Rottweiler

Other names/Nicknames:
  • Metzgerhund (butcher’s dog)
  • Rottie
Country/Date of origin:
  • Germany
  • 1800′s
Height:
  • Females:  22 to 25 inches
  • Males:  24 to 27 inches
Weight:
  • 90 to 110 pounds
Personality:
  • Dignified and slow to anger.
  • Natural guarding instincts coupled with great courage.
  • Obedient and moderately intelligent.
History:

Rottweilers marched with the Roman legions.  The beefy mastiffs were drovers and stock guards, watching over the cattle the army needed for provisions.  Butchers around the town of Rottweil, in Germany, refined the dog in the Middle Ages until it was so good at its job that cattle could be taken to and from the stockyards without a human attendant.  About 1900, the Rottweiler found favor as a police dog, and a German Stud Book was established.  The first Rottweiler was admitted to the American Kennel Club (AKC) Stud Book in 1931.  It wasn’t until 1948 that a championship title was awarded.  The Rottweiler, with its size and guarding instincts, is the second most popular dog in America.

Body Type:
  • Looks like a heavier version of the Doberman Pinscher.
  • The tail is short, set level with the back, and carried horizontally.  Must be docked if it is not naturally short.
  • The ears are relatively small and hang close to the head.  They are not altered.
Coat:
  • Short, flat, and coarse with a softer undercoat on the neck and thighs.
  • Permissible colors are black with tan markings on the cheeks, muzzle, chest, legs, and over both eyes.
  • Minimal grooming required.
Health and Wellness:
  • Elbow dysplasia.
  • Hip dysplasia.
  • Autoimmune thyroid disease.
  • Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).
  • Calcinosis circumscripta.
  • Subaortic stenosis.
  • Patent ductus arteriosis.
  • von Willebrand’s disease.
  • Metabolic bone disease.
  • Panosteitis.
  • Laryngeal paralysis.
  • Dominance-realated aggression.
  • Congenital deafness.
  • Gastric dilatation and volvulus syndrome (GDV, also commonly called bloat).
  • Familial renal disease (atrophic glomerulopathy).
  • Addison’s disease.
  • Lupoid onchodystrophy.
  • Cauda equina syndrome.
  • Osteosarcoma (appendicular).
What you should know:
  • Pronounce it Rott-why-lurr.
  • The breed has a booster in Alexandra Day, whose books about the babysitting Carl have introduced Rotties to millions.
  • Firmly ensconced in second place in the popularity charts and is pushing the Labrador Retriever to be top dog.
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