Darkstone Kennel - Our Dogs

Our Dogs:

The Rottweiler and Cane Corso Breed Standards: Our "preferences" at Darkstone Kennel

If you are new to the world of purebred and show quality dogs, you will need to understand what a "breed standard" is, how it is used, and how it can also be very subjectively applied. Please note that the AKC/CKC Standard for the Rottweiler and the CCAA/AKC standard for the Cane Corso, as well as the FCI standard for the Cane Corso are all located on this web site.

A breed standard, quite simply, is a written and pictorial "standard of perfection" that a dog of the breed described in that standard is measured against. Over a period of time, many "experts" will have determined, in their opinion, what the "perfect" Rottweiler or Cane Corso would be in terms of appearance, structure, movement, and temperament. Some breeds have very detailed standards that accompany them, while other breeds have standards which are by comparison fairly under-detailed. For example, some breed standards do not even care if the dog actually has a tooth in their mouth, while others require full dentition. A detailed standard will typically provide exacting measurements of joint angles and relative body composition (ie. How long should the dog be as compared to how tall, or how long should the muzzle be as a percentage of the overall skull). In regards to "rare breeds" such as the Cane Corso, there at times exist several standards, as the breed is still in evolution, and as usual, not every breed club can agree on what the "perfect" example of that breed should look like. Many personal preferences and biases have yet to be narrowed down to a general consensus.this process taking many years from the time the initial standard for a new breed is published.

The purpose of discussing our "preferences" in regard to breed standard is quite simple: even when looking at a number of dogs who are amongst the best examples of a breed that one could hope to find, there are two realities that one should understand (1) there is no such thing as a "perfect" dog.every dog has faults, and (2) even within highly defined breed standards, there is ample room for "personal preferences" to be exhibited amongst a group of dogs. When at a top quality dog show, a number of dogs in any breed ring can be said to be outstanding examples of being near perfection when compared to the accepted breed standard, yet amongst that same group of dogs, it can be clearly seen that there exist some very evident differences between the same dogs in regard to appearance and movement. All the dogs are functionally correct according to standard, yet they are very unique individuals in many ways.

How is this possible? A very simple analogy is a human "beauty pageant." Most of the contestants on the stage can be said to be stunningly beautiful examples of a human being, yet all are different in appearance. Furthermore, not one of those contestants will be "perfect," as there is no such thing.all will have some subtle faults to the practiced eye. Moreover, it comes down to the "personal preferences" of the judges that day as to which contestant is "the most beautiful," in their "opinion." The same can be said of dog shows. The winner one day can be thrown right down into last place the next.depending on the personal preferences of the judge. As usual, not only will personal preferences come into play, so will politics, breeder/handler influence, and a host of other factors. That is just reality.

Many seasoned breeders will tell you that "conformation shows" in the dog world are not a "sport," they are a "game." That game has certain rules like any other, many of which are broken or bent with great regularity, and there will be happy winners and unhappy losers each day. Like any other game, the best contestant is certainly not guaranteed to be a winner at any given time. It often comes down to the law of averages: some days you win, some days you lose, regardless of how good your dog is. If you have no understanding or stomach for "the game" it is best to stay completely away from it, as it can be an exercise in frustration.

Our reason for pointing these facts out is to educate those of you who are new to the world of purebred and show dogs. If we can speed up your learning curve in any way, we will be happy to do so. Very importantly, we simply want those of you who are new to purebred and "show dogs" to understand that if any breeder tells you that their dogs are "perfect," then they are either lying, or do not know anything about their breed. In either case, it is best to stay far away from either type.

At Darkstone Kennel, we absolutely have our own "preferences" as to breed type. While any "good" breeder (note: there are far more bad breeders than good, who are primarily interested in breeding for money) will try to breed for "perfection" in terms of the breed standard, and better the breed each time a breeding is done, each breeder will also have their own personal preferences mixed into that breeding in the selection of dams and sires.

On a very important note: we prefer "soft temperaments" in our dogs. While a "working dog" should be fearless, there is no excuse for a dog that is overly aggressive or vicious.to either humans or other dogs. Temperament is a huge issue for us as breeders. We want all of our dogs to have the genetic temperament that will allow them to be an "ambassador for their breed." Please keep in mind that while training and proper socialization are in all probability significantly more important in determining the personality of a dog than its genetics, we will do our part as breeders to be producing the best genetic temperaments possible. That being said, it must be emphasized that the Rottweiler and Cane Corso ARE NOT LABARADOR RETRIEVERS!!!! Those potential dog owners considering the purchase of any "working class" dog should know the inherent difference, and understand that the training, socialization, and dominance commitments are a world apart. Working dogs are inherently protective of their family and property, and were not bred to instantly love and trust every stranger that approaches them. With proper genetics, socialization, and training, nearly any dog can be made into a "breed ambassador," but some breeds require more time and effort.

