Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a well known breed of dog which tends to be classed as a large breed of dog. It gets its name from the place which it originates Rottweil which is a town in Germany. These dogs were known as Rottweiler Metzgerhund, which translates to Rottweil butcher dogs. This was due to their primary job which was to drove animals and pull carts full of butchered meat to the market. It has also been indicated that they may have been used for the purposes of hunting, however in comparison to other hunting dogs it is not very good at this. It lost its role as a drover (herded of animals) in the middle of the 19th century as railroads came into full use and were instead used to transport livestock. In modern day the dog has various roles mainly being a guard dog and a police dog. The breeds history goes back to the Roman Empire. They were used by the Roman legion to herd the meat that the Legion ate. This Roman cattle dog was probably mixed with molosser to get the Rottweiler breed. Rottweilers were also said to be used as guard dogs for food for butchers during the Middle ages.
Appearance
The Rottweiler breed tends to have a black coat and tanned parts on the legs and around the face. The Rottweiler is between 55 cm and 69 cm to the withers and between 40 to 60 kilos. The coat of this breed consists of two layers, a top coat and an undercoat. The top part is of average length and is rough and thick. If a Rottweiler lives in a hot climate it may be that it only has one coat.
Temperament
This is a very tough and smart breed. They are generally well mannered and not overly aggressive. They tend to do what their owner wants and are eager to be busy. It tends to be a dog which is weary of strangers. The breed is very powerful and has strong guardian instincts. So it is not surprising that without adequate training the Rottweiler can be potentially aggressive. It is essential that this breed go through training and a lot of socialization. It should be clear from this descriptions that these dogs should not be left alone with children, if only due to their great strength. The breed has been subject to significant negative stereotypes. But also it should be noted that this dogs is the second most likely dog breed to have commuted a fatal attack on a human. The number one breed is the pit bull. It should be noted though it is well behind the pit bull at about half the rate of the pit bull. Full information can be found on the CDCwebsite
. One confounding factor to take into account is that it could be that less than responsible owners are choosing these dogs, which could be exacerbating their bad reputation. It also does not help this breed that they have been commonly portrayed on television as dangerous dogs. Probably the most iconic of these portrayals is in The Omen. Certain countries have also put legislation in place for these dogs for example Ireland, Poland and Portugal. It should also be noted that the during a 2008 survey done it was found that this dog actually has average levels of aggression (when compared to other breeds) toward owner, but heightened levels of aggression against strangers (not surprising given this dog was bred as a guard dog). However when you couple the average aggression level with a powerful dog such as this one, it can easily be seen where trouble may arise.Grooming and care
The Rottweilers coat is quite low maintenance, though they do tend to shed quite a lot of hair. These dogs need plenty of exercise and should not be overfed as they can tend to get obese.
Health
Rottweilers are generally a health breed. Hip dysplasia is a problem of course as expected for a larger sized dog. This means that x raying of these dogs is pretty standard. It is also important to check for entropian and ectropion. The leading cause of death in these dogs is cancer, and also Rottweilers are more likely to get infected with virii such as the parvovirus, so vaccinations for this breed as a must. As previously mentioned this breed can tend to get overweight, this is a serious problem in dogs as it can lead to breathing problems, diabetes, heart attacks and even overheating.