Standard RTW
Standard F.C.I. No.
147
Name of the breed
Rotvajler
Original name of the breed
Rottweiler
Origin
Germany
Classification F.C.I.
Group 2
Pinscher and Schnauzer type, Molossian type and Swiss Mountain- and Cattle Dogs and other breeds
Section 2.1
Molossian type - Mastiff type
with working trial
Utilization
companion, service and working dog
Size, proportions and subsatnces
the length of the body, measured from the sternum (breast-bone) to the ischiatic tuberosity, should not exceed the height at the withers by, at most, 15 %.
Height at withers: for males 61 - 68 cm.
61 - 62 cm = small
63 - 64 cm = medium height
65 - 66 cm = large
67 - 68 cm = very large
Weight: approximately 50 kg
Height at withers: for females 56 - 63 cm.
56 - 57 cm = small
58 - 59 cm = medium height
60 - 61 cm = large
62 - 63 cm = very large
Weight: approximately 42 kg
Brief historical summary:
The Rottweiler is considered to be one of the oldest dog breeds. Its origin goes back to Roman times. These large dogs similar to mustiff were used when hunting the wild boars. In medieval Germany this breed was crossed with native herder dogs – that’s the origin of today’s Rottweiler. Primarily he was a herder dog, but later he was used especially by the butchers and cattle traders. The main task of the Rottweiler became the driving and guarding the herds of cattle. In southern Germany he was very popular and known as the “Rottweiler butcher’s dog”. This breed acquired its name from the old free city of Rottweil am Neckar, which was the center of cattle trade and these dogs were very popular in here. Rottweiler was used by the butchers as a scent and guarding hound. In 19th century, when driving the cattle was forbidden and the cattle were transported by the rail, this breed entered decrease. However, those who fell in love with this breed didn’t let it to fall in oblivion. In the year 1901 this dog has already been trained for police service and in 1910 it was certified as a service breed. In 1930 got Rottweiler to the USA and Great Britain as well.
Coat of arms of butchers from the year 1886 (Rottweiler is to see right below)
„When a bull didn’t want to continue in spite of barking, the dog had to bite it over its ankle of the hindfoot. This was very dangerous because the bull could hit him with its hoof. Such a hit is as effective as a chin-hook by sparring. The boxer is counted down and the match is finished. But Rottweiler couldn’t quit and more dangerous the situation was, more enthusiastic this dog was. The dog always managed to force the furious bull to continue walking and then he was following it keeping about 4 meters distance. Rottweiler gained such a sympathy and popularity as today’s famous sportsmen mainly due to its ability to force the furious bull to obey.”
From book “Service and working dog breeds”(Služební a pracovní plemena psů) written by Karel Štěpánský
Head and skull
Skull: of medium length, broad between the ears. Forehead line moderately arched as seen from the side. Occipital bone well developed without being conspicious.
Stop: well defined
Cheeks: zygomatic arches pronounced
Eyes
of medium size, almond shaped, dark brown in colour. Eyelids close fitting
Ears
medium-sized, pendant, triangular, wide apart, set on high. With the ears laid forward close to the head the skull appears to be broadened
Muzzle
the foreface should appear neither elongated nor shortened in relation to the cranial region. Straight nasal bridge, broad at base, moderately tapered
Nose
nose well developed, more broad than round with relatively large nostrils, always black.
Lips
black, close fitting, corner of the mouth not visible, gum as dark as possible.
Teeth
upper and lower jaw strong and broad. Strong complete dentition (42 teeth) with scissor bite, the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors.
Neck
strong, of fair length, well muscled, slightly arched, free from throatiness, without dewlap
Body
Loins: short, strong and deep
Croup: broad, of medium length, slightly rounded. Neither flat nor falling away
Chest
roomy, broad and deep (approximately 50 % of the shoulder height) with well developed forechest and well sprung ribs
Belly
flanks not tucked up
Back
straight, strong, firm.
Tail
in natural condition, level in extension of the upper line; at ease may be hanging.
Limbs
Forequarters: Seen from the front, the front legs are straight and not placed too closely to each other. The forearm, seen from the side, stands straight. The slope of the shoulder blade is about 45 degrees to the horizontal.
Shoulders: well laid back
Upper arm: close fitting to the body
Forearm: strongly developed and muscular
Pasterns: slightly springy, strong, not steep.
Hocks: sturdy, well angulated hocks; not steep
Hindfeet: Slightly longer than the front feet. Toes strong, arched, as tight as front feet.
Front feet: Round, tight and well arched; pads hard; nails short, black and strong.
Hindquarters: Seen from behind, legs straight and not too close together. When standing free, obtuse angles are formed between the dog`s upper thigh and the hip bone, the upper thigh and the lower thigh and the metatarsal.
Upper thigh: Moderately long, broad and strongly muscled.
Lower thigh: Long, strongly and broadly muscled at top, sinewy.
Standard type of the breed
Skin
Skin on the head is overall tight fitting. When the dog is alert, the forehead may be slightly wrinkled.
