Rottweiler

[centitout]

I have only ever owned one rottweiler,but i was just reading one of the posts that says they are still used for breeding with elbow scores of 3?

That cant be true ,surely,i hope i just read it wrong as that would be a fail for most breeds.I wouldnt even use a 2,either o or 1 max for me.

[Allerzeit]

The only requirement through the ANKC is that hips and elbows be x-rayed before a litter can be registered, they don't care what the scores are.

The National Rottweiler Council (Australia) has further guidelines in place, but they only affect breeders who are members of an NRC(A) affiliated Rottweiler club (and only relate to hip scores at this stage, I believe).

None of this means that a breeder will breed with an elbow score of 3, that would depend on the breeder.

ETA: I would be interested to read the post you are referring to, if you could point me to it please?

Edited March 27, 2010 by Allerzeit

[jdonly1]

Things can still happen with the best bred dog(He did not have any hip or elbow probs)

We lost our boy last month to cancer at the age of 6 .He went went from a fit health dog to a wreck in about 2 weeks )Vets took that long to work out what was happening to him and didnt really know till they opened him up

Two mates that have also had rottweilers,3 dogs in total all had to be put down because of cancer,the eldest dog made it to 8 years old.

This in it self nearly put me off the breed

Edited March 27, 2010 by jdonly1

[centitout]

The only requirement through the ANKC is that hips and elbows be x-rayed before a litter can be registered, they don't care what the scores are.

The National Rottweiler Council (Australia) has further guidelines in place, but they only affect breeders who are members of an NRC(A) affiliated Rottweiler club (and only relate to hip scores at this stage, I believe).

None of this means that a breeder will breed with an elbow score of 3, that would depend on the breeder.

ETA: I would be interested to read the post you are referring to, if you could point me to it please?

Post 18 i think it is-only interested as it does seem high fo relbows,not assuming decent breeders will breed with that though,may be just the way it was worded or i took it the wrong way!

[Pawprints]

Things can still happen with the best bred dog(He did not have any hip or elbow probs)

We lost our boy last month to cancer at the age of 6 :D .He went went from a fit health dog to a wreck in about 2 weeks ;) )Vets took that long to work out what was happening to him and didnt really know till they opened him up

Two mates that have also had rottweilers,3 dogs in total all had to be put down because of cancer,the eldest dog made it to 8 years old.

This in it self nearly put me off the breed

I agree this is one thing that I dred when I think of having a Rottie. My last rottie I lost to Cancer and I have 4 friends who have lost theirs to cancer. All from different blood lines I might add. It is a thing to think about but having said that, Cancer is far more prevalent in other large breeds.

[stef_83]

just a quick question about sizes im feeling a little confused my saffron was the runt of the litter and is approx 10 months old and only 35kilo's im getting told by alot of ppl that she is small for her breed.

[Vonasche]

Hi Stef,

35kg's at 10 months of age is certainly not small. Do you mean that people say she is small height wise? Her weight is certainly not on the small side.

[stef_83]

Hi Stef,

35kg's at 10 months of age is certainly not small. Do you mean that people say she is small height wise? Her weight is certainly not on the small side.

yes height wise she wont stay still long enough for me to messure the height but OH is 5'4 and saffron comes to midish thigh level

[Allerzeit]

She sounds pretty normal to me :p There is a reasonably large allowable height range - between 56cm and 63cm for bitches, she may be on the smaller side of the acceptable range, but she doesn't sound undersized to me.

Who is telling you that she is small? A lot of people who are not experienced in the breed do tend to think that a normal sized bitch (or even a normal sized dog sometimes) is "small" because they have an expectation that Rotts should be huge. I've lost count of the number of times people have come up to me when I have my dogs with me and tell me in no uncertain terms that they, or their mate, have/had a rotty who was much, much bigger than mine - this is normally accompanied by them holding their hand up to waist height to indicate that their Rottweiler was the size of a small horse

[stef_83]

She sounds pretty normal to me ;) There is a reasonably large allowable height range - between 56cm and 63cm for bitches, she may be on the smaller side of the acceptable range, but she doesn't sound undersized to me.

Who is telling you that she is small? A lot of people who are not experienced in the breed do tend to think that a normal sized bitch (or even a normal sized dog sometimes) is "small" because they have an expectation that Rotts should be huge. I've lost count of the number of times people have come up to me when I have my dogs with me and tell me in no uncertain terms that they, or their mate, have/had a rotty who was much, much bigger than mine - this is normally accompanied by them holding their hand up to waist height to indicate that their Rottweiler was the size of a small horse

yes alot of inexperinced people they keep telling me there's no way she's pure and i got ripped etc . saffron's "mum" was 45kg and around 59cm plus saffron was the runt so i guess she just within rang plus she's a nice size for us

[lic_82]

How much preparation is involved in showing a rottweiler?

[Allerzeit]

Training wise or "making pretty" wise?

[lic_82]

Umm Both?

