15 Awesome Facts About Rottweilers You May Never Know

Rottweiler is one of the most popular breeds in the US, which was originally a herding dog. Today, we know this large and strong breed as a guard dog because of its excellent sense of sight, hearing, and also smell. The coat usually comes with rust or mahogany color and black markings, and the tail normally curls over the back. The head is wide and square, although slightly rounded at the top. Moreover, the muzzle is straight and fine, tapering toward the nose. The black nose coloration is desirable but not always present in this breed. In addition, their large size makes them known for their strength, speed and courage. Overall, this dog is exceptionally tough and powerful. Aside from these physical characteristics, there are other awesome facts about Rottweilers that you need to know.

Rottweilers also make a great family pet because they can get along very well with children and other dogs, too! They may appear shy at first, but once they realize you are family, they will immediately warm up. They love going for walks or jogging with their human family members or friends. In fact, your Rottweiler puppy will be loyal and protective of your children if you raise him around them. So, let’s find out more about this breed by checking out some interesting facts about Rottweilers below.

1. The Breed Comes From Ancient Roman Dogs

The Roman Empire was the most powerful political and social entity in Western civilization during its height. During this time, many things changed forever, including dog breeding. Rottweilers are the descendents of the Molossus, a mastiff-type dog, and the Italian Mastiff. Their forefathers escorted the Romans through the Alps by herding and protecting their livestock.

Moreover, the soldiers’ food supply, in the form of live cattle, accompanied vast Roman armies as they marched across Europe. To keep the herd in check, armies needed robust, tough drover dogs. Drover dogs are one of the oldest canine breeds, and its ancestors were thought to be mastiff dogs.

2. The Instinctive Herders and Protectors

Rottweilers were bred to become working dogs from the beginning. They did a variety of things back then, including bringing livestock to market, hauling carts, and even defending the property. They are famous as instinctive herders and protectors. That’s why they now work in the fields of security and herding.

Today, Rottweilers compete in herding competitions and can keep up with sheepdogs and shepherds in the field. Their natural skills came from becoming drover dogs for Roman armies on the move. They herded animals as soldiers’ food supply and marched them alongside the troops. Without refrigeration, this was the only option for the soldiers to have a consistent food supply. 

3. The Butcher’s Dog Which Guarded Money

Rottweilers used to herd animals and carry carts packed with butchered meat to market, which is why in Germany, people call them Metzgerhund. Hundred of years ago, Rottweilers also employed to preserve a butcher’s money as he traveled to the market. This practice persisted until the mid-nineteenth century, when railways supplanted drover dogs. 

Moreover, they not only protected the cattle herd, but they also protected the cattlemen’s money. The cattleman would place the money in a bag and wrap it over the dog’s neck, out of reach of any would-be robber.  

4. Gained Back Popularity As Police Dog

Moving on to the next one in our list of facts about Rottweilers, do you know that the Rottweiler had fallen out of popularity? It happened by the mid-nineteenth century when donkey carts replaced dog carts. Meanwhile, cattle droving had been forbidden, leaving Rottweilers unemployed. However, as it became popular as a police dog in the early 1900s, the breed resurrected.

Rottweilers were serving with German police forces during World War I, making them the fourth canine breed to be formally recognized as a police dog. Rottweilers began to be recognized as official military dogs around the same period. This offered up new opportunities for Rotties in the workplace.

5. The Award Winning Therapy Dog

This one is one of the heartwarming facts about Rottweilers in this list. Renice Zimmerman’s therapy dog, Wynd, won the Award for Canine Excellence in Therapy in 2015. Wynd was a Rottweiler who worked as a therapy dog for The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Hampton Veterans Hospital, and the Suffolk Humane Society’s BARKS reading program, among others. Wynd died in December 2015 after a long struggle with osteosarcoma, but her memory will live on.

For a mentally or physically ill person, a well-trained Rottweiler can be the finest therapy dog. This is owing to their physical strength, intelligence, and human-friendly nature. Bringing a therapy dog into a potentially unpleasant situation can benefit everyone involved, not just the mentally ill individual.

6. One Rottweiler Advocated for The Rights of Disabled Veterans

Dieter was a famous Rottweiler owned by Neil Williams, a Vietnam Veteran. Not only as an ambassador for his breed, Dieter also advocated for the rights of injured soldiers. Moreover, Williams, who sustained a spinal injury during the war, benefits from Dieter’s assistance with mobility by holding doors and assisting him in and out of his wheelchair. 

In 2015, Williams and Dieter traveled to Washington, D.C. as members of the board of directors of the New England chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America to lobby for the rights of injured veterans.  In fact, Willams had three Rottweilers as service dogs in the past, but Dieter is the first with whom he’s completed a formal training program. Train a Dog Save a Warrior (TADSAW), a charity group, arranged the training and paired him with Diane Cunningham of Paws Down Training Service.

7. Rottweiler Doesn’t Bark A Lot

If you don’t like noisy dogs, then a Rottweiler could be your best buddy. They are quiet, peaceful dogs. Rottweilers are not a vocal breed. In fact, many Rottweiler owners rarely hear their dogs bark. They bark when there’s a need to bark, but they normally respond to their surroundings silently.

