A Launceston dog breeder has vowed to stop breeding rottweilers in the wake of the tragic death of a man south of Hobart two weeks ago.
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Ravenswood resident James Brady supplied rottweiler pup Ruben to a family in Allens Rivulet, north-east of Huonville.
According to records available on pure-bred dogs database Dogz Online, Maree Anderson acquired the dog from Ann and James Brady.
"We are extremely proud to introduce 'Ruben' and look forward to exhibiting this promising young boy," Ms Anderson wrote on the database, referring to the dog that would later kill her husband.
"Huge thanks to Anna and James Brady for entrusting us with such a beautiful boy."
Rottweilers No More
Mr Brady said he was shocked by the tragedy.
When asked whether he felt responsible, he answered: "What do you think?"
"I've already decided we won't breed rottweilers anymore," he said.
"I never in my wildest imagination thought that the tragic accident that happened two weeks ago would ever happen.
"I don't think [rottweilers] are aggressive at all, but I never thought a freaky thing like this could happen.
"But now that I see it can happen, I think maybe they [rottweilers] are too powerful, too strong, and we don't need it."
He said Ruben's attack on his owners was motivated by fear, not aggression, and was triggered by a traumatic incident in which another dog attacked him in mid-2022.
"Ruben's reaction was due to memory recall of that previous negative experience," Mr Brady said.
Even though he said he will give up rottweiler breeding, Mr Brady said he still stands by his dogs, and denies criticism from some that they come from an aggressive bloodline.
'Aggressive' Bloodline
According to Dogz Online, Ruben was sired by Mr Brady's champion rottweiler show dog, Morro.
Rottweiler breeder Dion Russell said dog breeders had a responsibility to ensure the bloodlines they are propagating are not overly aggressive.
He said that the dogs stemming from Mr Brady's dog Morro were "high-prey" dogs that were not suitable as family pets.
"It's not working, there have been major issues, we need to cease these bloodlines.
"It was an unprecedented attack, I've never known something so horrific with any dog.
"They turned on the wife after Noel was down, I've never heard of anything like that."
Mr Brady denied his dogs were unsuitable or bred for aggression.
"As far as rottweilers go, they are sound and stable and I would stack them up against anybody else's," he said.
"They are absolutely suitable as family pets."
He denied that there was a black mark against any of his dogs.
Mr Russell said the show dog community had debated whether Morro was dangerous, after a video from a show dog competition showed Morro tripping up Mr Brady as it moved towards a Burmese mountain dog participant.
"That wasn't the first time James has taken a tumble like that, Morro has gone for dogs before," Mr Russell said.
Mr Brady dismissed those concerns, saying that Morro had moved towards the Burmese because it was on heat at the time.
He said the only reason he tripped was because he was out of shape.
Concern about the safety of rottweiler pets has increased after Mr Backhouse's death, and a serious attack in Perth in September.
