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The modern day Rottweiler dog breed developed in Rottweil, Germany and is named for that city. The breed had experienced a decline in popularity in the 1800s so much that only one Rottweiler was shown in the Heilbronn, Germany dog show in 1882. In 1901, a Rottweiler Club was formed in Germany and by 1935 the breed had been recognized by the American Kennel Club as a purebred member of the working dog group.

The modern day Rottweiler was named after Rottweil, Germany where it gained support in the early 1900s. Prior to that date, Rottweilers have an uncertain lineage though the common belief is that they descended from the large Roman mastiff dog almost two thousand years ago. Even then, early forms of Rottweiler were known for their skill in protection and military service.

The Rottweiler was once the most popular family dog in America. Currently, they are in the top five but reports of bad behavior have made many potential owners wary of the breed. Tales of aggressive and even violent behavior are due in large part to bad owners, not bad dogs. Rottweilers have inherent personality traits that can manifest in negative behavior if they do not receive proper care and training from an early age.

Other personality traits include loyalty to family but aloofness with strangers, intelligence, work ethic and self-assuredness. All of these traits assist the Rottweiler dog in performing the tasks it does best such as herding, protecting, tracking, competing, and performing police and military work.

These dogs can become aggressive with other dogs and that is also recognized in the breed standard. However, aggression becomes violence when Rottweilers feel that they or their families are being threatened. Potential for violence is enhanced if their owners either early in life or as adults mistreat dogs and also when no training has been completed.

Potential Rottweiler dog buyers should research the breed before buying. Rottweilers are large, strong, active dogs and they require adequate room to run, loving discipline, and the opportunity to be put to work. Rottweiler buyers should also research Rottweiler breeders. Buying a purebred dog of any kind is a tricky business and there are many unethical breeders in the market to make money.

There are several signs to look for in a good Rottweiler dog breeder. All good breeders should maintain a clean, adequate kennel, allow visits so potential buyers can see the environment where puppies are raised, interview the buyer to determine whether puppy and buyer are a good match, provide pedigree and other registration papers, provide medical records, have puppies and parents evaluated for genetic disorders common to the breed.

With many dog breeds, an alternative to buying from a breeder is buying a purebred from a rescue center. Because of Rottweilers’ tendency toward aggression if they have suffered maltreatment, buying from a rescue center may not be a good option with this breed.

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