Coat
The coat consists of a top coat and an undercoat. The top coat is of medium length, coarse, dense and flat. The undercoat must not show through the top coat. The hair is a little longer on the hindlegs.
Colour
Black with clearly defined markings of a rich tan on the cheeks, muzzle, throat, chest and legs, as well as over both eyes and under the base of the tail.
Gait
The Rottweiler is a trotting dog. In movement the back remains firm and relatively stable. Movement harmonious, steady, full of energy and unrestricted, with good stride.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Eliminating Faults
General appearance: light, weedy, leggy appearance. Light in bone and muscle.
Head: hound-type head. Narrow, light, too short, long or coarse head. Flat forehead (lack of stop or too little stop).
Muzzle: long or pointed muzzle; split nose; Roman nose (convex nasal bridge) or dish-faced (concave nasal bridge); aquiline nose; pale or spotted nose (butterfly nose).
Lips: pendulous, pink or patchy; corner of lips visible.
Jaws: narrow lower jaw.
Bite: pincher bite.
Cheeks: strongly protruding.
Eyes: light, deep set. Also too full and round eyes; loose eye-lids.
Ears: set on too low, heavy, long, slack or turned backwards. Also flying ears or ears not carried symmetrically.
Neck: too long, thin, lacking muscle. Showing dewlap or throaty.
Body: too long, too short or too narrow.
Back: too long, weak; sway-back or roach back.
Croup: too sloping, too short, too flat or too long.
Chest: flat ribbed or barrel shaped. Too narrow behind.
Tail: set on too high or too low.
Forequarters: nNarrow or crooked front legs. Steep shoulder placement. Loose or out at elbow. Too long, too short or too straight in upper arm. Weak or steep pastern. Splayed feet. Too flat or too arched toes. Deformed toes. Light coloured nails.
Hindquarters: flat thighs, hocks too close, cow hocks or barrel hocks. Joints with too little or too much angulation. Dewclaws.
Skin: wrinkles on head.
Coat: soft, too short or too long. Wavy coat; lack of undercoat.
Colour: markings of incorrect colour, not clearly defined. Markings which are too spread out.
General appearance: distinct reversal of sexual type, i.e. feminine dogs or masculine bitches.
Teeth: overshot or undershot bite, wry mouth; lack of one incisive tooth, one canine, one premolar and one molar.
Eyes: entropion, ectropion, yellow eyes, different coloured eyes.
Tail: kink tail, ring tail, with strong lateral deviation
Hair: definitely long or wavy coat.
Colour: dogs which do not show the typical Rottweiler colouring of black with tan markings. White markings.
Behaviour: anxious, shy, cowardly, gun-shy, vicious, excessively suspicious, nervous animals.
Note
Male animals must have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
General appearance
Rottweiler is a large, strong dog with symmetrical and sturdy body. Head is of medium length, broad between the ears, with well defined stop and broad black nose. This dog has got broad, strong jaws and eyes of medium size, almond shaped, dark brown in colour. Ears are set on high, medium-sized, pendant and triangel shaped. The body is strong with broad and deep chest, straight and firm back, short and strong loins and broad and slightly rounded croup. Tail is in natural condition, cutting is forbidden.
Coat and its colour
Coat consists of a top coat and an undercoat. The undercoat is short and dense and the top coat is of medium length which is coarse, dense and flat. Coat on the hindfeet is a bit longer. Even if it happens that some dogs have got long hair, this is unwanted. Colour is black with clearly defined markings of a rich tan on the cheeks, muzzle, throat, chest and legs, as well as over both eyes and under the base of the tail. White spot on the chest is unwanted.
Character
Rottweiler is an intelligent, calm and obedient dog. It’s devoted, alert and dominant as well as courageous and strong guarding dog. Sometimes it can be jealous.
Social characteristics
Rottweiler is really devoted to its master, when the training is right, it is friendly and devoted to all the family. Sometimes it’s jealous, when the attention is paid to someone or something else. This dog tends to become a dog of one master only. It is enthusiastic when welcoming the person it knows but in contact with unknown people it’s not trustful. When the puppy was made familiar with all the other pets in the house, in the future there are usually no problems. In contact with other dogs it usually behaves as a dominant dog which likes to show off his strength.
Relationship with children
When the training is right and when dog has already as a puppy had good experiences with children, it is a great friend and protector. When being in contact with unknown children as well as with babies attendance of an adult is necessary.
Training
This dog should be systematically trained already as a puppy. The training needs a lot of time, master should make the puppy familiar with another people and unknown objects soon after bringing him home. The puppy should not be in contact with negative effects or objects it could be afraid of, it should behave trustfully. Rottweiler can be dominant – that’s why his master should be self-confident and well-balanced, he should treat the dog friendly, kindly and honestly. This dog is very sensitive to tone and voices, therefore the master should use his voice not only when being angry, but also when being satisfied with the dog. Variability of the training process is very important – the dog has to enjoy it, repeating of the same tricks and exercises could be discouraging.
