Generally speaking,
it has always been our belief that the finest working and conformation
rottweilers in the world are to be found in Germany. This is mainly due to the
fact that in Germany, the parent rottweiler breed organization has strict
governing power over which dogs are to be used or disqualified as breeding
stock. The following guidelines are used in Germany before any rottweiler is
considered suitable for breeding, which would then deem the puppies registerable:
-
All German rottweilers
intended for breeding must pass a series of detailed tests to determine proper
temperament, character, structure, conformation and movement. Hips and elbows
are also x-rayed, and only those with passing x-rays can be qualified for
breeding suitability.
-
The temperament tests are judged on the basis of whether
or not the German rottweiler possesses the character described in the standard of the breed.
For example, a dog bred for protection must show the natural drive to defend
both himself and his family when threatened. Thus, a shy or overly vicious dog
would be disqualified as breeding stock.
-
When breeding rottweilers according to standards that cannot be compromised,
the results then become more predictable, in that you are far more likely to get
a rottweiler with the look and working characteristics that the breed is meant
to possess.
Consequences of not
following German rottweiler breeding standards
If a rottweiler breeder is not held accountable to a standard, as is the case
with most breeders in this country, then personal preference and taste becomes
the basis in which breeding partners are selected. This opens up the door to a
wide array of faults, and oftentimes problems which are even much more serious.
For example, lets say a rottweiler breeder has a personal preference for over-sized
dogs. This breeder begins to seek out breeding stock on the basis of size
alone, not taking into consideration that this type of practice can have
devastating results on the health and soundness of future rottweiler generations. All of a
sudden, the rottweiler breeder realizes that a larger frame means less agility and
endurance for the work, and even more serious it can mean a weaker skeletal
system. Hips and elbows now fail from trying to move added weight and bulk that
was not meant for a dog this size. And while that rottweiler breeder was so busy looking
for giants, he didn't pay close enough attention to the dogs intelligence and
working temperament. Now he is also breeding oversized rotts that urinate at the
sound of a door slamming, or worse yet are insecure and bite out of fear without
provocation. When dealing with genetics, the possibilities of where one can go
wrong are endless. There simply must be a standard to act as a guideline, if a
rottweiler breeder truly wants to consistently breed sound animals!
Even
higher rottweiler breeding standards than practiced in Germany
At Old World Kennel, we hold the
rottweilers in our
breeding program as closely as possible to the same strict standards that are
used in Germany. In fact, our standards are even higher, since we import only
the absolute finest rottweilers, that are from bloodlines that are winning some
of the most prestigious shows and working trials in the world. As a result, our
breedings produce the true rottweiler type as it was meant from the beginning,
which is a powerfully built noble animal with courage, strength, intelligence, and endurance.
Finally, one need not go all the way to Germany to find a dog of true rottweiler
type!
