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A Real Blue-Collar Dog

© Wendy Smith

To be such a popular breed of dog, it truly amazes me that so many prospective buyers know so little about the Rottweiler breed, especially since most information is readily available. Unfortunately, there is a number of irresponsible "breeders" out there who love to take advantage of the public's ignorance to create a market for their own dogs in the name of the almighty dollar sign. For example, look at those who advertise "rare" types of Rottweilers, "giant" Rottweilers, and the ever popular ____(fill in the blank with the name of any country you choose) Rottweilers.

Over the next few months, I would like to look at some of the myths that now surround this dog and shed some light on them. While I've certainly never claimed to be an expert on anything, hopefully I can educate someone out there on a few of the things to keep an eye out for when looking for a Rottie. And what better way to start this series than a very brief, very simple look at the question: what on Earth is a Rottweiler anyway?

Several years ago, I was speaking with a Rottweiler breeder at an obedience trial. She was telling me about a very interesting run-in she had with a prospective puppy buyer. The man called her and explained that he was interested in buying a pup. After realizing that this man was not someone she wanted to send one of her puppies home with, she informed her caller that she had no puppies available at that time. Apparently, this guy had been turned down by other breeders, too, because he promptly replied that he would just breed a black Lab and a Doberman, make his own Rottweilers, and put snobs like her out of business.

Granted, the black Lab/Doberman theory was new to me, but on more than one occasion, my girl has been accused of being one of "them there crosses between a pit bull and a Doberman". In fact, it took months for me to convince my own grandfather that Rottweilers were not the some type of Doberman offshoot.

But the Rottweiler is not the result of two dog breeds crossed at a whim. Like most other dog breeds, it was developed over generations for a specific form and function. And the Rottie has been performing his functions as a real working-class dog for centuries.

To look at the Rottweiler's beginning, we have to go quite a bit further back into the past than the Doberman, which was only developed in the 1890's (actually Rottweilers figured in the development of the Dobe, not vise-versa). No, we would have to look over 2000 years into the past, the days of the Roman Empire.

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