Christy McDowell, LVT, VTS (ECC)
Where Are Rottweilers From?
The Rottweiler’s true origin is unknown, but they are likely descendants of ancient Roman herding dogs. They were used to herd cattle with the Roman troops during their travels through Europe. In approximately 74 AD, one of the tours ended in present day southern Germany. For the next two hundred years, their descendants stayed in this area, acting as guard dogs.
When a church was being constructed on the site of an ancient Roman bath house around the year 700, the builders found red roof tiles from Roman villas. These tiles, das Rote Wil, became the derivation of the current site name, Rottweil, and the origin of this breed’s moniker.
This breed’s numbers steadily declined in the mid to late 19th century, when cattle driving was outlawed and railroads became more prevalent. They did not regain their popularity until the early 20th century, when they garnered acclaim as police dogs.
The Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub (ADRK) was created in 1921, and remains active today. The breed was accepted by the AKC in 1935.
