Should You Get a Rottweiler?
The name ‘Rottweiler’ originated
from a German town called Rottweil. In the early days, thee dogs were known as “Rottweiler Metzgerhund” which means “butchers dog”. As with many dog breeds, their exact history is a bit of a mystery. It is believed they were bred from Drover dogs of Ancient Rome. Although their roots go back a long time, the first official breed standard was not written until 1901.
In a landmark Genomic Analyses
of 161 dog breeds, the Rottweiler shares DNA with a common ancestor closely related to the Black Russian Terrier, the Leonberger and, to a lesser extent, the Great Dane.
The Rottweiler is an incredibly strong dog.
In testing for police certification they have to pull a bursting weight of 1,018 pounds over a 97 inch course!
Rottweiler Puppy Growing Up!
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The Rottweiler is a big
powerful dog that can grow up to 28 inches at the shoulders and weigh 130+ pounds. According to the official breed standard, they can only have one coat color: black with clearly defined brown/rust markings. A purebred Rottweiler will always have a black nose and lips. Their eyes are always brown BUT yellow eyes can appear in a purebred dog, however this dog cannot be registered.
The AKC conducts 100 yard
dog races called the Fast Cat. The average running speed for Rottweilers is a little under 23 mph. The fastest time recorded was 28.4 mph. That is moving fast for a bog dog!
In Research published in the landmark
book entitled “The Intelligence of Dogs” by Stanley Coren, the Rottweiler ranks 9th in working/obedience intelligence out of 130 different dog breeds. Essentially, this means that Rottweilers tend to learn new commands in 5 or fewer repetitions. In contrast, dogs at the lowest intelligence level often require over 100 repetitions to learn the same commands!
Dog Temperament research being done at the
University of Pennsylvania called the C-BARQ study, has gathered data on over 60,000 dogs and 350 breeds. According to this huge, ongoing study,
Rottweilers ranked 8th out of 124 breeds in easiness to train. They are generally very willing to take and learn new commands from their owners and follow them a majority of the time.
In this same research
the Rottweiler ranks 48 out of 124 in aggression towards strangers. This means they are likely to bark, growl or show their teeth when they feel a stranger is “invading” their area or owners area. In severe cases, where they feel threatened, they may lunge, snap or bite. Not surprising as the Rottweiler has been bred as a guard dog since their beginnings and has strong territorial instincts.
As with any Dog Breed
Rottweilers are prone to certain health conditions.
Here are some of them:
Aortic Stenosis
Hip Dysplasia
Cruciate Ligament Rupture
OCD (Osteochondritis Dessicans)
Cancer
JLLP (Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis & Polyneuropathy)
According to a Forbes analysis of
42 different homeowners insurance companies and their banned dog breeds lists, there are three breeds banned from 100% of every insurance provider. They are:
Doberman Pinschers
Pit bull type dogs
Rottweilers
Rottweilers are not natural
swimmers. They CAN swim however, but because of their size, bone structure and density, swimming can be a challenge. They should have no trouble swimming short distances. Unlike Labrador Retrievers, who were bred to swim, the Rottweiler was bred for a different purpose.
German or American?
A Rottweiler is considered German or American by it’s place of birth. It’s as simple as that. The German-bred Rottweiler tends to be a bit larger, with a larger bone structure. The Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub (ADRK) registers Rottweilers in Germany and their standards are VERY strict. The AKC standards for registration are not as strict. It can be argued that the German Rottweiler is bred more closely to the breed standard.
Rottweilers are loyal.
These strong, intelligent dogs tend to form deep bonds with their owners. They may follow you from room to room or just sit and watch you. And even though they can weigh well over 100 pounds-watch them try to sit on your lap!
Take a Fun Rottweiler Quiz!
