Rottweiler Breed Magazine - Showsight

Judging The RoTTweileR

By Lew Olson, PhD

T he Rottweiler is an ath- letic breed that is com- pact and well muscled that gives the appear- ance of being capable of trotting in a fi eld all day long. Rottweilers are used for driving cattle, being a utilitarian farm dog, pull- ing a cart, search and rescue and is a loyal family pet and protector. Th e Rottweiler should appear powerful and robust. With this in mind, we will look at this breed more closely. Proportion Th e ideal Rottweiler proportion is 9 to 10. When viewed by the human eye, this will look square. Th e Rottweiler will appear square when standing, and the small degree of length may be observed when the dog is moving. When the dog is moving, you should be able to observe the power and strength of this breed in a balanced trot. Th is is not an extended trot- ting breed, and is best observed at a ‘mod- erate’ pace. Th ey are built for endurance, not short fast bursts of speed. Th is breed should not look ‘long in body’ or ‘short on leg’. Be aware of the proper proportions as it a ff ects the overall impression of power and strength. Balance and Movement A Rottweiler needs to be balanced front and rear. Th ey should not be straight in the front shoulders and upper arm, nor having extreme angulation in the rear. Th is would create a dog that would tire easily and would have di ffi culty extending the rear hock for good rear drive. A balance of front and rear angles helps give the endurance needed for this working dog, and to main- tain a strong, level topline and produce an ‘e ff ortless’ trot. To complete the package to sustain endurance and good movement,

the Rottweiler needs round, compact feet with well-arched toes. Head While the head is important in this breed for speci fi c breed characteristics, the movement and structure are equal Rottweiler breed type features. Ideally the proportion of the head is a ratio of 3 to 2 in the back skull to the muzzle. Th e zygo- matic arch ( Th e part of the temporal bone of the skull that forms the prominence of the cheek) and stop are well developed and the muzzle is broad at the base, with a slight tapering to the end of the muzzle. Under jaw is also strong with a well-devel- oped chin. Th e eyes are almond shaped and dark. Th e ears are medium, level with the top of the head and inner ear lies tight- ly to the skull. When erect, this set give the head a broader appearance. Th e head should be in proportion to the body and bone of the whole dog. Examining the Rottweiler Th e AKC Standard describes the Rott- weiler as a somewhat aloof breed, which doesn’t make indiscriminate friendships. An aloof or reserved Rottweiler is not to be penalized. With that in mind, the examination of this breed should be light handed. Th e Rottweiler does not need to be ‘massaged’, leaned on, poked or prod- ded. Breed type and structure are eas- ily evaluated through movement,, muscle tone and athletic presence. Th e examina- tion is useful to check for disqualifying faults, testicles and cosmetic details such as eye color, markings and expression. It is often easier to examine the bite fi rst in the individual examination, as the window of tolerance in this breed can narrow the longer one spends examining them. Exam- ine the dog by looking at the head and expression, check the bite and then, while

238 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2014

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