The Rottweiler

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The Rottweiler

• American Rottweiler Club
• Approved Seminar

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Formalities

• Presented by Add your name
• Logistics Restrooms, breaks, interruptions
• Introductions
• us (our brief Bios)
• and you
• Name
• Breed you started with
• Breeds you judge
• Expectations of this seminar
• Outline
• History
• What is correct for our breed
• Serious faults
• Disqualifications

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History

• The Rottweiler is believed to be descended from
  the ancient breeds originating in Roman times.
• He performed the duties of guard and drover dog.
• When the Roman Legions traversed the Alps, the
  dogs accompanied them protecting the soldiers and
  driving the herds.
• Settling in the area of Rottweil, the Roman Army
  dogs came into contact with dogs native to the
  area. The natural result was an interbreeding of
  the two.

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History Continued

• The principle duties remained guarding and
  driving of large herds, the defense of their
  masters and the master's property, and a cart
  dog.
• There was a concentration of these dogs in the
  Old German Empire City of Rottweil, where the dog
  acquired the name ROTTWEILER, "butcher dog."
• In the 20th Century, his natural protective
  instinct, hardness, willingness to please, and
  trainability led to his use in military and
  police work.
• The Rottweiler was recognized by the American
  Kennel Club in 1935.
• The first revision to the standard was made in
  1979 and the second in 1990.

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General Appearance

• Medium large, robust, powerful, compact,
  substantial
• Denotes great strength, agility and endurance
• Black with rust markings

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Size, Proportion, Substance
Males more massive 24 to 27 inches
Females - feminine without weakness 22 to 25
inches

• Preferred size is midrange of each sex.
• Correct proportion is of primary importance.

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Size and Proportions

• Length is measured from prosternum to the
  rear-most projection of the rump
• height of the dog measured at the withers.
• Proportion - height to length is 9 to 10. This is
  nearly square.
• Depth of chest is 50 of the height

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Head

• medium length
• broad between the ears
• forehead moderately arched
• zygomatic arch and stop well developed
• strong broad upper and lower jaws.
• ratio of backskull to muzzle is 3 to 2.
• Forehead is preferred dry, some wrinkling may
  occur when dog is alert.

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Head continued

• Expression is noble, alert, and self-assured.
• Eyes, a uniform dark brown, medium size, almond
  shaped, moderately deep-set with well-fitting
  lids.
• Ears of medium size, pendant, triangular in
  shape level with the top of the skull hanging
  forward with the inner edge lying against the
  head and terminating at mid-cheek.

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Head continued

• Muzzle - bridge is straight, broad at base with
  slight tapering towards tip. The end of the
  muzzle is broad with well developed chin. Nose is
  broad and always black.
• Lips black, corners closed, inner pigment
  preferred dark.

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Bite and Dentition

• Teeth 42
• 20 upper
• 22 lower
• strong, correctly placed scissors bite

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Neck

• Neck - Powerful, well muscled, moderately long,
  slightly arched and without loose skin.

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Topline - Backline

• The back is firm and level, extending in a
  straight line from the withers to the croup.
• The back is horizontal to the ground while moving
  or standing.

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Body

• The chest reaches to elbow.
• Forechest is pronounced.
• Oval ribs are well sprung.
• Loin is short, deep and well muscled.
• Croup is broad, of medium length and slightly
  sloping.
• Underline has a slight tuck-up.

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Tail

• Tail docked short, close to body, leaving one or
  two tail vertebrae. The set of the tail is more
  important than length. Properly set, it gives an
  impression of elongation of topline carried
  slightly above horizontal when the dog is excited
  or moving.
• Note the letter from ARC at the back of the
  illustrated standard and in your packets.

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Forequarters

• Shoulder blade is long and well laid back.
• Upper arm equal in length to shoulder blade, set
  so elbows are well under body.
• Legs are straight, heavy bone.
• Pasterns are strong, springy and almost
  perpendicular to the ground.
• Feet are round, compact with well arched toes.
• Pads are thick and hard.
• Nails short, strong and black. Dewclaws may be
  removed.

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Hindquarters

• Angulation of hindquarters balances that of
  forequarters.
• Upper thigh is long, broad and muscled.
• Stifle joint is well turned.
• Lower thigh is long, broad and powerfully muscled
  leading into a strong hock joint.
• Rear pasterns are perpendicular to the ground.
• Viewed from the rear, hind legs are straight,
  strong and properly wide.
• Feet same as in front, but are longer than the
  front feet, Dewclaws must be removed.

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Front and Rear
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Coat

• Outer coat
• straight, coarse, dense
• medium length, lying flat
• shortest on head, ears and legs,
• longest on breaching
• Undercoat present on neck and thighs
• influenced by climatic conditions
• should not show through outer coat
• Exhibited natural with no trimming

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Color

• Always black with rust to mahogany markings.
• Demarcation between black and rust clearly
  defined
• Markings should be located as follows
• a spot over each eye
• cheeks
• a strip around each side of muzzle, but not on
  the bridge of the nose
• throat
• triangular mark on both sides of prosternum
• forelegs from carpus to toes
• inside of rear legs showing down the front of the
  stifle and broadening out to front of rear legs
  from hock to toes, but not completely eliminating
  black from rear of pasterns
• under tail
• black penciling on toes
• undercoat is gray, tan, or black.
• Quantity of rust markings should not exceed 10
  of body.

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Gait

• A trotter
• balanced, harmonious, sure, powerful and
  unhindered
• strong forereach and a powerful rear drive
• Effortless, efficient, ground-covering
• Front and rear legs move forward
• Imprint of hind feet touch that of forefeet
• Back remains level, firm and motionless.
• As speed increases convergence occurs.

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Temperament

• The Rottweiler is basically a calm, confident and
  courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that
  does not lend itself to immediate and
  indiscriminate friendships.
• A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds
  quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to
  influences in his environment.
• He has an inherent desire to protect home and
  family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme
  hardness and adaptability with a strong
  willingness to work, making him especially suited
  as a companion, guardian and general all-purpose
  dog.
• The behavior of the Rottweiler in the show ring
  should be controlled, willing and adaptable,
  trained to submit to examination of mouth,
  testicles, etc.
• An aloof or reserved dog should be not be
  penalized, as this reflects the accepted
  character of the breed.
• An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards
  other dogs should not be faulted.

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Faults

• Wavy coat

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Serious faults

• Lack of proportion, Undersized, oversized
• Reversal of sex characteristics
• Yellow (bird of prey) eyes, eyes of different
  color size, hairless eye rim
• Improper ear carriage (creased, folded or held
  away from cheek/head)?
• Total lack of mouth pigment (pink mouth)?
• Level bite any missing tooth
• Open, excessively short, or curly coat total
  lack of under-coat any trimming that alters the
  length of the natural coat
• Straw-colored, excessive, insufficient or sooty
  markings rust marking other than described
  white marking any place on dog (a few rust or
  white hairs do not constitute a marking)?

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Disqualifications

• Eyes - Entropion, ectropion
• Mouth - Overshot, undershot wry mouth two or
  more missing teeth
• Coat - Any base color other than black absence
  of all markings long coat
• In agreement with AKC requirements
• Unilateral cryptorchid or cryptorchid males
• A dog that attacks any person in the ring

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Thank you for your attention

• Questions?
• Have we met expectations?
• Answered all your questions?
• Bring on the dogs!