But I do know not all are "bad" dogs.

Anyway, enroll her in basic obedience immediately. You might have a little problem with her as she's full grown and hasn't any training. Maybe speak with the obedience people first and explain the situation. They may suggest private lessons instead of group. Also you will have to be patient on the housebreaking. Kennel/crate her or only allow a certain area that can be cleaned up easily till she is housebroken.

The good thing is she's not a puppy and should be able to hold it longer periods of time. Set up a routing time to take her out and encourage her to potty before she is allowed to play, walk, etc. She should catch on fast.

The lab part is very intelligent and easy to train. We taught Keno to potty in a certain area of the yard (not fenced) in about a week and she was very reliable - we adopted her at 14 months. But she was trained/housebroken too


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## finallykatie

*My Rott Mix is a sweetie!!!*

Honeslty, there's no reason to think that she might be aggressive just because she has the coloring of a Rott. She may not even be Rott since alot of dogs are black and tan.

Even if she is, our half Rott (the mom was a rott, that's how we know) is as sweet as can be. His dad was, we think, German Shephard with perhaps some heeler, and chow... 

His mom was a little over protective and years after we got our boy, she was shot by the police. Our dog, though, is as sweet as they come, and he doesn't have the benefit of something nice like lab on the other side. He's never snapped at our grandchildren, even when they've grabbed his fir and sat on him. He's 70 pounds of sweet. 

He's definitely protective of our property and us, which we like, but it's all scary bark and hackles. If you speak to him he disolves into wags and grins.

He's ALOT sweeter than our little Peke.

So look at her as an individual, make sure she's spayed, and don't assume she's aggressive. 

Alot of dogs are actually timid which makes them aggressive when threatened. She might be under alot of stress, shuffled around as she's been. I think if you treat her kindly, take her to obedience, and make sure she's socialized, she'll probably be fine.


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## Lorina

My neighbors had two Rotties, an unaltered male and an unaltered female. These dogs were soooo "dangerous" that someone was able to break into their house and steal their tv by just bribing the dogs with milkbones. They were intimidating looking dogs, but very sweet.

I'd feel pretty safe about adopting the dog from a shelter. Most do temperment testing and evaluations, and won't adopt out a dangerous dog. They couldn't afford to risk a lawsuit by adopting out a dog that may be aggressive.


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## Dags

I adopted a 6 month old lab/rott/shepherd mix recently. I would not buy into that "rotts are mean" nonsense. Dogs are individuals just like people. Plus, it's all about how you train and play with them. Don't hit her to punish her, be rough with her during play or play tug-o-war or other mouth games with her. Train her to be patient, gentle and tolerant early on, and when she gets too rough, ignore her - do not even entertain her with a response if you can. 11 months is plenty young to train, as she will still be very much a puppy well into the 2 yr mark. You can train her after that as well, your techniques just might change as she matures.

My dog sounds a lot like yours (some rott markings, but smaller build) and she started out very timid and therefore nippy. But as we've trained her she has become more confident and no longer nips or cowers. She has never shown any aggression towards any other dogs, people or children. She's actually kind of lazy, reluctant to fetch more than a few times in a row.

She learns very quickly, mastering the basic commands: Sit, stay, lay down and shake within the first few weeks. We struggled a little with potty training and chewing since she is still teething, but after a few months, a whole lot of spot cleaner, and a lot of experimentation to find the right toys, she's caught on. If anything you might get lucky and surpass some of the chewing stage since she is a bit older. Labs and rotts looove to chew.

If you want to guarantee that she will not be a biter or over-protective dog (with you, her toys or her food), try messing with her while she eats. Give her food and take it away, then give it back to her so she knows you are in control but fully intend to be her friend and provide her with food. If you think it's not too risky (at her age it shouldn't be), put your hands down in her food dish while she eats (protect them if necessary), and get to the point where you can put your face down next to hers like you are going to eat her food. Pet her and mess with her while she eats or is concentrating on a toy or chew bone and it will teach her patience and tolerance. Have other people do it to her as well so she trusts others too. Then next time you have a toddler in house that wants to pet the puppy while she eats, you have nothing to worry about. She'll be a good sport and just assume it's just another annoying human.

