he is six now and i do worry that he is getting on in years

Lost our Rott girl in 2005 at 13 and 3 month - sheer old age - so don't worry too much yet! (she also wore a baskerville muzzle regularly to stop scavenging)
Chris

I absolutely agree dogs need off lead time to play and in all fairness he is ONLY interested in his ball.

I do think that on roads they have to be on a lead regardless of how good they are at heel, and i PERSONALLY wouldnt allow my dogs off in that particular park as it looks like its too close to roads ut that would be my own choice.

Where i dont think it helps onlookers is that they can see a breed that has had a bad reputation in the past running off lead and if you have never met a Rottweiler you would assume they are all devil dogs rather that the soft things they are, i think the thing that doesnt help these types of dogs with their image and i notice you have him wearing one is these big studded collars, they just have an image that makes you think dangerous for some reason.
He may not be dangerous but i think trying to help that image they have by not having them wearing big studded collars like these may help?

[bHe may not be dangerous but i think trying to help that image they have by not having them wearing big studded collars like these may help?]

I feel the same as you, I have Staffords and they always have on rather soppy collars, it's silly I know but it really does seem to change peoples perceptions.

Love the clip of your boy playing, but laughed out loud at your daft BT trying to get his reflection lol.

> I have Staffords and they always have on rather soppy collars, it's silly I know but it really does seem to change peoples perceptions.

It's not silly :) Buster has a plain black leather collar, but on his (blue) chest harness he wears a little poop-bag holder with baby blue piping and little cute paw-prints allover. A simple little thing like that can & does help make some people feel a little more comfortable around him. People don't seem to realise that ANY dog can wear a cute, baby-ish poop-bag holder, they seem to associate cute apparel with 'cute' behaviour, - not a good general idea to judge a dogs behaviour on what it's wearing!! but works in our favour for playing down the 'macho' aspect :) (the only down-side is that people need to get fairly close to us before they can see the little poop-bag holder, flapping in the wind on Busters shoulders)