Rottweilers are considered to be one of the oldest breeds of dogs who’s origins date back to Roman times. The Roman war machine would use dogs both as herding and driving dogs but also had dogs in war for both sentry and battle. The army required dogs that were both tough and durable. These dogs would protect both humans and cattle and met and bred with native dogs including in the area of Rottweil, Germany where today we have the modern day Rottweiler. Since, rottweilers were used for centuries as drover dogs for cattle moving herds between pastures and protecting from external threats. Following there were draught dogs and their name allegedly means: "Rottweil butchers dog". Throughout the centuries, they also have also always been used as a guard/watch dog.

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Rottweilers were officially recognised as a breed standard in 1901. In the build up to World War I, there was an increased demand for police and military dogs and their need continued throughout World War II. During this time, Rottweilers worked in multiple roles including messenger, ambulance, guard and draught dogs.  Today, rottweilers are still used for guarding, but also have adopted well as a fantastic family dog, have been used as guide dogs and were used as search and rescue dogs in disaster sites such as Oklahoma City and the World Trade Centre.