Another thing we have done with our pup is socialize her a lot. We take her to dog parks, to friends' houses to play with their dogs, kids etc. This way she is around a lot of unfamiliar people and dogs at a young age and won't be prone to over react when she gets older. She is, by far, the kindest and most trustworthy dog I have ever had. We are constantly complimented on her sweet nature. I don't think it would have happened without lots of positive training and patience, but in hindsight it wasn't very hard. She's pretty easy to love.


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## blackrose

Lorina said:


> My neighbors had two Rotties, an unaltered male and an unaltered female. These dogs were soooo "dangerous" that someone was able to break into their house and steal their tv by just bribing the dogs with milkbones. They were intimidating looking dogs, but very sweet.
> 
> I'd feel pretty safe about adopting the dog from a shelter. Most do temperment testing and evaluations, and won't adopt out a dangerous dog. They couldn't afford to risk a lawsuit by adopting out a dog that may be aggressive.


 I agree. Any dog can be dangerous if untrained and not socialized. I've known several Rotts and they have all been sweeties! I wouldn't be scared of adopting a dog just because it had Rott in it. If the dog acts like a sweet little baby, then she is probably a sweet little baby!  I'd say go for, just be prepared for both the Rottie and Lab temperment!


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## Phenix

Thanks for all the info....and opinions. I really appreciate you all taking your time to post this for me.

I think I am going to get her, she is a sweetheart and I know she will be good. I am definitely going to take her to training classes and definitely going to block off some of the house until she is house broken!

Thanks again and I will post some pictures when I get her. If anyone else has any more info or opinions I would still love to read them!


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## georgygirl

When I was a kid my grandparents had both a rottweiler and a doberman. They were the sweetest dogs in the world and they were *never* aggressive to my brother and I. They were always great with kids. The pair has since passed and my grandparents have another rottweiler. This one never grew up with another dog and she was never socialized with other dogs (she's a farm dog) so she does have issues with other dogs. But she absolutely loves people and will sit on your feet to keep you from leaving her. Bottom line is that Rottweilers get a bad rap. If they are trained and socialized they are great with people.


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## FranMan

Phenix said:


> Thanks for all the info....and opinions. I really appreciate you all taking your time to post this for me.
> 
> I think I am going to get her, she is a sweetheart and I know she will be good. I am definitely going to take her to training classes and definitely going to block off some of the house until she is house broken!
> 
> Thanks again and I will post some pictures when I get her. If anyone else has any more info or opinions I would still love to read them!



Did you get the dog?


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## skunkstripe

I do not have too much to add except:

Black-and-tan markings can be misinterpreted. Believe it or not, there are purebred labs with black-and-tan marks that most of us would swear are part Rottie:
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html

And as far as I am concerned Rotties have earned their place as wonderful dogs right up there with German Shepherds and Guide Dogs. This story is old:
http://www.privateline.com/dailynotes/index40.html
But tells of how a Rottie named Faith saved her owner's life by smelling that her medicine was not effective against an oncoming epileptic seizure, speed-dailed 911, barked into the phone, and unlocked the front door for the paramedics.


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## siberian husky lover12

Phenix said:


> Hi this is my first post on this forum. I have a 11 month old female Rottweiler/lab mix on hold at the humane society where I live. She is adorable and very sweet. Some people are telling me that she could be mean/dangerous due to the rott in her. Could she be a mean dog becuase of her mix?
> 
> The other question I had is...she has no training whatsoever....her previous owner payed no attention to her. As a result she doesn't know her name and is not house broken. How hard will it be to train an 11 month old dog? My brother and I have experience training dogs, we trained both our family dogs who have sinced passed, but they were pups when we did the training.
> 
> This dog is a love muffin and I would really like to take her home, I just need to make sure she wont turn ou to be dangerous and that I will be able to train her.
> 
> Thanks for taking you time to read my post!


Oh, no! Defenetly not. This puppy will be a very good companion to you, so If I were you I would take her. Labs and Rotts are usualy very good natured and rotts arent that mean. THey will ust protect you and your home with all there heart. Rotts do not attack people for just anything, they kind dogs but be aware the pup may grow to be HUGE, so if you dont have the time and commitment to train a very large animal, youu should probly take your hold off. Good luck with the pup!


