Rottweiler Standards
- 22-27"
- 90-110 lbs
- large molosser
- medium-sized, pendant ears
- tail is traditionally docked where legal
- straight, coarse, medium length coat
- black with rust or mahogany markings
History of the Rottweiler
The history of the Rottweiler is said to begin as far back as the Roman Empire. As Roman legions spread across Europe they also traveled with cattle for meat and needed dogs to work the cattle. Eventually their travels brought them to the small German market town of Rottweil. What would become the early Rottweiler was a cross between these Roman war dogs, local sheepdogs, and molosser types from England and the Netherlands. As Rottweil grew, so did the demand for the dogs that had become known as the Rottweiler Metzgerhund, or Butcher’s Dog.
By the middle of the 19th century the need for working dogs ceased and the number of Rottweilers declined so far in numbers that only a single dog appeared in the 1882 dog show in Heilbronn, Germany. Then in 1901 a combined Rottweiler and Leonberger club was formed that helped secure their future, as did their use in both World Wars. Today the Rottweiler is one of the most popular breeds worldwide.