Rottweiler

Rottweilers are a powerful breed with well-developed genetic herding and guarding instincts.

As with any breed, potentially dangerous behavior in Rottweilers usually results from irresponsible ownership, abuse, neglect, or lack of socialization and training. Nevertheless, the Rottweiler’s strength is something that should not be overlooked

Like the mythical Greek hero Hercules, the Rottweiler is strong and true with a loving heart. Affectionately called Rotties or Rotts, the breed originated in Germany, where it was used to drive cattle and pull carts for farmers and butchers. That heritage is reflected in the Rottie's broad chest and heavily muscled body. When he moves, he displays strength and stamina, but when you look into his eyes you see warm, dark-brown pools reflecting a mellow, intelligent, alert, and fearless expression.

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. That might sound like what you want, but a Rottie who lacks the ability to discriminate is dangerous to everyone he encounters, not just the bad guys.

HISTORY

Rottweilers descend from the Molossus, a mastiff-type dog. Their ancestors marched to Germany with the Romans, driving the cattle that sustained them as they conquered the known world. As the army traveled, the big dogs mated with dogs that were native to the areas they passed through and laid the foundation for new breeds.

One of the areas through which they passed was southern Germany, where the Romans set up colonies to take advantage of climate and soil, which were suitable for agriculture. They built villas roofed with red tile. More than 600 years later, as they were building a new church, inhabitants of the town excavated the site of the ancient Roman baths and uncovered one of the red-tiled villas. The discovery inspired a new name for the town: das Rote Wil (the red tile).

Over the centuries, Rottweilers flourished as a market area for cattle, the German equivalent of a Texas cowtown, and the descendants of the Roman Molossus dogs drove the cattle to town for butchering. To keep their money safe from thieves after selling their livestock, the cattlemen put their filled purses around their Rottweiler's neck when they returned home. Butchers in the area also used the dogs to pull carts loaded with meat.

Eventually, rail transport replaced cattle drives. The Rottweiler nearly became extinct. At a dog show in Heilbronn, Germany, in 1882, only one nondescript Rottweiler was exhibited. That situation began to change in 1901, when the Rottweiler and Leonberger Club was founded and the first Rottweiler breed standard was written. The description of the Rottweiler's appearance and character has changed little since then.

Rottweilers began to be used in police work, for which they were well suited. Several Rottweiler breed clubs were formed over the years, but the one with staying power was the Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub (ADRK), founded in 1921. The ADRK survived World War II and has continued to promote good breeding programs in Germany and throughout the world. It's dedicated to preserving the working ability of the Rottweiler.

It's thought that the first Rottweiler came to the U.S. with a German emigrant in the late 1920s. The first litter was whelped in 1930, and the first dog registered by the American Kennel Club was Stina v Felsenmeer in 1931.

After World War II, the breed started becoming more popular. At that time, it was primarily known as an excellent obedience dog. The height of the Rottweiler's popularity was in the mid-1990s when more than 100,000 were registered with the American Kennel Club.

The ideal Rottweiler is calm, confident, and courageous, never shy. He has a self-assured aloofness and doesn't make friends with people immediately or indiscriminately. Instead, he takes a wait-and-see attitude with new people or situations. With his family, he's affectionate, often following them around the house. This is not a highly excitable dog. He has an inherent desire to protect his family and property, but should never be aggressive toward people without cause. The Rottweiler is smart and adaptable with a strong work ethic.