The Rottweiler is described as an intelligent, quiet and protective dog. It is also a species of dog that was, not so long ago, almost extinct - with only one Rottweiler bitch remaining. But this is of course beside the point as these dogs have become highly sought-after in today’s society and have therefore flourished again and can be seen in a number of homes either as domestic pets or, in line with their more traditional roles, guard dogs. It is in relation to the latter role of Rottweilers that one starts wondering where such a specimen of canis lupus familiaris (dog) originally came from.
The origins of the Rottweiler goes back to ancient Rome when the armies had no means of preserving their meat and had to, as a result, take their meat ‘on the hoof’, in other words, alive. To aid in management of these cattle herds a species of roman drover dog was used. Little is known about the exact species, but it was believed to be a mastiff-type dog – the Tibetan Mastiff according to some. These dogs were loyal, intelligent and extremely hardworking capable of not only herding the cattle but protecting it from wild animals.
It was around 74 A.D. that the Romans settled in an area called Arae Flaviae during one of their campaigns. This period of Roman settlement came to an end circa 260 A.D. when the Swabians invaded and took over the land as well as the agriculture and the cattle trading, for which this dog was used. Approximately 700 A.D, the local Duke ordered a Christian church built on a site where the Roman baths used to be. During the construction process the red tiles of the Roman Villas were unearthed, which then later gave the town its name of ‘das Rote Wil’ (the red tile) of which the current name of Rottweil is derived.
The town continued to grow and became a hotspot for butchers, which naturally increased the popularity of the Rottweiler dog until the 19th century when cattle driving was banned. From this time until post WWI, the Rottweiler breed thinned dramatically until there was reportedly only one Rottweiler bitch left in the town. To prevent the total extinction of the breed a club was formed which unfortunately did not last long, but did give the Rottweiler breed a chance to resurface as a working dog, guard dog and ultimately, a domestic pet.