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## dev22

You can never determnie a dogs temperment based on a breed, ever.


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## Lokum

I hope one day you put her photos here cuz I am curious about how she looks like other question you are lucky cuz labdores are always ready to learn you didnt miss anything but you should be careful cuz as you said she has a rott part in it so I think you must teach the things with love not like a fight shut or without stubbornness labs are very hot blooded rotts love protection so that's a good mix  


but share us her photos please


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## GSDLoverForever

It angers me when someone thinks a dog is dangerous because of their breed. I can't stand the fact to think that this Summer, when we go on a Summer getaway, I'll go into town and think that people while shy away from me because I have a "potentially dangeous" dog with me. What does it take for people to get it into their heads it's wrong to judge a dog on it's BREED. My nieghbor has a rott. I love to walk that dog, I jump at the chance to get to pet him. I'd trust a rott completley. I'd be more scared of toy dogs-like pekignese.


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## DogAdvocat

GSDLoverForever said:


> It angers me when someone thinks a dog is dangerous because of their breed. I can't stand the fact to think that this Summer, when we go on a Summer getaway, I'll go into town and think that people while shy away from me because I have a "potentially dangeous" dog with me. What does it take for people to get it into their heads it's wrong to judge a dog on it's BREED. My nieghbor has a rott. I love to walk that dog, I jump at the chance to get to pet him. I'd trust a rott completley. I'd be more scared of toy dogs-like pekignese.


I don't really have a problem with people being afraid, especially if it keeps them at a respectful distance and not reaching for a dog that may or may not appreciate the attention - no matter what the breed. But with some of the breeds that people tend to be more afraid of -- what a perfect opportunity for the dog's owner to educate on their breed, as well as the proper way to approach any dog (ask first).


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## Springerlover

Yes, the rotty is very misunderstood breed. They are sweet, loving and very loyal dogs. Great with kids and other animals. A lab/rot cross is excellent. I had a male rotty that adopted kittens and protected them like he was their momma, his name was Taz, he was about 120 pounds, all muscle and no meaness. He was a huge baby that loved kids and would not let a stranger come into the yard in the same breath. He was uthenized at the age of 12 due to testicular cancer, that spread to other organs even after he was nutered. He was a wonderful dog and changed all bad things I ever heard about the breed. I truley believe it is not so much the breed, but the owner that makes a dog aggressive and mean.

Springerlover


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## Elijah

GSDLoverForever said:


> It angers me when someone thinks a dog is dangerous because of their breed. I can't stand the fact to think that this Summer, when we go on a Summer getaway, I'll go into town and think that people while shy away from me because I have a "potentially dangeous" dog with me. What does it take for people to get it into their heads it's wrong to judge a dog on it's BREED. My nieghbor has a rott. I love to walk that dog, I jump at the chance to get to pet him. I'd trust a rott completley. I'd be more scared of toy dogs-like pekignese.


I think the basic reason is that most know that the GSD or Rott has the capability to take you leg off or get to your face/neck easier due to their size if they take a mind to while a pekingese or chi isn't much of a threat.


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## nicole84

I wish people wouldn't be so quick to judge a dog just by it's breed.I have been a groomer for seven years and a vet tech for three and i have never been bit by a rottie,dobie,and or apbt but i have plenty of scares from poodles,cocker spaniels and chichichuas.So don't judge a book and or dog by it's cover.


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## skunkstripe

nicole since you are a groomer I would like to ask you something. I have heard people say that groomers have mroe complaints about Yorkies, Maltese etc than APBTs or Rotties, but I also would think that someone who owns an APBT would not be likely to get the dog groomed. Other than clipping the nails and bathing, there is not that much to groom since they already have a buzz cut, right?


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## bakerjd82176

We have a rott/lab mix anyone that tells you there might be danger with the dog is stupid... No breed is dangerous it is all in the way a dog is raised.. ANY dog may snap.. Adopt the dog give it a second chance.. House breaking the dog may be work yet with patiance anything is possible.


