Breed Type: Working
Weight: 85 to 135 lbs for Males, 80 to 100 lbs for Females
Height: 24 to 27 inches for Males, 22 to 25 inches for Females
Coat type: Short, thick and coarse outer coat and thick undercoat. There are some longhaired varieties too but the experts do not consider them desirable.
Rottweiler is the one of the oldest herding breeds found in the present times. An extremely versatile breed, the canine serves multi-purpose and is capable of working with all kinds of farm animals, in various climatic conditions. A medium to large size, stalwart dog, the breed originated essentially from Germany as a herding dog. Hard working and intelligent, the breed has also worked as draught dogs, pulling carts to carry meat and other products to market. To know more about the history, appearance and personality of Rottweilers, browse through the following lines.
History
A multi-faceted herding and stock protection dog, Rottweiler's history dates back to the Roman Empire. During that era, the legions traveled long distances and hence required working dogs to direct the cattle. The army traveled through W�rttemberg crossing the small market town of Rottweil. The Roman droving dog, local dogs the army met on its travels, dogs with molosser appearance coming from England and the Netherlands were known to be the precursors of Rottweilers. The region became a popular cattle zone. On the other hand, the Roman cattle dogs gained acclaim, as they proved their worth in, not only driving the cattle, but also protecting it from robbers and wild animals.
With the development of rail as the means of transport, Rottweilers drastically declined in number. The breed had almost reached the point of extinction in the 1900 when only one female was found in the Rottweil town. Seven years later, the first Rottweiler club was incorporated in Germany under the name, Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub or DRK. This was followed by the creation of the S�ddeutscher Rottweiler-Klub or SDRK which went on and became the IRK or International Rottweiler Club. The two clubs, however, worked on different goals. While the DRK wanted to produce working dogs and did not emphasize the morphology of the Rottweiler, for SDRK, the main aim was to produce a homogeneous morphology according to their standard.
Later, various German Rottweiler Clubs joined hands to form the Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiller Klub or ADRK, which has become one of the most renowned home clubs of the Rottweiler. With World War I, came the revival of Rottweiler, to suffice the increasing demand of police dogs. Since then, there has been no looking back for the breed. While in 1935, Rottweiler gained official recognition by the American Kennel Club, a year later, the canines of this breed were exhibited in Britain at Crufts. In 1966, a separate registration was made for Rottweiler. However, it was only in the 1990s, that the demand of the breed reached its zenith. Rottweiler went onto and became first most registered dog by the American Kennel Club. The dog today serves as one of the most used
Appearance
Characterized with a rounded forehead and strong muzzle, Rottweiler flaunts dark or orangey brown eyes. It has triangular ears that are mostly carried forward. However, occasionally they are folded slightly. The dog has a natural bob tailed. If present, the tail is usually docked. However, in case of an undocked Rottweiler, the tail is usually around 4-6 inches and thick. Talking about the limbs, the dog has straight limbs with heavy bones that are well complimented with round, compact and webbed feet. The coat of a Rottweiler is mostly medium length and consists of a waterproof undercoat and a coarse top coat.
Personality
Bold and protective, Rottweiler dogs are good guardians. They are intelligent, friendly, devoted and very loyal but tend to remain aloof. They have served as hardworking drovers in the past. This breed is brave, obedient, watchful and strong and does not hesitate to risk its life for the safety of its family. Proper socialization makes Rottweilers good playmates for children and even cats and other household pets. However, negative experiences at an early age may make them aggressive. Since they are naturally domineering, they need consistent training with calm and fair handling.