Breeder’s Notes

23/01/2021

Drives:

A breeding program which does not breed primarily for one drive, but a balance of drives and a focus on the character of the dog is THE ONLY BREEDING PROGRAM that will produce intelligent, reliable, capable working dogs for any environment.

The rest is up to training.

22/01/2021

Balanced Rottweilers:

IGP is a routine composed of tracking, obedience and protection. Dogs who possess the character and drives for this sport demonstrate some of the attributes required for real world working dogs – such as a police dog or guardian/security dog. However this sport is not a reliable measure for those type of working dogs, it’s merely a good indicator of trainability, always developed through drive and therefore not a good indicator of a dog’s true character.

Dogs that are suitable for law enforcement or even dogs suited as guardians, require a type of dog that have the level of trainability as a sport dog. However the mentality of the dog, the drives and character are not the same. This is a complicated discussion and requires more understanding of what makes up a true working dog vs a sport dog.

15/01/2021

Don’t get your facts from Rottweiler Forums:

Don’t get your facts off Rottweiler groups. For example, in a thread about size and weight, people think they have all the answers. Left, is Eros vom Hertener wappen, a German import from an incredible line of German dogs, and a genuine 68kg lean and 72cm tall dog. To give you an idea of just how big that is, he dwarfed Jenecks Wotan (see our YouTube channel). Eros was a super mover , with a flawless gait, he was athletic , highly driven , and would work for extended periods of time. This is not the ideal weight or height for the Rottweiler and we are not advocating for oversized Rottweilers either.

Facebook groups attract all sorts of opinions, people will always make all sorts of claims based on subjective opinions. People such as the self proclaimed experts in the Australian Rottweiler Facebook Forums. And yet, they do not know that the most respected Rottweiler breeder that has ever touched the breed passed a dog of this same size in his ZTP, and when questioned, Xaver Meixner responded that dogs of this quality and breeding cannot be eliminated from the gene pool, you simply breed him to females with short legs.

I have videos of Eros’s son, he moved with ease and athleticism. Not all big dogs are lazy and heavy, just like not all small dogs work all day.

Never get your information from Facebook forums. That’s not the ideal place to learn about any breed.

11/01/2021

The art of Breeding:

There is a fine art and strategy to breeding, make no mistake; they’re not all the same. This is further complicated by the fact that the ability of a breeder to analyse and interpret dogs is an acquired skill hard earn’t over time & always subject to human error. This underlying truth should make for humble breeders.

23/10/2020

Working lines vs Show lines:

I received an email asking about working lines vs show lines. There is a lot of different views and common misconceptions. Here is what we think:

In Germany, the old ADRK system for breeding and selecting the Rottweiler had no fundamental distinction between working vs show lines. The gene pool was created around breeding dogs that had correct breed type, anatomically correct and proper Rottweiler temperament. In those days people referred to show lines and working lines as a mere distinction between those dogs that were superior in performance, or those that were superior in conformation and breed type. Most show dogs back then were dogs that could and did work and had much better Rottweiler temperament than many of the show dogs today. Conversely, many of the working dogs back then actually had better breed type than many of the working dogs today.

This is different today, mostly because of breeders with different motives. For example, you have breeders focussing on impressive show dogs rather than temperament, thus creating dogs with no working ability or improper Rottweiler temperament and vice versa. This is further complicated by the fact that amongst those who say they breed working lines – in fact aren’t even breeding true Rottweiler character and drives. They might be breeding great sport dogs, no different than breeding any other breed with working abilities.

The old ADRK gene pool was therefore not only consistent with the ultimate aims of breeding the true Rottweiler, but also came from an era where the motives and direction wasn’t corrupted by pursuit of ideas of the Rottweiler being a sport dog (IPO etc), show dog, or these days, aggressively over bred by opportunistic breeders trying to establish a “brand”.

I think what most people are looking for is what most of us who like dogs are searching for; An intelligent, stable dog with the willingness to learn and be trained, and possess the courage and instincts to protect and guard.

If you ask for a working dog in today’s culture, you may be mistaken for someone who wants a highly driven prey monster that demands constant attention and a meticulous upbringing. These types of dogs make great sport dogs, but a nuisance around the house and not always sufficient service or security dogs. Most of these dogs are also bred purely for prey – which means they lack the genetic instincts to defend and protect instinctively and especially under real scenarios without training.

Hope that helps.

31/09/2020

The Neubrand lesson:

The Neubrand Kennel has a long history in Germany and is one of the most influential and prominent breeding programs. With about 70 years of breeding, both father, Alfonzo, and son, Oliver, are some of the few breeders still around from the past, and responsible for furthering the Rottweiler into the 21st century.

But this post is not about the Neubrands.

Below are two dogs which tell a story. Amadeus vom silberpfeil & Oxana vom hause Neubrand.

Oliver bought Amadeus after his breeder and owner had problems handling him because of aggression issues arising from dominant behaviour. Oliver liked the dog because he was a beautiful looking dog at the time and liked the challenge of training such a dog. During an incident at his Ztp, the dog was disqualified. The breed warden, as well as many other breeders and officials, called for the Neubrands to euthanise the dog. But Oliver and his father refused, they were adamant that Amadeus was a worthy dog and had the misfortune of not being raised appropriately. Fast forward – Amadeus went on to pass his Ztp, achieve his IPO 3 and produced the famous O litter, most notably Oxana vom hause neubrand who is still the only female ever to achieve all 3 INT./SCHWZ./DT.VDH-CH. KS’04 ES’04, as well as being SchH III FH I AD BH IPO III and Eza!!!!

All of the breeders and officials who initially insisted that the dog be euthanised – went directly to Oliver to use Amadeus as stud.

Amadeus established the future of the Neubrand kennel and is still the basis of their pedigrees.

Moral of the story – Everyone has an opinion, and their opinion could ultimately be the detriment of breeding great dogs. Really you only know what you think you know.

03/03/2019

The real Rottweiler:

We want highly intelligent and real dogs, not just sport dogs. We want powerful Rottweiler type, not just something correct. We want dogs that form an unbreakable bond, the kind that makes him inseparable, not just a working dog. Remember the old-style Rottweiler? The kind that was cool until he had a job to do. The kind that had all the patience in the world for things small and his family and a no-nonsense attitude for anything else. The kind that was born knowing, not needing to be taught anything, including manners.

It’s not accurate to say that it is the training that has evolved, it’s the temperament and the fundamental purpose of the breed that has changed completely.

What happened to all of these traits?? Ask your breeder.

Breeder Background : SHOGUNATE

We have owned Rottweilers since 1995. Shogunate Kennels was established in 2008 and has since been intricately involved in importing Rottweilers and breeding them for sound working temperament and correct type.

Shogunate is one of the very few kennels breeding true Rottweiler temperament. Our dogs are incredibly stable, highly trainable and intelligent family guardians. All of our claims can be verified, and we prove our dogs are everything we say they are! In just a few litters, our dogs have already gained an esteemed reputation amongst senior trainers and other Rottweiler breeders for their working character, high trainability and stability.

Shogunate prides itself on a respected breeding program. Our modest approach to selective breeding has been noticed and utilised by other breeders nationally and worldwide.

We are ethical breeders and compliant with all regulations and health checks.

We are one of the few who have 100% German working Bloodlines. A loyal advocate and supporter of origin and breeding systems that are concerned with the total goals of the Rottweiler.

We are always available to help people who share the same love for the Rottweiler.