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Rottweiler
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The Rottweiler, or Rottweil Metzgerhund ("Butchers Dog"), is a
"medium to large size, stalwart dog" breed originating in Germany
as a herding dog. It is a hardy and very intelligent breed.
Rottweilers also worked as draught dogs, pulling carts to carry
meat and other products to market as well as for hunting .
"Rottweiler breeders aim at a dog of abundant strength, black
coated with clearly defined rich tan markings, whose powerful
appearance does not lack nobility and which is exceptionally well
suited to being a companion, service and working dog."
The Rottweiler was kept busy in these traditional roles until the
mid-19th century when railroads replaced droving for getting
livestock to market. Although there are still Rottweilers working
stock all over the world, many other roles have been found for this
versatile breed.
During the First and Second World Wars, Rottweilers were put into
service in various roles including as messenger, draught, and
guard dogs. Currently they are often used as search and rescue,
assistance, guide dogs for the blind, guard and police dogs in
addition to their traditional roles.
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Rottweiler
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Country of Origin
Germany
Weight
Male: 95-130 lb
Female: 85-115 lb
Height
Male: 24-27 in
Female: 22-25 in
Coat
Double coated, short, hard and thick
Color
Black and tan or black and mahogany
Life span
10-12 years
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Description
Appearance
Head
The skull is of medium length, broad between the ears. The
forehead line is moderately arched as seen from the side. The
occipital bone well developed without being conspicuous. The stop
is well defined.
The Rottweiler nose is well developed, more broad than round with
relatively large nostrils and always black. The muzzle should
appear neither elongated nor shortened in relation to the cranial
region. The nasal bridge is broad at the base and moderately
tapered.
The lips are black and close fitting with the corner of the mouth not
visible. The gums should be as dark as possible.
Both the upper and lower jaws are strong and broad. According to
the FCI Standard Rottweilers should have strong and complete
dentition (42 teeth) with scissor bite, the upper incisors closely
overlapping the lower incisors.
The zygomatic arches should be pronounced. The eyes should be
of medium size, almond-shaped and dark brown in colour. The
eyelids are close fitting.
The ears are medium-sized, pendant, triangular, wide apart, and
set high on the head. With the ears laid forward close to the head,
the skull appears to be broadened.
The skin on the head is tight fitting overall. When the dog is alert,
the forehead may be slightly wrinkled.
Neck
Strong, of fair length, well muscled, slightly arched, clean, free from
throatiness, without dewlap and very long neck
Body
The back is straight, strong and firm. The loins are short, strong
and deep.The Croup is broup, of medium length, and slightly
rounded, neither flat nor falling away. The chest is roomy, broad
and deep (approximately 50 % of the shoulder height) with a well
developed forechest and well sprung ribs. The flanks are not
tucked up.
Tail
Natural bob tailed or if present the tail was historically docked.
Docking is banned in Germany, the U.K and some other countries.
An un-docked Rottweiler tail is level in extension of the upper line;
at ease it may be hanging.
Limbs
When seen from the front, the front legs are straight and not
placed too closely to each other. The forearm, seen from the side,
stands straight and vertical. The slope of the shoulder blade is
about 45 degrees to the horizontal. The shoulders are well laid
back. The upper arm is close fitting to the body. The forearm is
strongly developed and muscular. Pasterns are slightly springy,
strong but not steep. The front feet are round, tight and well
arched, the pads hard, nails are short, black and strong.
When seen from behind, the rear legs are straight and not too
close together. When standing free, obtuse angles are formed
between the dog’s upper thigh and the hip bone, the upper thigh
and the lower thigh, and the lower thigh and metatarsal. The upper
thigh is moderately long, broad and strongly muscled. The lower
thigh is long, strongly and broadly muscled, sinewy. The hocks are
sturdy, well angulated, not steep. The hind feet are slightly longer
than the front feet. Toes are strong, arched, as tight as the front
feet.
Gait
The Rottweiler is a trotting dog. In movement the back remains firm
and relatively stable. Movement is harmonious, steady, full of
energy and unrestricted, with good stride. Loves to play and run
around.
Coat
The coat consists of a top coat and an undercoat. The top coat is
of medium length, coarse, dense and flat. The undercoat must not
show through the top coat. The hair is a little longer on the
hindlegs.
Rottweilers living in hot climates may have aclimatised and may be
missing the undercoat.
Rottweiler coats tend to be low maintenance, although they
experience heavy shedding prior to their seasons (females) or
seasonally (males).
Size
Technically a "medium / large" breed, according to the FCI
standard the Rottweiler stands 61 to 68 cm (24-27 inches) at the
withers for males, and 56 to 62.5 cm (22-25 inches) for females,
and the average weight is 50 kg (110 pounds) for males and 42 kg
(93 pounds) for females.
Temperament
According to the FCI Standard, the Rottweiler is good-natured,
placid in basic disposition and fond of children, it is very devoted,
obedient, biddable and eager to work. Their appearance is natural
and rustic, their behaviour self-assured, steady and fearless. They
react to their surroundings with great alertness.