Jeremy Baker


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## Pai

Springerlover said:


> Yes, the rotty is very misunderstood breed. They are sweet, loving and very loyal dogs. Great with kids and other animals.
> Springerlover


This is true! I've owned them before -- they are one of the best and sweetest dogs! You just need to be sure to train them firmly, because they are very smart, outgoing dogs. As is the case with most breeds that people label 'dangerous'... its mostly a failure of the owner being unable to channel the dog's natural intelligence and energy constructively.


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## Love's_Sophie

Nastya said:


> Well, I know many Rotts that are sweet, so I don't think the dog will be dangerous.
> As for the training, the prime age for training is a year max because they attain more information or something like that. But, you can still train it, it'll just take more time.


That is a HUGE generalization...True, puppies tend to catch on quicker to things, but a year old is definitely not the 'prime' age for training. I have had my BC mix since she was about 6-7 months of age, and she is STILL learning new cues...and she catches on to new things FAST! We have a 2 year old terrier mix, who came to us with little training (or rather reinforcement to her training) and she is catching on to things very quickly as well...she is very sharp, even with her stubborn side! 

Did you happen to watch the "Myth Busters" in which they had each taken a 5-6 year old untrained Husky and taught them general obedience??? I don't remember the time frame that they trained for, but it was relatively short, and BOTH dogs learned most of the cues (one did better than the other, but still) You can train older dogs; that these were Huskies that they used really proves it, because these are 'sassy' not so easily trained dogs!

I think it has to do more with owner committment to training a dog...regardless of age; if you get a dog, and figure "oh, well, it is too old, too young (yes I've heard that one before!), too wild, too stupid, etc... to learn" then guess what? It won't learn much, just because you aren't going to be so consistent...to the downfall of the dog! 


To the OP...that puppy should be fine...Get her enrolled in training classes, and keep up with her training. That people are 'generalizing' your soon to be dog, is not fair...Ask Inga...she has Rotties, and they are wonderful animals...it's just going to take dedication on your part to ensure that your dog is well socialized, with humans and animals; if you simply take it home and never take her out in public, then yes, she could be a 'menace'...but that's your downslide, because you haven't socialized the dog! ANY dog can do what that dog in the one poster's reply...not just Rotties, pits, mastiffs, etc...A dog, is a dog, is a dog...they all can 'snap' at a moment's notice; and it's even more so if they haven't been socialized!


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## Mr Pooch

skunkstripe said:


> I do not have too much to add except:
> 
> Black-and-tan markings can be misinterpreted. Believe it or not, there are purebred labs with black-and-tan marks that most of us would swear are part Rottie:
> http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html


Im no Lab expert but some of those if not most are not Labs.


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## NeedleNoseLuvR

You all know this thread is over a year old? Right?


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## rottlover

You can't always believe the reputation rotts have. I have a 3 1/2 yr old rott who is about 115lbs and is a bigger baby than my lab. The aggressiveness comes from people being cheap and inbreeding rotts. Just like when humans inbreed and are mentally off...dogs are the same only they show it with aggression. I have two young children and he is a great protector of them. He is not aggressive with people or other dogs unless they pose a threat to one of us. If a large dog approached with hair raised or a person raised their hand at us or came up yelling at us he would stand in front of us and wait. My step brother was playing around and came up to my husband with his arm raised ready to hit him, my rott (Hercules) jumped up and pulled him down with his mouth on his arm. He didn't try to bite down...only got his point across with minimal agression. He actually hates fighting...he's what my husband calls a "play pretty". Its all in how they're raised. Lots of love = lovable, loyal dog. Lot of abuse = aggressive dog. Good luck!


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## FilleBelle

Mr Pooch said:


> Im no Lab expert but some of those if not most are not Labs.


Yes they are 

http://www.labbies.com/genetics2.htm#Black&Tan


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## KaseyT

Two words. Dog park.

There is no reason this dog should be more dangerous then any other large dog, but to be safe provide tons of socialization.


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## reynosa_k9's

Phenix said:


> ...people are telling me that she could be dangerous due to the rott in her... I just need to make sure she wont turn ou to be dangerous and that I will be able to train her...Thanks for taking you time to read my post!


Oh yes, this rott/lab mix can be extremely dangerous!!! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I have lots of experience with Rottweilers. My mother raised them for years. Those slobbery rottie kisses can cause temporary blindness (eyes full of slobber) or cause near suffocation - nose/mouth being covered by the large tongue. Then that long powerful tail may break your precious household knick-knacks as it's wagging 110 mph. Oh, and don't forget the most dangerous possibility - being rendered unconcious as you're pushed down and squashed as the big love muffin jumps on you demanding a hug! 

