The Rottweiler dog standard, as we know it today is a product of Germany, in actuality the origin of the Rottweiler comes some 2000 years ago from the ancient Romans and was kept as a short-coated herding dog.
It was also believed to have been used as a guard dog to the Royals and with its large imposing looks would have warded off intruders from such esteemed figures as Emperor Nero himself.

The Rottweiler or Drover dog as it was known then, also was thought to accompany the Roman troops as they marched to war. They were used primarily for herding the soldiers' cattle, which was kept for food to sustain the armies during their long marches. They would also guard the herd to prevent the loss of the cattle. These strong, formidable, powerful, intelligent drover dogs with great stamina were probably used during all the Roman invasions throughout Europe.

They were accepted and appreciated in a place in Germany called 'Rottweil' this name is said to have come about when a Christian Church that was built in around 700A.D. where Roman Baths had formerly stood, was knocked down and during the building work some red tiles from an old Roman villa were unearthed, and in German "the red tile" is called "das Rote Wil".

When the Roman troops left the area they left some Drover dogs behind and these dogs were loved as a breed because of their great uses as guard and herding dogs with a strong working instinct. These traits were essential, as Rottweil had become a trading centre and market place where farmers brought their cattle to sell.
The Roman Drover dogs were needed to herd the cattle to the market, they had the ability to herd them without excitement whilst guarding cattle and traders alike, keeping them safe.
On the way back from the market the trader’s moneybags would be tied around the dogs’ neck for safety, no one would take on this formidable powerful dog.
The dog was then known as a 'butcher dog' taking home the money from the sale of all this meat.

Another job that the Rottweiler breed was and is still good at is pulling a cart. Milk carts were pulled by the bigger specimens of the breed they were replaced by donkeys. Although nowadays these dogs can still pull a carts for fun, racing against other ‘Rotties’.

People in the area started to breed the dog and enhance its powerfulness and they soon became popular as a fine animal to take home. A superior dog compared to other local dogs, always eager to please their owners and to learn new things.
Due to their appreciation from the local people of Rottweil, the Roman drover dog/butcher dog was renamed "Rottweiler" so everyone would know that they were a descendant of the original Drover Dogs of Rome that the Germans bred and redeveloped into the fine and wonderful animal we know today.

Redeveloping the breed.

Rottweilers were being bred in two different sizes;

Smaller dogs for Herding, as they were more likely to only nip the cattle on the hock to spur them on, as opposed to biting at the shoulder, as the larger dogs would do causing injury to the cattle. They were much more agile, carried less weight and therefore had greater stamina for the work with less injury.
This dog was bred mainly for its usefulness and not for its appearance. Apparently this lack of interest in the look of the animal caused ‘off colouring’ in the breed. Some had white chests or collars, red colouring instead of tan/mahogany to coats, and still to this day carries through the genes. Sometimes causing some white to appear on the Modern Rottweiler which is not accepted as official breed standard today.

The larger dogs were much heavier and muscular and so were used for work with the carts. This strain of the Rottweiler always had impeccable looks in every way. A competitive spirit was aroused in the Rottweiler owners almost immediately because they wanted to own the best looking, best working, best tempered dog. This became, and still is, most important amongst breeders today as, only the top breed standard reaches high reward when being bred shown or sold.

Image courtesy of http://users.skynet.be/hexental/belringsport.htm

Later as technology advanced, the dog was not so popular in its hometown of Rottweil, but became more popular when used in Northern Germany as a police dog in the early 20th century. The story goes that one day a Rottweiler was being walked by his off duty police officer owner, where they stumbled upon a fight that left the owner in danger, the Rottweiler with its loyalty and self assured confidence broke up the fight scaring away the brawlers. This dog saw the safety of its owner as paramount high-lighting a temperament within the Rottweiler breed as loyal and protective to its family, owner or work master in any situation. Shortly afterward across Europe the Rottweilers were used in the police, the army and border patrols for guarding, searching, camaraderie, and attack. Rottweilers are not normally aggressive and must be trained to attack humans but should only be done, when the ‘job’ is deemed necessary.
(Extracts taken from Guide to owning a Rottweiler T.F.H. Publications, Inc USA).

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