rottweiler puppies

The Rottweiler (affectionately called 'Rottie') originates in the Roman Empire, where it was used to herd cattle. The name derives from the small town of Rottweil, Germany. The Rottweiler nearly went extinct in the 1800's, but today it has come back in popularity and is used as a police dog, guard dog, herd dog, and tracker. It is a very strong, courageous, seemingly invulnerable breed. Famous fictional Rottweilers include the puppet Triumph the Insult Comic Dog from The Conan O' Brien Show and the family pet in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Although a versatile breed used in recent times for many purposes, the Rottweiler is primarily known as one of the oldest herding breeds. A multi-faceted herding and stock protection dog, it is capable of working all kinds of livestock under a variety of conditions.[3]

The breed's history dates to the Roman Empire. In those times, the Roman legion travelled with their meat on the hoof and required the assistance of working dogs to herd the cattle. One route the army travelled was through Württemberg and on to the small market town of Rottweil. The principal ancestors of the first Rottweilers during this time are believed to be the Roman droving dog, local dogs the army met on its travels, and dogs with molosser appearance coming from England and the Netherlands.[citation needed]

This region was eventually to become an important cattle area, and the descendants of the Roman cattle dogs proved their worth in both driving and protecting the cattle from robbers and wild animals. Rottweilers were said to have been used by travelling butchers at markets during the Middle Ages to guard money pouches tied around their necks.[4] However, as railroads became the primary method for moving stock to market, the breed had declined so much that by 1900 there was only one female to be found in the town of Rottweil.[citation needed]

The build up to World War I saw a great demand for police dogs, and that led to a revival of interest in the Rottweiler. During the First and Second World Wars, Rottweilers were put into service in various roles, including as messenger, ambulance, draught, and guard dogs.