Rottweiler

The Rottweiler is a German mastiff-type breed of medium-to-large size — a powerful working dog now kept for guarding, herding and companionship.

History

It is named after the town of Rottweil, where its job — the Rottweiler Metzgerhund, or butchers' dog — was to drive cattle and haul carts of meat to market. That work lasted until railways took over droving in the nineteenth century, after which the breed found new roles in police and service work.

Temperament

The breed is known for being confident, calm and deeply loyal to its family, with a natural guarding instinct. That instinct makes early socialising and steady handling essential rather than optional.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and firm, consistent, reward-based training that gives its intelligence a job. The short coat is easy to keep with occasional brushing.

Health

Known tendencies include hip and elbow dysplasia and certain heart conditions, and the heavy build makes weight management matter. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.