Is this dog ready to snap?
Photo via thedodo.com
A facebook video of a young girl hugging a Rottweiler went viral this week after a woman named Briana Aguon posted that she believed that the video showed a very dangerous situation because the dog showed signs of discomfort and a warning of aggression:
After watching the clip, animal behaviorist Terri Bright, of the Boston-based organization MSPCA-Angell, offered this analysis:
“This dog is showing ethological signs of fear and aggression. You can see the whites of the dog’s eye, showing teeth, lip-licking and growling. These are very clear warning signs that are the only way a dog can say ‘I am not comfortable right now.'”
To even an untrained eye, that dog looks uncomfortable and liable to lash out. It seems that the young girl is in danger.
However, other dog owners disagreed and claimed that this is Rottweiler-specific behavior that they have seen many times before. Folks posted videos of their own Rotties acting in a similar fashion, which they claimed was not aggression.
Watch the video below and then click the link to see other people’s responses. What do you think?
Click here for the full story.
***Update 1/7*** I have contacted authorities in Middletown Ohio in regards to this video, they said because the dog did not attack the child no crime has been committed and they will not act on it, not even a courtesy call to the family to offer help.*** This is not my dog nor my child, please stop sending me messages and friend requests***Have you ever watched a video of a dog with a kid that made your heart race and your stomach nauseous? When the danger is brought to the owners attention they say, "That is in no way a mean growl." and "That is how he expresses his happiness. He smiles and growls." Wake up people! Know the signs (whale eyes, lip licking, baring teeth, growling, turning head away) before the kid needs plastic surgery and the dog loses its life even after giving several warnings. Teach your kids and your dogs boundaries.
Posted by Briana Aguon on Wednesday, January 6, 2016
I think these people are out of their minds having the little girl near the dog.
the Rott is not happy with having this little girl in it’s face. As an adult, I would back up from the dog’s head. The child is being aggressive toward the dog and the dog is not ready for that kind of closeness. I have had a Rott and she, being a rescue dog was very nervous about having me put my arms around her neck until we built trust between us. Then she knew I would not hurt her and she became quite a loving dog within the family and with friends as long as she knew that a person was a friend. My opinion, approach any dog carefully and retreat at any sign of dog’s discomfort with the situation.
My rottie does the same thing. She rolls to get belly rubs, growls, shows teeth. Rotties are known for (purring and smiling when they are happy). Dobermen Pischers are also known for “smiling.” There is a different tone for aggressive/fearful growling and it very specific. People who do not know or have never owned Rotties react out of ignorance.
I have rottweilers and this is a definite uncomfortable situation for the dog. By the actions of the dog, I highly doubt the dog would clamp down and bite but the dog would bite, and probably draw blood with a nick or more of the teeth. Every Rottweiler I have ever met does NOT like being hugged by its head and neck, the dog feels vulnerable. The dog was originally bred to protect live stock and any other animal going towards its neck means a possible death. I do hug my Rottweilers at a early age and keep it up till they “get over this” because once the dog has ideas it is dominate in any area, it will be the boss. I breed and raise Rottis and have had them all my life. Rotti’s do “pure” and “grunt” but it has nothing to do with what is showing in this scenario. When a Rotti is “purring” it does not show teeth and starts growling.
I would take this as a warning. Close friends of ours had a Rottie and not once in his entire life did he exhibit this behavior. I agree with the other post from Mary-these people are crazy having that child near that dog.
I Must Agree ! That is Not a Healthy Situation !
This is not a “smiling” or affectionate dog. This is a dog that is giving fair warning. It doesnt like what the child is doing, but is calm enough to explain that the only way it can. A person who misinterprets this warning is about to have a serious situation on their hands.
This is not a normal situation. The dog does´t like it. These parents are not responsable at all!
I have had two Rottweilers and I can tell you they are very very reliable and loving dogs even around children. However, in my experience they do like to have people to get their face close to theirs. My dog loved me without question she had her head by my knew every step I took and laid her head on my bed every night when I went to bed. Then she slept by bed every night. But she would growl if I hugged her. She would on occasion put her head up by my face but she did not like it if I approached her with a hug.
This dog looks very distressed to me and is desperately trying to get her to stop. I feel very worried for the little girl and very sorry for the poor dog
It is well known that Rottweilers are not good with children. For reasons not completely understood, almost universally they dislike close facial contact. In this video it is not clear whether this dog belongs to the parents of this child or is one the child just happened to encounter. If it is the latter, shame on both the owner for allowing the dog to be placed in this situation as well as the parents for allowing the child this close to a strange dog. If it is the former, well it is easy to understand why Donald Trump is so popular, LOL
To the adults that own this dog and are the parents of the little girl. Get real.
