Rottweiler Houston Dog Bite Lawyer

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The Rottweiler is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large^[3]^[4] or large.^[5]^[6] The dogs were known in German as Rottweiler Metzgerhund, meaning Rottweil butchers‘ dogs,^[7]^[8] because their main use was to herd livestock^[3] and pull carts laden with butchered meat to market.^[7] This continued until the mid-19th century when railways replaced droving. Although still used to herd stock in many parts of the world, Rottweilers are now also used as search and rescue dogs, as guard dogs, and as police dogs.^[9]

History

The Rottweiler is one of the oldest of herding breeds.^[10]^{[better source needed]} One author supposes that it has a history possibly dating back to the Roman Empire,^[11] the Rottweiler may be a descendant of ancient Roman drover dogs; a mastiff-type dog that was a dependable, rugged dog with great intelligence and guarding instincts. During their quest to conquer Europe, the Roman legions traveled in large numbers across the continent. The lack of refrigeration meant soldiers brought herds of cattle for food. Drover dogs kept the herd together and guarded it at night.^[12] Around A.D. 74 the Roman army traveled across the Alps and into what is now southern Germany. For the next two centuries, the Roman drover dogs were continually used in herding and driving cattle for trade even after the Romans were driven out of the area by the Swabians.^[13]^[14]^[15]

The dog breed was subsequently named after Rottweil, a town in the region.^[12] It became an important trade center and the descendants of the Roman cattle dogs proved their worth by driving the cattle to market and protecting the cattle from robbers and wild animals.^[12] The dogs are said to have been used by traveling butchers at markets during the Middle Ages to guard money pouches tied around their necks.^[16] The dogs were eventually known as Rottweiler Metzgerhunds, or “Butchers’ Dogs”.^[17]^[18]^[19] As railroads became the primary method for moving stock to market, the demand for the Rottweiler breed declined, as did their numbers, so severely diminished by 1882 that a show in Heilbronn, featured only one very poor representative of the breed.^[20]

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

The Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub (DRK, German Rottweiler Club), the first Rottweiler club in Germany, was founded on 13 January 1914, and followed by the creation of the Süddeutscher Rottweiler-Klub (SDRK, South German Rottweiler Club) on 27 April 1915 and eventually became the IRK (International Rottweiler Club). The DRK counted around 500 Rottweilers and the SDRK 3000 Rottweilers. The goals of the two clubs were different. The DRK aimed to produce working dogs and did not emphasize the morphology of the Rottweiler.

The various German Rottweiler Clubs amalgamated to form the Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub (ADRK, General German Rottweiler Club) in 1921. This was officially recorded in the register of clubs and associations at the district court of Stuttgart on 27 January 1924.^[21] The ADRK is recognized worldwide as the home club of the Rottweiler.

In 1931 the Rottweiler was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club.^[22] In 1936, Rottweilers were exhibited in Britain at Crufts. In 1966, a separate register was opened for the breed. In fact, in the mid-1990s, the popularity of the Rottweiler reached an all-time high with it being the most registered dog by the American Kennel Club.^[23] In 2017, the American Kennel Club ranked the Rottweiler as the eighth-most popular pure-breed in the United States.^[24]

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Temperament

In the breed standard published by Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 2018, the Rottweiler’s behavior/temperament should be:^[3]

The Rottweiler is good-natured, placid in basic disposition, very devoted, obedient, biddable and eager to work. His appearance is natural and rustic, his behaviour self-assured, steady and fearless. He reacts to his surroundings with great alertness and at the same time even-tempered.

In the American Kennel Club‘s “Official Standard of the Rottweiler,” the Rottweiler’s temperament should be:^[25]

a calm, confident and courageous dog with a self-assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in its environment. It has an inherent desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making them especially suited as a companion, guardian and general all-purpose dog.

According to the American Rottweiler Club:^[26]

For us, Rottweilers are the best breed in the world, but we firmly believe they are not a dog for everyone. Rottweilers require a calm, stable and firm “pack leader” or they will assume that role for you. Puppies AND adults need socialization, exercise and stimulating mental challenges. With these things, you will have a wonderful companion; without them, your Rottweiler may become destructive and out of control.

Rottweilers are a powerful breed with well-developed genetic herding and guarding instincts. Potentially dangerous behavior in Rottweilers usually results from irresponsible ownership, abuse, neglect, or lack of socialization and training. However, the exceptional strength of the Rottweiler is an additional risk factor not to be neglected. It is for this reason that breed experts declare that formal training and extensive socialization are essential for all Rottweilers. According to the AKC, Rottweilers love their owners and may behave in a clownish manner toward family and friends, but they are also protective of their territory and do not welcome strangers until properly introduced. Obedience training and socialization are required.^[25]

One study published in 2008 found that male Rottweilers have higher confidence, sharpness, and defense and play drives than females.^[27]

A 2008 study surveying breed club members found that while Rottweilers were average in aggressiveness (bites or bite attempts) towards owners and other dogs, it indicated they tend to be more aggressive than average toward strangers. This aggression appears correlated with watchdog and territorial instincts.^[28]

In the Rottweiler Handbook, Joan H. Walker states that “The Rottweiler is very territorial”, meaning that the owner will have to regularly work with the dog to control its territorial aggressiveness.^[29]