Centuries ago a military expedition was a huge undertaking. The ancient Romans had to assemble vast qualitities of food - along with all the other necessary supplies, and its transportation was a matter of major consideration. Perhaps the greatest problem centered around the supply of meat for the soliders, it had to be carried on the hoof.

The movement of large herds of cattle meant work for many cattle dogs. These were recruited from among the three types then known in Rome; one very heavy and longhaired, the second, shorthaired and wolflike and used even then with sheep; and the third, also shorthaired but of somewhat different build, then used almost soley for herding cattle. This cattle dog was the ancestor of the Rottweiler. Many dogs of this type accompanied the various Roman expeditions as guides and guards of the army's cattle.

In ancient days, the principal route of the Romans over the Alps was the historic St. Gotthard Pass. From this point, various passages lead downward and each passage leads to a province that gave a dog breed a home and a name. As the size of the herd grew smaller, fewer dogs were needed and the Romans found no need for keeping them. Thus we find, today, at least four disinct breeds which have evolved from this one type of cattle dog.

The Rottweiler has developed from 'Roman cattle dogs that travelled much further afield than their brothers, for the name comes from the township of Rottweil, which lies on al hill on the left bank of the Neckar River, in Wurttemberg in the south of Germany. This lies to the west and north to the noted pass, for from St. Gotthard the armies followed over the Furkapass, through Haslital toward the flow the the Aar, to Berne and from there toward the North into Emmental. Here two other descendants of the original cattle dog are found, But the Romans followed this old military road further north, finally coming to Rottweil.

Wurtemberg was conquered by the Romans in the first century, so there is assurance that the breed now called the Rottweiler is some 1900 years old in its present form. The town of Rottweil is in the center of the livestock country, sixty eight miles south by west of Stuttgart, and favourably close to the borders of France and Hungary. Many things combined to make Rottweil a suitable market place, especially for grain, cattle and other livestock and for centuries the buyers and sellers from all over Central Europe flocked there to trade their wares.

The butchers and cattle merchants who settled in Rottweil in increasing numbers adopted a working dog of necessity, and the Roman cattle dog was bred with a view to olbtaining a dog capable of hard work. Not only did the butcher-master of Rottweil need a good worker, he needed a trusted companion and a reliable guard. Holdups were the rule rather than the exception, and it was especially dangerous to set forth on a buying expedition. It became the custom for the master to tie his purse around the dog's beck; and few bandits or highwaymen cared to molest one of these sturdy Rottweilers.

Aside from guasrd work, the principal uses of the Rottweiler always have been driving cattle, oxen, sheep and pigs and pulling carts. A few decades ago the Rottweiler was the leader and chaser of the herds on their way to market, but after the driving of cattle by dogs was forbidden by law, gradually more and more were shipped by rail.

The large type Rottweiler also came to be replaced by the donkey for pulling carts; and for a time it appeared that the breed would be lost. In fact, in 1905, the town of Rottweil had only one female representative of the breed.

There came a renaissance for the Rottweiler in 1910 when it was chosen as a desirable type for police training. It joined the Air4edale Terrier, the German Shepherd and the Doberman Pinscher, which were then the only breeds known for their police work.

Unfailingly faithful and affectionate, the Rottweiler has developed more character through police work. It has served to emphasize his diligence, understanding, courage, modestry and self reliance.