Why get a Rottweiler?

Other than the obvious reason that they are great protection dogs, there are a couple of other reasons that should inform your decision.

The Rottweiler was originally bred by the Roman Legionaires over 2000 years ago. This makes it one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. They were trained to guard the herds of cattle that followed the Romans on their campaigns and provided food for them.

This herding instinct translates to a very protective attitude towards their family, especially children. In Europe, they are considered the perfect family dog. Less so in other countries because of their image as trained, vicious attack dogs, but they are still the 8th most popular dog in the US, as of 2020.

Nalini has now lived with two Rottweilers, one, Tyson belonged to her son, Imran and Tyson was with us until 2016 and he was a true gentleman in all respects. He loved everyone and his daily walks off leash on the jungle road frightened the adults, but the kids returning from school knew better and used to surround him screaming, petting, pulling his ears and inflicting other indignities, all of which he endured with a wagging tail and total equanimity. 

Nalini and I once supervised a group of little girls and their teachers from Shimla at a farm resort. We brought Tyson along for the pickup in the bus and then for the week at the camp. Imagine 28 screaming, jumping girls between the ages of 5 - 12, all wishing to "walk" Tyson, pet Tyson, feed Tyson, sleep with Tyson, play with Tyson, etc..

Some managed to send mobile phone pics to their parents showing them proudly "walking" this huge Rottweiler. We received calls from worried parents who had to be reassured. Tyson was off leash the entire week and in the middle of all of the activities, but he did gain quite a bit of weight from all of the "treats".  Hopefully, it changed some kids perceptions of what a family dog actually is and how to treat them.

Tyson died in 2016, and within one week we had a new pup, Jojo, also a Rottweiler. Different disposition entirely, not bad, just different.

The herding instict in this dog has come to the fore since our neighbor keeps three cows next door and Jojo feels it is his responsibiltiy to manage their welfare. Which he does with a vengeance!

If a cow gets loose, he has a particular, frantic bark which alerts Anita next door to tie up her cow. As soon as it is tied up, he shuts up. Job done.

He reserves distinct barks for different circumstances which we all recognize instantly. Cat bark, strange dog bark, stranger walking across the neighbor's field, salesman, loose bull and a strangely frightening growl if a leopard is in the village trying to dine on tied up dog. He fears nothing, and with a 45kg size and a bite of over 1000kg/sqin, he doesn't have to.

He is a sweetheart and likes cold weather, so he grabs the prime spot in front of the A/C when we infrequently turn it on. Otherwise, its in front of the ducted window cooler for him. The toy next to him is the only one that has ever lasted. Normally a very hard rubber ball designed for big dog breeds lasts roughly 6-9 minutes before it is shredded. This chew toy was bought for Rs 2000 on the assurance that he will not be able to destroy it. He has tried, but no luck after about 4 months so far. Worth it.