Page 190 - ShowSight - May 2020

ICON OF THE BREED
Correct head type: Powerful skull and muzzle, well-developed Incorrect head type: No prominence in the zygomatic arch, conical zygomatic arch and stop, strong lower jaw muzzle shape, shallow stop.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DOG AND BITCH HEAD TYPE?
Certain Rottweiler devotees believe there should be a distinction in the architecture of head type between the dog and bitch for two reasons. One, only the dog should be the sole owner of power, substance, and masculinity. Secondly, because she is a female, the bitch should possess soft lines, be shallow in the topskull and muzzle and have little to no stop or zygomatic arch. For them, the bitch is less than the dog.
The Standard does not support this notion. It has no mention of a difference between the sexes other than a marked reversal of sexual type as a serious fault stating: “Reversal of sexual characteristics—bitchy dogs or doggy bitches.”
The geometry of the head should possess power in the muzzle, stop, and zygomatic arch. It is the same for the dog and the bitch with these two exceptions:
• The dog head is more massive throughout
• The dog head has more prominence in the stop and zygomatic arch
SUMMARY
Correct Rottweiler head type is a com- plex subject. Its comprehension is essential in knowing Rottweiler breed type. Dismiss- ing its importance would be analogous to denying the value of the engine in a racing car. Both Rottweiler and the racing car will get by with less but are missing what makes them unique.
REFERENCES
American Rottweiler Club Standard Rottweiler il Cane, Carla Romanelli Lensi The Priority of Breed Type in the
Rottweiler, Steve Wolfson
The Icon of the Breed is a copyright arti-
cle. It cannot be copied or re-written with- out the permission of Steve Wolfson.
Correct dog head type
Correct bitch head type
188 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2020