One of the common names to refer to our favorite dog breed in the US is “American Rottweiler,” although German Rottweiler is the name we tend to use more often. So, you have every right to ask yourself what is the difference between the two, if any; are they in fact different dog breeds, and, if not, why are they referred to differently.
German vs. American Rottweilers
First and foremost, there is no such dog breed as either American Rottweiler or German Rottweiler. Rottweiler is the only official name for the dog breed we love the most here in Fere Perfectum kennel. Unlike Rottweilers, there are numerous cases in which the country of origin denotes completely different breeds, such as (American) Akita and Japanese Akita.
Hence, when it comes to Rottweilers, whether your dog is an American Rottweiler or a German Rottweiler should only denote the country of origin of either your individual dog or its parents. However, numerous resellers often use “German” so as to justify the high prices of their dogs, while in their genealogy this German origin can only be found in the 3rd or 4th generation. This is an obvious deception.
Why emphasizing the origin if it’s one and the same dog breed?
Plain and simple, there is one reason why both breeders and dog owners like to emphasize the country of origin of their beloved pet: they want to pay homage to the country and insist on it being the best. It is allowed to us as breeders and Rottweiler lovers to say that we consider German Rottweilers only to be the perfect ones, for yet another simple reason: their country of origin is Germany.
Germany is the only country in the world with a pedigree Rottweiler breeding and nurture control organization (ADRK), which is in charge of the selection process and issues breeding licenses only once a dog goes through strict external control and psychological tests. The simple rationale behind their effort is the following: only dogs with no faults can enter the gene pool. This is the practice that lasts for generations. Thus, you can be sure that there is no backyard breeding with genuine German Rottweilers.
Such strict breeding plan minimizes the faults, making them almost extinct. A Rottweiler originating from kennels that abide by these rules is a stable, balanced dog, determinate and loyal to his family.
Many times in the past we witnessed scandalous newspapers headlines, some of the most recent being “Horror as man is attacked and eaten by Rottweiler,” “EATEN BY DEVIL DOG Giant Rottweiler seen with blood dripping from its mouth after killing caretaker, 52, before gnawing on his body,” “Toddler still recovering after 2015 Rottweiler attack in Raleigh” or “Child brutally attacked by Rottweiler Pet Dog,” etc. But rest assured that it could not have been genuine German Rottweilers, unless their owners made them that way.
German or American Rottweiler criteria
As we already said above, there is no either American or German Rottweiler, hence there is also no right criteria on what a genuine German Rottweiler is or isn’t.
In our Fere Perfectum breeder’s experience, German Rottweiler is any Rottweiler bought from German breeders or whose pedigree genealogy shows clear German ancestors. In practice, if you buy a puppy whose parents are not from a German kennel directly, but all its grandparents are, you can be sure that such a puppy has quality genes and much better genetics than any dog from some other kennel from anywhere else in the world with no German ancestors in their pedigree. Furthermore, such a puppy could equally be better from any other puppy whose father is a quality German Rottweiler but whose mother has no single German ancestor or their presence is insignificant.
Disqualification faults
When it comes to dog shows and exhibitions, there are numerous Rottweiler disqualification faults, such as physiognomy faults that are completely unacceptable in Rottweilers as service dogs. Some of the faults are undershot bite (when lower jaw is positioned before the upper jaw, hence preventing proper and powerful bite, highly important in service dogs), ring tail, yellow eyes, nervous behavior, or wavy coat, to name just a few.
There is also hip or elbow dysplasia, a severe genetic problem causing many dogs to be removed from the gene pool. Dysplasia can be highly uncomfortable to dogs, causing pain to them and preventing their usual gait. ADRK standards stipulate that a Rottweiler cannot receive a mating license unless healthy hips and elbows are confirmed by medical examinations.
That is why in genuine German Rottweilers such faults are almost extinct. We say “almost,” because nature does miracles, however even omissions are highly rare due to mating (for generations) only quality dogs free of faults.
Kennels from the Balkans
Line in line with American and German Rottweilers, in recent years we’ve witnessed more and more quality dogs originating from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in fact all former Yugoslavian countries. Breeders from these countries offer attractive and affordable dogs that can match the genuine German ones, if not even better. Dogs from these countries have perfectly shaped heads, long ears, and are well pigmented, but bear in mind that dogs from the Balkans do not undergo almost any examinations nor tests prior to their mating, hence there is always the possibility to run across a perfect physiognomy dog with an inherited genetic fault.
Of course, there always are and will be reliable kennels from the Balkans which test their dogs before mating them, to be sure they have a healthy dog which will produce quality litter, but we must say that they are a minority.
After decades of running the business of Rottweiler breeding and sales, here in Fere Perfectum kennel, we strictly work with imported German bloodlines. Furthermore, we exclusively mate our most quality dogs to be sure to keep up the best gene pool and further disseminate them around the world. That is why we are happy to share with you where our puppies find their new homes – we know our references speak volumes.
In short
To summarize, we’ve shown you the (non-existing) difference between American and German Rottweilers as a distinct breed – they are one and the same Rottweiler breed, while the difference between them is strictly geographical.
Secondly, we tackled upon the advantages of genuine German bloodlines and what potential problems to avoid.
Thirdly, we suggested kennels from the Balkans as quality breeders which you should still be careful about, as their dogs usually do not undergo strict German tests and examinations.
And, finally, we must always emphasize, again and again: look for quality references, pedigree data, and official FCI / AKC / ADRK registration data, for your own peace of mind.
If there is something we failed to mention, feel free to contact us – we happily respond to all your inquiries.
∞