This is primarily due to the fact that they are bred. The ultimate objective of Rottweilers was not to provide protection. They were developed to pull carts for butchers, as you may know. Rottweilers, rather than barking, use their intimidating bodies and growling to terrify their foes. To confirm their existence, they don’t have to create any loud noises.

8. They are Highly Trainable Breed

Rottweilers are among the smartest dogs on the planet. Therefore, they’re frequently utilized as working and service dogs due to their intelligence and trainability. Even though many Rottweilers have a stubborn bent, they’re rather straightforward to teach compared to other breeds.

For many generations, the breed has demonstrated great obedience and talents, and you could claim that such attributes are now in their DNA. If you start teaching your puppy between the ages of 6 weeks and 6 months, you will have the best results. It may take a little more time, effort, and patience if your Rottweiler is older.

9. Sprinter With 25 Miles Per Hour Top Speed

Rottweilers are eager to please and bold, and they are capable of doing just about anything, including running. Their large frame and powerful muscles, on the other hand, render them more adapted to sprinting over shorter distances than long-distance endurance running. That means they’ll become fatigued soon and won’t enjoy long distance running. A healthy adult Rottweiler can run at a speed of 20-25 miles per hour.

Just as you wouldn’t expect to see massive bodybuilders at a marathon, the bulky Rottweiler would not be expected to make the list of the top endurance runners. However, if you look at any sprinting competition, you’ll note that the competitors are typically highly muscular, similar to the big Rottie!

10. Females Mature Faster Than Males

If you’ve determined that a Rottweiler is the dog for you, you’ll have to choose between a male and a female Rottweiler. Training male Rottweilers can be more difficult than training females since men develop slightly later than females and have a stronger predisposition toward protective and territorial behavior. Males acquire sexual maturity between the ages of 16 and 25 months.

Females, on the other hand, mature faster than males since they mature at 16 months. As a result, they’re usually easy to train. They have a calm, collected demeanor that allows them to concentrate on training for longer periods of time than males and is less readily distracted. Whether you decide to have male or female rottweilers, they will both still make a great and loyal companion.

11. Good Friends With Cats

Rottweilers are surprisingly fine with cats when compared to other guard dogs. Rottweilers are far more suited to living with cats than other somewhat aggressive breeds due to their ease of training and socialization, as well as their cheerful attitude. If a Rottweiler links a particular cat with its family, the dog would likely defend the cat in the same way that it would you or your children.

Furthermore, because they were not utilized for hunting, they have a low prey drive. Rottweilers are not aggressive to cats because of their personality. Instead, they may become enthralled merely by the prospect of making a new acquaintance!

12. They Love To Stay At Home

Rottweilers are indoor dogs, and it’s probably one of the most unique facts about Rottweilers. People sometimes believe that it’s probably because of their size and disposition. Ideally, Rottweilers should become outside dogs, yet this is the very worst thing you can do to them. They are family members and must be treated as such.

However, you should never leave them alone for longer than 4 to 6 hours at a time. Not only will they require a toilet break, but if you wait any longer, you may notice a change in your Rottie’s overall behavior.

13. They Can Gain Weight Up To 130 Pounds Because of Sedentary Lifestyle

Males are larger and heavier than females, with the largest weighing up to 130 pounds and standing up to 27 inches tall at the shoulder. They do have a proclivity for gaining weight quickly, which is in part to their sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, Rottweilers require less exercise on a regular basis than many other breeds, such as retrievers and terriers. 

Rottweilers are typically content to lounge around the house during downtimes but are eager to go when you are. Although some people think of Rottweilers as lethargic, they are working dogs that can haul loads, herd cattle, and serve as police or military dogs.

14. The Blue Rottweilers Indicate Health Issues

When a Rottweiler carries the dilution gene, it can turn blue. A diluted coat will seem gray-ish blue on a black coat, which most typical Rottweilers have. This is a beautiful hue, however it is not great for dogs. Blue isn’t a good color for dogs because it can create a variety of health problems. Follicular Dysplasia, for example, is a pretty prevalent condition among blue dogs, particularly Rottweilers.

There are only three colors for Rottweilers, according to the American Kennel Club breed standard. The basic color should always be black, with marks ranging from rust to mahogany. Blue Rottweiler puppies do not come with a bad coat from the start. Instead, you’ll notice it throughout the course of the first three years. Their coat will be “patchy,” and their skin will be dry and discolored in the affected areas.

15. Top Ten Dog with The Strongest Bite Force

Now that we have come to the last fact on our list of facts about Rottweilers, Rottweilers are ranked in the top 10 positions as the dog with the strongest bite force. This dog’s jaw is extremely powerful, with a force of 328 pounds of pressure. They typically weigh 130 pounds or more. Though this doesn’t strictly focus on the pounds of force in their jaws, it does offer others a sense of how much harm they can cause.

They are, nevertheless, frequently quiet and restrained while remaining courageous. It’s critical to keep them satisfied so that they don’t cause any harm. This dog isn’t particularly demanding or playful, but it is alert and intelligent.

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