Originally, these were dogs that the Romans use for driving cattle. These dogs made their way to Germany and the town of Rottweil, at the time, the center of cattle commerce. Here they also learned to guard the money and goods collected from all of the cattle sales. When cattle driving was outlawed, the breed was nearly lost, since no one wanted them anymore. Efforts to save the dog brought it into police work, where the breed prospered.
These dogs can be clowns and are incredibly friendly, by nature. They are also protective of their families and will be fierce in protecting them. They can be fairly headstrong, but will not challenge as much as the hounds will. This breed needs socialization and training from early on to reach its full potential as a pet.