Beth Clifton with Duke the Rottweiler on Miami Beach in 1983.
by Beth Clifton
Listening to our friend Ann Marie Rogers describe how two family Rottweilers on September 2, 2021 killed her mother, Sally Fredrica Rogers, 91, was among my most emotionally troubling hours in a lifetime as former police officer, animal control officer, and vet tech; animal rescuer; and now as ANIMALS 24-7 co-editor whose work often includes hearing out the traumatized survivors of dog attacks.
(See Lifelong safe dog advocate could not save mother from Rottweiler.)
Like Ann Marie Rogers, I have worked for many years to prevent dog attacks, especially by trying to dissuade people from acquiring––or keeping––dogs of known dangerous traits and troubling behavior.
Also like Ann Marie Rogers, I have known the frustration of not being listened to, even by close relatives and friends, who allow their attraction to problematic dogs overcome their good sense.
Ann Marie Rogers tried desperately to discourage her sister Susan Rogers from keeping a succession of Rottweilers in proximity to the Rogers sisters’ mom, Sally Fredrica Rogers.
But neither Susan Rogers nor Sally Fredrica Rogers, who stood just 4’11” and suffered from memory impairment and other conditions of age, ever believed one of their beloved Rottweilers could turn killer––until a neutered 18-month-old male named Ben, and possibly also his spayed sister Wren, suddenly did.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Why Rottweilers?
I have had four family Rottweilers in my life, from my teens until well into adulthood, and while raising my children.
The dogs’ names were Albert, Duke, Sam and Max. Three of the four were meticulously sought from reputable breeders as weaned puppies, and were cute as “all get out,” resembling furry little black cuddly bears.
My first Rottweiler was acquired by my father in the mid 1970s. I remember my dad hooking Albert up to a cart he bought just for him. At the time I did not see the purpose of this, but looking back, my dad may have been intrigued with the idea of Rottweilers being used to pull delivery carts in Germany, where Rottweilers originated.
My dad was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, and may have seen dog carts used in both theaters. His parents, my grandparents, came from eastern Europe, where they almost certainly saw cart-pulling dogs at work, some of whom may have been Rottweilers.
(Beth Clifton collage)
(See Why Rottweilers are as deadly as pit bulls.)
Rottweilers’ history
Perhaps my dad identified with Rottweilers’ history.
Albert was my father’s second dog of his own as an adult. Our German shepherd Captain was his first. I think I see a common theme in his choice of dogs. Yet I also remember my dad swearing off the Volkswagen as an alleged Nazi car that no good Jew should buy!
I did not necessarily agree or understand, but my grandparents had been uprooted and emigrated to the U.S. via Ellis Island by anti-Jewish pogroms in several different nations of eastern Europe, and undoubtedly left relatives behind who were exterminated by the Nazis.
Sam & Carol Kleinfeld.
(Lisa Leiner photo)
Exhibit A
I call Albert “Exhibit A.” Don’t get me wrong; I loved Albert, but there was never a dull moment with him, and I can attest that all of the Rotties in my life were problematic and downright dangerous.
Albert, after we had him for almost a year, was found walking down our road in Kendall, Florida. Nearing maturity and developing the urge to wander, Albert had apparently escaped from our home.
My mom posted flyers and sure enough, someone finally came forward to return Albert. Unfortunately, Albert in the few weeks after he was found tore up the finders’ apartment, and they were holding him for ransom if my dad didn’t give them reparations to the tune of $1,000.
(Beth Clifton photo)
I laugh at the thought! My dad was a lawyer and they didn’t know who they were dealing with. They returned him unharmed and probably were glad to be rid of him.
Rottweiler rescue
I was a teenager and didn’t pay much attention to Albert’s exploits, but he was a resource-guarder extraordinaire and the sounds he uttered made you believe him.
(Beth Clifton photo)
That was not our only difficulty with him.
One day, as I was resting after a full, tiring day in the police academy, while training for my first of several careers that prepared me for my work here at ANIMALS 24-7, I heard my mom scream for my help. Albert had jumped or fallen off the seawall of our home and into Biscayne Bay.
I was in jeans and jumped in after him. Keeping his head above water was dangerous, yet was the easy part. How do you get a 90-pound dog out of Biscayne Bay at low tide? Answer: a very nice boater who happened to witness the whole incident.
Fluffy, from the film Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone (1997), was inspired by Cerberus, the three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to hell in Greek mythology.
The sounds of hell
Duke and Max came somewhat later, as did a stray Rottie named Sam who killed my African gray parrot, also named Sam. (By the way, my dad’s name was Sam.)
Other police officers recommended Rottweilers. They believed Rottweilers were stable, reliable dogs who could effectively protect a family home. None of us fully realized then that Rottweilers are high-risk dogs, and may menace family members as well as intruders.
Duke and Max were horrible resource-guarders, including guarding socks and underwear. You just didn’t even bother to pick these items up or Duke and Max would emit the sounds of hell.
I cringe now at the chances I unknowingly took with my three children. That said, none of our Rottweilers ever hurt my children as youngsters. Raised from 8-week-old puppies in a loving home, they were indeed protective.
Rottweiler. (Beth Clifton photo)
Chased away bad guys
Duke on two occasions chased intruders from my home.
One intruder was siphoning gas from my car when I returned home from walking my daughter in her stroller. He was caught in the act. Duke was leashed, but he just knew the guy was dirty! I yelled at the guy to get the hell off my property and Duke put in his two cents’ worth. The guy ran away.
On another occasion I was asleep and pregnant with my daughter when I awakened to Duke trying to break through the sliding glass door. Then I heard footsteps running through my yard.
