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ring while moving. Presenting the mouth has always been and continues to be, a problem. Handlers not paying attention to their own dogs in the ring are a concern. 7. Name a dog not currently being shown that exempli- fies your ideal type. Dogs that exemplify our ideal type include: Oscar V.H. Brant- par4k, Rodsden’s Bruin V, Hun- gerbuhl, Donnaj VT. Yankee of Paulus, Rodsden’s Birch Hill Bess, Eiko V. Schwaigerwap- pen and Von Bruka Fiona. We have seen many nice examples of the breed, but the above are the ones that come to mind. 8. Anything else you’d like to add? Forty years ago we never would have thought our hobby would become what it has. All
Just recently I had the privilege of judging my first Sieger show for the New England Rottweiler Fanciers. 1. What five traits do you look for, in order, when judging Rottweilers? What do you consider the ulti- mate hallmark of the breed? (1.)When judging, the trait I consider first is Tempera- ment. The dog has to show me that he or she is a Rottwei- ler. Not shy or timid and no aggression. Calm, confident and bold. He or she must be able to be examined. (2.) Next, I consider at the outline of the dog. The profile with head and body proportions; you can also see the chest, neck, top and bottom lines. (3.) Movement would be next, this is so important for a working dog. The reach and drive should be effortless and powerful. (4.) Then head type. There is a lot to look at here. Proportions of skull to muzzle, stop, upper and lower jaw, cheek fill, eyes, ears, bite, gum and lip pigmentation, markings etc. (5.) Then size, bone and substance. Dogs should be 24-27 inches with the muscle and mass to cover their frame. Bitches 22-25 inches with a compact, powerful look. It’s not uncommon to see tall, lanky and short, squatty Rottweilers in the ring today. I don’t think the Rottweiler has one single trait that should stand out, or a hallmark. For me it’s the whole package. I have heard some in the breed say that the head is the hallmark of the breed (though maybe it should be what’s inside the head). The head is one area that troubles me. Today some breed- ers think shorter muzzles are better. But, in fact it is caus- ing bite and jaw problems. The standard has very specific proportions on skull to muzzle length. 2. What shortcomings are you most willing to forgive? What faults do you find hard to overlook? Shortcomings I would consider forgiving would be pig- mentation of gums and lips and a medium eye. I would never forgive lack of pigmentation in mouth or light eyes. I would also penalize the shorter muzzle to skull ratio. Also the reversal of sex characteristics (i.e.- a bitchy dog or doggy bitch) would be penalized heavily. 3. Why do we mostly see dogs (as opposed to bitches) in the top ranked Rottweilers? I don’t understand why males dominate the top rank- ings in Rottweiler’s. For years, in my opinion the bitches being shown have been better then the males. Most Judges seem to just automatically pick a male for breed.
of the special dogs and people that have been in our lives are memorable. Michael has always enjoyed the train- ing and showing of all the dogs. It was always Debbie’s pleasure to watch the team in the ring. In the full circle that we have come the judging is now the most impor- tant thing we can do to continue contribute to the breed that we love. TONY DICICCO
My wife Karen and I go by the Antren kennel name. We live on Long Island, NY and we have been involved with Rott- weilers for over 35 years. I was a co-founder of the Greater New York Rottweiler Club and served as President. I also served as the Colonial Rottwei- ler club’s (the oldest Rottweiler Club in US) as President for
two double terms. In 2014 we had our biggest thrill as breeders/owners. Our female, Silver GCh. Antren’s Just Like That , “Ema” was BOS in the 3 biggest Rottweilers Specialties in the country (American Rottweiler Club, Colonial Rottweiler Club and Medallion Rottweiler Club Specialties). And in less than 9 months of showing she was the number 2 Rottweiler Female and number 9 Rott- weiler overall for 2013. I am a retired Union Electrical Foremen and have worked in the five boroughs of New York City. I started judging for the AKC in 1999 and judged the American Rottweiler Specialty and the Colonial Rottweiler Club Specialty.
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