Strong and affectionate, the Rottweiler is a loyal guardian.
The Rottweiler is a rather large breed, often stereotyped as a fearsome guard dog, that was the eighth-most popular breed in America in 2017.
Females stand 22-25 inches at the withers (shoulders) and weigh around 80-100 pounds as an adult, while males stand about 24-27 inches at the withers and weigh in the 95-135 pound range.
As large dogs, Rottweilers tend to have shorter lifespans, averaging somewhere between 8-10 years.
They are nearly always predominantly black with brown or tan patches along the paws, muzzle and chest.
According to the American Kennel Club’s Breed Standard, “The ideal Rottweiler is a medium large, robust and powerful dog, black with clearly defined rust markings. His compact and substantial build denotes great strength, agility and endurance.”
They are classified into the Working Group in AKC dog shows.
When the Romans conquered what was then called Gaul (now Germany), their drover mastiffs protected the cattle herds and were used to guard the butcher’s carts delivering meat to markets.
Over time, the dogs that developed began to be known as “Rottweilers,” named after the town of Rottweil in southwest Germany.
The industrialization of railroads made shipping cattle to market much easier, thus reducing the breed’s main job, and so the breed fell out of favor in the late 1800s before making a comeback thanks to World War I and the need for war dogs and police dogs, where the Rottweiler excelled.
(The German Shepherd, which came into being during this time, was also good at those jobs.)
In 1921 the General German Rottweiler Club was founded, and ten years later the breed was accepted by the AKC.
They would make terrific linebackers if they played football – they’re fast, strong and intimidating, but follow a coach’s orders if they respect him. In this case, the owner would be the coach.
Good training in puppyhood is a must for this breed.
Due to their strength and size, small children are likely to be afraid of them, but they make good family pets if well trained.
Joint problems in the hips and shoulders can be a problem healthwise, as can parvo. Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) is a leading cause of early death.
Rottweilers are often depicted as snarly attack dogs, but they have appeared positively in the TV series Entourage, the film Lethal Weapon 3 and Bill Wallace’s children’s novel Upchuck and the Rotten Willy.
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