The Rottweiler is one of the oldest of herding breeds. With a history possibly dating back to the Roman Empire, the Rottweiler may be a descendant of ancient Roman drover dogs – a mastiff-type dog that was a dependable, rugged dog with great intelligence and guarding instincts. During their quest to conquer Europe, the Roman legions traveled in large numbers across the continent. The lack of refrigeration meant soldiers brought herds of cattle for food. Drover dogs kept the herd together and guarded it at night. Around A.D. 74 the Roman army traveled across the Alps and into what is now southern Germany. For the next two centuries the Roman drover dogs were continually used in herding and driving cattle for trade even after the Romans were driven out of the area by the Swabians.
Rottweiler memorial in Rottweil
A town in this region was eventually given the name Rottweil. It became an important trade center and the descendants of the Roman cattle dogs proved their worth by driving the cattle to market and protecting the cattle from robbers and wild animals. The dogs are said to have been used by traveling butchers at markets during the Middle Ages to guard money pouches tied around their necks. The dogs were eventually known as Rottweiler Metzgerhunds, or “butcher dogs”. As railroads became the primary method for moving stock to market, the demand for the Rottweiler breed declined, as did their numbers, so severely diminished by 1882 that a show in Heilbronn, featured only one very poor representative of the breed.
Nowadays the Rottweiler is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as Rottweiler Metzgerhund, meaning Rottweil butchers’ dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat to market. This continued until the mid-19th century when railways replaced droving. Although still used to herd stock in many parts of the world, Rottweilers are now also used as search and rescue dogs, as guard dogs and police dogs.
Rottweilers have a short double coat that’s straight and coarse. The outer coat is medium in length, shorter on the head, ears, and legs; the undercoat is found mainly on the neck and thighs. The amount of undercoat your Rottie has depends on the climate in which he lives. The Rottweiler is always black with markings that are rust to mahogany in color. The markings appear over the eyes, on the cheeks, on each side of the muzzle, on the chest and legs, and beneath the tail. There are also tan lines that resemble pencil marks on the toes.
A well-bred Rottweiler is calm and confident. He’s typically aloof toward strangers, but never timid or fearful. Rottweilers exhibit a “wait-and-see” attitude when confronted with new people and situations. When these characteristics come together as they should, the Rottweiler is a natural guard dog with a mellow disposition who is successful not only in police, military, and customs work, but also as a family friend and protector. Rotties have a natural instinct to protect their families and can be ferocious in their defense. It’s essential to channel their power and protectiveness by providing early socialization, firm, fair, consistent training and leadership, and a regular job to perform. When this doesn’t happen, Rottweilers can become dangerous bullies rather than the companionable guardians they’re meant to be. Rottweilers walk a fine line between protectiveness and aggressiveness. If they aren’t carefully bred for a calm, intelligent temperament and properly socialized and trained, they can become overly protective.
German Dog Breeds-There are over 20 breeds that originated from Germany, some of which make great hunting partners like the German Shorthaired Pointer, the Munsterlander or the Dachshund others make excellent guarding dogs like the Rottweiler, Doberman and Leonberger (the gentle lion) and some just make incredible companion dogs, for example the Pomeranian. The most famous breed […]
German Dog Breeds: Boxer-The Boxer is a medium-sized, short-haired breed of dog, developed in Germany. The coat is smooth and tight-fitting, colors are fawn or brindled, with or without white markings, and white. Boxers have broad, short skulls, have a square muzzle, an underbite, very strong jaws, and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. […]
German Dog Breeds: Doberman-Doberman is a medium-large breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany, for his own protection. Here’s how it happened. In 1890, Karl Friedrich Louis Doberman was a tax collector in Apolda, Germany. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t very popular. But luck was on his side: he […]
German Dog Breeds: Great Dane-The Great Dane is a German breed of domestic dog known for its giant size. Though Irish Wolfhounds are taller as a breed, the world’s tallest dog is a Great Dane. Anyone who’s spent time with one also knows that they’re the world’s biggest lapdogs — literally. These puppies are lounge-y and large, with paws […]
German Dog Breeds: Rottweiler-The Rottweiler is one of the oldest of herding breeds. With a history possibly dating back to the Roman Empire, the Rottweiler may be a descendant of ancient Roman drover dogs – a mastiff-type dog that was a dependable, rugged dog with great intelligence and guarding instincts. During their quest to conquer Europe, the Roman […]
