Is your Rottweiler's head boxed?...lol

Ideal Rottweiler head shape-A revisit, Nigerian Rottweilers as case study.

Posted on June 4, 2015 by DogsArena

We wrote about the German Rottweiler and compared it to the American,a long time ago.

In Nigeria,we hear all sorts-Box head,Square head,super head Rottweiler.

What exactly is the ideal head shape of the Rottweiler? Is there one standard or do we have several?

Is it an indication of quality of the puppy?

The truth is that there is only one head shape of the Rottweiler and several specimen will range on looks around this standard.Some may be blockier,some may be rounder,indeed some may start off blocky as puppies and later round up as they mature.

Females should have smaller,non masculine heads,slightly rounder.BUT thei9er must be no doubt that the head is a Rottweiler.

...culled from dogsarena.net

 ...read more after the cut.

Propaganda will come in,as it usually does,perhaps to cause an astronomical increase in price,parhaps fo showmanship.

This article draws a a lot of information,including this zygomatic diagram from the site-

http://www.wcrotts.com/rottweiler-the-zygomatic-arch-and-muzzle-correlation-of-the-rottweiler-head.htm

Let us again read the standard head shape of a Rottweiler,a large dog breed where ideally males may be anywhere from 24 inches at the withers to 27 inches maximum,same height as the highest Boerboels.Large indeed when Prime.Same males may be anywhere from 50kg to 60 kg within standards.

But standards are falling,compromise has long set in,yet still,with diligent pursuit great looking specimen may be gotten in Nigeria,not necessarily expensive imports,but affordable,Nigerian parent puppies.

According to Wikipedia-

[Head
Rottweiler Head

The skull is of medium length, broad between the ears. The forehead line is moderately arched as seen from the side, with the occipital bone well developed without being conspicuous. The stop is well defined. The Rottweiler nose is well developed, more broad than round, with relatively large nostrils and always black. The muzzle should appear neither elongated nor shortened in relation to the cranial region. The nasal bridge is broad at the base and moderately tapered. The lips are black and close fitting with the corner of the mouth not visible. The gums should be as dark as possible. Both the upper and lower jaws are strong and broad. According to the FCI Standard Rottweilers should have strong and complete dentition (42 teeth) with scissor bite, the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors. The zygomatic arches should be pronounced. The eyes should be of medium size, almond-shaped and dark brown in color. The eyelids are close fitting. The ears are medium-sized, pendant, triangular, wide apart, and set high on the head. With the ears laid forward close to the head, the skull appears to be broadened. The skin on the head is tight fitting overall. When the dog is alert, the forehead may be slightly wrinkled.]

This fits in rather nicely with the diagram above.Nothing more nothing less.This ideal head shape is regal,formidable and does not require any alteration.None what so ever so deliberating trying to achieve through selective breeding dogs of larger heads or a Bully look is out-rightly not necessary.

So when seeking for your next Rottweiler Puppy in Nigeria,seek not for the dramatic adverts of Head massive or block like,boxy heads,which in most cases are still just normal Rottweilers.Avoid the very round or the hound type,still with the ideal and train well to get a perfect guard dog and protector which the Rottweiler is.

Zygomatic diagram of Rottweiler head courtesy-http://www.wcrotts.com/rottweiler-the-zygomatic-arch-and-muzzle-correlation-of-the-rottweiler-head.htm