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50 free Rottweiler trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Rottweiler trivia quiz covers the 'Rottweil butcher's dog' from the Roman legions to the AKC top ten. History questions follow the drover dogs that crossed the Alps with the legions, the free imperial city that named the breed, the butchers who bred it to pull meat carts until the railways came, the rival German clubs of 1914 and 1915, the ADRK's founding in 1921, AKC recognition in 1931 and the mid-1990s popularity peak. The breed section walks through the FCI standard: the 1-to-1.5 muzzle ratio, 42 teeth and scissor bite, black-and-tan markings and the AKC's ten-percent rule, the trotting gait, tail rules, height and weight, coat and shedding, plus the studies on temperament, life expectancy, hip and elbow dysplasia, cruciate disease and cancer. Working questions cover the Rottweiler's intimidating cattle-herding style, and culture rounds it out with Good Dog, Carl, The Omen and Jake the Coventry hero. Questions run from easy to expert with a difficulty score on each, so it suits a family quiz or a serious Rottie owner. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and breed references and each question carries its citation. Also try our Dogs and German Shepherd quizzes.
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Q 01The Rottweiler is named after a town in which country?
Germany
Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, was a free imperial city for nearly 600 years and is the oldest town in the state.
Q 02The German name Rottweiler Metzgerhund translates as what?
Rottweil butchers' dog
The dogs herded livestock and pulled carts of butchered meat to market until railways replaced droving in the mid-19th century.
Q 03According to the FCI standard, the Rottweiler's origins go back to which era?
Roman times
Drover dogs marched over the Alps with the legions, protecting the men and driving their cattle.
Q 04What replaced the Rottweiler's droving job in the mid-19th century?
Railways
The breed revived when the run-up to World War I created huge demand for police dogs.
Q 05The Deutscher Rottweiler-Klub, the first German breed club, was founded on 13 January of which year?
1914
It aimed at working dogs and cared little about looks; the South German club founded in 1915 counted 3,000 dogs to its 500.
Q 06The German clubs merged in 1921 to form which body, recognised worldwide as the breed's home club?
ADRK
The Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub was entered in the register at the Stuttgart district court in January 1924.
Q 07In which year did the American Kennel Club recognise the Rottweiler?
1931
Rottweilers were exhibited at Crufts in Britain five years later.
Q 08The first German Rottweiler club, the DRK, had around 500 dogs. Roughly how many did the rival SDRK count?
3,000
The two clubs had different goals: the DRK wanted working dogs and paid little attention to the breed's looks.
Q 09Where did the AKC rank the Rottweiler among US purebreds in 2024?
Eighth
It remains one of the most popular working breeds in the country.
Q 10Under the FCI standard, what is the ratio of muzzle length to skull length in a Rottweiler?
About 1 to 1.5
Any muzzle shorter than 40 percent of the head length counts as too short.
Q 11How many teeth should a Rottweiler have according to the FCI standard?
42
They should meet in a scissor bite, with the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower.
Q 12What colour must a Rottweiler's nose always be?
Black
A pale or spotted 'butterfly nose' is a fault, as are Roman and dish-faced profiles.
Q 13What shape and colour should a Rottweiler's eyes be?
Almond-shaped, dark brown
The eyelids must fit closely and never droop.
Q 14Which of these is listed as a fault in the Rottweiler standard?
Q 21Under the AKC standard, tan markings should cover no more than what share of a Rottweiler's body?
Ten percent
The AKC calls the colour mahogany or rust and specifies a dot above each eye, cheek and muzzle strips and two triangles on the chest.
Q 22What shape are the two rust marks on a Rottweiler's chest?
Downward-facing triangles
There is another triangle of rust under the tail, and a thin strip of black on each toe.
Q 23What is the FCI height range for a male Rottweiler at the withers?
61–69 cm
Females stand 56–63 cm; the standard calls the breed medium/large.
A hound-like head
A 'too molossoid type and heavy general appearance' is a severe fault.
Q 15Roughly what proportion of the shoulder height should a Rottweiler's chest depth be?
About 50%
The chest is roomy, broad and deep with a well-developed forechest and well-sprung ribs.
Q 16Historically, where was a Rottweiler's tail traditionally docked?
At the first or second joint
Docking is now banned in most countries, and the FCI standard describes a natural tail reaching about to the hocks.
Q 17In 2018 the FCI reclassified the natural bob tail, or 'stumpy', as what?
A disqualifying fault
Kink tails and ring-tails with strong lateral deviation are disqualified too, though early standards had 'preferred' the bob tail.
Q 18What is the Rottweiler's required gait in the show ring?
Trot
The FCI calls 'sluggish action while trotting' a severe fault, and the AKC says any deviation from the trot may mean disqualification.
Q 19What is the approximate slope of a Rottweiler's shoulder blade in the standard?
45 degrees
The shoulders are well laid back and the forearm stands straight and vertical.
Q 20Rottweilers living in hot climates may be missing what?
The undercoat
Normally the undercoat sits on the neck and thighs and must not show through the coarse, flat outer coat.
Q 24What weight range does the FCI standard set for a male Rottweiler?
50–60 kg
Females weigh 35–48 kg, and weight must be relative to height.
Q 25A 2008 survey of breed club members found Rottweilers more aggressive than average towards whom?
Strangers
Towards owners and other dogs they were average; the stranger aggression tracks their watchdog and territorial instincts.
Q 26A 2008 study found which drives higher in male Rottweilers than females?
Confidence, sharpness, defence and play
Joan H. Walker's Rottweiler Handbook warns that owners must work constantly to control the breed's territorial aggressiveness.
Q 27According to the AKC, what herding style does the Rottweiler naturally show?
Gathering, with a strong desire to control
They show a loose eye, work well off the stock and make much use of their ability to intimidate.
Q 28When working cattle, what does a Rottweiler do first?
Seek out and challenge the dominant animal
Having proved its control over that animal, it settles back and tends to its work.
Q 29Rottweilers, which herd with body and shoulders, should be used cautiously on which stock?
Horned cattle
Some growers find them ideal for stubborn stock that ignore Border Collies and Kelpies.
Q 30Which protection sport is the Rottweiler said to be exceptionally suited to?
Schutzhund
The breed also competes in agility and is still used to herd stock in many countries.