@lvoss:
I disagree about not being able to tell too much about individuals based on the line behind them. …I see more and more that there are not many true lines anymore. Many breeders are now using assortative matings which produce a much more diverse spread of traits in litters.
There are Rottie lines you can spot the moment the dog walks in the ring. Lots of line breeding, some pretty close ones, but developing a very distinct type, look and movement.
But the last 10 yrs, less and less of that with everyone seeming to breed for excessively short backs (I say excessive because of the research showing the severe problems it is causing the breed!), massive bone and larger and larger heads. Soon the breed will truly look more like a mastiff.
I heard a breeder once say all the outcrossing (assortive matings, nice phrase, thanks) was healthier. But the lecturer laughed and said even with a breed as "popular" numbers wise as Rottweilers, our actual gene pool is very small. And truly, you look 10 generations back and it's nearly all the same dogs. I fail to see an issue with line breeding and even tight line breeding when your dogs are healthy.