The Feminine Bitch

I tend to think that breeder judges have a much better understanding of what meets the standard - I know that sounds obvious but I feel a lot of all breed judges are afraid to put up a better female over males.

I do agree with your observations.

I also agree (see posting in Best of Breed Forum) I don't know why a judge would disregard the standard just to choose a male over a female. Do other breeds have this problem? I wonder why so many of the judges are afraid of choosing a female over the males, if the female is the best example of the breed. Of course, not all judges are like that.

I appreciate the feedback. Yet, why the trend for a doggy type bitch?? Bitches are suppose to be feminine in type and a lot of the top bitches that I have been following have this doggy style headpiece. At times it is almost hard to tell them from a male without seeing the entire body to know the difference. Is this a trend we want to continue? Like I said before, I love a good strong headpiece but I want to be able to tell the difference between a male and a female headpiece.

YOU ARE ALL AS WRONG AS YOU ARE RIGHT. ITS NOT WHAT YOU LIKE ITS WHAT THE STANDARD SAYS AND HOW YOU INTERPET IT.
HERE IN AMERICA WE THINK BIGGER IS BETTER, NOT JUST IN OUR DOGS BUT IN MOST THINGS IN OUR LIVES. I HAVE WATCHED OUR BREED GO FROM AWESOME TYPE HEADS LIKE MIRKO VOM STEINKOF TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A BLACK BULL MASTIFF, SHAKA ZULU.
IT TAKES A TRAINED EYE TO KNOW A TRUE ROTTWEILER HEAD PIECE. IT IS UNIQUE IN ITS SELF. BECAUSE AKC JUDGES ARE NOT RE EDUCATED REGULARLY AND TEND TO THINK THEY KNOW ALL THEY HAVE CHANGED THE HEADS OF AMERICAN DOGS. ROTTWEILERS ARE NOT A HEAD BREED, LIKE A BOXER OR A GREAT DANE, THATS TRUE BUT THERE HEAD MOST BE UNIQUE AND SOME SORT OF CONSISTENCY MUST PREVAIL.
I SEE DOGS WINNING THAT LOOK LIKE DOBERMANS AND DOGS THAT LOOK LIKE BLACK BULLMASTIFFS BUT FEW THAT LOOK LIKE ROTTWEILER. IN EUROPE THEY HAVE BETTER HEADS, NOT BIGGER. IF YOU STUDY LAST YEARS KLUB SEIGER THEN YOU WILL SEE THE CORRECT HEAD.
AS FAR AS FEMALES AND MALES GO, I THINK IT IS THE EXPRESSION THAT DENOTES A DOG FROM A BITCH. NOTHING ELSE. STADARD SAYS THAT MALES ARE CHARACTERISTICALLY MORE MASSIVE, BITCHES ARE DISTINTLY MORE FEMININE. THIS IS NOT A COMPARISON, YOU CANT COMPARE MORE MASSIVE TO MORE FEMININE, ITS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. MAYBE THEY WERE TRYING TO SAY MALES ARE JUST BIGGER THAN BITCHES.
UNTIL THEY ALLOW US TO MEASURE OUR BREED IN THE RING NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW.

LOL

Been thinking about this for a few days. The standard only describes one head type. It does not differentiate between male and female heads. It does say that a bitch should be distinctly feminine, but no where does it say that a head type for bitch is any different than the head type for a male. My bitch is a spitting image of her sire. The big difference is that she is much smaller and what I believe "distinctly feminine".

Head
Of medium length, broad between the ears; forehead line seen in profile is moderately arched; zygomatic arch and stop well developed with strong broad upper and lower jaws. The desired ratio of backskull to muzzle is 3 to 2. Forehead is preferred dry, however some wrinkling may occur when dog is alert. Expression is noble, alert, and self-assured. Eyes of medium size, almond shaped with well fitting lids, moderately deep-set, neither protruding nor receding. The desired color is a uniform dark brown. Serious Faults--Yellow (bird of prey) eyes, eyes of different color or size, hairless eye rim. Disqualification--Entropion. Ectropion. Ears of medium size, pendant, triangular in shape; when carried alertly the ears are level with the top of the skull and appear to broaden it. Ears are to be set well apart, hanging forward with the inner edge lying tightly against the head and terminating at approximately mid-cheek. Serious Faults--Improper carriage (creased, folded or held away from cheek/head). Muzzle--Bridge is straight, broad at base with slight tapering towards tip. The end of the muzzle is broad with well developed chin. Nose is broad rather than round and always black. Lips-Always black; corners closed; inner mouth pigment is preferred dark. Serious Faults--Total lack of mouth pigment (pink mouth). Bite and Dentition--Teeth 42 in number (20 upper, 22 lower), strong, correctly placed, meeting in a scissors bite--lower incisors touching inside of upper incisors. Serious Faults--Level bite; any missing tooth. Disqualifications--Overshot, undershot (when incisors do not touch or mesh); wry mouth; two or more missing teeth.

