Wow! Such a good movie.

The Worst Film Ever

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

I have owned 7 Rottweilers over the past 20 years and currently live with three of them. I first came upon this breed in much the same way as Angie Ruiz did, by adopting one that needed a home. Angie Ruiz is a professional filmmaker who directed and produced this documentary and she did an exceptional job of showing the inner qualities of this magnificent breed. From love to devotion to intelligence to character strength this often misunderstood canine stands well above all others. I just finished watching the DVD of this film that I purchased from their web site. From the very first days I became acquainted with Rottweilers I quickly learned they were truly Thief of Hearts and as Angie Ruiz pointed out in the commentary on the DVD she was asked to transport a 9-month old Rottie puppy to a Rottweiler Rescue group and before she got there she decided to adopt him, herself.From that beginning the documentary shows many aspects of Rottweiler training for competitive sports as agility and carting but then goes into how this breed is ideally suited for K-9 police work, Search and Rescue and even Therapy work in hospitals. The most touching sequence was the Rottweiler who aided a comatose accident patient regain consciousness.Angie Ruiz said in the film interview, "I made this film from the heart about something I believe in. Even though the film is about the Rottweiler, the themes of the film are universal — loyalty, resilience, friendship and hard work," And the film has received several awards, including a Best Documentary award at a film festival in Charlottesville, Va.As a Rottweiler owner I congratulate Angie on doing such a fine job with this film. Anyone who owns a Rottweiler or is curious about this breed should search out and find a copy of the DVD or catch it in a theater. It is currently on a worldwide tour and recently was shown in three cities in Australia.

This is a must see documentary! I hope everyone who has the opportunity gets out to see this! It's so nice to have a positive and true film out there about our wonderful breed and not the negativity that the media portrays. I've had Rottweilers for over 15 years and have never had an issue with aggression! My dogs love people, other dogs and children. I do conformation, competition obedience, nose work, etc. with my dogs. Rottweilers are family members and love to be by your side everywhere you go. They are the most loving, loyal dogs. This documentary does a great job of explaining where the breed comes from, what they were bred for and the different types of jobs they love to do. Get out and watch this wonderful documentary! Tanya

Black Beauty Breed is a film dedicated to informing the audience about the true characteristics of the Rottweiler breed of dog, as it was initially bred by man to serve man. It is made clear the breed was developed as a purpose bred dog to work with their owners. In the development of any breed of animal, humans choose which animals exhibit traits we wish to enhance and then breed those animals in order to maximize keeping the trait we like. In the Greyhound dog, the trait we chose was speed and in breeding for the fastest dog, we developed a dog that is very lean with long legs and an instinct to run. The Rottweiler was initially used to drive cattle with the Roman armies on the march. This developed a dog with a keen eye and instinct to keep livestock together, a problem solving, intelligent, tough dog with the spirit to keep working despite getting kicked by a cow not wanting to move along. In the film trainers repeatedly comment how much these dogs want to work and that they are not quitters. Later the breed was used as a ranch dog. They were still driving cattle or fetching cattle or sheep in off the fields but they also became "beasts of burden" pulling carts. When a farmer or rancher could not afford an ox or horse, dogs often pulled carts and the Rottweiler has the intelligence and strength as well as the willingness to take this type of training. In the movie there is a beautiful section concerning the use of this breed in search and rescue. They portray how this breed can be used when other breeds like the blood hound cannot. This may occur when there is a dangerous situation and the dog needs to slow down and listen to their handler versus following their instinct to just pull the handler to the scent. Ranch dogs are also alert dogs. The good ranch dog doesn't chase the horses or kill the chickens. It will monitor for intruders, animal or human. This guarding trait of the Rottweiler is what has become the focus of too many movies. Angie Ruiz covers how Rottweilers have been portrayed as vicious attack dogs guarding property. Unfortunately this has led to the public getting this breed for the wrong reasons. The Rottweiler is a sturdy, tough, macho appearing dog. So the public will get a Rottweiler puppy, wanting a tough dog, and reward any guarding behavior exhibited, thus training the dog to be aggressive. The pup learns when they behave "tough" (the growling puppy) they get praise. These dogs all too often end up in rescue as the owners are unable to manage these dogs after training the dog to be dominant. The film also points out that the Rottweiler respects a leader and will follow a leader. They are not a breed that can be left in a yard by themselves without training. The breed is highly social and family oriented. The movie covers the story of three "aggressive" Rottweilers relinquished to rescue. The dogs were placed with the right trainers and new owners and were quick to learn social boundaries and skills and become good members of their families. The dogs are intelligent and want to work with and please their owners but it is made clear they are not for anyone or everyone to own. Many cities have banned the breed of Rottweiler out of a concern of liability. I don't know that breed profiling is all that far from racial profiling. Please realize it has taken years of breeding to create a dog with these wonderful traits. If the bred is banned and caused to become extinct these traits are lost with them. It is much better that people don't get or buy a Rottweiler without truly understanding the responsibilities of owning one. The breeder that cares about this breed is not breeding lots of litters. The "good" breeders find the right homes for every dog they produce and take the dogs back if there is a problem. The film is very thoughtfully organized and the cinematography is beautiful. I would like to thank Angie Ruiz and her production team for a wonderful documentary.

The production team did a great job capturing the characteristics of the Rottweiler – their strong personality, loyalty, confidence, temperament, trainability and willingness to work. I particularly enjoyed seeing their versatility "outside of the show ring" - from herding to agility and from search and rescue to therapy work. Poignant and relevant, Black Beauty Breed is a touching and educational film. The film maker Angie Ruiz succeeds in her mission to dispel many of the negative perceptions of the Rottweiler breed put forth by Hollywood and the media. Ruiz' film takes a straightforward approach to educate the viewer on the positives of the breed, and emphasizing the necessity of responsible dog ownership. A definite must see for any potential (and existing) Rottweiler owner and for anyone who loves dogs.