All Rottweilers are born with tails. In the past it has been customary to have the tail removed or "docked" as part of the identification of the breed. In 1998 Germany passed a law making it illegal to dock the tail of a dog. Since that time all Rottweilers in Germany, and the majority of Europe, have their tail intact. There is a lot of literature available on the internet discussing the pros and cons of docking the tail or leaving it intact. The conclusion is that most of the reasons for either case are purely speculative. The fact is that tail docking for the Rottweiler is becoming less and less common. Both the FCI (the recognized standard followed throughout the world) and the ADRK (Germany's Rottweiler governing body) forbid the docking of tails. All of our dogs have their tails intact due to the fact that they are all from Germany and/or trained in Germany. Accordingly we do not dock tails on most of our litters.

What does [title] mean?

Here is a non-exhausted list of common titles:

VPG/SCH I - Beginning Schutzhund title
VPG/SCH II - Intermediate Schutzhund title
VPG/SCH III - Advanced Schutzhund title
FH I - Advanced Tracking
FH II -Most Advanced Tracking
BH - Obedience
AD - Endurance Test
ZTP - German Breed suitability Test
BST - USRC Breed Suitability Test
Gekort bis (date) - German Korung, Advanced Breed Test
ABST - USRC Advanced Breed Test
Gekort bis EzA - German Korung, Lifetime Breed Test
LBST - USRC Lifetime Breed Test
DM FH(year)- Deutsch Meistershaft FH Champion/tracking
DM SchH(year)-Deutsch Meistershaft Schutzhund Champion
KS(year)- ADRK Klub Sieger Show Winner
KJS(year)- ADRK Klub Youth Show Winner
BS(year)- ADRK Bundesieger Winner
BJS(year)- ADRK Youth Bundesieger Winner
DT.VDH-CH - German VDH Champion
NSchHCH(year) - USRC National Schutzhund Champion
NS(year) - Sieger/Siegerin National Show Winner
NYS(year) - Youth Sieger/Siegerin National Show Winner
RS(year) - Sieger/Siegerin Regional Show Winner
RYS(year) -Youth Sieger/Siegerin Regional Show Winner
SA- Select Adult Winner of Club's Conformation Show
SY- Select Youth Winner of Club's Conformation Show
BOB - Best of Breed
V (1-4) - 1st - 4th Place
V - Rated Excellent
SG - Very Good
G - Good
S - Satisfactory
U - Unsatisfactory

What's the difference between a German Rottweiler and an American Rottweiler?

In most well bred and correctly structured Rottweilers, the distinction is unnoticeable (with the exception of the tail). The division is made by the difference in standards between the two countries. In the United States it is legal to breed a dog at any age. Even to have the dog registered as a purebred through the AKC requires only that both parents be registered, the male be at least 7 months old, and the female be at least 8 months old. Germany has much more stringent requirements. Germany requires that both the male and female pass a breed suitability test known as a ZTP. The test includes; an official hip(HD) and elbow(ED) rating to ensure that the dog is free from dysplasia; an obedience certificate known as a BH; body weight and measurements to ensure the dog is within the standard; a check for disqualifying faults; bite work; courage analysis; and overall temperament and mind assessment. In addition to this test, one of the dogs must have also passed at least a SCH/VPG I. From the facts comes a mandatory conclusion that Germany rears a more sound and correctly structured Rottweiler. This is not to say that there are not excellent dogs born and bred in the United States. There are good and bad to be found in every breed and in every country. But common sense leads one to believe that results are not consistently produced by chance but by design.

How much do the parents weigh?

Although size is important, more important is the general structure of the Rottweiler. It is not uncommon for people to advertise on size alone. Some even profess to have Rottweiler studs ranging from 160-180 pounds. The simple fact is that Rottweilers are not meant to be that big. Most of it is just "puffery" or "B.S." If the dog is really that large it is either severally overweight or not a Rottweiler. A Rottweiler stud dog is typically between 115 and 125 pounds. Occasionally you will see one approaching 135-140 pounds but that is very rare. Keep in mind that these sizes are for correctly structured Rottweilers. Long-backed, sway-backed, loose skin, or disproportionate chest cavity are all undesirable traits that are often found in oversized Rottweilers.