What do you need as a wake up call? You’d be the first to ‘bitch’ if you dog
now had to be put down and you’d probably be complaining about the
medical charges to reconstruct the child’s face. Also probably asking for
donations. All the disagreements would be coming from you, most likely
saying it wasn’t anyone’s fault, it just happened.!!
The word missing here is; RESPONSIBILITY.
Have you ever heard, ”An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure”?
How could you be so dumb & ignorant not to intervene and stop a possible
horrific situation before the dog pays with it’s life and the little girl with her future?
All the disagreements would be coming from you, most likely saying it was nobody’s fault.
ANY DOG Can be dangerous…they maybe being abused themselves, and they will abuse forward, they do not think like humans and they require close attention around children and friends. This Rot is definitely aggravated, and this little girl is only a moment away from a torn up face, and a big lawsuit and a but messy event. Shame on stupid show-off people who think their dog is safe and don’t understand the distress and warning signals the dog is OBVIOUSLY expressing –he is warning them that this is bad-he doesn’t like it. Many dogs are so inbred that they may look like a normal whatever-kind-of dog, but their brains are messed up, and the people responsible for the dogs are NOT and should never have a dog unless they really know what to do, how to train, how to care for and know all the signals and keep children safely away from them until they have proved themselves safe enough to be supervised while in the company of children, friends, and other dogs. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be, and I am 70 years old, so I’ve seen plenty of stupid people in my lifetime! Especially with animals and even with their own children! Pepole must be encouraged to learn to train properly and know the signals and TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR CHILDREN AND YOU PETS!! CHILDREN TODAY RUN YOU OVE IN THE GROCERY–I’VE SEEN MUCH MORE WELL-BEHAVED PETS THAN I HAVE SHILDREN IN MY 70 YEARS, AND THAT IS A VERY BIG DANGER SIGN. CHILDREN CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF THE ARE NOT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A RESPONSIBLE ADULT.
I AGREE WITH YOU, AND THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY TRAGIC SITUATION.
Dog is saying “I don’t like this…STOP”. Why are the parents so oblivious to this? Why are they allowing their child to be in this dangerous situation and video taping it as if it is “cute”? The owners of this dog and parents of this child seem to know nothing about child safety, child psychology or dog behavior. They need to own up to the fact that their dog does not like to be hugged and train their child not to do this before she gets hurt. This is not a cute video but an example of bad parenting and an accident waiting to happen. Very scary for the child, the parents and the dog. Because the dog will likely be blamed if anything happens and euthanized because the parents are not doing their job. And the child could very well be maimed, disfigured or killed very quickly if this does not stop soon. Shame on the parents for letting this continue.
THE PARENTS OF THIS CHILD ARE CRAZY TO ALLOW THIS. IT MIGHT BE THE SWEETEST DOG BUT AT THAT VERY MOMENT IT WAS VERY UPSET AND READY TO GET ITS MESSAGE ACROSS DON’T DO THAT AND NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO BITE
I can’t believe that the parents just stood there and videotaped their child with this dog showing so much aggression instead of intervening and removing that child from that situation. It’s not fair for either the little girl or the dog to be forced in that situation. Clearly the dog is saying enough and the parents should have enough sense to stop the child and leave the dog alone. I don’t like to see any dog show aggression like that; but I don’t entirely blame the dog. What is wrong with those parents ? Do they not have any common sense ?
The dog should be commended for it self control in an absolutely intolerable situation. Nobody responsible would let a child continue the hugging of a dog who obviously is extremely uncomfortable with the activity. Shame on the adults. The parents should teach their children how to respect and behave around dogs.
These people don’t know enough about dogs to have one, especially a Rottie. This little girl is in serious danger the dog is hugely well tempered to declare its severe discomfort without biting already! Yay dog, but the dog won’t be able to do this indefinitely. The girl could easily be killed, blinded etc.
Margie here, that is exactly my point! Thank you for knowing the signs and danger therein. We need more smart people like you and many of the folks above. It would take an idiot to allow this to go on, and think it is “cute” and safe. PEOPLE LIKE THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE NEITHER CHILDRENN OR DOGS NOR ANY KIND OF PET. THEY ARE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEMSELVES, OBVIOUSLY, LET ALONE A CHILD AND A POTENTIALLY KILLER DOG…SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! GOD IS WATCHING AND YOU WILL BE JUDGED.
