Is the Rottweiler the right choice for you?
“The dark guardian of the family” was used, many years ago, to describe the Rottweiler and this is just as applicable today. It is imperative that you understand the long-term responsibility you will undertake if you decide that the Rottweiler is right for you. It is very easy to be captivated by an engaging litter of black and tan bundles of fun, but puppies, like children, grow up all too quickly.
When mature, the Rottweiler is a strong, very demanding, somewhat arrogant animal, with a highly developed guarding instinct. It is essential to understand that, once mature, will weigh roughly 100+ lbs. of muscle and will need to be trained from an early age, to be under control. This breed needs firm, sympathetic handling as they are quick to learn, and so will learn bad behavior unless corrected kindly but consistently. It is all too easy for the inexperienced to try and make a Rottweiler “guard” but this is neither necessary nor advisable.
In the right hands, the Rottweiler is easily trained and his enthusiastic nature can be channeled into some form of training. The family environment is ideal for a Rottweiler as they desire human contact and are not happy left alone for long periods. They should not be left chained outside as this can cause the build up of frustration which can later trigger aggression. They want to be wherever you are, sharing your life and offering you companionship and protection. On the down side, like any other dog they shed hair, slobber and leave muddy paw marks around the house. Some of them have an unfortunate habit of standing on your feet or sitting in your lap! Sometimes they push their head under your elbow to gain attention and this can be a bit annoying when you have a hot mug of coffee in your hand! You must be willing to accept and love the good along with....well....the not so good. In the end, your companion will prove to have been well worth the investment!
The Rottweiler is, and will continue to be for the first twelve months of his life, expensive to rear. If you are living on a tight, fixed income, you may want to re-consider this breed for your family.
When mature, the Rottweiler is a strong, very demanding, somewhat arrogant animal, with a highly developed guarding instinct. It is essential to understand that, once mature, will weigh roughly 100+ lbs. of muscle and will need to be trained from an early age, to be under control. This breed needs firm, sympathetic handling as they are quick to learn, and so will learn bad behavior unless corrected kindly but consistently. It is all too easy for the inexperienced to try and make a Rottweiler “guard” but this is neither necessary nor advisable.
In the right hands, the Rottweiler is easily trained and his enthusiastic nature can be channeled into some form of training. The family environment is ideal for a Rottweiler as they desire human contact and are not happy left alone for long periods. They should not be left chained outside as this can cause the build up of frustration which can later trigger aggression. They want to be wherever you are, sharing your life and offering you companionship and protection. On the down side, like any other dog they shed hair, slobber and leave muddy paw marks around the house. Some of them have an unfortunate habit of standing on your feet or sitting in your lap! Sometimes they push their head under your elbow to gain attention and this can be a bit annoying when you have a hot mug of coffee in your hand! You must be willing to accept and love the good along with....well....the not so good. In the end, your companion will prove to have been well worth the investment!
The Rottweiler is, and will continue to be for the first twelve months of his life, expensive to rear. If you are living on a tight, fixed income, you may want to re-consider this breed for your family.
Rottweiler Weight,Height and Eye Charts below:
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The color of the eyes should always be as dark as possible, with 1A the best. It is not so much a functionality reason, since the eyes can work either light or dark, but an all important type trait. As the eye color gets lighter it softens the appearance of the gaze, diminishing the fearlessness of Rottweiler expression.
Another factor in striving to keep the eye color dark is it's difficulty maintaining it once light eyes are introduced into the blood line. Interestingly, the German eye chart allows a range of 1A-5B, however, to be more precise one can often observe shades of eye color in between these numbers. Therefore half shades are also possible. Example 1 A 1/2, 2 B 1/2, etc.
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Rottweiler bite dentition explanation:
A correct Rottweiler bite is the 'scissor bite', which is when the top front teeth (top incisors overlap the bottom front teeth (lower incisors) very closely. A dog who has an overbite, underbite or 'wry mouth' (basically uneven or crooked teeth) isn't show quality and these are disqualifying faults.
In Diagram #11, this drawing of a moderate overbite clearly shows that the lower canines will not mesh with the upper canines, and will in fact bore unnatural holes in the roof of the mouth of the dog. On overbites, the teeth find a place to go and do not interfere with the dog’s ability to eat and certainly do not affect the health of the dog. Many veterinarians will tell people who have overbite puppies that they need to bring them in for surgical removal of the lower puppy canines because they are boring unnatural holes in the roof of the mouth. In all the time we’ve been breeding Rottweilers, overbites are the most common feature that occur rendering a puppy as pet quality. Of all of the overbite pet quality puppies we’ve produced, not one single one ever required any medical intervention or pulling of teeth because of the overbite and many times overbites do correct during the transition from puppy to adult.
In Diagram #12, the drawing shows a regular overbite. On occasion, a regular overbite can and sometimes does correct into a scissors bite. A puppy’s bottom jaw will continue to grow until they are approximately nine months old, which means the bite is in transition until 9 to 11 months old. It should be noted that the top jaw is also in transition and growing during this period. The bite can go either way, from scissors to underbite or from scissors to overbite, or the most common would be from scissors to level bite.
In Diagram #13, the drawing shows a level bite which is breedable and showable and is not a disqualifying fault in the show ring, but it is a fault. A level bite is often heavily penalized by judges and is not desirable. Many older Rottweilers have level bites that show up later in life. Sometimes these bites are caused from excessive chewing or excessive tugging on the jaw.
In Diagram #14, the drawing shows an underbite which is much less common than the overbite and level bite. In all the years we've been in Rottweilers, an underbite has never corrected to a scissors bite. While it is possible that it could happen, the odds against it are astronomical.
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Diagram #11: View of a moderate overbite, with the canines in reverse order.
Diagram #13: Shows a level bite. |
Diagram #12: Shows a regular overbite, a show disqualifying feature.
Diagram #14: Shows an underbite, a show disqualifying feature. |
Examples:
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