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How the Rottweiler Got Its Name The area of Germany where the Rottweiler's story begins is in the southwestern section, around the productive farm area of Wurttemberg - the district of Rottweil, to be specific, its principal city and district seat bearing the same name.Around 260 A.D., the Romans were ousted from this area. Left behind were some of their dogs for which work was provided since cattle raising and agriculture remained the prime occupations. It was about 700 A.D. that a Christian church was built where formerly had stood the Roman Baths. As excavation began, the red tiles of former Roman villas came to light, and thus the city was named Rottweil, suggested by the appearance of these red tiles.Rottweil became a prosperous marketplace and cultural center in time, attracting cattlemen, farmers and other traders from considerable distances to do business there. These men soon noticed the excellence of the "butcher's dogs", as the breed was then known, and started purchasing them. Here again, a capable dog or two was a necessity, not only in bringing in one's stock safely but also making the return trip with their money bags, for which no safer place could possibly be found than fastened to the collars of these dogs!All of this led to increasing respect for the "butcher's dog", and local owners began selectively breeding them. Since they were considered far superior to others of their type to be found in that area, the name "Rottweiler" was bestowed upon them to distinguish them from the rest. This name has remained until the present day.

The breed is an ancient one and its history stretches back to the Roman Empire. In those times the legions travelled with their meat on the hoof and required the assistance of working dogs to herd the cattle. One of the routes the army travelled was through Wüberg and on to the small market town of Rottweil. The town name of Rottweil is derived from an excavation of a Roman bath on that location. This region eventually became an important cattle area and the descendants of the Roman cattle dogs proved their worth in both droving and protecting the cattlemen from robbers. It would be a brave villain who would try and remove the purse around the neck of a Rottweiler Metzgershund (Butcher's Dog of Rottweil). However, by the end of the 18th Century the breed had declined so much that in 1900 there was only one female to be found in the town of Rottweil. But the build up to the First World War saw a great demand for "police dogs" and that led to a revival in interest for the Rottweiler. Its enormous strength, its intelligence, and its ability to take orders made it a natural weapon of war. The town name of Rottweil is derived from an excavation of a Roman bath on that location. In the early 1900's the Rottweiler came to prominence. The breed gained popularity as police dogs. The allegmeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub was formed in 1921. The first Rottweiler was admitted to the American Kennel Club in 1931 From that time it has become popular with dog owners and in 1935 the breed was officially recognised by the American Kennel Club. In 1936 Rottweilers were exhibited in Britain at Crufts. In 1966 a separate register was opened for the breed.

Rottweiler Breed Standard.A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.General AppearanceAbove average size, stalwart dog. Correctly proportioned, compact and powerful form, permitting great strength, manoeuvrability and endurance. : The Rottweiler is a medium to large size, stalwart dog, neither heavy nor light and neither leggy nor weedy. CharacteristicsAppearance displays boldness and courage. Self-assured and fearless. Calm gaze should indicate good humour.TemperamentGood natured, not nervous, aggressive or vicious; courageous, biddable, with natural guarding instincts.Head and SkullHead medium length, skull broad between ears. Forehead moderately arched as seen from side. Occipital bone well developed but not conspicuous. Cheeks well boned and muscled but not prominent. Skin on head not loose, although it may form a moderate wrinkle when attentive. Muzzle fairly deep with topline level, and length of muzzle in relation to distance from well defined stop to occiput to be as 2 to 3. Nose well developed with proportionately large nostrils, always black.EyesMedium size, almond-shaped, dark brown in colour, light eye undesirable, eyelids close fitting.EarsPendant, small in proportion rather than large, set high and wide apart, lying flat and close to cheek.MouthTeeth strong, complete dentition with scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Flews black and firm, falling gradually away towards corners of mouth, which do not protrude excessively.NeckOf fair length, strong, round and very muscular. Slightly arched, free from throatiness.ForequartersShoulders well laid back, long