Hybrid dog breeding, or crossing two different purebred dog breeds, is both popular and unpopular.
It is popular with dog lovers who just want to choose and enjoy a healthy canine companion. It is less popular with purebred dog breeders who see it as an unnecessary dilution of the breed line.
Either way, the craze for new hybrid Rottweiler mixes isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Rottweilers are incredibly popular as a pet choice, but these large, high-energy dogs are not right for every family.
Luckily, you are reading this article, which will introduce you to new up-and-coming Rottweiler mixes that may be a perfect fit for your lifestyle!
Rottweiler Mixes
Rottweiler mixes is a term that refers to any dog that has one purebred Rottweiler parent dog and one parent dog that is from a different purebred dog breed.
There are different terms you can look for to denote a true Rottweiler mix. Hybrid dog breed, crossbred dog breed, and designer dog breed are three of the most popular ways that Rottie mix dog breeders often use to describe their puppies.
Meet Some of the Most Popular Rottweiler Mixes
This short YouTube video introduces you to 10 of the most popular hybrid or crossbred Rottweiler dog breeds.
Rottweilers are a popular choice to cross with other purebred dog breeds for several reasons. Hybrid dog breeding also has the potential to breed out purebred flaws that could weaken future generations of puppies.
Why Breeding Hybrid Rottweiler Mixes Are Important for Dog Health
In the world of biological research, there is a principle known as hybrid vigor.
As The Institute of Canine Biology explains it, hybrid vigor occurs when two distantly related species or breeds are crossbred.
As a term, hybrid vigor refers to adding back genetic diversity to a species. This in turn can strengthen the health and vitality of that species.
But hybrid vigor is not just a by-product of natural selection, which favors survival of the fittest through advantageous genetic mutations. It is also a strategy to reverse what researchers call inbreeding depression.
Inbreeding depression occurs when closely related individuals within a species or breed line are bred together. In the world of dog breeding, this is frequently done to produce animals that look and act a certain way.
For example, the American Kennel Club (AKC) official Rottweiler breed standard specifies that the Rottweiler dog should have a black coat, dark brown almond-shaped eyes and a certain jaw shape, ear size, and nose shape, among other qualities.
To achieve these very strict and specific appearance characteristics, breeders who wish to breed and show purebred Rottweilers may choose to inbreed related Rottweilers from their breeding stock who exhibit these desirable traits.
This may produce a very predictable and desired appearance in adult dogs. But it may also inadvertently introduce certain health issues, temperament problems, or even an overall loss of energy and vitality.
Knowledgable hybrid dog breeders that care about preserving the Rottweiler breed line may choose to cross Rottweilers with another purebred dog breed to strengthen the breed line and the canine species as a whole.
When this is done successfully, not only can dogs live longer, healthier lives, but over time such hybrid dog breeding may even create a whole new purebred dog breed line.
This is how many of today’s most popular dog breeds – including the Rottweiler – were originally created.
However, not all hybrid dog breeders have the knowledge and expertise required to truly add back hybrid vigor to the Rottweiler breed line and to dogs as a whole.
It is important to verify that the breeder you work with to find your Rottweiler mix puppy has pre-screened both parent dogs for all known genetic health issues before allowing a mating.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) now has a Canine Partner program devoted to mixed-breed dog registrations. In the UK, the Hybrid Breeders Association (HBA) has the goal of promoting responsible dog breeding.
And many hybrid mix dog breeds are now forming their own breed associations. Seeking out these organizations can be a good way to find reputable, health-focused hybrid dog breeders who may have puppies.
How Names Are Chosen for New Rottweiler Mixes
The first thing you need to know about Rottweiler mixes is that typically the new hybrid breed name is created by taking part of each parent dog’s breed name and combining these together.
For example, a Rottsky has one Rottweiler parent dog and one Siberian Husky parent dog.
Sometimes the new breed has more than one nickname. An example would be the Labrottie or Rottador, which is a cross between a purebred Rottweiler and a purebred Labrador Retriever.
And sometimes the cross is so new that no hybrid name has been created yet. In this case, using the same example from before, the name would simply be the Rottweiler Siberian Husky dog.
Meet the Most Popular Rottweiler Mixes
So let’s meet some amazing Rottweiler mixes now.
First, we will look at whether the personality of the two parent breeds is complementary or not and what to expect. Then we will give you some general vital statistics for the Rottweiler mix puppy as they grow up.
