Poodles, Poms and Rotweilers
Short or tall, big or small, training suits them all
Last week’s column describing a meeting near my soi between my poodle pup Wan-Wan and a very calm, friendly Pomeranian has prompted a few readers to respond.
“I’ve never met a Pomeranian so calm and polite,” I wrote, but these readers disagreed.
“My little Poppy is a friendly, outgoing little Pomeranian,” one reader protested.
At first glance, little Pomeranians look as if they should be friendly. I’m taken especially by the ears, so soft and furry.
Another reader sort of snarled. “I have never met an aggressive Pomeranian,” he/she wrote. “You and your dog should get out more often.”
Perhaps this reader should get out more often. If you don’t raise your Pomeranian with gentleness and authority – and a lot of socialisation with people and other dogs – you will end up with a very aggressive dog.
It doesn’t matter that dogs of this breed are very small. Their bites can do real damage. In fact, the first (and so far, only) bad dog bite I ever suffered came from a very nervous and very territorial Pomeranian who ripped my ankle and calf apart.
Snowy, who my dog and I met last week, was so completely different. I felt as if I could leave Wan alone with him and she would be completely safe.
You can’t go by breed alone, can you? The other day, I was taking Wan out for her walk. We were just by my gate when I saw a Rottweiler just a few metres away. We had never seen this dog before.
We both froze, as I started calculating how quickly I could grab Wan, unlock the gate and run inside before such a powerful, well-built dog could attack us.
Known for their aggression and violent behaviour, Rottweilers have such a bad reputation. The Rottweilers I’ve met had to be controlled by their owners. I wasn’t allowed to touch them at all.
On the other hand, other owners assure me that their own Rottweilers are gentle, well-behaved animals who would never hurt anyone, not even a cat.
One reader once told me this story. She was visiting her boyfriend’s house for the first time when she saw his two dogs, a collie and a Rottweiler. The collie was sleeping by the door, and the Rottweiler was standing nearby.
The reader had had no experience with dogs, and the thought of stepping over the sleeping collie terrified her. She simply couldn’t do it.
The Rottweiler watched her for a few seconds and then solved the problem. She simply grabbed the collie by the neck and dragged him away from the door. The collie, probably used to being dragged around by the Rottweiler, simply kept on sleeping.
My reader never overcame her fear of dogs, but she did develop a strong friendship with her boyfriend’s Rottweiler.
So which kind of dog was this Rottweiler outside my gate? I was just about to grab Wan and dash inside when the Rottweiler’s owner appeared and saw my face.
“Oh no, no, no,” he said softly. “No need to be afraid. Polka is very gentle.”
“Is it okay for us to come close?” I asked.
“Of course,” he replied.
In fact, Wan took over. After hesitating, she bounced over to the much larger dog, and the two touched noses. Wan was just getting ready to play, but Polka decided to wander down the soi to check out all the scents.
Meanwhile, Wan decided to check out Polka’s owner, who didn’t seem used to bending over so low to pet a small dog.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet Polka several more times. She’s not really a “people-dog”, being firmly bonded to her owner. She is, however, a very calm, quiet dog; a regal dog who doesn’t have to cause anyone any trouble.
