A town that loves its dogs
The Rottweiler dog
A Rottweiler is a powerhouse with a gentle side: Enduring, strong, intelligent and reliable, the tough dog breed developed from shepherd’s dog to become a reliable companion and helper in all situations of life.
Legendary soccer champion David Beckham recently proclaimed to be a fan of Rottweilers, Germany’s first chancellor Konrad Adenauer loved to pose with his Rottweiler Cesar, and star actor Will Smith commissioned the celeb dog trainer Caesar Millan to educate Smith’s four Rottweilers Indo, Gracie, Zhaki, and Tyson. All over Germany, the tall, athletic dog is much beloved as a family pet, sports companion, search and rescue dog, and even therapy dog.
In respect of its origins, the breed is closely connected to the town from which it derives its name – in the 19th century, Rottweil was a major cattle trading centre. Bred and trained for this very purpose, the intelligent, enduring dogs reliably herded cattle and sheep on their pastures. From this regional proximity, the dogs of this breed came to be called “Rottweilers”.
Some old theories say that the Roman legionnaires kept the ancestors of the intelligent Rottweiler dogs to herd the cattle during their campaigns.
To honour the four-legged namesake, a statue of a Rottweiler dog was inaugurated in 2007. The statue set up in front of the Rottweil municipal museum was designed by Ottmar Hörl and cast in bronze by the Rottweil artist Helmut Stromsky.
Daten und Fakten
-
Evidenced by a large number of animal bones found in Arae Flaviae, the Roman predecessor town of Rottweil, the ancestors of the Rottweiler were presumably brought to our region by their Roman masters. By crossbreeding them with other cattle and herd dogs, a dog was formed over the course of time that excelled by courage, alertness, strength, reliability and endurance. These characteristics made these dogs a prime companion for cattle driving.
The use of the name “Rottweiler” for the breed in the town at the upper Neckar is evidenced in the recent past only. This is easy to explain: In Rottweil, there is no need to point out that a dog was bred in the town. Thus, it can be assumed that dogs from Rottweil were first called by the name of their town of origin when they accompanied the cattle herds from their home region. This was certainly the case when people realised that most dogs from Rottweil were of a specific breed – and that made them the “Rottweilers”.
In 1907, the association “General German Rottweiler Club” was founded in Stuttgart. It dedicated itself to breeding these dogs and ensuring that their bloodlines were registered. Today, the breed is used as police dogs, customs dogs and seeing-eye dogs. Thanks to their child-friendly character, Rottweilers are perfect family dogs.
-
In the old days, Rottweiler dogs were held in esteem by butchers and animal dealers for their good character.
Up to the turn of the last century, butchers used to be on the road at all times of night and day, in all kinds of weather. They walked to remote villages and isolated farms to buy animals for slaughter. Often, they carried large sums of money to pay for the cattle. The robbers were well aware of this fact, and so the butchers were often attacked and robbed. But if they had a Rottweiler dog by their side, they could be quite sure to return home unharmed.
Butchers and cattle dealers loved the dogs not only for the protection they gave but also for their excellence as herd dogs. The cattle they bought needed to be herded overland. It was the dog’s job to nudge the cattle on when they refused to proceed. The dogs were also harnessed to the heavy butcher’s carts or sledges to help the butcher boys to draw them.
-
The Rottweiler dogs are bred in the town to this day.
For more information and data on the breeders in the region, please contact the Tourist Information: +49(0)741 494280 or tourist-information@rottweil.de