Breed Typing; German vs.
American Rottweilers
(a study of the standards)
It would appear that there is a misconception about the
Rottweiler breed type amongst breed enthusiasts. Our mission
is to clarify this with the facts in this discussion.
In order to explain away the myth about the Germen vs.
American Rottweiler dilemma, we must first identify the
misunderstanding. It would appear that a great majority of
breeders and owners alike are under the misunderstanding that
the very best of the breeding and showing stock come from
Germany. This myth is not surprising given the fact the German
breeders are credited for setting the standard for the
Rottweiler breed. Since the ADRK (German equivalent to AKC)
and the AKC have exactly the same standard for the breed type,
this raises the questions, “Is the German of the breed held in
higher regard simply because they are from Germany?”
furthermore, “Does a
German blood line make your Rottweiler any better then the
offspring from a long line of show quality American bred
stock in the show ring?”
I am convinced that in the majority of cases in America,
breeders have perpetuated the German breed type because they
are using German imports to inflate the value of their
offspring in the market place. This is frowned upon these days
by breeders and owners who are “in the know” and understand
that if the standard is exactly the same for both German &
American show dogs, then how could they be that much better?
The ratio of breeders in America to those in Germany is far
greater in part due to the lack of restrictions placed on
breeders in America. This means that there is currently, a far
greater number of breeders in this country then in Germany.
This in and of itself, is not a bad thing, except when you
conceder that there is a far greater chance of buying a
sub-standard dog from a “backyard breeder” or even a “puppy
mill” under the guise of a German importer in this country. On
this topic I will also add that since the cropping of tails
has been illegal in Germany for many years, if you have
purchased a young adult “Imported Breeding Stock” dog or bitch in the past
several years, then you, or the exporter you bought your dog/s
from, have had the tails surgically docked at an other then
acceptable age.
A very learned International Rottweiler judge, and breeder of
show Rotts Steve Wolfson says it best in his very well written
article on this very topic, the following is a small excerpt;
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There is only one Rottweiler;
correct in type* and construction according to the standard.
No doubt, untypical and poorly constructed specimens are
everywhere. Often, I have encountered Rottweilers purchased as
pets (even represented as a show dog) I would consider
completely lacking breed type *, yet I know they are pure bred
Rottweilers. Why the difference? Variations of size, shape,
and head type etc, encountered in the breed happen for two
reasons:
A. Normal variance that
occurs in the progeny when breeding Sire to Dam
B. Poor planning / Little Concern for the Rottweiler
breed -
(some breedings take place with no motive at all, but for a
monetary one).
read the
complete article
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This brings us to the next portion of this discussion,
"Rottweilers as pets, and choosing to breed".
I can not tell you how many times I’ve had people tell me that
our male "Legend must be a German Rottweiler" or, "he’s so
big, he must be an American Rottweiler", I’ve almost given up
trying to explain the facts to them. But as a spokes person
and student of
the breed, I feel I am obligated to explain the differences or
the lack thereof in this case to the misguided.
In the vast majority of cases it’s a simple example of
believing what you are told without doing thorough research
from respectable, knowing, resources, and then passing on this
incorrect data as the gospel. Know one is really at fault here, but if we do
nothing to stop the chain of misinformation, it will become the
truth.
Even the very finest American or German show dogs displaying
the perfect breed type are likely to produce less then perfect
offspring at some point. Though it is a good starting point,
don't count on the awards the dog or bitch has earned in the
ring to be the definitive method of choosing a quality
Rottweiler or breeder for that matter. This simply means
"buyer beware", there are no guarantees in this game! If a
breeder is breeding for any reason other then to perfect
the breed type, they are doing it for the wrong reasons!
In the views of my wife and I, who choose not to breed for
many reasons, we asked ourselves these simple questions, does
a slightly curved top line, loose paws, or a slight under byte make a pet
Rottweiler any less of a good companion, Heck No, But we
certainly would not breed an animal that displayed these or
any other faults. The biggest question you should be asking
yourself before you start breeding is, do you really
understand the breed type and can you identify what the faults are?
Are you prepared to do
the responsible thing by choosing not to breed an animal no
matter how badly you may wish to do so, or how much it has
cost you?
You can find great non-show dogs at your local pound, shelter,
or rescue organization that very well could have been the discards from a
back yard breeder or puppy mill, and after all, aren't they
entitled to a good home too?
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Let’s Review the facts,
1. The standards for
“breed type” are the exact same for the ADRK (Germany) and the
AKC (America). This is to mean that a good example of the
breed type can come from either country. Both Countries are
capable of producing top quality specimens!
2. You have a far better chance of getting a
non-standard Rottweiler in America due to a far larger number
of so-called breeders, and the lack of regulations governing over who can
breed and who can not, and to what standards they must adhere
to.
3. Does any of this make a difference to me as a
Rottweiler Pet owner, YES, if we continue to buy from
non-standard breeders; we are helping to pollute the gene pool for future generations of Rottweilers
in this county, not to mention
that we are funding this type of unethical breeding practice.
WE ARE working against the breed type.
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Please become a student of the breed before you buy, and if
you are looking for a pet, conceder rescuing a Rott first!
Mark Payne - webmaster
