What is the difference between doberman and rottweiler

Wondering exactly why Rottweilers and Dobermans look alike and what else they may have in common? Rottweilers and Dobermans share common ancestors and a common history, which may go a long way towards explaining their similarities in appearance.

Dobermans are one of a number of breeds that are descended from Rottweilers. Rottweilers are one of the oldest known breeds. They marched alongside the Roman Empire as it conquered far-flung regions of the then known world.

Rottweilers served a number of functions for the ancient Romans. They likely originated primarily as herding dogs. They used their large size to physically push livestock along in the direction that the drovers wanted them to go.

Not surprisingly, these large, powerful dogs also worked as war dogs. The same bravery that enabled them to fend off predators that threatened homes or livestock also enabled them to be great warriors on the battlefront, able to take on even the most intense adversaries to defend their families. Unsurprisingly, even when the Roman Empire fell, Rottweilers remained very popular and highly functional dogs in the places they had conquered.

Rottweilers became police dogs, military dogs, personal protection dogs, and more. They were particularly beloved in Germany, where they became the foundation stock for a number of German breeds, including the Doberman.

In 19th century Germany, a tax collector was finding subjects to be unfriendly and downright hostile when he tried to collect their taxes.

He wanted a bold, brave, and physically intimidating dog who could stay by his side while he did his rounds, protecting him from any aggressive citizens that he met along the way. Other breeds mentioned by historians as having gone into the Doberman include the Black and Tan Terrier, which later became the Manchester Terrier, and the German Pinscher, as well as some smooth-coated hurting dogs. Who was this creative tax collector? His name was Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann and he naturally decided to name his new breed after himself!

The Doberman became more refined and elegant in appearance until it became the dog we know today. They soon became very popular for work as police dogs, military dogs, and personal protection dogs. This loyalty is one of the primary reasons why so many people adore this powerful breed. Black and tan, which is the overall black coloration with brown points over the eyebrows, around the muzzle, and in several other places, is an ancient coloration found in many dog breeds going far back in history.

Rottweilers always had black and tan coloration, back to a time shrouded by history. It should be no surprise that they passed this coloration onto Dobermans as well. Many of the other breeds that went into creating Dobermans, such as Manchester Terriers, also show this distinctive black and tan coloration. Black and tan is not so dominant that every puppy descended from dogs showing black and tan would have inherited the coloration. Therefore, we can assume that breeders worked deliberately to maintain the black and tan coloration in the Dobermans when they were bred from breeds like Rottweilers.

It is hard to come to a definitive answer as to why black and tan coloration has been desirable in both of these breeds through the years. However, it is probable that a few characteristics of this coloration resulted in it being the primary coloration in both breeds. Wess, G.

Brooks, M. Aronson, LP, et al. We chose a Rottie! Bruno is 9 mos old now, and almost lbs. He is an amazing dog, the perfect choice for our large family. Great with the kids, our 5 year old lays against him and cuddles with him. He is gentle, playful, loving and VERY protective.

Thinking about getting another! We were debating between these two breeds and settled on the doberman. He is a lot more hyper than expected and loves the broom and his toys!!! Play play play…run run run. We are tired to say the least but very happy.

Be patient. Like very patient, lol. Mine did not begin to settle down till he turned 3 years old but still requires daily exercise. So, hang in there and dig deep into your energy. Nearly every Doberman or Rottweiler will have this color combo or a slight variation. This is especially true with the Rottweiler.

But no matter which official color you get, the coat colors of both dog breeds are very similar to the untrained eye. Unfortunately, both Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers usually get their tails docked very early on. The AVMA mentioned that there is currently no substantial scientific evidence to support these theories of a safer working environment for the dogs.

Today, tail docking has become a procedure for cosmetic purposes. Because a docked tail is how the Rottie and Dobie are supposed to look , breeders still choose to do so. It has become the standard and a tradition for these dogs. We believe that all dogs are smart in their own unique way.

Really — both dogs scored in the top 10 category, making them some of the smartest dog breeds in the world. While the the Doberman Pinscher was ranked the 5th smartest dog , the Rottweiler just barely cracked the top 10 as the 9th smartest breed.

This puts them in a league of their own. Dog breeds in the top 10 most intelligent category are able to learn a new command with fewer than 5 repetitions. In addition, both dogs have extremely high adaptive intelligence , which refers what the dog is capable of learning for itself.

Both breeds have a short double coat , which means more shedding than their single-coated counterparts. Double coats are fairly self explanatory. The undercoat is a dense wooly coat that helps keep the dog warm. With that said, double coats usually mean double the amount of shedding , especially during shedding season. Either dog, expect to deal with tons of shed fur. Specifically, the ears. Read more about Doberman ear cropping here. With their long, pointy and erect ears, Dobermans were not born like that.

Instead, their ears were cropped sometime in puppyhood — usually between weeks 8 and According to the Spruce Pets , this procedure must be done by a licensed veterinarian. Plus, the procedure requires general anesthesia. The post recovery process takes around 1 to 2 months.

In other words, to achieve a specific look of the breed standard. And while both Rotties and Dobermans usually have their tails docked, only Dobermans have their ears cropped. You can certainly make an argument that both Rottweilers and Dobermans are popular dog breeds, at least in the United States.

However, the Rottie is far more popular than the Doberman. So while Dobermans may be slowly losing in popularity, Rottweilers have remained consistent at worst. Dobermans and Rottweilers share a lot of similar temperament qualities, such as loyalty , which both are famously known for. However, they differ in other ways.

The biggest different in temperament is that Dobermans are more serious dogs. My dobie struggles between taking naps and being vigilant. Someone once told me that Dobermans sleep with one eye open. Now I know what they mean. The Rottweiler is alert as well, but not to the degree of the Doberman.