German Dog Breeds: Schnauzer-Born from the wide range of German dog breeds, the Schnauzer is a charismatic, courageous, and intelligent breed that has captured the hearts of many dog lovers worldwide. Known for their distinctive whiskered snouts and lively spirit, Schnauzers come in three size variations – Miniature, Standard, and Giant. This article will delve into the fascinating […]
German Shepherd – The Ultimate Service Dog-“The most striking features of the correctly bred German Shepherd are firmness of nerves, attentiveness, unshockability, tractability, watchfulness, reliability and incorruptibility together with courage, fighting tenacity and hardness.” – Max von Stephanitz, Father of the German Shepherd Dog The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is a versatile working-dog, capable of being trained to perform a wide […]
The Dachshund: A Spotlight on Germany’s Endearing Canine Icon-Germany, known for its rich cultural heritage, engineering genius, and a love for beer and sausages, also boasts a fine pedigree of dog breeds. Of these, the Dachshund is arguably the most iconic. With their distinctive physique, confident demeanor, and an adventurous spirit, Dachshunds have made their way into millions of homes and hearts around […]
The Rottweiler is one of the oldest of herding breeds. With a history possibly dating back to the Roman Empire, the Rottweiler may be a descendant of ancient Roman drover dogs – a mastiff-type dog that was a dependable, rugged dog with great intelligence and guarding instincts. During their quest to conquer Europe, the Roman legions traveled in large numbers across the continent. The lack of refrigeration meant soldiers brought herds of cattle for food. Drover dogs kept the herd together and guarded it at night. Around A.D. 74 the Roman army traveled across the Alps and into what is now southern Germany. For the next two centuries the Roman drover dogs were continually used in herding and driving cattle for trade even after the Romans were driven out of the area by the Swabians.
Rottweilers have a short double coat that’s straight and coarse. The outer coat is medium in length, shorter on the head, ears, and legs; the undercoat is found mainly on the neck and thighs. The amount of undercoat your Rottie has depends on the climate in which he lives. The Rottweiler is always black with markings that are rust to mahogany in color. The markings appear over the eyes, on the cheeks, on each side of the muzzle, on the chest and legs, and beneath the tail. There are also tan lines that resemble pencil marks on the toes.
German Dog Breeds - There are over 20 breeds that originated from Germany, some of which make great hunting partners like the German Shorthaired Pointer, the Munsterlander or the Dachshund others make excellent guarding dogs like the Rottweiler, Doberman and Leonberger (the gentle lion) and some just make incredible companion dogs, for example the Pomeranian. The most famous breed […]
German Dog Breeds: Boxer - The Boxer is a medium-sized, short-haired breed of dog, developed in Germany. The coat is smooth and tight-fitting, colors are fawn or brindled, with or without white markings, and white. Boxers have broad, short skulls, have a square muzzle, an underbite, very strong jaws, and a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. […]
German Dog Breeds: Doberman - Doberman is a medium-large breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany, for his own protection. Here’s how it happened. In 1890, Karl Friedrich Louis Doberman was a tax collector in Apolda, Germany. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t very popular. But luck was on his side: he […]
German Dog Breeds: Great Dane - The Great Dane is a German breed of domestic dog known for its giant size. Though Irish Wolfhounds are taller as a breed, the world’s tallest dog is a Great Dane. Anyone who’s spent time with one also knows that they’re the world’s biggest lapdogs — literally. These puppies are lounge-y and large, with paws […]
German Dog Breeds: Rottweiler - The Rottweiler is one of the oldest of herding breeds. With a history possibly dating back to the Roman Empire, the Rottweiler may be a descendant of ancient Roman drover dogs – a mastiff-type dog that was a dependable, rugged dog with great intelligence and guarding instincts. During their quest to conquer Europe, the Roman […]
German Dog Breeds: Schnauzer - Born from the wide range of German dog breeds, the Schnauzer is a charismatic, courageous, and intelligent breed that has captured the hearts of many dog lovers worldwide. Known for their distinctive whiskered snouts and lively spirit, Schnauzers come in three size variations – Miniature, Standard, and Giant. This article will delve into the fascinating […]
German Shepherd – The Ultimate Service Dog - “The most striking features of the correctly bred German Shepherd are firmness of nerves, attentiveness, unshockability, tractability, watchfulness, reliability and incorruptibility together with courage, fighting tenacity and hardness.” – Max von Stephanitz, Father of the German Shepherd Dog The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is a versatile working-dog, capable of being trained to perform a wide […]
The Dachshund: A Spotlight on Germany’s Endearing Canine Icon - Germany, known for its rich cultural heritage, engineering genius, and a love for beer and sausages, also boasts a fine pedigree of dog breeds. Of these, the Dachshund is arguably the most iconic. With their distinctive physique, confident demeanor, and an adventurous spirit, Dachshunds have made their way into millions of homes and hearts around […]
