August 17, 2008 by Bob.

Sometimes I am asked by a potential owner whether or not my pups are AKC registerable or if they will get AKC papers with their pup. Of course, they get papers, and then some.

However, I will once in a while get the distinct feeling that an owner thinks that their pup is somehow not theirs until they receive their AKC registration form from the breeder. It’s as if the AKC is in charge of property ownership in the United States or something.

Here are the facts about your AKC registration certificate:

1. Having an AKC registration certificate on a puppy is not a proof of purchase of a pup. Your cancelled check or receipt is proof that you own the dog. An AKC registration certificate merely shows that your pup is pure bred and shows who its parents are and that you registered the pup as yours WITH THE AKC. Again, the AKC does not manage personal property rights. It is showing that, per the AKC, you are the owner of the dog, for breeding the pup to another AKC registered dog or showing the pup in AKC sanctioned events. Sorry, that is all there is to it.

2. Having an AKC registration does not mean that your dog is perfect. It really, truthfully means that your dog had parents that were also registered with the AKC. It does not guarantee any quality of any kind whatsoever.  If a breeder is advertising that their dogs are ‘AKC’ it only means that your pup is not a mixed breed puppy. Okay, at least you’re getting that disclosure from the breeder, right?

3. Having an AKC registered dog does not fully guarantee that your pup has the genetic or physical makeup to be used for breeding or show, even with a full registration. I provide full registrations to owners when selling them a pup who is conformationally correct at eight weeks of age. That is my personal stamp of approval and is provided to provide a proper sense of confidence in the offspring produced by my kennel, not an invitation to become a breeder. (Most people understand this, by the way…)

4. AKC papers are a nice thing to have. They at least provide the owner with all of the above, but do not replace the fact that this is your personal companion, friend and partner for the duration of his lifetime, which, after all, is why you are adopting a pup in the first place, right?

Best,

Bob

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August 15, 2008 by Bob.

I get asked this question quite often. There are a few variations but it usually boils down to this – why do you own and breed Rottweilers? Why not another breed of dog? And so on.

So, here are the answers, in case you are wondering, or even if you’re not. Yes, there are answers, because I cannot come up with just one blanket answer for this.

1. They are intelligent, more so than many other breeds of dog. A canine intelligence survey was taken by the US military years ago, probably to find out which breeds of dog best suited different types of military work. The IQ testing revealed that the Rottweiler was in the top three of working breeds tested. This is called native intelligence and has nothing to do with speed of training, but in ability to process information and think with things going on in the environment. The top dog tested was the Siberian Husky and they are a real handful in training, as some people might know. This is because they were bred to be by themselves and to think for themselves. So too, to a degree, was the Rottweiler. As a livestock dog, he was bred to take care of things without a lot of intervention from the handler. So, now, in the present day, you can have Rottweilers who are extremely intelligent, independent and capable of caring for humans, livestock or property. This is why owners love their Rotties – the dogs really care about their owners.

2. This is a good looking animal. At least when it is well bred. To me, there is nothing quite so beautiful as a pretty dog or bitch, stacked, poised to hear or see something of great interest. This is what I live for as a breeder, because the Rottweiler is a dog that requires balance and proportion to look correct and when it all comes together, you have the strength, passion and alertness that only a Rottweiler, in my opinion, can possess.

3. They are very trainable. As opposed to the Husky mentioned earlier, the Rottweiler is able to be trained in a multitude of exercises and tasks. They are still used around the world for herding, perimeter guard work, personal protection, search and rescue, therapy work, explosive and drug detection and a host of other activities. This is quite beyond the fact that they make one of the best all-around house dogs, excelling at both home protection and companionship for the family. I cannot tell you how many owners have emailed or called to tell me what they have trained their Rottie to do: from teaching them to ring a bell to be let out, off leash healing, following all kinds of voice and hand signals, housebreaking in less than a week, and so on.

4. They are reliable. This is again, a product of a good breeding program. What I mean by reliable is basically, that they are able to be relied upon once they are trained or socialized in a specific skill or environmental situation to maintain that skill or behavior. I have found that they do not back slide or fail to perform once they are settled in or trained in. This holds true for everything from housebreaking to social skills and obedience.

So, are they the perfect dog? There is no such thing as a perfect dog, regardless of breed type. I would say however, that, given the owner’s circumstances and environmental set up, a Rottweiler could be one of the more exceptional family and homestead animals on the planet. Well, at least according to myself and every other Rottweiler owner I have ever talked to!

Best,

Bob

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