and sloping, elbows well let down, but not loose. Legs straight, muscular, with plenty of bone and substance. Pasterns sloping slightly forward.BodyChest roomy, broad and deep with well sprung ribs. Depth of brisket will not be more, and not much less than 50 per cent of shoulder height. Back straight, strong and not too long, ratio of shoulder height to length of body should be as 9 is to 10, loins short, strong and deep, flanks not tucked up. Croup of proportionate length, and broad, very slightly sloping.HindquartersUpper thigh not too short, broad and strongly muscled. Lower thigh well muscled at top, strong and sinewy below. Stifles fairly well bent. Hocks well angulated without exaggeration, metatarsals not completely vertical. Strength and soundness of hock highly desirable.FeetStrong, round and compact with toes well arched. Hindfeet somewhat longer than front. Pads very hard, toenails short, dark and strong.TailPreviously customarily docked.Docked: Docked at first joint. Strong and not set too low. Normally carried horizontally but slightly above horizontal when dog is alert.Undocked: Strong and not set too low. Normally carried horizontally but slightly above horizontal when dog is alert. May hang when dog is at rest.Gait/MovementConveys an impression of supple strength, endurance and purpose. While back remains firm and stable there is a powerful hindthrust and good stride. First and foremost, movement should be harmonious, positive and unrestricted.CoatConsists of top coat and undercoat. Top coat is of medium length, coarse and flat. Undercoat, essential on the neck and thighs, should not show through top coat. Hair may also be a little longer on the back of the forelegs and breechings. Long or excessively wavy coat highly undesirable.ColourBlack with clearly defined markings as follows: a spot over each eye, on cheeks, as a strip around each side of muzzle, but not on bridge of nose, on throat, two clear triangles on either side of the breast bone, on forelegs from carpus downward to toes, on inside of rear legs from hock to toes, but not completely eliminating black from back of legs, under tail. Colour of markings from rich tan to mahogany and should not exceed 10 per cent of body colour. White marking is highly undesirable. Black pencil markings on toes are desirable. Undercoat is grey, fawn, or black.SizeDogs height at shoulder: between 63-69 cms (25-27 ins); bitches between 58-64 cms (23-25 ins). Height should always be considered in relation to general appearance.FaultsAny departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

UK dog lawsWhy do I need to know about dog law?-As a responsible dog owner, you need to know about dog laws – your rights and responsibilities, in order to protect yourself, your dog and other dogs. At the Kennel Club, we are constantly lobbying the government to ensure that the law benefits responsible owners.The Kennel Club also provides many services which will help you to be a law abiding, responsible owner – from microchipping your dog to training him or her to be a good citizen.Animal Welfare Act 2006 -The Animal Welfare Act introduced on April 6th 2007 received Royal Assent in 2006. From April 2007, the Act will repeal the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960. The new Act increases and introduces new penalties to tackle acts of cruelty, neglect, mutilation, tail docking, animal fighting and the giving of pets as prizes. In addition to this it will introduce a duty of care for all pet owners to provide for their animals a suitable environment, a suitable diet, the ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease and consideration of the animal’s needs to be housed with, or apart from, other animals.The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005-Under this Act, you could be fined up to £1,000 for breaching dog control orders. Local authorities can make orders for standard offences including: failing to remove dog faeces, not keeping a dog on a lead, not putting and keeping a dog on a lead when directed to do so, permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are excluded and taking more than a specified number of dogs on to land. To find out whether your local authority has introduced these orders sign up to the Kennel Club’s dog owners group, KC Dog, by contacting Victoria Brown, External Affairs Assistant on 020 7518 1020.The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act also updates the law on stray dogs by transferring the responsibility for strays from the police to the local authorities. However this section of the Act has not yet come into force. It is highly recommended that your dog is microchipped and registered with Petlog, the largest pet reunification scheme in the UK, as this can prove extremely effective in locating a lost pet. The Petlog Premium service can even alert local vets and dog wardens when an owner reports