The last two years have seen many of us welcome a new four-legged friend into our homes, as the Kennel Club saw dog ownership rise by nearly eight per cent over the pandemic.
But with 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pup.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’ ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
One dog that often appears at the top of people’s canine wishlists is the Rottweiler – it’s a breed often mistakenly thought to be aggressive but they have a range of positive attributes that make them a great family pet.
Here are 10 fun and interesting facts about the breed.
The Rottweiler is thought to be one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world, dating back to Ancient Rome. Rottweilers marched over the Alps with invading Roman legions, protecting both the soldiers and their livestock.
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This Rottweiler was named after the German city of Rottweil, where is was known as the ‘Rottweil butcher’s dog’ due to it being used to pull the butchers’ carts laden with meat.
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Other films and television programmes have sought to picture Rottweilers in a fairer and most lovable form – including buddy cop comedy Lethal Weapon 3 hit US show Entourage.
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The American Kennel Club’s describes the Rottweiler as being “a calm, confident and courageous dog”. Despite this, many people have a negative image of the Rottweiler being aggressive. It’s thought this misunderstanding comes from inaccurate portrayals in films and television – most notably in The Omen, where a Rottweiler was shown violently protecting the son of Satan – the original ‘devil dog’.
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