[Allerzeit]

Hee Hee

Well, as far as grooming goes, there is very little preparation - a wash the day before, a spritz and a wipe down before you go in the ring to give the coat a shine and that's about it. Some people will trim coats and tails if they need it as well, just to neaten up the dog.

For training there are a few things to teach your dog:

- How to trot smoothly next to you without tripping you up, practice in both a triangle formation (with the dog on the inside of the triangle) and an "up and back", teaching the dog to turn the corners with you so you don't crash into each other

- To be examined - the dog needs to learn to stand still while a stranger goes over him, checks teeth and testicles (for a male), runs hands all over the dogs body, cradles dogs head in their hands, lifts dogs feet, etc.

- To stack - you need to teach the dog to stand square and to maintain that stand. Head up, looking attentive and alert, not standing like a slug.

For specialties you also need to learn how to show your dogs teeth. The vast majority of specialty judges will not touch the dog at all, and that includes to look at the teeth - they will expect the handler to show the teeth - bite first, then all the teeth on one side, then the other, then open the mouth wide - this is a bit of an art if you've never done it before - between holding your dog, keeping your dogs head still while you manipulate his mouth and keeping your fingers out of the way so that the judge can see all the teeth easily - so should definitely be trained and practiced before showing

Also for specialties it's a good idea to get your dog used to changing handlers on the move, so that you can change handlers if there is a lot of running. Think of the dog as the baton, and you have to pass the dog to another handler while you are on the move, and you have to be able to take the dog from another handler while running as well. The dog needs to be used to this happening and you need to practice it so that you can change handlers smoothly without breaking the dogs stride.

Finally, again for specialties, find out what turns your dog on, and gets him fired up and practice having someone else "bait" the dog with this magical thing so that he free stacks and looks a million bucks - when your dog is being critiqued you will normally hold the lead while someone else (or multiple someone elses) stand in "clown corner" and bait the dog up so that he puffs himself up and stacks freely. This is "double handling", which is not allowed in the all breeds ring, but is the norm at specialties

[lic_82]

Hee Hee

Well, as far as grooming goes, there is very little preparation - a wash the day before, a spritz and a wipe down before you go in the ring to give the coat a shine and that's about it. Some people will trim coats and tails if they need it as well, just to neaten up the dog.

For training there are a few things to teach your dog:

- How to trot smoothly next to you without tripping you up, practice in both a triangle formation (with the dog on the inside of the triangle) and an "up and back", teaching the dog to turn the corners with you so you don't crash into each other

- To be examined - the dog needs to learn to stand still while a stranger goes over him, checks teeth and testicles (for a male), runs hands all over the dogs body, cradles dogs head in their hands, lifts dogs feet, etc.

- To stack - you need to teach the dog to stand square and to maintain that stand. Head up, looking attentive and alert, not standing like a slug.

For specialties you also need to learn how to show your dogs teeth. The vast majority of specialty judges will not touch the dog at all, and that includes to look at the teeth - they will expect the handler to show the teeth - bite first, then all the teeth on one side, then the other, then open the mouth wide - this is a bit of an art if you've never done it before - between holding your dog, keeping your dogs head still while you manipulate his mouth and keeping your fingers out of the way so that the judge can see all the teeth easily - so should definitely be trained and practiced before showing

Also for specialties it's a good idea to get your dog used to changing handlers on the move, so that you can change handlers if there is a lot of running. Think of the dog as the baton, and you have to pass the dog to another handler while you are on the move, and you have to be able to take the dog from another handler while running as well. The dog needs to be used to this happening and you need to practice it so that you can change handlers smoothly without breaking the dogs stride.

Finally, again for specialties, find out what turns your dog on, and gets him fired up and practice having someone else "bait" the dog with this magical thing so that he free stacks and looks a million bucks - when your dog is being critiqued you will normally hold the lead while someone else (or multiple someone elses) stand in "clown corner" and bait the dog up so that he puffs himself up and stacks freely. This is "double handling", which is not allowed in the all breeds ring, but is the norm at specialties

Thanks

[grumpette]

Found this while looking for info on herding and the Rottweiler from the American Rottweiler Club. Thought you might be interested as this is what Rottweilers where bred for initially

Herding Standard For The Rottweiler

INTRODUCTION

The Rottweiler was developed as a multi-faceted herding and guard dog that should work all kinds of livestock under various conditions, i.e. town or country. He is intensely concerned with gathering and controlling and can be very protective of "his" stock

The Rottweiler is only one of several herding breeds developed in the same general area in Germany from the same or similar base stock The others are still used in their original function and have not become known in the Americas.

TRAINABILITY

The Rottweiler is highly trainable when he can see a purpose to his actions. If bonded to his handler the desire to please is excellent. Young males especially should be started young on ducks to gain confidence and to condition them to working off the stock. Adolescent males can be difficult to start. Because of their assertive character and youthful lack of confidence, they often feel the need to exert too much force and dominance. This usually results in their total loss of control of the stock which in turn causes an even more forceful dominant reaction and eventual total frustration.

