Rottweiler Q & A
“THIS STOIC BREED GETS INTO YOUR HEART AND THEY NEVER LEAVE. My life will never be the same without them!”
LORETTA PYEATT
won WB at our Nationals and also got a select at only 1 year old! I was hooked! My first litter was in 2008 that I co-bred. I learned a lot from the other breeder. Started breeding on my own in 2010. The secret to a successful breeding program is to watch what others are doing and ask a lot of questions from breeders you know and respect. It’s easier to watch what is being produced with social media. Sometimes you just have to think outside of the box. The condition of the Rottweiler breed today? I think breeders today are really making an effort to clean up our front assembly which has been problematic but now our rears are showing neglect. I’m also seeing that people in the sport are “selling” us on the idea of what our breed should be, due to what they are producing not breeding to the standard. What I feel breeders need to concentrate on to improve the qual- ity of Rottweiler? I always think form is function. To improve the breed use a great bitch who is conformation correct and really try to visualize the outcome. This is where thinking outside the box is important. I learned this from Suzan Guynn. It has worked for me. Also, I wish health clearances were more predictable but as you know, you can breed two very healthy animals and things pop up that you just don’t expect. I hope that all breeders and owners par- ticipate in research for our health issues. Pointing fingers won’t help but participating in research will. I feel like the education and certification process is lacking and the general knowledge is there but the nuances of our breed isn’t. Also, the influence of who did the mentoring greatly influences the process of how dogs are picked. I watched a breeder judge pick very politically instead of correctly. I would like to see breeder judges pick the dog vs who will get then there next assignment. ‘This also influences all rounder decision as they feel breeder judges are more savvy about our breed. Has the current wave of “dangerous dog” legislation affected me? Yes! When making breeding choices temperament is extremely important because breeding a hard dog is frowned upon. I tempera- ment test every puppy with a certified trainer/tester before mak- ing decisions on where they are placed. I also live in an area where we have a animal limit but the animal control people really watch what’s going on with the bully breeds. Does the docking and cropping ban in other parts of the world impact me? Most definitely as all my pups are docked! You see very few American bred dogs doing well in FCI countries and vice versa. We are starting to see movement back to docking in countries that originally banned it. I think those countries are trying to bring the decision back to it being a choice. I think at that point there needs to be definitive standards about tail set and/ or tail. I have many great memories but there is one that makes me laugh out loud to this day. My bitch Reagan was going around in a large outdoor group ring. One whole side had tent stakes and she ran her handler thru the stakes and he had to jump each one! It was hysterical. She got a piece of the group that day! The Rottweiler has a way of bringing out the best or the worst in people. They most definitely will run you or you learn to embrace them. Making things “their idea” is truly the key to living in har- mony with this strong, noble breed. This stoic breed gets into your heart and they never leave. My life will never be the same without them!
Lorretta and Allen Pyeatt have been breed- ing Rottweilers under the kennel name Loral Rottweilers. We started our adventure in the dog world as a family sport. I have trained and shown all our dogs myself until the past five years at which time health and age has required we hire handlers . We have produced mul- tiple BIS and BISS female and male Rottweilers. OTCH and High In Trial obedience titled Rott- weilers, multiple futurity winners , multiple best in sweepstakes winners , BISP BISSP and top dog in the United States and the Philippines. We live in southeast North Carolina , my husband and I own a dog business Canine Academy. A dog training center, boarding facility and doggie daycare. I teach the classes and run the day to day business. We purchased our first Rottweiler in 1983, as a pet. While tak- ing training classes it was suggested we should show our Rottweiler puppy. After visiting an AKC dog show we were hooked for life! The secret to a successful breeding program: you must passion- ately love your breed. Study not only your breed standard but know what attributes are most important to you. For me raising small children with our Rottweilers in the beginning temperament had to come first. Second for me is health without a healthy dog own- ers and dogs suffer. Third is structure A breeder must understand structure form and function. The condition of the Rottweiler breed: I feel breeds change constantly depending on the popularity of a stud dog and how he influences his breed. I had the opportunity to show at this years Rottweiler nationals. I feel positive that the Rottweiler breed is in a positive place. Great temperaments, large numbers of veteran dogs and bitches speaks well for longevity and health. Structure is always subjective for me I love movement if a Rottweiler can move effort- lessly it can work. I guess if I had one con it would be we need stronger top lines and shorter backs . That would be my wish for the Rottweiler of 2019. What I feel breeders need to focus on: overall I think majority of breeders are doing a great job. Structure can always be improved on. I think overall judges are doing a good job. It’s politics that hurt the show world and then breeds suffer. Has the dangerous dog laws affected me: luckily I live in a coun- ty that does not have dangerous breed specific laws rather a danger- ous dog law. I was active in city council meetings many years back to help shape the laws not to single out any one breed. I love my Rottweiler with a docked tail. I hope I will always have the right to choose a docked tail Rottweiler.
252 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J UNE 2019
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