It has come to my attention that there are many people who own rottweilers with natural tails that are apprehensive about showing in the AKC ring.  After receiving a call from a very sweet lady 5 states away asking advice on how to handle situations in the ring, I thought I would type up some advice for everyone who has that tailed dog and may want to show in AKC but is uncertain.

First of all, I must tell you, if you are looking for advice on handling, there are SEVERAL other people more qualified to help in that department.  If you do not know of anyone in your area, please contact Kim Cardona, www.vomdrakkenfels.com.  She may know of someone in your area that can help. 

Also understand that if you are looking for a professional handler to handle your dog, given the politics involved with this tailed rottweiler issue, many will not handle your dog because of it, regardless if they are personally supportive of natural tails.  Respect that.  Handlers rely on their client base and their rapport with judges for their living.  We can all understand and appreciate why they may not want to jeopardize that.

These suggestions are my opinions, based on my experiences and philosophies.  I do not propose to be an expert in showing a dog with a tail.  Most of it is common sense and what works for me.  Use this information as a base and as encouragement.

1.   MAKE IT FUN
Your dog as well as yourself.  Good advice whether your dog has a tail or not.  If your dog has a great time, his happiness will show.  Let’s face it.  You and your tailed rottweiler will get looked at, stared at, gawked at and naturally curious people will come up to you.  Be a good ambassador!  If your dog is happy, this is the first impression people will have.  I purposely give my dog is ball on a rope, which he lives for.  Once he has this toy, he is so happy he prances.  He thinks he is hot stuff and carries it all the way to our ring, showing the ball to admirers along the way.  When people see him, they smile.  Then I hear them turn to their friend and say, “Did you see that rottie with a tail?”   Mission accomplished.  People will remember the “rottie with a tail” in a positive way.

If you go to these events with just the expectation of having fun with your dog then you cannot be disappointed.  If you go with the expectation of winning everything, then you will most likely be disappointed.  Have the right attitude:  optimistic but realistic.  Know that we have an uphill battle in changing opinions.   Reality is that not everyone will appreciate our tailed dog, including some judges.  It is sometimes easy for people to pick on the odd man out, especially if you are cowering in the corner. Don’t!  Smile; say hi to people, even if you do not know them.  It is much harder for people to be rude to someone who is smiling and being nice. If you get rude comments, ignore them and move on.  Don’t let ignorant or opinionated people ruin your day of fun with your dog.  Do not try to argue with them because there are some people that we can never change their mind.  It would only be lowering yourself to their pettiness anyway.  I can say for the time that I have been showing my tailed dog, I have not had one person say anything negative to my face.  Have they behind my back, most certainly.  Do I care?  No.  For those that come up to you with questions about the tail, be gracious and answer them as best you can.  Brush up on your breed’s history and the reason why the tails were docked in the first place.

2.   HAVE MANNERS
Advice for both of you.  Again, like it or not, all eyes will be watching you and your dog.  Make sure your dog is ready for the ring.  Make sure your dog is social.  Yes, we all know that most of us that have tailed dogs probably plan on doing something in a working sport.  There is no need to have a wild and crazy dog that goes after everything that moves to prove your point.  And the AKC venue is not the place for it at all.  Also make sure your dog allows someone to go over it VERY THOROUGHLY.  I recently had a judge want to feel/see every tooth in my dog’s mouth.  That is fine. Our standard states that any missing teeth is a disqualifying factor.  I have no problem with that.  However, she was not just being a really thorough judge, since I did not see her do this to all the other dogs.  She was looking for any reason (teeth or temperament) to disqualify my dog so she would not have to make an award decision. Sometimes our dogs will be scrutinized at a higher degree than others.  Make sure your dog is ready for the task.  Make sure you are ready to accept it as well.  Is it necessarily fair, no – but it is something we just have to deal with. 

3.   KNOW YOUR STANDARD
This should be a given, however, make sure you really know it, especially the description of the tail.  Like I said, our dogs will sometimes be more scrutinized than others.  Some judges will try to find any other reason to disqualify your dog or withhold an award. 

4.   KNOW YOUR JUDGES
When possible.  If there are judges that have gone on record as opposed to natural tails, do not give them your support by entering.  I have started to compile a list of “tail-friendly” (or at least tail-tolerant) judges and judges that are anti-tail under separate cover.  If you are unsure about a judge’s position, you will never know until you try, right?

5.   JOIN THE BREED CLUB
So many people complain about the world’s problems but have no suggestions on how to fix them.  So many people complain about elected officials, yet are not even registered to vote. Be part of the solution, not the problem.  Join the American Rottweiler Club and become a voice for tails.  We can never have a chance for change standing in the sideline bitching about it.  Be proactive.  If they host an event including tails, like the Nationals this year, support it.  If you cannot attend, donate trophy money or something else making sure they know the only reason you are supporting at that time is because they have opening that event to tailed dogs.  How can we expect change if the majority of the membership of our own breed club wants to remain a docked breed. 

