Too late to show my rottie?

by Mitch
(Pompano Beach fl.)

Hello, I have an eleven month old Rottie with a substansial pedigree.

Is it to late to show him? or might I consider schutzhund training instead?

Hi Mitch
At 11 months old your Rottie is still a pup, albeit in adolescent rather than a baby. I would say it’s most definitely not too late to consider showing, but it’s something you would need to research thoroughly.

I’d recommend getting some reading material (there are some good books on the subject, one that I’d suggest taking a look at is The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Showing Your Dog)and also finding a breed club near you where you can meet with other Rottweiler enthusiasts/breeders/owners. These can be a wonderful source of information and support.

A great pedigree with multiple champions is a good start, but genetics is a funny thing and having champion parents doesn’t guarantee that all their puppies will also be show quality. Unless you bought your pup as a ‘show potential’ puppy he could have conformation faults you aren’t aware of yet. Other experienced owners and breeders will be able to help you there.

As for Shutzhund, if he has working dogs and titles in his pedigree then he has the potential to make a good working dog, again no guarantees but the potential is there.

Dogs who do well in Shutzhund need a high ‘bite drive’ and to have strong nerves, I’d recommend finding a Shutzhund club near you and talking to them about your puppy. They’re the experts.

In addition to show and shutzhund, there is competitive obedience, agility, therapy dog work and all sorts of other activities your Rottie could get involved in. Do some research and try to find something that he enjoys – and that you enjoy too.

Best of luck 🙂

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May 01, 2012

Links for showing info NEW
by: Christopher Bayhi

The AKC website is a wonderful resource for the beginning show handler/dog.

Beginner’s Guide: http://www.akc.org/events/conformation/beginners.cfm

You can also enter your pup in Canine Good Citizen which helps set the foundation for advanced showings:
http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/

You can aso get information from the AKC National Parent Club. For Rotties this would be the American Rottweiler Club. Their website also has links to state-specific clubs and organizations that do both formal and informal showings. You can find a mentor at one of these clubs who may be willing to critique your dog and give you help in starting the show process:
http://www.amrottclub.org/

Sue…Sorry about the cross links. ~Chris


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About The Rotty lover 2159 Articles
My name is Dr. Winnie. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke University, a Masters of Science in Biology from St Georges University, and graduated from the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa. I have been an animal lover and owners all my life having owned a Rottweiler named Duke, a Pekingese named Athena and now a Bull Mastiff named George, also known as big G! I'm also an amateur equestrian and love working with horses. I'm a full-time Veterinarian in South Africa specializing in internal medicine for large breed dogs. I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 kids and Big G in my free time. Author and Contribturor at SeniorTailWaggers, A Love of Rottweilers, DogsCatsPets and TheDogsBone