FCI : The Rottweiler Breed Standard

1. F.C.I. Standard No. 147 (19.06.2000 / GB)2. Date of Publication of the valid original standard 06.04.20003. ORIGIN: Germany 4. TRANSLATED BY: Mrs C. Seidler

CLASSIFICATION FCI Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer type, Molossian type and Swiss

Mountain- and Cattle Dogs and other breeds)

Section 2.1 Molossian type, Mastiff type

With working trial.

Note: The text in BLUE and the images inline are excerpts from various

articles to help you correlate with the FCI breed standards in BLACK. You

can refer the Articles / Links section of the website www.rottclubblr.in page

for exhaustive external documents and books from various authors.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY

The Rottweiler is considered to be one of the oldest dog breeds. Its origin goes back to

Roman times. These dogs were kept as herder or driving dogs. They marched over the Alps

with the Roman legions, protecting the humans and driving their cattle. In the region of

Rottweil, these dogs met and mixed with the native dogs in a natural crossing. The main

task of the Rottweiler now became the driving and guarding of the herds of cattle and the

defence of their masters and their property. This breed acquired its name from the old free

city of Rottweil and was known as the "Rottweil butcher’s dog".

The butchers bred this type of dog purely for performance and usefulness. In due course, a

first rate watch and driving dog evolved which could also be used as a draught dog. When,

at the beginning of the twentieth century, various breeds were needed for police service, the

Rottweiler was amongst those tested. It soon became evident that the breed was highly

suitable for the tasks set by police service and therefore they were officially recognized as

police dogs in 1910. Rottweiler breeder’s aim at a dog of abundant strength, black coated

with clearly defined rich tan markings, whose powerful appearance does not lack nobility

and which is exceptionally well suited to being a companion, service and working dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The Rottweiler is a medium to large size, stalwart dog, neither heavy nor light and neither

leggy nor weedy. His correctly proportioned, compact and powerful build leads to the

conclusion of great strength, agility and endurance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS

The length of the body, measured from the sternum (breast bone) to the ischiatic tuberosity,

should not exceed the height at the withers by, at most, 15%.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT

Good natured, placid in basic disposition and fond of children, very devoted, obedient,

biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behaviorself-assured,

steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness.

HEAD 

1. Length of the skull (topskull and muzzle).2. Width of the topskull.3. Zygomatic arch4. Muzzle length.5. Muzzle 6. Length of the topskull7. Lower jaw8. Eyes9. Gums10. Teeth11. Ears12. Arch of the topskull

1. The total length of the skull is measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput. The occiput is a bony prominence at back/top of the skull that can be both seen and felt.

2. Topskull Width. The topskull should be wide and prominent with a moderate arch. This arch should be visible when viewed from the side.

4.  Muzzle length is measured from the tip of the nose to the stop.  A dog’s stop is literally

where the muzzle “stops” and the topskull begins.  Ideally, the breeder strives for a stop

close to a 90 degree angle.  In the Rottweiler, this important feature is usually one of the

first things lost in poor breeding.  The head becomes elongated and the steep, 90 degree

angle is flatten out to the shallow slope typical of an Irish Setter The nose is always black

and should be well developed with relatively large nostrils and more broad than round.  A

shorter muzzle will equate with a smaller mouth, inability to get a full grip on a bite sleeve

and loss of power in overall bite.   A good breeder will seek to BALANCE beauty with

function. (This Excerpt is from http://guardianrottweilers.com/ )

Cranial Region

Skull: Of medium length, the skull broad between the ears. Forehead line moderately

arched as seen from the side. Occipital bone well developed without being conspicuous.

Stop: Well defined.

Examples of correctly defined muzzle to head ratio, it also illustrates strong zygomatic arch

and correct width of the muzzle at the base

Facial Region

Nose:  Nose well developed, more broad than round with relatively large nostrils, always

black.

Muzzle: The foreface should appear neither elongated nor shortened in relation to the

cranial region. Straight nasal bridge broad at base, moderately tapered.

Lips: Black, close fitting, corner of the mouth not visible, gum as dark as possible.