The American Kennel Club says it is basically a calm, confident
and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not
lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A Rottweiler
is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see
attitude to influences in its environment. It has an inherent desire
to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme
hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making
them especially suited as a companion, guardian and general all-
purpose dog.
Rottweilers are a powerful breed with well developed genetic
herding and guarding instincts. As with any breed, potentially
dangerous behaviour in Rottweilers usually results from
irresponsible ownership, abuse, neglect, or lack of socialization
and training. Inherent breed characteristics are not a factor.
The breed has received some negative publicity. In the US, in a
report by the CDC, the Rottweiler was listed as the second most
likely breed of dog named in fatal human attacks, but at nearly half
the rate of pitbulls. The report acknowledges that the broad
popularity of the Rottweiler as the most popular breed in the United
States in the same period may contribute to the relatively high
numbers of fatalities, but suggests Rottweilers are still
disproportionately represented in attack figures. The report states
that breed-specific bite rates are not known, and less responsible
owners being drawn to certain breeds may be a factor.
The portrayal of Rottweilers as evil dogs in several fictional films
and TV series, most notably in The Omen, and negative press has
added to their negative publicity. This has led to Rottweilers being
banned in some municipalities and are sometimes targeted as
dangerous dogs by legislation, such as in the Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal and the Republic of Ireland. However, the Dutch law has
since been changed as of 2008. On the other hand, not all
mainstream media has portrayed the breed in a negative light: for
example, a gentler side of the Rottweiler's personality was
observed in the movie Lethal Weapon 3 where a Rottweiler
guarding a gun smuggling operation was placated by the main
character, played by Mel Gibson, with dog treats. The dog was
subsequently rescued and de facto adopted by the protagonist.
Also, in the HBO series Entourage a rottweiler is a dear pet of the
main characters. Cujo the loveable family dog and voice of the
official website in the TV series Kath and Kim, is played by National
Rottweiler Council (Australia) Champion and Dual Champion
(Tracking) Goodiesway Basko (AI) C.D.X. E.T
Health
An ancient breed with millions of individuals in the gene pool.
Rottweilers are a relatively healthy, disease free breed. As with
most large breeds "Hip Dysplasia" can be a problem. However the
various Rottweiler breed clubs have had x-ray testing regimes in
place for many years. A reputable breeder will have the hips and
elbows of all breeding stock x-rayed and read by a recognised
specialist. They will have paperwork to prove it.
They will also have certificates that their breeding animals do not
have Entropian or Ectropian and that they have full and complete
dentition with a scissor bite.
As with any species, hereditary conditions do occur in some lines.
Potential purchasers should question breeders about any history
of hereditary disease in their lines.
History
Although an extremely versatile breed used in recent times for
many other purposes, the Rottweiler is first and foremost one of
the oldest, if not the oldest, of herding breeds. A multi-faceted
herding and stock protection dog of exceptional ability, it is capable
of working all kinds of livestock under a wide variety of conditions.
The breed is an ancient one, whose history stretches back to the
Roman Empire. In those times, the legions traveled with their meat
on the hoof and required the assistance of working dogs to herd
the cattle. One route the army traveled was through Württemberg
and on to the small market town of Rottweil. The principal
ancestors of the first Rottweilers during this time was supposed to
be the Roman droving dog, local dogs the army met on its travels,
and dogs with molosser appearance coming from England and The
Netherlands.
This region was eventually to become an important cattle area,
and the descendants of the Roman cattle dogs proved their worth
in both driving and protecting the cattle from robbers and wild
animals. However, by the end of the 19th century as railroads
became the main method for moving stock to market, the breed
had declined so much that in 1900 there was only one female to be
found in the town of Rottweil.
The first Rottweiler club in Germany, named DRK ("Deutscher
Rottweiler-Klub" — German Rottweiler Club) was created the 13
January 1907, and followed by the creation of the SDRK
("Süddeutscher Rottweiler-Klub" — South German Rottweiler Club)
on the 27 April 1907 and became the IRK (International Rottweiler
Club). The DRK counted around 500 Rottweiler, the SDRK 3000
Rottweilers. The goals of the two clubs were different. The DRK
wanted to produce working dogs and did not emphasize the
morphology of the Rottweiler. The main stud dog of this club was
Lord von der Teck. The IRK tried to produce a homogeneous
morphology according to their standard. One of the main stud
dogs of this club was Ralph von Neckar.
The various German Rottweiler Clubs amalgamated to form the
Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiller Klub - e.V (ADRK) which is
recognised worldwide as the home club of the Rottweiler.
The build up to World War I saw a great demand for police dogs,
and that led to a revival of interest in the Rottweiler. From that time
the breed has become popular with dog owners, and in 1935 was
officially recognized by the American Kennel Club. In 1936,
Rottweilers were exhibited in Britain at Crufts. In 1966, a separate
register was opened for the breed. In fact, in the mid 1990s, the
popularity of the Rottweiler reached an all time high with it being
the 1st most registered dog by the American Kennel Club.
Rottweilers were said to have been used by travelling butchers at
markets during the middle ages to guard money pouches tied
around their necks.
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