Early distant ancestors to the Rottweiler were once used as drover dogs by the Romans, developed from their use of Asian mastiff dogs as breeding stocks. After the empire's collapse, these Roman drover dogs were used to herd cattle and chase down bandits in the town of Rottweil, which earned them the name Rottweiler Metzgerhund, or Butcher’s Dog of Rottweil. Throughout the years, Rotties have worked as police dogs, personal protectors, and search-and-rescue dogs.