The Rottweiler’s history of being bred as a protector of sheep and cattle may well have been what saved it from becoming extinct. Around the turn of the 20th century, Rottweilers lost their job as drover dogs and the donkey replaced it as the animal of choice for pulling carts. In fact, legend has it that in 1905 there was only one single Rottweiler bitch left in the town that gave the dogs their name – Rottweil, Germany.
Though the advent of dog shows did protect the breed somewhat, it was that historic trait of protection that brought about its introduction into a new field – the police dog. The German Police Dog Association was created during this period of time and began its search for dog breeds that would be able to excel at this sort of training. Rottweilers moved to the top of the list rather quickly.
Oral legend tells us that an off duty police officer in Hamburg, Germany was out taking his pet Rottweiler for a walk one night when he came upon a brawl outside a local bar. Over two dozen men were yelling and fighting each other when the police man made the decision to step in.
With the unexpected help of his Rottweiler partner, the police man was able to break up the melee, the dog’s weight alone being enough to push several of the drunken patrons to the ground. It didn’t take long before the fight was over and the fighters were running quickly from the scene.
After this, two Rottweilers - Max von der Strahlenburg and Flock von Hamburg - were trained to do police work as an experiment. The dogs immediately excelled at their new jobs and the GPDA approved the Rottweiler as a candidate for police dog work.
The German Police Dog Association would move on to recognize the Rottweiler as an official police dog breed in 1910, making them the fourth breed to achieve such an honor. The prior three were German Shepherds, Dobermans and Airedale Terriers. This move was all it took to revive interest in the hard working Rottweiler breed, saving it from disappearance.
Nearly one hundred years in the future, the Rottweiler still enjoys its status as one of the most courageous, intelligent and agile of the police dog breeds around the world. They are in use by police and sheriff’s departments across the United States as well as becoming a beloved family pet by many.
Rottweilers are part of American Police Dog Association as well as smaller organizations in every state. They are used not only for criminal location and apprehension but also for their acute sense of smell that enables them to locate illegal narcotics that may not be noticed by human sight or scent.
It is safe to say that while their history may be uncertain, the future of the Rottweiler is definitely not uncertain at all. These working dogs are definitely here to stay!