1. Rottsky (Rottweiler and Siberian Husky mix)
The Rottsky combines two breeds known to be high-energy, active dogs with unstoppable work ethics.
But as Science Alert points out, where the Rottweiler scores high on canine aptitude and intelligence tests that favor quick mastery and recall of commands, the Siberian Husky isn’t known for their instant, unwavering obedience.
As well, while it is relatively easy to train a Rottweiler to go off-leash safely, Siberian Huskies generally can never be trusted not to run away when they are unleashed.
This means you will have some wildcards in terms of your Rottsky’s adult personality and temperament.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Rottsky is the right next to dog for you.
A Rottsky may grow up to be anywhere from 35 pounds to 135 pounds and stand 20 to 25 inches tall. Your dog may have a short neat flat coat or a medium-length bushy coat.
Your Rottsky dog will definitely be double-coated, which means lots of shedding year-round and seasonally. In terms of life expectancy, your Rottsky may live anywhere from nine to 14 years.
2. Rottador or Labrottie (Rottweiler and Labrador Retriever mix)
According to the American Kennel Club’s annual most popular dog breed list, the Labrador Retriever has been the number one most popular purebred dog in America for 30 years now.
The Rottweiler consistently comes in at or near the number eight spot on that same list.
Both dogs score high marks for personality and friendliness towards their people. Where you will see differences is in how each dog greets strangers. The Lab is likely to be friendly while the Rottie is likely to be standoffish or reserved.
This means you may not be able to predict in advance whether your Rottador will need a little or a lot of socialization training to handle the presence of strange people and animals.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Rottador is the right next dog for you.
A Rottador fully grown may weigh anywhere from 60 to 135 pounds and stand 21.5 to 27 inches tall. Your dog may inherit a short, flat coat or a mid-length bushy coat. Either way, you will have a double-coated, shedding dog.
Your Rottador’s life expectancy can range from nine to 12 years on average.
3. German Rottie (Rottweiler and German Shepherd mix)
The German Shepherd is the third most popular purebred dog breed, according to the AKC. These dogs are prized for their bravery, loyalty, and superior guarding and protection abilities.
In fact, pairing the German Shepherd and the Rottweiler dogs together will deliver a far more predictable pup in terms of overall temperament, talents, and instincts than most of the other Rottweiler mixes on this list.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the German Rottie is the right next dog for you.
Your German Rottie may weigh anywhere from 50 to 135 pounds and stand 22 to 27 inches tall. In terms of coat type, expect a shedding double coat that could be short and flat or medium length and wavy.
Life expectancy is sadly short in both parent dogs, which gives you an overall range of seven to 10 years for your German Rottie.
4. English Mastweiler (Rottweiler and English Mastiff mix)
The English Mastweiler is one of the lesser-known Rottweiler mixes on this list. Here, you are pairing a big dog with a huge dog with predictable results.
Temperament-wise, the English Mastiff is low energy overall and yet extremely brave and unstoppable when the situation calls for it. The Rottweiler shares the English Mastiff’s courage but has a much higher energy level and need for activity.
So it may be hard to predict whether your English Masterweiler grows up to be calm and courageous or hyperactive and courageous.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the English Mastweiler is the right next dog for you.
In terms of the weight range, you can expect your English Masterweiler to weigh anywhere from 80 to 230 pounds and stand 22 to 27.5 inches tall.
Coat type is likely to be short, flat, and double-coated – so lots of shedding year-round and seasonally.
Life expectancy is regrettably short – just six to 10 years.
5. Golden Rottie (Rottweiler and Golden Retriever mix)
The Golden Retriever is the fourth most popular purebred dog breed in America and the Rottweiler is the eighth most popular. So you are sure to get a superb pup in this pairing.
What isn’t so easy to predict (aside from size) is whether your Golden Rottie will be more of a friendly-to-all dog or a reserved guard and protection dog. Golden Retrievers don’t typically make great watchdogs, while Rottweilers are superior in this area.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Golden Rottie is the right next dog for you.
Weight expectations can range from 55 to 135 pounds. In terms of height, your Golden Rottie may grow up to stand 21.5 to 27 inches tall. Your dog could have a short, neat coat or a medium-length wavy coat that sheds year-round and seasonally.
And overall lifespan estimates range from nine to 12 years.
6. Rottle or Rottoodle (Rottweiler and Poodle mix)
You may have noticed that lots of hybrid dog breeds are Poodle crosses. This is because the Poodle has one of the lowest-shedding coats in the canine world. Actually, Poodles do shed, but the shed hair gets trapped in the curly coat, causing mats and tangles.
