[Mara]

Thanks very much. About the tail: it seems wholly unnecessary to cut off the tail, and far more humane not to. Also, Rotts with tails are at least as beautiful as ones without. So it is best not to cut. However, cropping isn't the concern. My wife likes the look of German dogs for two reasons: first, the head is proportionally larger, and second, the dogs are more compact. At least that is our impression!
Anyway, our goal is to have a dog that will live as long as possible with as few significant health problems as possible. We bought our first Rott from someone who was not a skilled breeder, and ended up spending huge amounts on joint surgeries. We know we'll never return a dog to a breeder, and so we want to make sure we get the healthiest genetics as possible.