Keeping the dog off the stock initially with a long pole seems to be the most successful method as a line increases force and frustration. Once the dog realizes that he has more control working off the stock the battle is won. His great desire for control and his good natural balance will keep him working back where he is most effective.

The female Rottweiler is normally much easier to start as an adult, being more receptive to discipline and less inclined to excessive force. A large number of females are not forceful enough to work cattle initially and should be started on ducks or sheep.

Training to gather is easy since herding instinct is very high and the Rottweiler gathers naturally. There is seldom a need to punish for gripping or biting as the Rottweiler is unusually inhibited in using mouth on stock and should never be encouraged to do so. When necessary he will nip with the front teeth only not using the canines.

If possible the Rottweiler is best started as a puppy on ducks and then graduated to sheep and trained in much the same fashion as a Border Collie. They can then be moved to cattle. Some may never be able to work cattle.

The more confidence a Rottweiler has the less forceful he becomes unless it is needed and the easier he is to train.

WORKING STYLE

The Rottweiler should show a natural gathering style with a strong desire to control.

The Rottweiler generally shows a loose-eye and has a great amount of force while working well off the stock. They make much use of their ability to intimidate.

The Rottweiler will often carry the head on an even plane with the back or carry the head up but have the neck and shoulders lowered. Some females will lower the entire front end slightly when using eye. Males will also do this when working far off the stock in an open field. This is rarely seen in males when working in indoor arenas.

The Rottweiler has a reasonably good natural balance.

The Rottweiler force-barks when necessary and when he is working cattle uses a very intimidating charge. There is a natural change in forcefulness when herding sheep. When working cattle he may use his body and shoulders and for this reason should never be used on horned stock.

The Rottweiler, when working cattle, will search out the dominant animal and challenge it. Upon proving his control over that animal he will settle back and tend to his work.

The Rottweiler has little power from behind for driving cattle and therefore is best utilized as a control along the sides to turn stock and to gather strays.

If worked on the same stock for any length of time the Rottweiler tends to develop a bond with the stock and will become quite affectionate with them as long as they do as he says.

The Rottweiler shows a gathering/fetching style when working sheep and reams directions easily. He drives sheep with ease.

ENDURANCE

The Rottweiler is a natural trotter and, if built correctly, can trot for long distances. Hot weather bothers these dogs, particularly the males. His great force and control over sheep allows him to expend minimal amounts of energy when working this type of stock When working cattle (especially strange cattle) the Rottweiler will often seek out the dominant animal and establish his own dominance thereby allowing himself to relax as he works later. Since he does not use mouth he expends great amounts of energy in his intimidating charges and periodic tackles to control unruly cattle. It is therefore necessary for him to establish his control at the start.

UNDESIRABLE TRAITS

Biting without strong provocation.

A dog that cannot be taught to work off the stock, but continues to use excessive force.

Extremely hard dogs that do not learn to avoid being kicked or dogs that viciously attack stock after being kicked.

A dog that lacks the desire to control and dominate (since a large part of the Rottweiler's working ability comes from this desire).

[Sasby]

I was wondering if anyone here can help me, I am looking for a healthy way for my 3 year old female Rottweiler to gain weight. She has had puppies and has since been desexed but the weight doesn't seem to want to go back on, and it is 9 months later. The vet has said there is nothing wrong with her health wise and to put her on puppy food. I was wondering if there was any other options as well as the puppy food to ensure that she puts on weight the right way, not a whole lot of fat. She used to weigh 35kg at her best and healthiest, now she weighs 29kg.

[cavNrott]

I was wondering if anyone here can help me, I am looking for a healthy way for my 3 year old female Rottweiler to gain weight. She has had puppies and has since been desexed but the weight doesn't seem to want to go back on, and it is 9 months later. The vet has said there is nothing wrong with her health wise and to put her on puppy food. I was wondering if there was any other options as well as the puppy food to ensure that she puts on weight the right way, not a whole lot of fat. She used to weigh 35kg at her best and healthiest, now she weighs 29kg.

Maybe post your question in the Rotty Owners thread. The breeders in there will have some good advice for you.

[TrinaJ]

I was wondering if anyone here can help me, I am looking for a healthy way for my 3 year old female Rottweiler to gain weight. She has had puppies and has since been desexed but the weight doesn't seem to want to go back on, and it is 9 months later. The vet has said there is nothing wrong with her health wise and to put her on puppy food. I was wondering if there was any other options as well as the puppy food to ensure that she puts on weight the right way, not a whole lot of fat. She used to weigh 35kg at her best and healthiest, now she weighs 29kg.

Maybe post your question in the Rotty Owners thread. The breeders in there will have some good advice for you.

I would suggest lamb flaps, ox cheek, chicken frames. What are you feeding her currently and how much.

[Sasby]

Thank you CavnRott, I shall post it in that section.

TrinaJ, I am currently feeding her 4 cups of dry food(vet recommended Hills Science Diet, Puppy Large Breed so we started that last week), and a cup of wholegrain rice mixed with veges (no onion). She gets a bone once a week as well.