German Rottweiler Breeders

There is a lot of confusion about German Rottweiler Breeders versus American Rottweiler Breeders and what the difference really is. Many people think that the difference in a German Rottweiler and American Rottweiler can be identified by some phenotypical trait like size, color, general body build and or head size, and they are simply wrong. 

The difference is "forced breeding ethics". The Rottweiler is clearly defined by the same written standard in both countries, but the American Rottweiler breeder is not forced to adhere to the standard when making breeding selections. German Rottweiler breeders however must have every dog evaluated in 3 phases prior to the dog being granted breeding rights, known as it's ZTP. Think of it like a Rottweiler breeding diploma. The required evaluations are:

In Germany, only after a dog is found to be healthy, within the standard in all the measurable ways ie: height, number of teeth, eye color etc., and determined to have a correct temperament is a dog awarded it's ZTP (Zuchttauglichkeitsprufung). Because of stringent guidelines in Germany which allow only dogs that are correct to the Rottweiler breed standard in all ways to be utilized for breeding, we see a much higher percentage of their offspring to be correct as well. 

Many ethical American Rottweiler breeders use the best attainable German Rottweiler based genetics for their breeding programs and consistently produce dogs equal to or better than German breeders. One reason for this is that those dogs in Germany that can pass a ZTP, but are not excellent representations of the breed are less likely to be imported to the US. Importing is an expensive headache with it's own inherent risks. The American Rottweiler breeder going through all the time, planning and expense of bringing a dog here also tends to be the person doing their homework.

What does this leave for the person that seeks a certain look they thought was that of a German Rottweiler? Look towards a predominance of the trait they are seeking within the genotype (family line). The phenotype (physical attributes) that we want to see in the dog we purchase are far more likely to be the way we want if the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles show this trait at a high percentage.

So the next time someone around you starts to talk about the difference between a German Rottweiler and an American Rottweiler you will have something to ad!

 

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