Jaws/Teeth: Upper and lower jaw, strong and broad. Strong complete dentition (42 teeth)

with scissor bite, the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors.

Teeth Alignment

Cheeks: Zygomatic arches pronounced.

It is important to know where the zygomatic arch is located on the Rottweiler head. Fig.1

shows the arrow marking the zygomatic arch. Visually, it is connected to the lower orbit of

the eye.

When the zygomatic arch is shallow (also known as “lack of fill under the eye”), the muzzle

at the base is narrow. A broad muzzle requires a strong zygomatic arch. Conversely,

accompanying a strong zygomatic arch is a broad muzzle at the base. They are correlated.

There are three different shapes (see above figures) of muzzles presently appearing in the

gene pool. Only Fig. 2 is correct for the Rottweiler. The correct muzzle should be wedge

shaped, forming a wide based triangle, as in Fig.2. Lately, we are seeing both a conical

shape (Fig.3) and a rectangular shape muzzle (Fig.4). These muzzles types, Fig.3-4 are

incorrect. When observing Rottweiler muzzles, you will notice that exhibits who fall into

categories Fig.3- 4 posses a shallow zygomatic arch. Conversely, Rottweilers possessing

correct zygomatic arch also have the correct muzzle width at the base specified in the

standard (Fig.2 ).

To properly maintain the zygomatic arch and muzzle correlation, it is necessary to retain the

correct skull to muzzle ratio of 3/2 or 60/40. The skull must be measured to asses the ratio

specified in the standard. It cannot be done visually. Arrows indicate position of zygomatic

arch 1 2 3 1. Muzzle length 2. Skull length. 3. Total length 3 With a strong zygomatic arch

and correct width of muzzle at the base, comes good width of the top skull. However, the

reverse is not always true. Often a dog will have good width between the ears but not

possess strong zygomatic arch or width of the muzzle at the base

Eyes: of medium size, almond shaped, dark brown in colour. Eyelids close fitting.

The Rottweiler’s eyes should be almond shaped and dark.  The eyelids must be tight

fitting with hair on the eye lid.  There should be no ocular discharge.  If the Rottweiler is too

“wet” meaning too much loose skin (often associated with the Mastiff breed or St. Bernard),

then the skin around the eyes can also be excessively loose.  This can make the dog more

susceptible to entropion or ectropion.  Rottweiler eye color is another big issue in many

bloodlines.  Colors 1a through 2b are ideal.  In Germany, the eye color is measured with an

eye chart and if the dog’s eyes are not dark enough, the dog/bitch is NOT permitted for

breeding. When a dog with slightly light eyes is bred to a bitch with light eyes, the resulting

offspring will have even lighter eyes.  Then you get the breeders advertising “rare hazel” or

“rare yellow” eyed pups. (This Excerpt is from http://guardianrottweilers.com/ )

Ears: Medium sized, pendant, triangular, wide apart, set on high. With the ears laid forward

close to the head the skull appears to be broadened.

Neck: Strong, of fair length, well-muscled, slightly arched, free from throatiness, without

dewlap.

BODY

Back: Straight, strong, firm.

Loins: short, strong and deep.

Croup: Broad, of medium length, slightly rounded. Neither flat nor falling away.

Example:This is a example of a good croup. The angle between the croup and the tail set should not be dead straight or over angulated. This should be around 10 degrees.

A "goose rump" is used to describe a dog with too much angulation here. This results in a

short mincing stride.

а – Standard; б – sloping;  в – upstanding 

Chest: Roomy, broad and deep (approximately 50% of the shoulder height) with well-

developed fore-chest and well sprung ribs.

Belly: Flanks not tucked up

TAIL

In natural condition, level in extension of the upper line; at ease may be hanging

Disqualification Tail Set(ByJudge Dirk Vandecasteele)

1) The kink-tail or “knickrute” (sometimes also called hook tail) shows a bend along its length which is caused by two or more vertebrae growing together and can have many forms (kink-tail, hook-tail, corkscrew). It is a hereditary (genetic defect) physical abnormity in the tail, itself being an extension of the spinal column.

