Emerald, Victoria 3782
ph: 61359683047
alt: 61417312258
ubersein
As in everything in life, there is great, good, mediocre and bad. If you are looking for a quality puppy, finding a quality breeder is the first step in making this more likely to be a reality for you.
Unfortunately, there are (probably) too many people breeding Rottweilers in Australia - some for all the wrong reasons.
And some of these have made an art-form out of their websites and advertising - leading you to think they are something special.
CAVEAT EMPTOR - Buyer Beware - do your research, talk to a number of breeders; you should start to get a feel for what's what if you take your time and don't rush in.
Below are some of the common advertising spiels that both good, and not so good breeders will use. Don't believe all you read - probe a bit further and work out for yourself if the Breeder is bone-fide or if it is just a line.
2007 - our beautiful son Fletch, then 3, with his soul-mate dog "Boo", then 4 weeks
"Lifetime Breeder support"
This comes from all quarters but often from breeders who are brand spanking new themselves. The reality is that some repeat Rotty pet buyers have a lot more knowledge than these such breeders.
TIP - The best way to check out what a breeder has to say is ask them some open questions such as "Tell me about yourself and your time in the breed" This will hopefully reveal to you what the breeder thinks is important and will yield information about their experience and the time they have available for the pups and for you. If not, however, further questions can be distributed throughout the conversation but try not to put questions in such a way that prompts the desired answer. In relation to the support they are offering, ask them what kind of support they have provided in the past and indeed WHY they are breeding at all.
"Guarantee against hereditary faults and breed club membership"
A guarantee is one thing but getting it met can be another. Guarantees from breeders that are members of a Breed Club such as the Rottweiler Club of Victoria come with the backing of that Breed Club. Of all the Australian Breed Clubs, the RCV have the strictest breeding protocols and is the most diligent in policing it's members. Long standing members of such a club obviously do not take their membership lightly and therefore are far more likely to abide by the clubs rules and make good if anything should go wrong.
But many advertisers are not members of breed club and so then it becomes entirely up to you to get them to make good. In my opinion breeders who are not members of Breed Clubs are not truly participating and promoting the welfare of the breed through the network of their peers. Think about why this might be. Also, bear in mind that Breed Clubs have minimum breeding standards and these are MUCH HIGHER than the governing Kennel Club. The breeder that states they are complying with ANKC Code of Ethics is complying with a lot less than the breeder who is complying with RCV's Code of Ethics.
Breeders may be members of Interstate Breed Clubs BUT THEY SHOULD ALSO BE MEMBERS OF THEIR OWN STATE BREED CLUB. It they are not it can be because they are already in breach of that Club's rules and have had to "set up shop" elsewhere.
TIP - Ask what Breed Clubs the breeder is a member of, how long they have been a member, and if they can provide you with a copy of that breed Club's Code Of Ethics (usually also available On-Line too).
DO NOT BUY A PUPPY FROM SOMEONE WHO IS NOT A MEMBER OF THEIR OWN STATE BREED CLUB. If you need back-up, it is very helpful to have that available locally.
"Only Breeding for Ourselves"
This is sometimes true but also sometimes not. It gets trotted out by one or two breeders who are breeding quite a number of litters each year. Whilst they may keep something from some of the litters often as not, those pups get re-homed a few months down the track while the breeder has a new litter to "try again".
Breeding is not a perfect science and a little luck is always involved, good or bad. Even the most successful breeders will still produce pups that do not work out as better prospects for breed improvement, however, some have the approach of a sniper - a few shots well aimed, and others pick up the scattergun which of course will inevitably result in a hit amongst a lot of shrapnel.
TIP - ask the breeder who is claiming to only be breeding for themselves how many litters they have had in the last few years and how many dogs they still have and are showing or competing with from those litters.
"Caring Environment/Family Environment"
As well as the genuine breeders with a family environment, this pitch also gets used by single full time workers with little or no family around, couples who both work with 20 or more dogs of several different breeds, others who have as many as 80 dogs on site with a constant stream of litters. The most prolific breeders of Rottweilers in Victoria have registered as many as 10 litters per year!!!
Anyone who properly rears a litter of pups knows just how exhausting and time consuming it is to do the task justice. Breeding for the best is NOT a full time job with litters always on the go but a labour of love.
2 or 3 judiciously bred litters per year from the best of one's bitches is plenty to keep a line healthy and flourishing and much more convincing as Breeding for Improvement. A lot more than that smacks of a commercial operation.
TIP - Suss this out from those question you ask about the breeder. Toss the questions in casually "Oh how long have you been into this", and "What do you do for a job" etc.
Also, when you visit the pups, check out how stimulating the environment seems to be and the reaction of the puppies when you meet them. Pups freshly let out of a pen should immediately confidently gravitate towards the visitors if they have been well exposed and socialised. Later they may go off adventuring, but the pup that has no interest in meeting anyone and shuns human attention is much less promising as pet/companionship material.