This was taken from the AKC standard. No where does it say that a bitch head should be any different than a male.

It also states in General Appearance:
Dogs are characteristically more massive throughout with larger frame and heavier bone than bitches. Bitches are distinctly feminine, but without weakness of substance or structure.

And at the end of the section on SIZE: Serious Faults--Lack of proportion, undersized, oversized, reversal of sex characteristics (bitchy dogs, doggy bitches).

I agree that heads are becoming overdone (shorter muzzles, extreme stop, large domey topskulls) in the breed, but personally I see more of that coming from Europe than the US these days.

I am just as concerned with the lack of proportion in the breed. So many appear short on leg or long in body.

GO HERE IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE CORRECT ROTTWEILER. ITS GERMAN, NOT SERBIAN OR CROATIAN.ITS NOT A BLACK BULLMASTIFF!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpecV5h0ttc

Thank you RedyreRotties! I can appreciate all the comments that have been made because I believe that it is the right of all individuals to have opinions. I have more respect for those who post their opinions without expecting others to feel that what they have to say isn't important, and that they are respectful to each other. So thank you all for your information. Although I've been involved in the breed for many years, it helps me to be open to learning more from those with even more years of knowledge and experience!

SORRY I FORGOT TO SEND YOU ALL THE OTHER HALF OF THE 2008 KLUB SEIGER SHOW. THE BITCH!. THESE TWO ROTTWEILERS ARE THE BEST. IF THE VIDEO OF DANJO AND JOSY DOESNT MAKE THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF YOUR NECK STAND UP, THEN YOU PROBABLY WILL NEVER GET IT. JOSY IS THE CLASSIC BITCH, OOZING IN TYPE! WHAT A GREAT COMPARISON FROM DOG TO BITCH THAT YEAR!!!

WOOPS, ONLY HAD ONE CUP OF COFFE SO FAR THIS MORNING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNSXYejcspE

I watched the video of Josy - very nice, loved her movement but is there a video of Danjo?? I'll do a search and see if I can find one. I found it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpecV5h0ttc
Very nice as well. My preference would be Josey for her movement but I think it had to do with the runners and keeping up with their charges!

OH FOR SURE. JOSY HAS THAT POWERFUL REACH AND DRIVE. BUT SHE DOESNT HOLD HER BACK AS WELL AS DANJO. PROBABLY DUE TO THE SLIGHTLY SLOPING CROUP. IN ORDER TO FULLY EXTEND IN THE REAR THAT CROUP SHOULD NOT BE SO SLOPED. DANJOS CROUP IS BETTER AND ALLOWS HIM TO EXTEND MORE WITHOUT LOOSING HIS TOPLINE IN MOVEMENT.
ONE THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THESE DOGS HAVE TONS MORE DRIVE THAN MOST AMERICAN DOGS AND THAT GREAT MOVEMENT IS IN PART DO TO REAL STRONG TEMPERMENT. A DOG MUST HAVE THE WILL TO DO IT, TOO.
GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SUBJECT, I THINK THE HEAD TYPE AND EXPRESSION OF JOSY IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF FEMALE BREED TYPE.
AND OF COARSE DANJO IS MY FAVORITE DOG ALIVE TODAY. HIS PEDIGREE BOASTS THE TOP PRODUCERS IN THE BREED, IN GERMANY, THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
DANJO, MAMBO, RICK, DOC, BENNO, SANTO, DINGO, IVES, ASTOR, AND FINALLY THOR(1968), WHO IRONICALLY WAS A DANISH IMPORT! WHAT A LINE UP EH!
AS A BREEDER I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THERE WERE A LOT OF GREAT BITCHES THERE ALSO. IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO!!!