Infamy dogs the Rottweiler. Ever since he was marked as the grim hunter in Nazi history, bred and trained to mangle Jews. But many in Mumbai are willing to overlook its shadowy past and rubbish its tags of killer-machine or four-legged bullet.
The most recent to tail it is a trial. Pamela Baywatch Lee has been sued, along with her husband, by a woman claiming she was bitten by the couples Rottweiler at Malibu. The suit said: "This dog had a vicious nature, disposition and propensity, which was known or should have been known to the defendants." Its Mumbai admirers retort that its only its unfortunate reputation that outstrips its not-for-everyone guard dog image. Its only fault, for them, is in its genetically ingrained, single-minded proclivity to protect its owner. Its detractors point to this as its greatest flaw.
Since the entire dog species is guilty of this in various degrees, why a heavy sentence (some countries have banned it) for this breed alone? Says Amir Mullah, a Rottweiler trainer, "Everyone thinks the St Bernard is a sweet giant, but I know one which has bitten 40 people." Capuchin Mascarenhas, who has several Rottweilers at her Goa bungalow, echoes this: "Theyre not violent. Pomeranians, widely kept, are more ferocious." In fact, says Junaid Merchant, owner and trainer of a Rottweiler, this breed is being used abroad in Pet Assisted Therapy, its temperament being mellowed through selective breeding in Europe and the US.
Beauty parlour owner Nikita Trivedis Adolf (named after Hitler) is less than a year old. But his large frame is sheer muscle, his enormous head seemingly all teeth and mostly jaw. "One square-inch of jaw packs 4.5 kilo of muscle behind it," she says proudly, as visitors shudder at its implication. "You can burst a bomb in his ear, he will not even flinch," she adds.
The perfect hunting machine, all of a Rottweilers instincts are honed towards protecting his master. At such times, even a command from his master can prove ineffective. "He is the sort of dog who will jump from our first floor flat, land on all fours like a cat, all his senses fully alert," says Trivedi. Its animal strength, coupled with its unflinching devotion, thralls Rottweiler-lovers. "I could travel alone, in the night, with him by my side and be completely safe. Hes better than a fully-loaded pistol," says Trivedi, who prefers his unspoken but stark devotion to the frenzied affection of "family dogs" like poms and golden retrievers. "He is the Sean Connery in dogdom."
There are a few who seek to abuse this nature though. Freya Zaveri of the Indian National Kennel Club has fielded strange requests for "an attack dog", with a "vicious" temperament, "the type which bites". (Is it why the embattled former Shiv Sena minister Babanrao Gholap surrounded himself with these?) But most people, rues Zaveri, forget that a dog that bites others is very likely to bite the owner too.
In truth, the Dobermann in India, normally seen as genial, is becoming vicious due to ill-informed breeding. Rottweiler breeding in India, on the other hand, is controlled, with only the top kennels importing these from Pan American breeds, says Merchant. He pegs its price at Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 per pup. Some say it ranges from Rs 10,000, goes up to Rs 78,000 for a "show-quality" pup. Abroad, a fully trained Rottweiler may even cost Rs 15 lakh. Says Zaveri: "Pups bred in India may cost
Rs 8,000 to Rs 15,000. But there are hardly any litters in India, while imported ones cost Rs 20,000 upwards."
A Rottweiler, Merchant is fondly convinced, is just a giant lap dog. Even so, a Rottie (as his doting fans christen him) is not for all. The Complete Rottweiler, a book by Muriel Freeman, though largely panegyric, warns: "If you do not have the time nor the inclination, a Rottweiler is not your breed!" Merchant concurs, advising first-time dog-owners against it. "Its guarding instinct is very pronounced. It needs careful handling. Socialise the dog. Otherwise, dont be surprised if hes neurotic." For a one-man dog, an owners disregard is excruciatingly cruel. As happens when a Rottweilers selected only for its reputation and disowned later. There are several rescue sites on the net, meant to care for Rottweilers abandoned by those unable to cope with its special nature.
Rottweiler reputation is in a tailspin today. People choose it because it is vicious, train it to attack, further perpetuating the myth. Zaveri explains: "Unlike hounds which are completely aloof and independent, Rottweilers are actually fond of human company. If denied this, they get cranky. They are intelligent, need a lot of stimulation. Another breed may allow you to touch, deciding to bite you only if it dislikes you. But not a Rottweiler. It wont give you time, but will snipe. Its good at sniffing and tracking." Their strength ensures they have their way, not just with enemies, but also the masters.
And that would be an understatement. From weighing 10 pounds as a pup to 100 pounds in less than a year is staggering growth. Once it takes a bite (usually goes for the ankle), it may be tough to dislodge it. Even the enormous Great Dane can be pushed aside, never a remorseless Rottweiler.
It also needs a longer training period. Other dogs may become well trained in four to five months, but a Rottweiler requires nine months (also takes longer to mature, 18 months against one year for other dogs, with "a memory bank of an ibm computer").
Notes Mullah: "It is a hot-tempered dog. When it is angry, never attempt to show him that you are the boss. Females are less irritable than males. For instance, if the owner trips on its tail, the female will ignore it; a male may take a snipe immediately."
Freemans book spoors its unique evolution as a guard dog to Rome. Ambitious Roman emperors forayed heavily into Europe. Such campaigns needed fodder, usually "on-the-hoof", guarded by dogs trotting alongside. Enter the Mastiff type, rugged Roman drover dogs which settled, along with the conquerors, around 74 AD in southern Germany. The agrarian, cattle-owning community at Rottweil (meaning Red tile) continued to use this Rottweiler Metzgerhund (butcher dog) till the 19th century when the donkey and the railroad made it redundant. Interest in it resurfaced in 1901, when the Rottweiler and Leonberger Club created the first Rottweiler Standard.
Though Donald Coelho acquired his Rottweiler because of his fascination with such historical details, today he scoffs at these as myth. "When I got Lesley, everybody warned me of her reputation. Even vets and ordinary dog-trainers will not have anything to do with a Rottweiler. But she is so unbelievably gentle. Her reputation bothers me, but it keeps people away."
Mascarenhas describes her three dogs as docile. Her children, aged between six and eight, can "even put their hands in their mouths". She knows of their "lock-jaw", wont-let-go reputation (though Merchant refutes this, saying the dog has a "scissor-bite"), but then, says she, "Ive had strays bite me for no reason. " Her scrapbook on her pets is dog-eared, with affection. "I love everything about my dogs," she dotes. For her, they dont walk the wild side. Not with her acting as the leash.
