The Rottweiler is a large, muscular and imposing dog. Black and tan in colour, the coat is short and requires the minimum amount of grooming.

Being a mastiff type breed, he has a large head, short muzzle and strong jaw. Rottweilers have a natural guarding instinct and can hold their own when challenged. That said they generally have a very kind nature.

These dogs are not for the inexperienced and have suffered in the past when they became over-popular for people who used them to create a tough, macho image. For that reason Rottweilers have had their fair share of bad press, often misrepresented as ferocious and untrainable. In reality, their size and build means they have the potential to be aggressive in the wrong hands so it is of upmost importance that Rottweilers are socialised and trained correctly from the very beginning.

Rottweilers are in fact very trainable, they love to work and have been used competitively as obedience dogs. He has also been used extensively by the military and as a police dog in more recent years.

His life expectancy is around 10 years and they are generally very healthy, fit dogs if kept well. These big dogs need large homes and gardens and are suited to either the countryside or towns needing around two hours exercise a day. If overfed and under-exercised Rottweilers can be especially prone to obesity. A nobel and alert dog who will protect his family if challenged.