Max the Rottweiler (Beth Clifton photo)
But killed & injured other animals
Max exhibited the most dangerous behavior. He had all the qualities of our other Rottweilers, but perhaps had more chances to screw up.
For example, the children next door loved visiting me and my animals. Back then I had horses, a donkey, a mini zebu cow, goats, and a llama.
I was out of town, but not knowing that, the children brought their new kitten over to show me. Max jumped up, ripped the kitten out of their arms, and killed her right in front of the children.
Max the Rottweiler.
(Beth Clifton photo)
Max also took one of the lips off my llama, requiring emergency vet care, killed rats and ducks, and frankly I soon had enough of the essence of Rottweiler! I didn’t choose to have any of these dogs! I just was tacit in their acquisition.
When Duke, at eight years old and suffering from hip dysplasia, snapped at my then three-year-old son, just missing his eye, I demanded that Duke be taken for euthanasia right then and there, which of course I was never forgiven for doing.
Rottweilers compared to Dachshunds
My other set of grandparents, on my mom’s side of the family, were all about Dachshunds. They had three or maybe four through the years, all with the name Hansi, short for Hansel. All were biters and all bit the hands who fed them, yet were not likely to maul and kill.
(Beth Clifton photo)
I loved them just the same. I love all animals. There are just some who are not well-suited to life as pets.
Did I love and care about the Rottweilers in my life? Yes! It is my nature to love and care.
But having loved and cared about all of them, Albert, Duke, Sam, and Max, I believe that keeping a Rottweiler is not worth the risk, trials, and tribulations that come with the dog.
Merritt & Beth Clifton
(See also Why pit bulls will break your heart, by Beth Clifton.)
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Thank you Beth!!! You are kind and honest.
Nearly all the Rotties I’ve known are constantly on the verge of killing somebody or some pet. (The sole exception is a line of Rotties belonging to a sheep herding competitor/instructor I know near St. Louis–those dogs have all been very tolerant and reliable.)
Exhibit 1 – Out of 700 dogs I’ve taught in obedience classes, I only ever taught one Rottie, and it was as a one-night guest instructor. The Rottie broke free of his owner repeatedly, put his paws on my shoulders, and humped me while growling menacingly, teeth bared and right next to my throat.
Exhibit 2 – While walking my leashed dogs in my neighborhood in the mid-90’s, 3 pit bulls and 1 Rottie sailed over their 6′ privacy fence without warning or provocation and came at us. I ran into a shed with the dogs and closed the door just in time… had to wait for the police to rescue me. They said the dogs had $11k in outstanding fines and had killed two other dogs… but were still living with a woman and her TEN foster kids.
Exhibit 3 – For a while, I taught classes on the premises of a boarding kennel whose owner had about eight rescued Rotties that stayed behind the desk during the day. One night, she left them in the office where my students and I had to pass through to use the bathroom. When I cracked the door open on the way to use the bathroom (the dogs had never been there at night before), they charged the door very aggressively, and I could recognize they meant to kill. Luckily, I was able to close the door and escape. About a week later, I saw two of the dogs pin a customer against the fence and bite his arm severely. I later learned her dogs routinely attacked customers, but nobody reported the bites because she convinced the victims it wasn’t the “poor rescue dogs'” fault–they had “probably been abused!”
Exhibit 4 – While living in Istanbul from 2007-2012, I only saw two Rotties during those years, and both of them attacked. In the first case, I was standing in line at the vet to pay a bill for a street dog they had fixed up. I didn’t have any pets with me. A muzzled Rottie a few people ahead of me suddenly turned towards me and launched a full-blown attack on me without warning or provocation. He jumped on me, knocking me over, biting at my face, arms and chest. I would definitely have lost my face if the dog hadn’t been muzzled. It took several burly techs to drag the dog off me.
Exhibit 5 – Just a few weeks after this, I was in line to buy from an ice cream cart, with my 9 lb. leashed Papillon seated beside me. Before I could even see, a Rottie rushed out of an apartment down the block, grabbed my dog and started shaking him. Luckily, my dog was wearing a 3-layer-thick Cordura harness and was uninjured. The owner arrived fast and was able to pull the dog off. Note that the sidewalk where I was had at least a hundred adults and kids walking on it, and this dog could have attacked any of them. It was these two incidents with Rotties that caused me to move back to the U.S… and also got me interested in studying disfiguring and fatal dog attacks.
Exhibit 6 – This didn’t happen to me. However, the only dog bite fatality to occur in any city where I was living at the time was… a Rottie killing the 3 year old boy in its family.
Just like pit bulls, Rotties do not belong in family homes or around other animals.
I certainly enjoy your common sense approach to problematic dogs. It mirrors my own
View. However, certain family members on both sides claim that I am not a true animal lover because I put babies, children and other humans first ahead of pit bulls, Rottweilers and other questionable animals. A young child was viciously attacked a week ago by a Rottweiler that jumped the fence and attacked without warning. Fortunately another father fought the dog off, saving the girl but suffering substantial injuries himself. I believe that you can love animals but common sense must prevail. Sadly, here in Canada, we are just as lacking in that department when it comes to harboring potentially lethal dogs. Always enjoy reading your blogs.
Any dog that harms a cat or any other living being should be killed, immediately.
Exactly! Forget humane euthanasia too! These creatures if given the chance would not do anything humanely whatsoever! I literally despise pits and Rotts!
I’ve read this article a few times and while there are areas where we may agree overall, my perspective is that the examples in this article have more to do with the danger of humans vs the dogs they own.