The most critical stage of development in a pups life is 4-16 weeks. Obviously, a third of this time is spent with the breeder, so the level of breeder involvement has a significant bearing on the final outcome.
"We follow breeding protocols from Germany"
In the German Rottweiler Club, the ADRK, dogs are evaluated for both conformation and temperament and details are documented for open reference. In Australia, we offer a very basic version of this, our Breed Survey, which is tested by, amongst others, visiting ADRK judges. It is disappointing to see that the vast majority of those kennels who trot out the "In Germany" line never participate in having their dogs evaluated by these German judges on the numerous occasions that these opportunities have presented.
TIP - Ask the breeder to see their breed/show/survey results. If they are not having their dogs evaluated then their claims are hollow and untested. Ask the breeder what percentage of their pups are being hip tested through the National Scheme. You can check this with State/National Breed Recorders. Without comprehensive "across litter" evaluations, it really is not possible to make the best informed breeding choices.
"We import from the very best kennels overseas"
The best German dogs are hard to beat in terms of strength and reliability of pedigree and results. However, the very best German Rottweilers sell for enormous prices, far more than I have ever heard of an Australian enthusiast spending on an import. With the new found availability and relative economy of importation of frozen semen it is now possible to access the best bloodlines in the world without having to spend the huge $'s needed to actually buy the dog.
Importing dogs from the best kennels in the world does not necessarily translate to importing the best dogs. Even the best kennels produce numerous pups of average, or below average, quality. Where these may not be bred on with overseas and likewise a similar specimen may not be bred on with here, that mediocre specimen with (Imp) behind its name or a famous parent that has found its way to Australia is enough to have some have people selling puppies from them for top dollar and the uninitiated think they are getting a better product.
And on the subject of temperament claims . . .
"Parents are working lines with high drives. Pups will be super family companions"
AAAGGGH No! Any Rottweiler breeder should be breeding dogs with temperaments as close as possible to that specified in the BREED STANDARD, the "BIBLE" for breeding. In relation to temperament the standards states:
Behaviour and Character: Being good natured, placid in basic disposition and fond of children, he is very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behaviour self assured, steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness.
This clearly shows that the correct Rottweiler is the "take anywhere" calm and steady dog that is alert to the world and will "switch on" only when required. Many of what these "so called working people" admire as "working drive dogs" can be seen to be very busy, excitable, full on dogs that may have crazy play or prey drive and often will just not readily "switch off". This is in stark contrast to correct Rottweiler behaviour as defined and is actually not what the breed is all about. The correct calm steady fearless dog will do his job when he needs to and yet still couples as the easy to live with family dog.
"Temperament and soundness are a priority"
Once again this can at least in part be demonstrated by ACTUAL RESULTS on the National Hip and Breed Survey scheme. Some breeders trot this out with only a handful or two of official results and a dozen or more litters bred. At best their claims are untested, at worst they are simply untrue.
"Pups have very outgoing temperaments"
Whilst this is a common claim, there are many pups that are far from promising in temperament for various reasons including nature and nurture
"Temperament is excellent/very good/outstanding"
Another chestnut. In one case attributed to a bitch with the blandest of temperaments with a mother, uncle and two offspring all reported for biting/attempting to bite judges
TIP - the mother should accept you into her space when accompanied by the breeder except if she is with very young pups. Away from the pups though she should still be willing to meet you. She may not seek affection from you, but neither should she shirk from your unobtrusive attendance. She should not be at all worried by you. There is a very real difference between a dog that is slightly aloof with strangers to a dog that is actually frightened or overly suspicious of them.
If you feel uncomfortable with the parents or the breeder wont allow normal contact then do not buy a puppy from them.
"100% German bloodlines"
Last but not least this one seems to catch many innocents and finds them paying a lot more money for what is often an inferior specimen.
ALL ROTTWEILERS have 100% German lines. Whilst the breed of sorts traces back centuries, the dog more as we know it today concentrates down to a small gene pool left in Germany through the war periods in the first part of the 20th Century.
Unless you IMPORT a GERMAN dog yourself then you are getting a dog that the brain of an Australian breeder has put together. Some of these "brains" are never at Rottweiler events and do not belong to any clubs. There are breeders who will capitalise on your naivety and sell you a back yard bred pup for a ridiculously inflated price. For your own sake and the sake of the breed, bone-up before you buy and dont keep these people in business.
TIP - The best way to choose your breeder is to feel like the breeder is intent on deciding whether they should be choosing YOU, and not that it is all about making the sale.
Bone-up, do some research and have a good look around.
The future of our breed is in the combination of thoughtfully bred and reared dogs being owned by responsible, discerning and committed owners.
Copyright 2013 Ubersein Rottweilers. All rights reserved.
Emerald, Victoria 3782
ph: 61359683047
alt: 61417312258
ubersein