Last Thursday my boyfriend was attracted to a beauty he met at work—a gorgeous Rottweiler. She was cut from the mold of something quite other than the typical, American-standard Rottie. Not only did she not have an overblown head to match her too-fat frame, she had a tail—a long one, in fact. And that made her special—spectacular, in fact, as he tells it.

Personality, looks and smarts—the canine trifecta. He was hooked.

As much as I love Rottie looks, I often stress about their personality. That’s because my area seems to boast the least sociable Rottweilers in existence. They’re often mean, is what I mean. Some are already growling at me at eight weeks of age. That’s why I drool over good-natured specimens of the breed whenever I’m lucky enough to find them in these parts Add the long-tail looks and I’m hooked, too.

After all, what’s wrong with a long tail? Sure, it’s not breed standard for a Rottie in the American canine lexicon, But it’s hot in my book. Really hot.

Dogs should be dogs, I think. I adore full-on tails on Boxers and the floppy ears, too. Give me a Dobie with all its extremities intact and I’m in love.

Not that clients sporting dogs with docked tails and cropped ears are losers (often far from it) but I’ve got a special thing for owners willing to buck the norm and love the breed for its innate qualities—not for its contrived appearance. (I’m so going to catch hell for saying this.)

Call me shallow, but there’s something about a Rottweiler from the German zone of Rottweil with owners who respect the breeder’s no-dock, European sensibility and I’m really hooked. It’s almost enough to make me fly out for my own. Who knew I’d be so charmed by an image of beauty just because it’s so subversively unaltered?