Rottweilers are tough – we know that. German Rottweilers are expected to conform to certain physical specifications and temperamental attributes. But do they have a standard? Apparently, they do and they are pretty strict too. In Germany, that is.

ADRK is the sole authority to decide who the true German Rottweilers are. A Rottweiler born on German soil or those whose parents are born in Germany and are registered under Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub is considered the pick of the crop. But the definition for a German Rottweiler is not as simple as it seems.

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A Rottweiler’s pedigree determines the qualities that they have inherited from their parents. So a Rottweiler born anywhere in the world would pass the muster if their parents are born in Germany and registered with the ADRK. This ensures that the puppy is an outstanding embodiment of the German Rottweiler family.

But are they superior to the other Rottweiler breeds? This is where the ADRK plays a vital role. This German Rottweiler breed club has as its main objective the protection of the true Rottweiler breed. The word ‘protection’ is vital here. The club’s main/original slogan is ‘Rottweiler breeding is, and remains, the breeding of working dogs’.

This point remains equally vital even today. The Rottweiler may be put into a life of luxury and taken as a loved and pampered companion, but at heart, they remain the rugged herding dog or the Rottweiler Metzgerhunds, hardy butcher dogs used to herd meat carts, guard money, or drive the cattle to market.

They should have the qualities attributed to the breed – move, act, and execute the tasks and duties as expected from a Rottweiler. In short, the club is the protector of these standards and they seek to maintain it through stringent breeding rules and practices. The German Rottweiler is a product of this superior quality. A Rottweiler puppy is registered with the club only after they have passed the formidable breed suitability examination or ZTP.

These are a series of stringent rules on the temperament, health, and structure of the Rottweiler. It ensures that only the finest representative of the breed is allowed to be called a German Rottweiler.

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To elaborate, it stands that the Rottweiler has to have the right size, the shape of the head, coat, teeth, eye color, etc. They should also be obedient, courageous, attentive, hardy, and a lot more.

Other qualifications include the right age, hip classification, and basic qualification equivalent to the AKC‘s qualification for Companion Dogs.

Few European countries have such stringent requirements. In the US, they have a comparable test called the breed suitability test conducted by the United States Rottweiler Club.

One point where the American and the German Rottweiler differ is on the matter of tail docking. American dogs are docked in keeping with the requirements of the American Kennel Club Breed Standard.

Other countries might have excellent breeds with German ancestry but they are not German Rottweilers. As things stand, Germany is quite determined about protecting the breeding standards of the Rottweiler. Thus only the best Rottweilers pass the test. Germany does not produce a superior type of Rottweiler. They only produce the ‘accepted’ breed of Rottweiler as laid down by the ADRK.