There are several phases in the ZTP. First, the dog is measured and weighed. A conformation critique is given, which includes the dog's eye color and any abnormalities in dentition. The dog then performs a light obedience pattern during which a gun is fired twice, to test the dog's sureness in the face of noise. The dog must heel through a crowd and allow several people to close in on him without a display of fear or unwarranted aggression. The dog is then rated on the characteristics of self sufficiency, temperament, tractability, courage, protection drive, excitability, fearlessness, attentiveness, mistrust, fighting drive, and hardness. All of these, plus the reaction to the gunshots, are noted on the dog's ZTP form, along with his measurements and critique, which is kept on record by the ARV and entered into the Körbuch. The ARV strongly holds that the ZTP is imperative to preserve the correct Rottweiler in both conformation and character, and is highly recommended for all dogs before breeding. In addition to the gun sureness test and the crowd test, a courage test is also performed. In the courage test, the Rottweiler must bite the padded sleeve on the agitator's arm, take threats of two hits over the withers with a padded stick, be driven in the fight, and release the sleeve upon command at least once during the exercises. Then the Rottweiler must guard the agitator until the judge signals the handler to pick up his dog.

See BST Performance Routines