Here is a list of our preferences, within the breed standards, in terms of the Rottweiler and Cane Corso breeds:

Rottweiler:

We prefer a very large, square skull with a short, square muzzle. In many cases, one will see longer-nosed, snipey, flat skulled dogs.all to a varying degree.
While still on the topic of heads, one should note what the standard says in terms of "eye color." In the Rottweiler, a medium-to-dark eye is the standard, with the darker eye "preferred." We have currently seen a "dark eye" fad overcoming the judges, who will put up a dog with a nearly black eye, and a grotesque head, over a dog with a great head and a medium eye. This is NOT correct, and represents another fad, many of which come and go.
We prefer a short-backed dog over a longer-backed dog. The shorter-backed dog will not have the "reach and drive" of movement of a long-backed, over-angulated dog. However, the Rottweiler is a "working breed," meaning they must have the ability to move effortlessly for hours on end. A short back with proper front and rear angulation accomplishes this. Currently, the "freight train" long-backed, over-angulated look is quite faddish, particularly on the West Coast of North America.
We prefer the dog to be properly angulated in the rear, not over-angulated as is the current "fad." An over-angulated dog cannot "float" and move tirelessly for hours, which a "working breed" must be able to do. They must work too hard in the rear end to be able to carry on that motion all day long. While it looks fabulous in the show ring.it is not correct in terms of movement in relation to the breed standard.
We prefer a "correct" dog, not a large dog that is incorrect. While a number of our dogs are at the top of the standards in terms of size, we will always choose a correct medium-sized dog over a less correct large dog. We cannot say the same for some all-breed judges, who simply do not know any better.

Cane Corso:

We have a strong preference for a "balanced dog" with proper movement. This comes from our background in the Rottweiler world. Many Cane Corso breeders are focused almost entirely on head type or producing large dogs. While we can honestly say that we are also nearly obsessive about dogs with great heads.without the entire package, you cannot have a great dog.
We adhere to the CCAA/AKC breed standard. At the time we entered the Cane Corso world in the year 2000, we clearly had no prior preferences or political ties. Given our initial research over a one year period prior to purchasing our first Cane Corso puppy, we simply arrived at the conclusion that the CCAA/AKC breed standard was "more correct" and had less glaring faults than the FCI standard, despite the fact that it was, up until 2003, somewhat less detailed. That issue has been addressed via the CCAA integrating many aspects of the Italian AICC Cane Corso breed standard as of mid-year 2003. There are now only a few differences between the CCAA and FCI standards. We still have some conceptual issues with the FCI standard. However, those inaccuracies will not be changed for several years to come, if the will even exists to make those changes, as ENCI (The Italian Kennel Club) will not allow modifications to a submission of a breed standard for many years after the acceptance of the same. For instance, we have seldom seen a male, whether Italian or American in origin, which weighed less than 110 pounds, which is the maximum weight allowed in the FCI standard. This is simply incorrect, and must be changed in the future to reflect reality. Moreover, it is genetically impossible due to the nature of the recessive gene for a "blue" colored Cane Corso to have a "black" nose. It must be blue or slate grey. This is another glaring deficiency in the FCI standard, and without harping on the issue, which is purely political in nature.there are more. We are not taking a political stance on this issue.just looking at the genetic realities of the breed. Frankly we were thrilled when the CCAA integrated many of the details of the AICC Italian standard into their own in 2003, it resulted in a much more detailed, correct standard for the breed.
We believe that all "working breeds," of which the Cane Corso is obviously one, must have a proper top line and rear movement. If you look at many pictures of the current Cane Corso's in the show ring, you may notice that there are significant breaks at the withers in the top lines.both when moving and when standing. This is not correct. Please check the FCI standard for a correct side/top line picture of the Cane Corso. Most working breeds will usually have a very slight break in the top line at the withers, or they cannot move properly. However, the breed currently exhibits very poor top lines in general.
We believe the Cane Corso breed must strengthen their "rear ends." If you look at any established "working breed," that breed must demonstrate a rear-end that is properly angulated and muscled. Many of today's Cane Corso demonstrate rear ends that are spindly and badly under-angulated, and in many cases, kick out to the sides when moving, as opposed to straight back in a line, which is correct. We prefer a properly angulated rear end (again, not "over-angulated"), with adequate musculature to produce the appropriate drive and extension so that the dog moves effortlessly and with power..as a working dog should. Having a "great head" should never come at the expense of proper movement. Despite our deep love for our Rottweilers, watching a properly moving Cane Corso is a "thing of beauty." This breed can out move nearly any working breed in existence. A 120 pound Cane Corso can move like a dog half its size.with power and grace.
We insist on "soft temperaments" in our Cane Corsos, relatively speaking. Again, they are a working dog, and one of their primary functions is the role of guardian.they are not genetically inclined to make instant friends with every stranger. However, in our opinion, there is no need for any dog to demonstrate an overly "hard" or "aggressive" disposition. Many who have been associated with the breed for many more years than ourselves will disagree with us on this point, which is their right. The Cane Corso has always been a "protector" of family and home. It has also been used for herding, hunting, baiting, and in the practice of war in more ancient times. To that end, many will say that the Cane Corso must have an "extremely hard, completely fearless" temperament. We believe that a Cane Corso can be brave, and achieve all of those functions, without being unsociable or outright vicious. The terms "fearless" and "aggressive" should never be confused. We want our Cane Corso's to be brave defenders, yet very friendly and sociable to man and beast when the situation requires the same. We want them to be "ambassadors" for the breed when in public. In this day and age, with the tabloid media focused on large working breed biting incidents..an aggressive dog is nothing short of a liability to the owner, and casts the breed in the worst light possible to the public.which is always ignorant of the facts.
We are somewhat fanatical about the smaller details that many Cane Corso breeders and enthusiasts do not seem to be concerned about. For instance, we see many Cane Corso with weak, splayed feet and broken down pasterns. This can be addressed not only by proper genetics/breeding, but with proper supplementation of Ester-C and Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM from an early age onward.