Yup. A very dangerous mix I would say. 

Jihad
and the pound puppy crew.


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## spotted nikes

All of the Rotties I've known were big babies and wanted to be lap dogs.

Also, dogs of any age can be housebroken, if you are very consistent.


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## RonE

Just to be clear: The original post is 20 months old. The dog in question would now be about 2-1/2. If he hasn't eaten anybody yet, he probably won't. The OP has not visited dogforums since December of 2006.

I have no problem with a discussion about the merits of rotties and rottie mixes, as long as we don't think we're addressing the orginal poster.


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## crazy-redhead

*From Experience it is an Amazing Mix*

Hey--
I was 10 when I got my first Lab Rottie mix. This was two months after my old dogs died. He was and still is amazing. His name is Bamba and we love him very much. His mother was a lab and his father was a rottie. We actually call the mix Rotrador. Bamba was impossible as a puppy for the first year, but after that he calmed down.

Then after a year and a half of Bamba we got him a sister who is also a lab rottie, Shoshi. (By the way, we found both dogs in the classified ads for under $250. They were accidents.) When we first got Shoshi she was very cute and funny, but she had a bit of a mean streak. Not really mean, just snappy and impatient. But then after the course of two months Bamba and our trainer, and my family turned her into a nicer dog. Not just a nicer dog, probably the sweetest dog on the street. Shoshi is such a sweetie, and I used to torture her. I picked her up all the time and drove her crazy. But it turned her into a better dog. I probably love her a teensy bit more now.

Bamba and Shoshi were both quick to housebreak. Shoshi loves Bamba and Bamba is a very affectionate and protective older brother. Sometimes you see them sitting together, and Shoshi puts her head on Bamba. They lick each others ears. It is very sweet. Bamba was a good role model for Shoshi and became very paternal. Shoshi didn't really misbehave much or chew much.

I highly recommend the lab rottie, because it is a sweet, fun, easy to train breed. They are very affectionate and just want you to love them.


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## TxRider

Phenix said:


> Hi this is my first post on this forum. I have a 11 month old female Rottweiler/lab mix on hold at the humane society where I live. She is adorable and very sweet. Some people are telling me that she could be mean/dangerous due to the rott in her. Could she be a mean dog becuase of her mix?!


I've seen dangerous Rotties that could and would kill a man, and big slobbery teddy bear Rotties that would never harm a fly. 

Depends on the dog and it's experiences and training and conditioning.

Training a year old dog isn't that much harder than a puppy, I'm trying same with a 3yr old GSD with similar starting point right now. It takes time and effort.

Any dog or breed can be dangerously aggressive and violent. The difference with big dogs is they can do serious damage or cause death if they do. 

A Chihuahua can be just as bad tempered and aggressive as any Rott or Pit Bull or GSD, but at it's aggressive worst it's not capable of seriously harming anyone due it's small size.


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## Spicy1_VV

Yes I would say possibly dangerous. Recently some Labs have bitten/killed children. You need to make sure you socialize and train this dog. Never trust this dog or others unsupervised with small children. You really can't know the dogs breeding background but you can find out as much as possible about their history if known and what the shelter says of the temperament.


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## Pickleisaminidaschi

She could be very dangerous yes. But a mini daschund could be too. Or a Golden Retriever. Maybe a bloodhound! Any dog could be dangerous. It doesn't matter what breed they are. So one human attacks another. Dang humans are dangerous stay away!!! Get her okay? Please get her! She might be put down if you don't!


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## RonE

RonE said:


> Just to be clear: The original post is 20 months old. The dog in question would now be about 2-1/2. If he hasn't eaten anybody yet, he probably won't. The OP has not visited dogforums since December of 2006.
> 
> I have no problem with a discussion about the merits of rotties and rottie mixes, as long as we don't think we're addressing the orginal poster.


That was last August.