where their pet was lost. This can be done by telephone, SMS text message or via the Petlog website. Contact Petlog on 0870 606 6751 or visit www.petlog.org.uk to find out more. If you lose your dog, you should stay in regular contact with the local council, Petlog, vets, dog shelters and the police, and put up posters in the area where you lost it.Dog wardens are obliged to seize stray dogs and the police, for now, still have discretionary power to seize stray dogs under the Dogs Act 1906. The finder of a stray dog must return it to its owner (if known), or take it to the local authority or police (although soon, only the local authority will receive stray dogs). It is illegal to take a found dog into your home without reporting it to the police first.If you want to retain the dog, this might be allowed, provided you are capable of looking after the dog and agree to keep it for at least 28 days. However, the original owner could still have a claim for the dog’s return.Byelaws on noisy animals-If your dog’s barking causes a serious nuisance to neighbours, the local authority can serve a noise abatement notice, which if unheeded can result in you paying fines and legal expenses.Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999-Breeders who breed four or more litters per year must be licensed by their local authority. Breeders with fewer litters must also be licensed if they are carrying out a business of breeding dogs for sale.Licensed breeders must:a) Not mate a B***h less than 12 months old.b) Not whelp more than six litters from a B***h.c) Keep accurate records.e) Not sell a puppy until it is at least eight weeks of age, other than to a keeper of a licensed pet shopor Scottish rearing establishment.The Control of Dogs Order 1992-This mandates that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it, or engraved on a tag. Your telephone number is optional (but advisable).Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 -It is a criminal offence (for the owner and/or the person in charge of the dog) to allow a dog to be ‘dangerously out of control’ in a public place, a place where it is not permitted to be, and some other areas. A ‘dangerously out of control’ dog can be defined as a dog that has injured someone or a dog that a person has grounds for reasonable apprehension that it may do so.Something as simple as your dog chasing, barking at or jumping up at a person or child could lead to a complaint, so ensure that your dog is under control at all times.If your dog injures a person, it may be seized by the police and your penalty may include a prison sentence and/or a ban on keeping dogs. There is also an automatic presumption that your dog will be destroyed (unless you can persuade the court that it is not a danger to the public, in which case it may be subject to a control order). You may also have to pay a fine, compensation andcosts.The following breeds are banned under the Dangerous Dog Act:-American Pit Bull Terriers, Fila Brasiliero, Dogo Argentino and Japanese Tosa.The Road Traffic Act 1988-It is an offence to have a dog on a designated road without it being held on a lead. Local authorities may have similar bye-laws covering public areas. Dogs travelling in vehicles should not be a nuisance or in any way distract the driver during a journey.If a dog is injured in a car accident, the driver must stop and give their details to the person in charge of the dog. If there is no person in charge of the dog, the incident must be reported to the police within 24 hours.Animals Act 1971-You could be liable for damage caused by your dog under this Act or under some degree of negligence. It is highly advisable to have third party liability insurance to cover this, something that is included in most pet and some household insurance policies.Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963-Anyone boarding animals as a business (even at home) needs to be licensed by the local authority.Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953-Your dog must not worry (chase or attack) livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and poultry) on agricultural land, so keep your dog on a lead around livestock. If your dog worries livestock, the farmer has the right to stop your dog (even by shooting your dog in certain circumstances).Dogs Act 1871-It is a civil offence if a dog is dangerous (to people or animals) and not kept under proper control (generally regarded as not on a lead nor muzzled). This law can apply wherever the incident happened. The dog can be subject to a control or a destruction order and you may have to pay costs.As a dog owner, you should be aware of laws which affect you and your dog. Enclosed are some useful guidelines to help you keep within the dog law! The Kennel Club is the best place for advice on these issues and provides many services to help you to be a law abiding, responsible dog owner.