All of the comments pretty well have the situation pegged. Unhappy dog, oblivious little girl and totally irresponsible parents, or whoever it is that is video taping. My granddaddy once told me that there is no cure for stupidity, and stupidity is overwhelming in this video!
The canine behavior displayed in this video is definitely aggressive, and I found myself gasping as the child moved in so closely to a dog who might have seriously disfigured or maimed her, or even worse.
The key word to remember is: BREATHING ROOM; in the human world, we call it “personal space”, and everyone needs it…whether they have two legs or four.
I see the allowed behavior of the child as something that isn’t cute, and has likely been encouraged every day. No one likes having someone being so close to them unless there is mutual consent. No one wants to discourage love and affection; however, some people never understand body language because they missed the class. This is an important lesson…too important to miss.
Every parent, without exception, should teach their child proper dog-human etiquette beginning at the age of three months. It is the parent’s responsibility to educate the child on what is acceptable, and safe, behavior. It is critical to learn animal behavior, even as only an observer.
Learning dog behavior is a life-long education, and hugging any dog shouldn’t be allowed. Let’s face it: no matter how cute and fuzzy a dog can be, they are still animals…and animals will bite. Pack behavior and barring of teeth in the canine world are warning signs. Birds puff up and hiss before inflicting injury…and horses will kick when its least expected. Even that cute little squirrel you are hand-feeding can have an unpredictable side. As responsible parents, we must train and teach our children safe behavior.
Hugging is best shared with other humans that make you feel safe…or a favorite Teddy bear who knows all of your secrets.
What I would say to the dog owner is simple: don’t allow anyone to get that close to your dog. Liability becomes a real issue, and it is up to you to be proactive and in control of your dog. Worse case scenario is that your dog might be euthanized, and defense attorneys are expensive. Train your dog, keep them at a safe distance, and be vigilant…for your own well being.
As the old saying goes, “Better safe than sorry.”
Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
This video appalled me because of the insensitivity and lack of awareness of the owners to the uncomfortable position the poor dog was in. It shows a complete lack of education in canine and child behaviour and its consequences. When disaster strikes as it inevitably will the poor dog will be blamed. The parents need to wake up to themselves! I’m often amazed at the lack of intelligence some people show!!
OMG. That dog is really being tolerant under the circumstances. He did everything he could to tell anyone in the area he was not comfortable with the child being in his face. The parents are idiots and the dogs owner is clueless. That being said, anyone who spends a lot of time around show rings can tell you that Rotties grumble. They do tend to be less comfortable with even their own people being in their face. That dog isn’t grumbling, he is obviously very stressed and wound tight. Kids should be taught to move away from any dog that is growling. I have had large guardian breed dogs for 20+ yrs and I know first hand that people think nothing of reaching to pet them or allowing their children to hug even dogs they never met before. We Socialize early, often and continuously. My dogs trust me to keep them safe and that means I have to be able to read them and make responsible decisions to keep everyone safe. We have a “Say Hi” command for greetings, if the dog is comfortable and wishes to be pet, they step forward. If the dog doesn’t want to be pet they stay at heel and I don’t allow the people to touch them. But they are taught that if they step up, they must keep their mouth shut, they can return to heel to disengage at any time. Please reward your dogs trust by protecting them from any situation where they would feel it necessary to act in an aggressive manner.
This Rottweiler is in distress. There is a difference in a throat growl which all three of our Rotties do when being rubbed on the belly versus a showing of teeth and a guttural growl. Please do not encourage this! This dog is warning you that their space is being invaded. None of our rotties have ever appreciated full on throat hugs combined with excited behavior. They love to be loved on just not in the way displayed in this video.
I have rottweilers and this is a definite uncomfortable situation for the dog. By the actions of the dog, I highly doubt the dog would clamp down and bite but the dog would bite, and probably draw blood with a nick or more of the teeth. Every Rottweiler I have ever met does NOT like being hugged by its head and neck, the dog feels vulnerable. The dog was originally bred to protect live stock and any other animal going towards its neck means a possible death. I do hug my Rottweilers at a early age and keep it up till they “get over this” because once the dog has ideas it is dominate in any area, it will be the boss. I breed and raise Rottis and have had them all my life. Rotti’s do “pure” and “grunt” but it has nothing to do with what is showing in this scenario. When a Rotti is “purring” it does not show teeth and starts growling.