Page 104 - ShowSight - September 2020

The purpose of Schutzhund is to identify dogs that have or do not have the character traits required for these demanding jobs.
Some of those traits are a strong desire to work, courage, intelligence, trainability, a strong bond with the handler, perseverance, protective instinct, and a good sense of smell.
Boerboel are classified or recognized by the FCI. Five of these breeds (Cane Corso, Doberman Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Rott- weiler, and Boxer) are subject to working trials. For these breeds, their working ability is commonly demonstrated via IPO/Schutz- hund. Internationale Prüfungs-Ordnung (IPO) is the FCI name for sport Schutzhund titles. Within the Working Group, the Black Russian Terrier, not named in FCI as subject to working trials, also participates in IPO/Schutzhund. The purpose of Schutzhund is to identify dogs that have or do not have the character traits required for these demanding jobs. Some of those traits are a strong desire to work, courage, intelligence, trainability, a strong bond with the handler, perseverance, protective instinct, and a good sense of smell. The various levels of Schutzhund working trials encompass track- ing, obedience, and protection. There are various Schutzhund asso- ciations within the United States, some focusing on one or multiple eligible breeds.
In this installment of the series, the hunter/worker type and fisherman’s working type dogs (Boxer, Rottweiler, Great Dane, Dogo Argentino, Newfoundland and Portuguese Water Dog) will be explored.
Five of the six dogs mentioned above are found in the FCI’s Molossian Group (Group 2: Pinscher and Schnauzer-Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs), and four of those (Dogo Argen- tino, Boxer, Great Dane, and Rottweiler) are classified as belong- ing to the Mastiff type sub-group, with the latter three originating in Germany. The Newfoundland, while in FCI Group 2, is classi- fied in the Mountain type sub-group. The Portuguese Water Dog is categorized within FCI’s Water dog type sub-group of Group 8 (Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs).
The Boxer originated in Germany in the late 1800s and is thought to descend from the Brabant (Belgian) Bullenbeisser, a smaller Mastiff type dog, and an English Bulldog type. The Bullen- beisser was used as a hunting dog that pursued deer, bear, and wild boar and was used as a catch/capture dog. They hung onto the ani- mal until the hunter could arrive to dispatch it. In 1894, three Ger- man gentlemen decided to bring the breed into uniformity. Photos from the first exhibition of the Boxer in 1896 in Munich reveal a dog with varying proportions and style, some with and some without undershot jaws, reminiscent of the Cordoba (Argentina) Dog. The Boxer spread throughout other parts of Europe in the last decade of the 19th century and made its appearance in the US in the first decade of the 20th century. During World War I, the Boxer was utilized as a pack and messenger dog, guard dog, and personal protection dog. Following World War II, the Boxer was popularized throughout the globe a guard dog, companion, and show dog.
Early imports to the US demonstrated head and body character- istics that have been refined by breeders over the decades to produce today’s show Boxer’s head, topline and body characteristics. The early dogs could be described as being heavier in body, having less slope from withers to hips and, to use a term commonly employed to describe a faulty muzzle today, “nosy.” Today’s American-bred Boxer also differs from its continental (European) brethren in not only cropping and docking, but in substance. To borrow a term from the Arabian horse world, the American Boxer can be described as “dry” from the occiput back, while the continental Boxer cannot be termed “dry.” That is, the chiseling and veining of features on the body, apparent thinness of skin and its tightness of fit on the body, appear greater in the American dog than the continental dog. It is a term that we will come to again when we visit the Doberman Pinscher breed, which is described slightly differently, but with the same intent. What does “dryness” have to do with today’s Boxer on either continent? Nothing! The breed is no longer used, to any degree, for personal protection or guarding. It serves its purpose as a loving companion and show dog, for those so inclined.
While the Boxer is subject to working trials in its native country in order to attain its championship, it is not elsewhere across the world. The Boxer is one of the breeds that can demonstrate its work- ing ability via IPO/ Schutzhund. Internationale Prüfungs-Ordnung (IPO) is the FCI name for sport Schutzhund titles. The number of Boxers represented in IPO/Schutzhund titling is much smaller than the other breeds traditionally used in this sport, however.
Another breed with its origins and development in southern Germany is the Rottweiler. The Rottweiler’s predecessors were used on long cattle drives, and their intelligence, strength, power, and herding ability were all highly valued.
Originally known as the “Butcher’s Dog” due to its use to drive cattle (as well as to protect them and the cattle owners/traders), the Rottweiler saw its steep decline with the advent of railroad cattle car conveyance in the last decade of the 19th century. It was during World War I that the breed transitioned to become an important messenger, draught, guarding, protection, and police dog.
The parent club in Germany, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Rott- weiler Klub—ADRK (General German Rottweiler Club) has as its slogan “Rottweiler breeding is working dog breeding.” Not only do they register litters and issue pedigrees, they are also involved in all aspects of determination of suitability for breeding and working tests. Much of this is accomplished through an exacting breed war- den system. What we would interpret as authoritarian in the US is customary for the Rottweiler in Germany. There is such an empha- sis on working ability that the ADRK has six registry classifications for the Rottweiler based on parental working titles and whether or not the parents have a Koerung (evaluation of the breeding value of a dog for the improvement, preservation, and advancement of the breed).
In the US, the Rottweiler is still used as a protection dog and is active in IPO/Schutzhund. These dogs tend to be not as deep through the body as what is seen in the show ring. The breed’s back- ground as a herder/drover has been rediscovered and the Rottweiler can be found actively engaged in these endeavors, albeit on a smaller scale than traditional herding breeds. In 2019, show champions or grand champions represented nine of the top 13 Rottweilers titled in Herding Started, three of five titled in Herding Intermediate, and one of four titled in Herding Advanced. This says something about the breed’s continued athletic ability, intellect, and drive.
The third breed in this segment is of German development and is often referred to as the Apollo of dogs. The Great Dane’s 16th
BREEDING WITH INTENTION
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