Getting To Know The Rottweiler

Getting to know your dog starts by getting to knoweven black splotches on the inside of the mouth. The
its breed, and that includes getting a better ideaone most prominent feature of this breed is the
about its appearance, personality, and healthhead, which appears to be a little over-sized. Giving
requirements. Here's what you need to know aboutthe dog its look of being alert, the forehead is
the Rottweiler:wrinkly. This dog also has teddy bear eyes, often
The Rottweiler dog, often referred to as a "Rottie,"with a calm but alert expression. In comparison to
is an amazing creature that has been given a badthe head, the Rottweiler has small ears, laid close to
name over the years due to it getting into thethe head. Even the coat of this breed is special, being
wrong hands. This large dog is indeed powerful andof medium length with an undercoat that is
robust but also sweet and eager to please. Thewaterproof.
Rottweiler originated from Germany although it hasAlthough a Rottweiler is born with a tail, these are
also been linked to Roman Empire days as well. Withgenerally docked extremely short. The reason is that
people traveling long distances with cattle, this breedRottweilers used for working can have problems with
of dog was helpful with herding duties, along withthe tail breaking and then getting infected from being
protection from prey or robbers.in the field. In most cases, a reputable veterinarian will
Sometime around the end of the 19th century, theperform the minor surgery while the dog is still in the
Rottweiler's popularity had dramatically declined.puppy stage, which allows less pain and a quicker
However, with the start of WWII, this breed'shealing.
popularity level again began to climb, as the need forFinally, this particular breed has a broad, strong chest.
a strong, obedient, and intelligent dog was neededBecause of the extra room, the lungs have much
for police work. The Rottweiler fit the needmore capacity than that of other dog breeds.
perfectly. But something else happened. People alsoAccording to the American Kennel Club, the dog's
discovered that this breed of dog had an extremelyback needs to be straight (no sloping) and for males,
loving and loyal side, which now made them a populara height of 24 to 27 inches with the female hitting
choice for families. By 1935, the American Kennel Clubabout 22 to 25 inches. Weight also varies, males
had official recognized the breed for show.averaging around 110 pounds with females around 95.
Sadly, we still see bad publicity associated with thisTemperament and Personality
breed of dog - not because the breed is ferocious orIf a Rottweiler is socialized when young, introduced
evil but because irresponsible owners get their handsto various situations, loved, played with, fed properly,
on the breed, sometimes teaching them to fight. Allexercised, and trained, it would make an outstanding
of this has caused a serious misunderstanding aboutaddition to just about any home. However, because
the Rottweiler, which is a real shame. The truth isthere are strong personality traits, people have taken
that while this breed does tend to be protective, ifan innocent dog, teaching them to guard drug
the dog is socialized young, handled with a firm hand,houses, and even attack people.
and introduced to various situations it will make aYes, the Rottweiler can be a little stubborn
wonderful, devoted pet that is great with childrensometimes, even those carefully raised but overall,
and other animals.this dog is calm and they live off the attention of
Physical Appearanceowners. The size and strength of the breed makes
This breed of dog looks strong, proud, and almostthem a great watchdog. Even though this dog does
like royalty. The Rottweiler is black with beautiful tannot bark often, when feeling threatened or afraid,
markings on the muzzle, cheeks, chest, eyebrows,the powerful voice is heard. Keep in mind that this is
and legs. When you look closely at the chesta strong breed so you want the Rottweiler to be
markings, you would notice upside-down triangles.handled by an experienced dog owner.
Sometimes, a Rottweiler will also have a small patchHealth
of white in between these triangles. For a family pet,Fortunately, the Rottweiler does not have too many
this marking is fine but for showing, it is not. Then,health problems. The things you want to keep your
the breed's muzzle would be tan, with the color goingeyes open for or even have the puppy of interest
down the throat. Over each eye, there would be atested for would include Hip and/or Elbow Dysplasia,
brown dot, which serves as the eyebrows. OtherBloat, various forms of cancer, Inflammatory Bowel
markings include any color on the leg not going upDisorder, Von Willebrand's Disease, thyroid problems
more than one-third, each toe should have a smallsuch as Hypothyroidism, and eye problems. Also keep
black mark, and the area under the tail would be tan.an eye on their weight.
The Rottweiler also has black nails and there are