2) The ringtail with strong lateral deviation is not caused by an abnormality of the vertebrae but by a shortening of the tendons or a too strong tension of tendons and/or muscles.

LIMBS

Forequarters:

Seen from the front, the front legs are straight and not placed too closely to each other. The

forearm, seen from the side, stands straight. The slope of the shoulder blade is about 45

degrees to the horizontal.

Shoulders: Well laid back.

Figure A Shows correct shoulder lay and correct upper arm length Figure B shows a steep

shoulder and shorter upper arm length Figure C shows correct shoulder lay and shorter

upper arm length Figure D shows steep shoulder lay with equal upper arm length. Note the

column of support on each of these examples.

Upper arm: Close fitting to the body.

Forearm: Strongly developed and muscular.(Detailed illustration covered in Front Feet

Subject)

Pasterns: Slightly springy, strong, not steep.(Detailed illustration covered in Front Feet

Subject)

Front feet: Round, tight and well arched; pads hard; nails short, black and strong.

Excerpt from Steve Wolfson’s article:The feet are in essence, the canine “shock absorbers”. It is valuable for an aficionado of the Rottweiler to understand the subtle yet powerful influence the feet have upon the entire musculo/skeletal workings of the dog.To understand what is incorrect, it is important to start with a good example of what is correct.

Fig 1, is an illustration of correct feet. In Fig 2, is correct feet in 3/4 view and profile.

This is important for four reasons Figure.3 Below..

1. The foot helps initiate forward motion (Fig 3 Above) by acting as a lever and fulcrum. Asthe weight of the body shifts forward, the ball (pad) of the foot becomes a fulcrum andthe pasterns/toes become a lever. A flat pad and poorly knuckled toes lessens theangle of the fulcrum, therefore resulting in less lift .

2. Since the pads are the first in line to absorb the shock transmitted up the frontassembly, it is necessary to have thick pads to diminish the shock.

3. The pasterns are part of the lever action of the foot and absorb shock fromforward movement.

4. Well arched, compact toes also dampen shock and heighten lift.

Examples of poor feet

This is commonly named “east-west” feet (Fig below). Here, the foot on each leg turns

outward in an east-west direction. In addition to “east-west” feet, a structural fault that may

accompany it is a “Fiddle-Front” (Fig below). Here, not only are the feet turning outward, but

the elbows turn away from the body as well producing the appearance of a fiddle

Common pastern problems

A. Too soft with too much slope (First Image below), the dampening effect greatly diminishes in the pastern and the ability of the foot to help initiate lift is also significantly reduced. Often, this problem is accompanied by poorly knuckled toes and splayfooted.

B. Too stiff and upright (90 degree angle to the ground) in the pastern. The opposite of too soft, the same effect results.

When the pastern is too lax(Figurebelow), the shock transmitted through the upper arm from gaiting cannot be correctly dampened. This results in possible structural damage to the upper arm assembly, poor front arm extension and early fatigue.

Hindquarters: 

Seen from behind, legs straight and not too close together. When standing free, obtuse

angles are formed between the dog’s upper thigh and the hip bone, the upper thigh and the

lower thigh and the metatarsal.

(Article by LidaHeyden) : The rear assembly is just as vital as the front as this provides a powerful drive. The pelvis is the pivotal point of the rear assembly and should form a 30 degree angle to the topline to achieve good balance and construction. This angle should be the same in the shoulder blade and upper thigh also. As with the foot, the bend of stifle needs a long upper and lower thigh for speed and a moderate stifle for endurance.Well let down hocks are also an essential, when viewed from the rear the legs and hocks should view as two perpendicular columns:

Example: The below image illustrates the alignment.

Rottweiler Hip Scoring Terminology across the world

Upper thigh: Moderately long, broad and strongly muscled.

Lower thigh: Long, strongly and broadly muscled at top, sinewy.

Hocks: Sturdy well angulated hocks; not steep.

Hindfeet: Slightly longer than the front feet. Toes strong, arched, as tight as front feet.

 

GAIT

The Rottweiler is a trotting dog. In movement the back remains firm and relatively stable.

