Rottweilers and warning signals.

I was at a conference yesterday and it was eluded to that Rottweilers bite without warning. i don't like generalising whole breeds, I've worked with a lot of Rotties in rescue and always found them fine. I've never been bitten by one or seen one bite another dog but I would expect the usual warning signals.

Can any Rottweiler owners/breeders clear this up for me.

Thanks.

Dear god! It's awful...yet again another generalisation And in a conference too!!
I haven't owned Rotties but I used to take my friend's Rotties out a lot with my dogs and all I can say is that they were better behaved than mine!! I didn't have any problems with them at all. In fact one of them (a huge girl) was terrified of my little, blind welsh collie!!
The only probs I had were with humans running away from them with their pre-conceived ideas that they were going to attack them!!

That what my husband was told by a breeder of Rotts. They bite without warning.
He is a police officer and was just at the house doing door to door and got chatting.
I have always wanted a Rottie so thats why he started asking about them. She said they would bite without warning and wern't the dog to have if we had small children ( which we did then and do now)

I have no Idea if its true or not but I have known a few rotties and they have all been as good as gold.
I will get one one day but would love dog so having three dogs in the house already it won't be for a few years yet.

Mine, a rescue has never bitten with us. Not even a nip.He is incredibly patient with my two little ones and gives very clear signs when he is unsure or unhappy. My 2 yo son climbs all over him and plays constantly. He can take his toys and Bruce doesn't care (although my heart was in my throat the first 1000 times this happened), he loves the attention. If he's not in the mood (which has been twice) he has a little growl- no teeth bared or anything and then looks at me and waits for me to chase my son away.

Of course they are NEVER unsupervised and I am always within a metre of them but I have honestly never in my life met a dog I would trust with my kids as much as I do my rotti.

He had a hip operation when he was a pup,and has accidentally pulled my son on top of him whilst demanding a tummy rub, he made a whimper as my son was on his bad hip but again just looked at me, didn't flip my son off or anything, just waited for me to intervene.

He uses body language the same as any other dog as far as I can tell. He is strong and calm but playful and protective, but not aggressive.

The one that bit Cherry dod so without warning and took a hole out of her side. Had really stupid unsuitable owners though so that probably explains it?!!

My Rottie cross certainly throws out lots of body language when she's not happy - just like any other dog really. If we're at the vets and she's not happy to have her temperature taken (don't know many dogs that would be!), her body language is tense just like any other dog. If she's unhappy with a dog bouncing up to her, she will show it with her body, she may air snap at grumble at them but she's never bit a dog - just ask Amanda/Moon's Mum on here, who's specifically bringing her dog over to see Kiki because Kiki gives just the right level of warnings!
Kiki's very uncomfortable with a friend of mine, we're not quite sure why as my friend's never done anything to scare her, but if I go into the petshop she works at then Kiki will bark her head off, hide behind me, etc. - we're working on it and I don't think my friend's ever felt like Kiki would bite her because Kiki is very obvious in showing her levels of comfort and if my friend is going too far.

I can only assume that it's a rumour that's so widely spread that people just seem to believe it, tell it to others, and it spreads more and more as gospel, even amongst breeders and "experts". The only thing I would say that possible could lend some truth to it is that as a mainly black dog, it could be harder to read some of the signs, and with a docked tail, again, it limits their way of communicating. I might steer clear of a dog that's raising a lip and has its tail firmly tucked between its legs because it looks scared and ready to bite out of fear, but with a docked tail and a face that's hard to read due to being so dark, you may miss those warning signs.

I imagine there are dogs out there that bite without warning - perhaps many through incorrect training, e.g. being punished for growling instead of the owners realising that the dog is telling them its uncomfortably and backing away, but I wouldn't say it's a Rottweiler specific trait. I had a Dachshund just go for me - luckily they're a bit smaller and it just caught the ankle of my boots, but it had shown no sign of being uncomfortable, just suddenly lunged at me as I walked past.

....... in professional situations (vn) with rotts i have met many that do not like strangers 'handling them'... ive not been bitten yet,why?...... cos they have 'warned'me first allowing me to not be bitten
...is their really such a thing as 'biting without warning'? ...body language is always their imo.

Daisy would lunge without warning, I thought... until I got to know her better and began to recognise the signs (hard stare, stiffening, head lifted). The signs are there, but if the plonkers who own these dogs (eg her previous owners) have punished the dog for growling / air snapping the dog goes straight from relaxed to readiness without the usual warnings. But they are still there.

All animals, whatever species give warnings, some may be more subtle than others, but they are there. You just have to pick them up and understand what they mean.

I'm not asking if Rottweilers bite more than other breeds. I don't think they do. Or how hard they can bite.
But I'm pretty sure the signals are there just like any other breed.