Rottweiler
Breed Profile
The Rottie’s ancestors were Mastiff-type working and war dogs of Ancient Rome. Later, they were used for herding management in Germany and were named after the town of Rottweil in Germany. Rotties have been used for guarding, watchdog work, droving, fighting (dog fighting), law enforcement, military, carting, search and rescue, guide dogs for the blind, and also as companion animals.
Temperament
The Rottweiler is kind, calm, very faithful, obedient, tractable and keen to work. Their appearance is natural and rustic, their behaviour confident and brave. They are known to be alert and yet even-tempered.
Color & Coat
Coat: The breed dons a coat consisting of an outer coat and an undercoat. The outer coat is of medium length, coarse, dense and flat. The undercoat is present on the neck and thighs. The undercoat does not show through the outer coat.
Color: The color and markings of a Rottweiler are its hallmarks. A Rottweiler is always, by any breed club standards, black with well-defined mahogany or rust-colored markings,which does not take up more than ten percent of the dog’s body color.
Health
Rottweilers enjoy relative good health. However, as with most large breeds, hip dysplasia can be a problem. The Rottweiler is very prone to osteosarcoma which is among the most common causes of early death in Rottweilers. For unknown reasons, Rottweilers are more susceptible than other breeds to become infected with parvovirus, a highly contagious and deadly disease for puppies and young dogs.