Interpretation of the Rottweiler Standard
Now that you've read the rottweiler standard, perhaps you're wondering what it means. When reading a standard, you must interpret what the standard means. Some interpretations are quantitative, meaning that you can define it due to a number, but many interpretations are subjective.
When you read over this interpretation, you should understand that this is the author's interpretation of the standard and not necessarily the interpretation that a certain breeder or American Rottweiler Club might have.
General Appearance
In “General Appearance,” the rottweiler is defined as a large dog, not as big as some of the giant breeds (St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, etc.), but still bigger than dogs that may be defined as large (boxers, Samoyeds). Males are heavier boned than females and look masculine. Females look feminine. Rotties are black with rust-colored markings — anything else is unacceptable.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Male rotties are 24 to 27 inches when measured at the shoulders. Female rotties are 22 to 25 inches at the shoulder. It is preferable for males to be about 25½ inches at the shoulder and for females to be about 23½ inches at the shoulder. When looking at a rottie lengthwise to heightwise, the dog should be almost square. His height should be nine-tenths of his length. For example, if you measured a 25-inch-tall male rottweiler's body length (just the body, not the head or tail), it should be almost 28 inches long. On that same dog, the rottie's chest should be about 12½ inches from the top of his back to the deepest point of his chest.
A fault (that is, something that is penalized in the show ring) is a dog that doesn't measure up to these proportions, or a male dog that looks feminine or a female dog that looks masculine.
Head
A rottie should have a strong, powerful head with broad jaws. His head (without the muzzle) should be about twice the length of the dog's entire muzzle. The forehead should not have wrinkles except when the dog looks alert.
The rottweiler's eyes should be dark brown and almondshaped. Dogs with light-colored eyes, eyes of different color other than dark brown, or without hair under the brow are severely penalized in conformation shows. Dogs that have diseases of the eyelid (entropion, ectropion) are disqualified.
Rottie ears should look like they're alert and should be triangular. The ear should be no longer than mid-cheek. Ears that are too long, too short, or have extra folds in them are faults in the show ring.
A rottie's muzzle and nose are broad. The muzzle has no dips or bumps in it — instead it should be straight. Nose and lips must be black or it is a serious fault. Rottweilers must have forty-two teeth. Having a missing tooth is a fault; having two or more missing teeth disqualifies the dog from the show ring.
The correct bite (that is, how the teeth fit together) is a scissors bite. This means that the upper front teeth fit snugly just in front of the lower front teeth when your rottie closes his mouth. Level bite (where the upper front teeth and the lower front teeth touch edge to edge) is a fault, and any other bite is a disqualification.
Neck, Topline, Body
The rottweiler has a powerful body with a straight back, neither sloping nor having any apparent curve. His skin doesn't have wrinkles anywhere. His chest is very powerful and oval-shaped. His rear may slope slightly to the tail, which must be docked. A male that has one or both undescended testicles is disqualified from the show ring.
The rottweiler's appearance should conform to the breed standard.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
On the front legs, shoulders are powerful and set at the correct angle. The distance from the top of the shoulder to the elbow should be the same as the distance from the elbow to the ground. Legs should be muscular, and feet should be compact so that they look round if you drew an outline around them. Feet should be straight when the dog stands. Toenails should be black. Dewclaws can be removed.
What are dewclaws?
Dewclaws are the bumps with nails you find on the back of a dog's leg a little way up from its foot. While they may have had a specific importance during the evolution of the dog, today they do not serve any particular function.
Hindquarters are powerful and angular, and should balance the forequarters. The back paws are slightly bigger than the front paws, still round, and should be straight when the dog stands. Toenails should be black. Dewclaws must be removed.
Coat and Color
Coat should be coarse, dense, and medium length with an undercoat. Serious faults include a wavy, soft, curly, or short coat. Absence of an undercoat is also a fault. Long coat is a disqualification.
According to the standard, rottweilers should always be black with rust to mahogany markings.
The rottie must be black with rust-colored markings in the following places:
Dots over the eyes and on the cheeks.
Stripe on each side of the muzzle.
On throat.
Two triangles on each side of the sternum.
On the forelegs from the wrists to the toes.
On the underside of the dog.
From hock to toes on the back legs.
The undercoat is gray, tan, or black. Any other coloring is either a fault or a disqualification.
Gait and Temperament
Rottweilers are powerful trotters. Any other gait is not acceptable.
Rottweilers are calm and confident. He may be aloof, but will submit to inspection by a judge. Shyness or aggression in the ring isn't permitted, and any dog that attacks a person in the ring is disqualified.
