Originally published 2019-12-02.
In October 2019 a short clip from Malaysia made people smile on both sides of the world. A woman steps away from a bank, crosses the road and walks on, while a large black Rottweiler trots a few paces behind her with her small handbag clamped gently in its mouth. No leash tugging, no fuss: the dog simply carries the bag as if that were the most normal job in the world.
The video was shared on 9 October 2019 by MyWatch (@My_CrimeWatch), a Malaysian crime-awareness account on Twitter, now X. Its Malay caption translates roughly as "If you want to avoid being snatched, copy this woman's way," followed by a grinning emoji. The tweet itself has since disappeared from the platform, but the still frames below show what viewers saw.
What the clip actually shows
The footage is short and was filmed from across the street, with parked motorbikes and a taxi in the frame. The woman walks ahead in a light summer dress. The Rottweiler follows on its own, calm and steady, holding the handle of a small paper-coloured bag. It does not pull, bark or look at anyone. It just keeps pace.
Still from a video shared by MyWatch @My_CrimeWatch
The first frame shows the dog stepping off the kerb past a man standing by traffic cones. The bag swings slightly, which tells you the dog is holding it loosely, the way a retriever carries a dummy, not biting down hard.
Still from a video shared by MyWatch @My_CrimeWatch
Here the Rottweiler is mid-crossing. Its head is level and its tail relaxed, the posture of a dog doing a familiar routine rather than one guarding something under stress.
We do not know the woman's name, what was in the bag, or whether she had been to the bank to withdraw cash. Those details were added by viral pages that reposted the clip, and none of them were confirmed. What is clear is the bond: the dog knows where its person is going and stays with her.
Why snatch theft made this clip so relatable
The joke in the caption only lands because bag snatching is a real worry in Malaysia and much of Southeast Asia. In a typical snatch theft, two people ride a motorbike, one steering and one grabbing, and they target pedestrians who carry a handbag on the street side. Malaysians call it ragut.
Snatch thefts are not just about losing a purse. Some victims have been dragged along the road while holding on to their bag, and a few cases in Malaysia have been fatal. That is why many people there wear backpacks on their chest, choose cross-body slings, and walk on the inside of the pavement, away from traffic.
Still from a video shared by MyWatch @My_CrimeWatch
In this wider shot you can see the woman a few metres ahead and the dog following. A motorbike is parked in the foreground, a reminder of exactly the kind of vehicle the caption was hinting at.
Against that background, the image of a would-be thief eyeing the bag and then the jaws of a 50-kilogram dog is pure comedy. That is why the clip spread: it turned a common fear into a laugh.
A working breed with a long history
The Rottweiler takes its name from Rottweil, an old market town in south-west Germany. For centuries these dogs worked for butchers and cattle dealers, driving livestock to market and pulling carts of meat. That is why the breed was once known as the "Rottweil butcher's dog". When railways replaced cattle droving in the mid-19th century, the dogs lost their old job, and the breed later found new work as a service and guard dog.
The breed is big. Males under the FCI standard stand about 61 to 69 centimetres at the shoulder and can weigh 50 to 60 kilograms. Females are a little smaller. The same standard describes a calm, confident dog that suits work as a companion, service or rescue dog.
Carrying things comes naturally to many working dogs. Teaching a dog to "hold" and "carry" is a standard obedience exercise, and plenty of owners use it to have dogs bring in the newspaper, carry a lead, or hold a shopping bag. A Rottweiler that carries a purse calmly beside traffic has almost certainly been trained, and trained well.
Still from a video shared by MyWatch @My_CrimeWatch
The final frame shows dog and owner crossing the junction together. Many viewers pointed out how closely the dog keeps to her line, which is the sign of a dog that has practised walking off-lead with its person.
Is a big dog a good anti-theft plan?
As a joke, yes. As real advice, it needs some care. Studies of Rottweiler behaviour have found the breed tends to be more wary of strangers than average, which links to its guarding instincts. That wariness is exactly why responsible owners spend time on socialising and training, so the dog stays calm in busy streets and around people who mean no harm.
A few practical points worth keeping in mind:
- Training comes first. A dog walking off-lead next to traffic must reliably stop, wait and come back on command. Many places also require dogs to be leashed in public.
- A dog is not insurance. A determined thief on a fast motorbike may still grab a bag, and you never want your dog chasing a vehicle into traffic.
- Simple habits work. Carrying bags on the side away from the road, using cross-body straps and not counting cash at the bank door cut the risk of snatch theft for everyone, dog owner or not.
What the clip really shows is something gentler than security: a dog that enjoys having a job and a person it is happy to follow.
Watch the original post
The tweet that started it all is no longer available on X, but its text and date are preserved below.
Kalau anda mahu elakkan diri dari diragut tiru cara wanita ini. 😁 pic.twitter.com/7B9seFBOgf
— MyWatch (@My_CrimeWatch) October 9, 2019
(This post is no longer available on X.)
Dogs that help with everyday tasks are part of a long tradition, from herding and carting breeds to modern assistance dogs that fetch keys and phones. This Rottweiler's small errand is a reminder that a well-trained dog can be both an impressive presence and a gentle companion at the same time.
Sources: Video and stills: MyWatch (@My_CrimeWatch) on X, 9 October 2019; Wikipedia: Rottweiler; Wikipedia: Snatch theft.
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