"She loves her dogs, they have the best care."
"She loves the breed and treats us well."
"She breeds to have nice pets."
Classic statements that you'll see throughout the years on this board, often made by someone new to the board. This person is then "jumped" by many of the long-time board members, gets defensive and does not understand what everyone's problem is.
A little background
Every breed has a breed standard. The standard describes the
ideal dog of that breed. The breed standard is what defines a dog, and what separates it from other breeds. Muscular black and tan dog. Am I talking about a Dobermann or a Rottweiler? Or perhaps a Miniature Pinscher? Or a German pinscher? A dog who is broad, well-muscled and with a blocky head. Rottweiler? Mastiff? Bullmastiff? Neopolitan mastiff? Pitbull?
If we change one little thing here, and one little thing there, the breed suddenly changes. Add a longer coat, a few white blazes and a softer temperament to a Rottweiler and guess what? It's not a Rottweiler, but a Bernese Mountain dog. But coat length, "nice personality" and a little white aren't that much of a change are they? Or are they?
Where do we draw the line at how many changes it takes to make a new breed? One (temperament) ? Two (working drive, size) ? What defines "just a
little change?"
The Rottweiler standard for America can be found here:
AKC Rottweiler standard. The International breed standard can be found here:
FCI Standard.
The reason breeding for pets is a poor practice.
These breed standards describe the correct Rottweiler in both temperament and in body (also known as type). Read through the standards.
Many who breed for "nice pets" say that they have nice dogs, whom "everybody" loves and that they don't need to show them to prove that. They just want to breed nice dogs for "average" people. But the Rottweiler is NOT for the average person.
If one is not trying to prove that one's dogs meet the standard, one is not trying to breed true Rottweilers.
To disregard the standard is to disrepect the breed and those who have developed it over the past 110 years. If you are not going to pay attention to the standard, and respect it, and strive to meet it, then you are breeding mutts.
The Rottweiler has a specified size range. Breeding for larger, "king size," "superior" or "Roman" Rottweilers is disregarding the standard. This is disrespectful to the breed.
The Rottweiler has a specified temperament (discussed
here.) To breed for overly soft dogs "who love everyone" is to disregard the standard. The Rottweiler is
NOT the breed for everyone (see
this thread). To "dumb down" a working dog is to breed for something other than the Rottweiler. To soften the temperament is a dangerous game to play, often creating
weak nerved dogs. Weak nerved dogs are much more prone to biting and that is the last thing this breed needs right now: scaredy-dogs out biting innocent people.
If a person does not breed to the standard, and prove that their dogs meet the standard, the person
does not love "the breed." They simply love
their own dogs and want to produce more of those (whatever they may be). Since such "breeders" change characteristics (temperament, size, working drive) of the Rottweiler, they should decide what breed embodies their preferred characteristics, and migrate to that breed.
The Rottweiler is NOT for everyone. If you are breeding to change characteristics to make it "for everyone," you are not breeding for Rottweilers, but rather large black and tan dogs. Do not ruin our breed, change to something that suits you better. If you want a "nice dog who loves everyone," please get a Retreiver.
Homes for Rottweiler puppies should be carefully screened to be sure the prospective owners are capable of owning a Rottweiler. The
home needs to "fit" with the
breed,
NOT the other way around.
Those who breed for nice pets are disregarding the standard, disrespecting the hard work of the original breeders and can not
honestly claim to "love" the breed. You can not love something you disrespect.