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## canteloupe

I know, I know, the original thread is old. And the newer additions are from the beginning of the month.
But I just really want to respond to what a couple people said.
According to the CDC (the center for disease control), 
"Indeed, since 1975, dogs belonging to more than 30 breeds have been responsible for fatal attacks on people, including Dachshunds, a Yorkshire Terrier, and a Labrador Retriever."

Also interesting, albeit less relevant:

"...Male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite than female dogs, sexually intact dogs are 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs, and chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs."


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## TxRider

canteloupe said:


> I know, I know, the original thread is old. And the newer additions are from the beginning of the months.
> But I just really want to respond to what a couple people said.
> According to the CDC (the center for disease control),
> "Indeed, since 1975, dogs belonging to more than 30 breeds have been responsible for fatal attacks on people, including Dachshunds, a Yorkshire Terrier, and a Labrador Retriever."
> 
> Also interesting, albeit less relevant:
> 
> "...Male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite than female dogs, sexually intact dogs are 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs, and chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs."


But which breeds were the most prevalent in fatal attacks?


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## Inga

TxRider said:


> But which breeds were the most prevalent in fatal attacks?


Hm, and of course, How many of each breed were in existence? Popular breeds would be more likely to have larger numbers of incidences wouldn't they?

Just a thought but if this topic is to be discussed maybe we should start a new thread rather than adding to one that is over a year old.


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## canteloupe

TxRider's post: "But which breeds were the most prevalent in fatal attacks?"

Frankly, I don't think this is important. My point was merely to say that any dog can kill a baby -- and most of the fatal dog attacks in this country are on babies and very young children. And most involve the family's own pet dog.

The CDC stopped collecting specific breed data for fatal dog attacks because they believed this information was inevitably inaccurate, misleading, and was being used to support breed specific legislation -- which the CDC believed would be inexpedient, based on their research.

Add-on: 
Inga, you're probably right. Maybe a moderator will see this and split it into a new thread.


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## MissMutt

Inga said:


> Hm, and of course, How many of each breed were in existence? Popular breeds would be more likely to have larger numbers of incidences wouldn't they?


x2.. Hence the whole premise of my Statistics project (which I received an A on).. THE BITE NUMBERS LIE, because they don't take into account breed population size!


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## Steve83843

My parrents had raised Rottweilers all of my life (28 years) and I never remember a time when any of thier rottens had started a fight, but they were known to finish them occasionaly.

I am replying because I was looking at this site and I am on the stages of trying to aquire puppies from our next door neighbor. The mother is black lab/rotten mix and the father is a yellow lab. The mother is so tame that she would walk up to the mailman to give him "loves", but the father (humane society rescue) is a bit more skittish. Nevertheless I have no fear of getting a puppy for one reason. It's about training AND exposure. You can have the most lovable caring dog in the world, but if it doesn't socialize with other dogs, it's going to naturally get agressive when in an unfamilar situation. You MUST take the time and let him/her meet different dogs otherwise you'll have a dog who will get territorial. 

Though it might have a tiny impact, the breed is not nearly as impressionable as the raising of the dog. That would be like saying that an american who was french could not beat up a scottich american. It's a matter of how they were raised (people as well as animals)


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## Xeph

I would just like to say that this mix is most definitely dangerous.

If the Labrador side expresses itself, it will drown you through thorough licking.
If the Rottweiler side expresses itself, it will smother you beneath the weight of it's love....and forcing itself into your lap because you can never be close enough xD



> It's about training AND exposure.


Genetics play a part too.



> but the father (humane society rescue) is a bit more skittish.


I'm going to be the one that asks how a shelter dog sired a litter....


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## Independent George

Steve83843 said:


> That would be like saying that an american who was french could not beat up a scottich american.


There can be only one response to this:



> GROUNDSKEEPER WILLIE: Bonjour, you cheese-eating surrender monkeys.


Ok, two responses:



> SKINNER: You Scots sure are a contentious people.
> 
> GROUNDSKEEPER WILLIE: You just made yourself an enemy for life.


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## Xeph

*ROFL!* George you always brighten my mood!

By the way, if your name comes from where I think it does, I TOTALLY want to watch Seinfeld right this minute


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## Independent George

Xeph said:


> I would just like to say that this mix is most definitely dangerous.
> 
> If the Labrador side expresses itself, it will drown you through thorough licking.
> If the Rottweiler side expresses itself, it will smother you beneath the weight of it's love....and forcing itself into your lap because you can never be close enough xD


That sounds like a Bernese Mountain Dog - a 120 lb. lapdog with salivary glands like a firehose.


