Rottweiler

Overview

The Rottweiler is a powerful drover and guardian descended from butchers' dogs of Rottweil, used to drive cattle and protect the proceeds of market day. Calm and confident when well bred, it is a serious working breed that requires training, socialization, and an owner who understands strength.

Origin

Mastiff-type dogs likely accompanied Roman armies into what is now southern Germany and were kept by town butchers of Rottweil as droving and carting dogs—the Rottweiler Metzgerhund. Rail transport ended the cattle-driving job; fanciers revived the breed around 1900 as a police and army dog. The AKC recognized it in 1931.

Size & weight

Males 61–69 cm; females 56–63 cm. Robust and compact rather than tall and rangy. Excess bulk is not correctness.

Temperament

Self-possessed, loyal, and naturally watchful. A good Rottweiler is calm until there is reason not to be. They can be aloof with strangers and pushy with other dogs, especially of the same sex. Early socialization and clear household rules prevent a large adolescent from writing its own constitution.

Energy

Moderate to moderately high. They need daily walks, training, and a chance to use their body and brain. They are not as ceaseless as a husky, but an under-worked Rottweiler will occupy itself unhelpfully.

Intelligence

A cattle and carting breed with substantial working aptitude; Rottweilers typically take to structured training and clear leadership.

Intelligence here means typical trainability, not a ranking of the dog.

Coat & grooming

A straight, coarse outer coat of medium length with an undercoat on the neck and thighs. Always black with clearly defined mahogany or rust markings on the cheeks, muzzle, chest, legs, and eyebrows.

Weekly brushing, heavier in shed. Keep the tail (docked or natural, depending on country) and hindquarters clean. The coat is not high-maintenance.

Health notes

Hip and elbow dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, and osteosarcoma are important. Aortic stenosis and other cardiac disease occur. The breed has a notable cancer burden. Entropion and obesity worsen many problems. Lifespan often 8–10 years.

Care

Train before the dog is heavier than its handler. Use positive and fair methods; they remember unfairness. Provide a job: carting, tracking, obedience. They should live as family dogs, not chain dogs. Legal and insurance rules for the breed vary by place—know local law.

Fun facts

• Butchers reportedly hung the day's coin purse around the dog's neck on the walk home from market.
• Rottweilers were among the early breeds used in German police work in the 1910s.
• Natural tails are increasingly seen where docking is restricted; the AKC standard has allowed undocked tails.