(A
great question from a "RottenViewer")
Question from a
viewer;
I have a Question, I have heard two different reasons as to why some rotti's have white spots when they are pups. What causes this and do most grow out of this?
Answer
from RottenRotty;
The
following conclusions were based on information we found while
researching this issue a while back, to answer this exact same
question that we had. We were unable to find the definitive
answer to this question but we feel that the evidence is clear
enough to justify our answer.
A Rottweiler with a white spot "can" be a perfectly normal Rottweiler. However, the white spot trait is one that breeders should be/are tying to eliminate. Therefore, reputable breeders avoid the spot.
This is to say that breeders should not breed any dog with a spot. Also, they
should avoid repeating a breeding that has produced a litter with such spots.
We at RottenRotty.Com believe that this trait is due to a
recessive gene that we suspect to be from the stats of the
breed now known as the "Bernese Mountain Dog" which,
if you look at their coat, they have similar markings to that
of the Rottweiler but with a large white spot or stripe on their
muzzle and or chest. Not to mention a much longer coat. This
could also explain the rare instances where Rotts are born
with long hair. The following is an except from berner.org
;
"The distant origins of the Bernese Mountain Dog are not well documented. The breed apparently had its origins in the
mastiff type dogs brought by the Romans when they came into Switzerland around two thousand years ago. The Roman dogs were used to guard and drive herds brought with the invaders. Over the centuries, since Roman times, these dogs remained as general-purpose farmers' dogs, but little attention was paid to preserving the type of developing the breed. Indeed, near the end of the 19th century, the breed was nearly extinct.
Fortunately, around the turn of the century, several Swiss dog fanciers realized that ignoring the many good qualities of the old native breeds would be a mistake. These pioneers brought Bernese from various isolated valleys in their home canton of Bern, and promoted the general interest in these dogs. The breed was originally called the "Dürrbächler" after the name of the hamlet and of the inn of Dürrbach, Switzerland where the dog was first developed."
If you've read about the history of the
Rottweiler, you know that the Romans used and bread the Rottweiler in very much the same
fashion as the Bernese Mountain Dog and during the same area. This makes
far too much sense to us, to be ignored. As to the second part
of your question, There have been documented cases where the
spot has faded with age but this is not to say that it will ;-)
I hope this helps.
Mark Payne, Webmaster