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## Marsh Muppet

dev22 said:


> You can never determnie a dogs temperment based on a breed, ever.


And only slightly more often can you tell a dog's breed based on what a shelter says she is. Sometimes they know, and sometimes they guess. Sometimes the guesses are downright hilarious.


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## Mystdragon

time is the only thing will tell and how the animal is treated. I had a black lab/ rott mix that ment the world to me. I got him when he was 6 weeks only and only just lost him in march. He was 11 years old. He lived in the house and only spent one night outside in his kennel in all his time. He was gentle yet protective of me. There were bounderies that the kids understood with his hip dysplaysia(sp) He liked to jump between hubby and I went we'd sleep in...lol he always had the be the center of attention. He never bit out of anger and if he bit out of pain it wasnt a hard bite. They are wonderful dogs if they are involved in the family. I had 2 young boys around him and he was wonderful. They even used him to pull the sled in winter time...lol.. so dont let what others tell you what can happen.. just listen and be observent for what might be not what will be. You could be missing out and wonderful moments. I found this site when i was keeping an eye out for a all black lab rott mix puppy like my moose.


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## Pai

Phenix said:


> Hi this is my first post on this forum. I have a 11 month old female Rottweiler/lab mix on hold at the humane society where I live. She is adorable and very sweet. Some people are telling me that she could be mean/dangerous due to the rott in her. Could she be a mean dog becuase of her mix?
> 
> This dog is a love muffin and I would really like to take her home, I just need to make sure she wont turn out to be dangerous and that I will be able to train her.


I used to have a lab/rott mix (all of my childhood dogs were Rotts or Rott mixes, because my mom loves them). He was the sweetest boy in the world, and not aggressive or untrainable at all.


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## MissMutt

This thread started in 2006. For some reason, it keeps floating back up..


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## canteloupe

It's because it's listed on the little top ten threads list on the right side of the screen in the general dog forum. Right now, as I'm typing this, the last post was on 6/17/09 but it's still listed there.

Why is this thread still getting listed?

I guess I should apologize for posting on it and thus bringing it back up... but I'm curious.


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## soumigirl

Phenix said:


> Hi this is my first post on this forum. I have a 11 month old female Rottweiler/lab mix on hold at the humane society where I live. She is adorable and very sweet. Some people are telling me that she could be mean/dangerous due to the rott in her. Could she be a mean dog becuase of her mix?
> 
> The other question I had is...she has no training whatsoever....her previous owner payed no attention to her. As a result she doesn't know her name and is not house broken. How hard will it be to train an 11 month old dog? My brother and I have experience training dogs, we trained both our family dogs who have sinced passed, but they were pups when we did the training.
> 
> This dog is a love muffin and I would really like to take her home, I just need to make sure she wont turn ou to be dangerous and that I will be able to train her.
> 
> Thanks for taking you time to read my post!


About three months ago my family adopted a pitbull rottweiler, he is a great dog aside from his seperation anxiety. The pit takes out the human aggression in him, he is a big love muffin and thinks hes a lap dog, the rott in him tones down the animal aggression though he doesn't much care for our cat. Your dog should be fine, as long as she hasn't been trained like a fighting dog for any reason you shoudln't have a problem with her as long as you dont give her any idea that that behavior is ok. Training shouldn't be hard since she hasn't had any yet, neither had Moe or China Moe was trained by me at 8 months old, China trained by me aswell at 7 months. I had no problem with it at all, it was like teaching the shepherd puppies sit and lay.


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## RedyreRottweilers




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## RedyreRottweilers

I hope you give her a chance.

If I can help in any way, I am at your service.


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## kimwiese

I would definately say it depends on the owner. We have a Rotty Blue Healer cross. We love her to death and she is the sweetest thing in the world, In fact she is nicer to our sheep than our other dog and is also more loyal. She will be there in an instant if you call her. She is a little bit of a klutz now and then though.


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## RonE

Again, the original post in nearly three years old. I'm pretty sure a decision has been made already.


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