Movement harmonious, steady, full of energy and unrestricted, with good stride.

The Rottweiler is a trotter. His movement should be balanced, harmonious, sure powerful and unhindered, with strong forereach and powerful rear drive. The motion is effortless, efficient and ground-covering. Front and rear legs are thrown neither in nor out, as the imprint of the hind feet should touch that of the forefeet.Rottweiler in correct gaitIn a trot, the forequarters and hindquarters are mutually coordinated while the back remains level, firm and relatively motionless. As speed increases the legs will converge under body toward a center line. As a working dog, requiring both agility and endurance, the Rottweiler should move in a straight line, exhibiting a smooth, rhythmical gait. In order to achieve this straight line of travel the dog must have proper balance of fore and rear quarters.

Example: A good Gait.

 

Example of an incorrect gait

SKIN

Skin on the head: Overall tight fitting. When the dog is alert, the forehead may be slightly

wrinkled. 

COAT

Hair: The coat consists of a top coat and an undercoat. The top coat is of medium length,

coarse, dense and flat. The undercoat must not show through the top coat. The hair is a

little longer on the hindlegs.

COLOUR

Black with clearly defined markings of a rich tan on the cheeks, muzzle, throat, chest and

legs, as well as over both eyes and under the base of the tail.

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Height at withers

For Males is :  61-68 cm.

61 – 62 cm is small

63 – 64 cm is medium height

65 – 66 cm is large – correct height

67-68 cm is very large

Weight is approximately 50 kg

Height at withers for bitches:  is 56-63 cm

56 – 57 cm is small

58 – 59 cm is medium height

60 – 61 cm is large – correct height

62 – 63 cm is very large

Weight is approximately 42 kg

FAULTS    

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness

with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

 

General Appearance: light, weedy, leggy appearance. Light in bone and muscle.

Head: Hound-type head. Narrow, light, too short, long or coarse head. Flat forehead (lack of

stop or too little stop).

Foreface: Long or pointed muzzle; split nose; Roman nose (convex nasal bridge) or dish-

faced (concave nasal bridge); aquiline nose; pale or spotted nose (butterfly nose).

Lips: pendulous, pink or patchy; corner of lips visible.

Jaws: Narrow lower jaw.

Bite: Pincer bite.

Cheeks: Strongly protruding.

Eyes: Light, deep set. Also too full and round eyes; loose eye-lids.

Ears: Set on too low, heavy, long, slack or turned backwards. Also flying ears or ears not

carried symmetrically.

Neck: Too long, thin, lacking muscle. Showing dewlap or throaty.

Body: Too long, too short or too narrow.

Back: Too long, weak; sway-back or roach back.

Croup: Too sloping, too short, too flat or too long

Chest: Flat ribbed or barrel shaped. Too narrow behind.

Tail: Set on too high or too low.

Forequarters: Narrow or crooked front legs. Steep shoulder placement. Loose or out at

elbow. Too long, too short or too straight in upper arm. Weak or steep pastern.  Splayed

feet. Too flat or too arched toes. Deformed toes. Light coloured nails.

Hindquarters: Flat thighs, hocks too close, cow hocks or barrel hocks. Joints with too little

or too much angulation. Dewclaws.

Also refer Croup Section for illustration of Hock.

Skin: Wrinkles on head.

Coat: Soft, too short or too long. Wavy coat; lack of undercoat.

Colour: Markings of incorrect colour, not clearly defined.. Markings which are too spread

out.

 

ELIMINATING FAULTS

General: Distinct reversal of sexual type, i.e., feminine dogs or masculine bitches.

Teeth: Overshot or undershot bite, wry mouth; lack of one incisive tooth, one canine, one

premolar and one molar.

Eyes: Entropian, Ectropian, yellow eyes, different coloured eyes.

Tail: Kink tail, ring tail, with strong lateral deviation

Hair: Definitely long or wavy coat.

Colour: Dogs which do not show the typical Rottweiler colouring of black with tan markings.

White markings.

Behaviour: Anxious, shy, cowardly, gun-shy, vicious, excessively suspicious, nervous

animals.

 

Note: Males must have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.