Their ancestors accompanied the Romans to cross the Alps, herding their livestock and protecting them from harm. Rottweilers are descended from the Molossus, a mastiff-type dog. Their ancestors marched to Germany with the Romans, driving the cattle that supported them while they conquered the known world. While the military traveled, large dogs would mate with dogs that were native to the areas they passed through and laid the foundation for new breeds.
The story of the German Rottweiler is a bit of an enigma. People believe that they originated from one of the drovers, which are native to ancient Rome. Like the Bernese, the Great Dane, the Alaskan malamute and the mountain dog, German Rottweiler dogs are known to be working dogs. They are very energetic and cheerful when assigned a task to do.
As stated above, the Rottweiler is a cross between Roman Dover dogs (herding) and German shepherd dogs. This mix was a successful attempt to create a new breed that had the energy of a herding dog and the temperament of a guard dog. Here's an overview of the different types of Rottweilers, their appearance and their temperament to help you better understand this ancient breed. The final result? There are no officially different Rottweiler dog breeds, but there are different types depending on the countries of origin.
At the beginning of the 20th century, dog breeding was no longer done solely for the purpose of producing a functioning dog. Thanks to their endurance, intelligence and strength, the breed survived and the story of the Rottweilers continued. Due to bad or tragic experiences with Rottweilers or other large breeds, some cities have banned the breed. The Rottweiler's historic role as guardian and shepherd has honed the breed's instinct for caution and protection when meeting strangers.
The Shepweiler is a German Shepherd Rottweiler mix, resulting in a large dog that boasts the best qualities of both breeds. The Dachsweiler is a mix of Rottweiler and Dachshund, combining a small-sized dog breed with a larger rottweiler. These sweet and affectionate Cocker Spaniel Rottweiler mixed-breed puppies will be smaller than the average purebred Rottie, and are ideal for those who like to walk regularly and do moderate exercise. Rottweilers are also known to be one of the longest-lived dog breeds, with an average life expectancy of 10 to 12 years.
Dedicated and reputable breeders are taking this opportunity to turn the breed around and make sure that Rottweilers are the type of dogs they should be. The Rottie Bordeaux is a mix of Rottweiler and Dogue de Bordeaux, resulting in an extra large cross puppy. You can do your part to redeem the breed's reputation by training your Rottweiler to obey and respect people. Major police departments around the world (such as those in the United Kingdom) do not include these Rottweilers among the preferred breeds used by police forces.
Like the typical Rottweiler breed, Roman Rottweiler is equally courageous and has remarkable intelligence and reasoning skills due to his well-developed brain.
