Hard Working and High in Courage...

Rottweiler Origin

       Rottweilers are considered to be one of the oldest breeds of dog with an origin way back to Roman times where they were used as herder or driving dogs.  They marched over the Alps with the Roman legions, protecting their humans and driving the cattle.  For this, it was necessary to have a dog that was loyal and faithful, calm yet confident.  It needed to lovingly care for and defend the young of the heard and its master, yet still be able to drive thousands of pounds of cattle and protect them from wolves and thieves.  A deep ribcage was needed for the lung capacity needed for the long miles of running around the herd.  Strong bone and muscle was also a must.  The large head that the German Rottweiler is now famous for also served a purpose.  The large powerful head is what enables the Rottweiler to have the strongest bite force of any domesticated dog, far exceeding even the American Stadforshire Terrior (Pit Bull) and German Shephard Dog.
       Once they reached Rottweil, Germany, the main task of the rottweiler now became the driving and guarding of the herds of cattle they had brought here and defending their masters and property.  Rottweil, a town in the south west of Germany and the oldest town in the federal state of Baden-Württember, was founded by the Romans in 74 AD.  It was named "Rot Wil" because of the red tiles used in the roof.  ("Rot" is red and "Wil" for "Ville".)  In Rottweil, the dog became known as "Rottweiler Metzgerhund" which translates literally to "Rottweil butcher's dog."  Here, the butchers bred this type of dog purely for performance and usefullness.  At this point in the Rottweilers history, confirmation, or physical beauty, was not as important as the Rottweiler's core character and temperament.  Soon, an exceptional watch and driving dog evolved which was hard working and high in courage.
       In the early 1900's, various breeds of dog were tested for Police Service.  It quickly became evident that the Rottweiler was more than capable and very willing.  Having been bred specifically for their courage, intelligence, and workability, the Rottweiler was officially recognized as Police Dogs in 1910. 
       Today, the temperament of the Rottweiler still remains a top priority in Germany.  Along with the requirement of correct physical confirmation proven in the show ring, Rottweilers in Germany must also past Breed Suitability testing to ensure that those character traits that made them so desirable for centuries remain strongly in place.


General Appearance                 

"The Rottweiler is a medium to large size, stalwart dog, neither heavy nor light and neither leggy nor weedy. His correctly proportioned, compact and powerful build leads to the conclusion of great strength, agility and endurance." (ADRK Rottweiler Breed Standards)
It is important to note that simply having the "largest" dog does not denote a good rottweiler.  FCI and ADRK standards call for the male rottweiler to be approximately 50 kg (or about 110 pounds) and a bitch to be 42 kg (or about 92 pounds).  When a breeder disregards the breed standard and strives only to produce larger and larger dogs, they are not only taking away from the hard, athletic appearance of the true German working rottweiler (as a dog that is too large will become quite awkward looking and more "mastif" in appearance with a softer frame, "wet" or drooping skin and certainly lack in the rock hard, well muscled, compact frame of the rottweiler) but more importantly is the marked decline in health.  You are asking a heart designed for a 110 pound dog to now function for 160+ pounds and joints that are already prone to hip and elbow dysplasia to now support abnormal growth spurts and extra weight.  You end up with a dog that in not only physically incapable of performing the tasks required of this breed (he cannot run for miles to herd, nor can he jump over and through obstacles as a police or personal protection dog) but he now also has a much shorter life span due to the unnecessary stress exerted on his body.

Temperament is extremely important at Guardian Rottweilers, however, we also do not want our dogs/ pups to lack physically.  We do not want a dog with a small, frail frame with elongated and narrow heads and faces, narrow ribcages, and skinny limbs lacking sufficient bone or muscle substance.  It is sad to see that many breeders either through ignorance of the breed standard, or disregard, produce dogs that are at one extreme or the other--either way to large and awkward, or too frail. 

 On the left is a 120 pound female rottweiler that is large, but very poorly built.  She is lacking in head, bone and muscle substance, and has a very soft topline.  On the right, the other extreme, a small, thin rottweiler also very much lacking in head piece and poorly placed and poorly carried ears, but with a much more solid top line (back is straight) because there is not too much excess weight pulling and stressing the dog's body.  Above is a photo of Crom di Alaricus Rex, a beautiful European male with a strong, compact, very well muscled frame, powerful head and muzzle, super bone substance, and a solid topline. 

Temperament
      

 "Good natured, placid in basic disposition and fond of children, very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behaviour self assured, steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness."  (ADRK Rottweiler Breed Standards)  He is a very intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making the Rottweiler especially suited as a companion and guardian.