Preston,
you asked if the dogs in shows are judged on gait. Here is the section of the Rottweiler Standard that talks about gait:

"The Rottweiler is a trotter. His movement should be balanced, harmonious, sure, powerful and unhindered, with strong forereach and a powerful rear drive. The motion is effortless, efficient, and ground-covering. Front and rear legs are thrown neither in nor out, as the imprint of hind feet should touch that of forefeet. In a trot the forequarters and hindquarters are mutually coordinated while the back remains level, firm and relatively motionless. As speed increases the legs will converge under body towards a center line."

In the photo of Bandido, you can see that his "reach" -- the front leg extension -- goes beyond his nose which is excellent for a 2-year-old Rottie, and his rear "drive" shows his paw pointing toward the sky. Again, excellent for a 2-year-old Rottie. In comparison, Rowdy, at 10 years old, could still reach to the tip of his nose and his rear drive was similar to Bandido at 2 years old. Most dogs lose their flexibility when they get older and keep in mind that at 10, Rowdy was comparable to a 70-year-old person.





It's important to understand, from a breeding perspective, that structurally sound dogs will retain their ability to move well throughout their lives. While they may lose some of their athleticism, they don't lose that ability to move "effortlessly".

It's also important to understand that proper gait for a Rottweiler is not the same as proper gait for a Whippet, for example. Or a Bulldog. As a judge, you may love how Golden Retrievers fly around the ring but you have to understand that a Bulldog moves the way it does because of how it is built and you have to understand what is appropriate for each of those very different breeds.

Jim