IF THE JUDGE WITHHOLDS THEIR AWARD
BE COURTEOUS!  It is written in the regulations governing dog shows that a judge may withhold an award to any dog if they wish.  It is their right.  If the judge does not give a reason you may ask (in a polite un-confrontational way):  “May I ask why?”  DO NOT ask “Is it because lack of merit?”  Do not give them the easy route out.  If the answer is due to lack of merit; politely ask them if they could elaborate.  Thank them for their consideration and ring time.  Always remember that people will be watching “the dog with a tail”.  Arguing with the judge will get you nowhere.  It is their opinion and they are entitled to it.  Leaving the ring in a huff and/or throwing a temper-tantrum will not further the cause either.  By entering an AKC event, we have agreed to a code of conduct and sportsmanship.  Think of the whole experience as a paid training session.  Evaluate the day by how well your dog performed, not by the ribbons you receive.

IF THE JUDGE EXCUSES YOU FROM THE RING
Is it fair: no.  Should you confront or argue with the judge: no.  The ring is NOT the place for it.  Should your complaint go on record: Absolutely!  But file a complaint to the right people, through the proper channels.  As written above, be polite and courteous (even if you are seething) while in the ring.  After you exit, you may go to the superintendent’s table and ask to speak to an AKC representative.  Know that they will almost always support their judge.  Write a letter to, at the very least, the President of the American Rottweiler Club, the AKC Judging Department and the club hosting the show expressing your dissatisfaction in the judge’s performance and interpretation of the breed standard.  Make the letter professional.  Do not make the letter a personal attack on the judge just because he/she excused you from the ring. They will just chalk it up to poor sportsmanship.  Key points to include in your letter are the ambiguity in the standard as written leaving it open for interpretation.  Quote the first and second sentence of the tail description, which are contradictory.  Explain that there is a need for a standard revision.  Point out that there are AKC Champions on record that have natural tails (at this time five (5) of them).  We would just like the right to be judged, like any other rottweiler, without prejudice.


Most of all – DON”T GIVE UP!  Continue to show your dog with a natural tail.  Of course, It is also much easier if you have friends at the events to support you.  I have a beautiful group of friends for support and I appreciate them with all my heart.

Again, most of this is common sense and I hope some of it is helpful.  I am sure that there are many people who can add their wisdom to this topic.

You have a whole world open with many events outside the AKC event for conformation.  There are more championships besides that one and so far the AKC is the only one that has not complied with the changes needed to stay as one solid breed.  If you join the ARC you will have a voice to help make that change for your country.  Canada did it...without any problems and now our dogs can go over there with tails and compete....and and ALL FCI shows hosted will allow both Docked (according to country of origin) and tailed dogs per the FCI rules.  The AKC will change....but as she stated it is a good idea to help open the door.  Everytime a tailed dog walks in it opens the door alittle bit more.  On one of the largest and most competive 4 day events in the US....the Peach Blossom in Perry, GA we went with tails, were not excused and were not the only ones to display there with positives from the judges and the spectators.

Canada also got rid of another more important allowed fault in our breed...Missing teeth.  I think we need to serious look at how they made the change...and become pro choice.

Very well said Denise.  I agree with you 100 percent.  We have shown our boy in AKC and so far the judges have been very gracious to us even awarding a Best of Opp to him.  Having or not having a tail does not make the dog, so I am all for changing the standard to accomodate both versions as Canada does.  It will take people stepping up to the plate and being willing to face the consequences  in the AKC ring to get the standard changed.  If no one does this then there is no reason to change it.  We were greeted by rude comments from a fellow exhibitor at one show, but after we talked to her about our situation and our desire to show both AKC and German style she understood the situation better.  She still disagreed with the tailed rotties, but at least she now had knowledge about a venue for showing that she did not know existed.  Everytime we walk into the ring we are taking a chance that we will be excused or ribbons withheld, but we also make a statement and pave the way to make it easier for the next tailed rottie owner to walk into the ring.  Thank you so much to the owners that have helped and will continue to help paving the way.

I Forgot a VERY VERY IMPORTANT thing.  If you do get a judge that judges your dog without prejudice (i.e. places yor dog ahead of docked dogs) -
SEND THEM A THANK YOU FOR DOING SO! 
Let the judge know that given the hot topic within our breed that you appreciate them for judging your dog without prejudice and that you will support their future judging assignments with entries.  And then do so.  Just as it is not easy for us to be the "odd man out: It is not easy for judges to go against the grain either.

thats a very nice story and made me smile!!!.....like the rottweiler what courage you showed that day, must be why they say the breed is a womans breed!

Thanks you 2 for all the words of encourangement...and Denise I have sorted my login out on Rottweiler.net if you wish to post under my name for vom Drakkenfels you can.  I don't know why your post didn't make it on there but by damned you should copy and paste it there.

Kimmy,
The moderator on that site has to approve posts by new members before they will appear.  I'm not sure what determines the need for pre-approval to be unnecessary.  I've read posts on that site and some members can be brutal!!!

Makes you feel all "Warm and Fuzzy" for the human race - doesn't it?  And people wonder why I love my dogs so much......

Denise,
You can say that again!!!!  Your post made me think of a book I saw once, "Why I'd Rather Date My Dog - Musings for Savy Singles" "compares our human dates with our canine companions and explains why the dogs outclass the competition - paws down."