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Temperament
Health
Abandonment
A responsible
breeder is involved with the welfare of the breed, protects (for life)
puppies they produce from becoming a shelter statistic, and takes steps
to improve on health, temperament and qualities as a companion.
The
Canadian
Rottweiler Standard provides the criterion that defines the
conformation/structure and temperament of the ideal Rottweiler.
We breed for temperament, health, conformation and working attributes - we breed
for balance and don't believe in extremes.
On Temperament the Standard provides:
"The Rottweiler should possess a
fearless expression with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to
immediate and indiscriminate friendships. He has a strong willingness to work.
In examining a Rottweiler, one should bear in mind that this dog reacts with
alertness to his master and his surroundings, and in performing his function in
life, the Rottweiler is not expected to submit to excessive handling by
strangers. However, the judge shall dismiss from the ring any shy or vicious
Rottweiler. A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for
examination it shrinks away from the judge; If it fears an unexpected approach
from the rear; if it shies at sudden or unusual noises to a marked degree. A dog
that attacks or attempts to attack, without provocation, either the judge, or
its handler is definitely vicious. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards
other dogs shall not be deemed viciousness."
Everyone's read the
headlines and is aware of Breed Specific Legislation. There is no room
in our society for dogs of any breed that displays aggression,
dominance, or excessive fear and/or shyness. Our society today demands a
Rottweiler that is less suspicious of strangers, friendlier, that allows
moderate handling by strangers, and is tolerant of other animals. The
methods used to produce happy stable temperaments in any breed is
by (1) selective breeding for that trait, (2) socialization of
puppies/adults, (3) providing a nurturing home environment, and (4)
obedience training - of both owner and dog. Without stable
temperaments, the Rottweiler as a breed may be banned, a horrific
consequence to poor breed stock selection and/or ineffective leadership
by irresponsible owners.
The Rottweiler should have a good working
attitude, but if it's in "overdrive" or is too excitable most owners looking for
a companion will not be able to manage the dog without extensive instruction
from a professional trainer. We compete with our Rottweilers in obedience,
Sieger, tracking and herding so we require a Rottweiler that has a strong
willingness to work. We love it when our dogs perform well! But we don’t wish
the drive in a companion Rotti to be so high that the average dog owner cannot
manage or control it. We're looking to produce dogs that have a high
intelligence and aptitude for work that can be managed by the average owner. The
dog should calmly and quickly perform requested tasks, work well with
distractions, and be a willing and attentive partner with its handler. The
dog should be capable of obtaining it's Canine Good Neighbor certification, have
good manners, behave well in unfamiliar environments or situations, and look to
it's master for direction.
This requires that the owner be the "respected
leader" of his dog. A working dog like the Rottweiler must have
exercise, discipline and affection (in that order). We are strong
supporters of Caesar Milan's ideologies on dog behavior and management.
All Rottweilers should have daily exercise of at least 30 minutes per day (a
casual walk or being out the yard is not exercise!), be requested to perform
tasks regularly throughout the day (ex: sit/stay while I answer the door;
down/stay while I prepare your food), and receive daily affection/rewards for
good behavior/performance.
Breeding Practices and Health
Any reputable breeder will
have their breeding stock certified by the appropriate agencies, usually
the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
(OFA). In order to be classified as a "Code of Ethics" breeder under the
Rottweiler Club of Canada,
all breeding stock born prior to 2005 had to be certified clear of Hip
Dysplasia. Currently the only new certification requirement, if your
breeding stock was born after 2005, is to also test for Congenital
Cardiac Disease.
The Club provides a strong
recommendation that breeding stock should additionally be tested for Canine
Elbow Dysplasia, genetic eye defects, Hypothyroidism. This strong recommendation
however does not make testing mandatory nor does it provide a bar from breeding
affected stock.
Engelberg breeding stock is
currently tested for structural diseases including
Canine Hip Dysplasia,
Canine Elbow Dysplasia, Osteochondrosis, Patellar Luxation. Our stock is
also tested for
Cardiac disease, genetic eye defects, Hypo- and Hyper-thyroidism. Any
Engelberg Rottweiler diagnosed with one of these conditions is rejected from our
breeding program and no Engelberg Rottweiler born since 2005 is bred unless it
is tested for these diseases/conditions.
We regularly ask ourselves why
many breeders do not do the testing, or if they are doing the testing, why they
still breed affected stock? A prime example of this is the regular and repeated
use of stock diagnosed with Elbow Dysplasia. ED is a debilitating disease that
degenerates the elbow joint and may result in osteoarthrosis, causing severe
lameness and chronic pain in affected dogs. Scientific studies have shown that
as the frequency of ED increases in a breed population, there is a corresponding
increase in the number of dogs affected with more moderate to severe (Grades II
and III) cases of ED. (See OFA article "The
OFA Answers Questions and Concerns Regarding Elbow Dysplasia")
We refer you to a J.D. Wheat
Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory article on Canine Elbow Dysplasia.
The research laboratory is located at the University of California. (Click
here to see ED Research Article) There are four disorders that have
been grouped by OFA and labeled as Elbow Dysplasia.
-
Fragmentation of the medial
coronoid process (FCP)
-
Ununited anconeal process (UAP)
-
Osteochondrosis dessicans (OCD)
-
Elbow arthritis of unknown origin
There is a distinct difference
between arthritis and Dysplasia. If a dog is found to have arthritis but
does not have FCP, UAP or OCD of the elbow, then it should not be concluded that
the dog has ED. The dog has elbow arthritis of an unknown origin.
Arthritis is wear and tear of a joint, Elbow Dysplasia is the improper alignment
of the three elbow joints. The two diseases are significantly different.
Further studies are required and better methods of diagnosis and rating should
be investigated. We agree that all Rottweilers diagnosed with FCP, UAP,
OCD or ED Grade II or III should not be part of any breeding program.
Breeding Practices and Unwanted/Abandoned
Rottweilers
How can you keep a puppy you produced
from being placed in a shelter at some point in the future? We believe
that if you produce puppies you are responsible for those puppies for
life. Sadly our shelters are full of abandoned unwanted dogs,
particularly Rottweilers and Rottweiler crosses - thousands of them!
Engelberg puppies are sold on non-breeding contracts with the required
expectation that they will be neutered/spayed. If you're looking
for a Rottweiler for breeding:
you
should be a CKC or similarly registered kennel
you should be involved in
the rescue of abandoned/unwanted/surrendered Rottweilers
you should be a reputable,
responsible, code of ethics breeder
you should guarantee the
health of all Rottweilers produced and sold
you should support your
clients by providing knowledge and advise (training, nutrition, problem
behaviors, whatever!)
you should maintain contact
with your clients
If you don't meet the criteria
above & you still wish to breed please consider this: In New York city,
10,000 dogs are euthanized every day!
We recommend you visit a local shelter and/or SPCA and take a good look into the
eyes of the unwanted and abandoned.
Is this where you want your sweet puppy to live?
Researched & written by
Debau Rottweilers and copied with permission as we practice same
breeding ethics.. |