This means that if your Rottle grows up to have a curly, low-shedding coat, you will have lots of grooming and coat maintenance work to do.
In contrast, if your Rottoodle grows up to have a shedding flat coat, you won’t have to do much work other than sweeping up shed hair!
Either way, this pairing will produce an excellent guard dog and all-around talented working K-9.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Rottle is the right next dog for you.
You have a lot of guesswork to do when figuring out how much your Rottle might weigh in adulthood. The range is from 40 to 135 pounds! Height will be similarly difficult to guesstimate. The range is from 15 to 27 inches.
You already know the coat will be a true wildcard – either lots of shedding and low maintenance or lots of maintenance and low shedding. And life expectancy gets a happy potential boost from the Poodle side. The range is from nine to 18 years.
7. Border Rottie or Borderweiler (Rottweiler and Border Collie mix)
As Vetstreet points out, the Border Collie scores very high in territorial instincts and exercise needs, which is a nice match for the Rottweiler temperament.
Where there isn’t such a good match is in terms of protection instincts and overall trainability. The Border Collie is an independent-minded dog breed that can be stubborn and inconsistent, especially off-leash.
The Rottweiler, in contrast, scores very high in trainability, recall, protective instincts, and people-pleasing. So the temperament of your Borderweiler can be hard to predict in puppyhood.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Borderweiler is the right next dog for you.
The weight of your adult Borderweiler may be anywhere from 30 to 135 pounds. Height could range from 18 to 27 inches tall. The coat may be short and flat or medium length and busy. Either way, your dog will be double-coated and will shed a lot.
The life expectancy for your Border Rottie could range from nine to 16 years.
8. Rottgi (Rottweiler and Corgi mix)
The Corgi first became popular thanks to Queen Elizabeth II, who fell so in love with this breed that she became a Corgi breeder herself.
The Corgi, with their genetically shortened legs and long body, don’t look like the herding dog breed that they are. But where it shows is in their temperament, which is apt to be independent. They can also be stubborn and resistant to training recall.
The Rottweiler is just the opposite, having excellent trainability and recall and an affinity for staying as close to their people as possible. Some owners nickname the Rottweiler “velcro dog” for this reason.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Rottgi is the right next dog for you.
It can be hard to predict a Rottgi dog’s adult weight. The range is from 28 to 135 pounds! Height is also hard to predict, but since the gene that causes shortened legs is dominant, it will automatically shave several inches off the Rottgi’s adult height.
According to Science Magazine, a dog only needs to receive one copy of the gene to have the trait. Corgi dogs typically stand just 10 to 12 inches tall, while Rottweilers may stand 22 to 27 inches tall.
Life expectancy, however, gets a welcome increase – the estimate is anywhere from nine to 13 years.
9. Rotthund or Dachsweiler (Rottweiler and Dachshund mix)
Dachshunds are known to be independent and strong-willed. They were originally bred to hunt fierce ground-dwelling mammals like badgers. Dachshunds are so brave they will follow a badger into their burrow and battle them, pulling the animals back out!
But because of this strong scent-tracking and hunting instincts, Dachshunds often can’t be trusted off-leash and they can be hard to train. This is the opposite of the Rottweiler, a protection dog with high people-pleasing instincts and near-perfect recall.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Dachsweiler is the right next dog for you.
Like the Corgi, the Dachshund has the gene that causes shortened legs or canine dwarfism. This means that all Rotthund mix dogs will be affected to some degree by this gene since it is dominant (only one parent needs to contribute it).
So while Rottweilers typically stand anywhere from 22 to 27 inches tall, Dachshunds only stand five to nine inches tall. This tells you right away that your Rotthund is going to be a shorter dog even without the gene mutation.
Assuming the Dachshund parent dog is a standard, your Dachsweiler might weigh anywhere from 16 to 135 pounds. The coat type is most likely to be short and flat, although some Dachshunds have wire hair or long hair coat types.
Life expectancy could range from nine to 16 years.
10. Boxweiler (Rottweiler and Boxer mix)
The Boxer, like the Rottweiler, is an excellent guarding and protection dog. The Boxweiler is likely to be a smart, affectionate, easy-to-train Rottweiler mix that is great with family members of all ages and surprisingly gentle for their size.
This is a very complementary pairing in terms of size, height, weight, and temperament – something you won’t find in many of the Rottweiler mixes here.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Boxweiler is the right next dog for you.
The Boxweiler might weigh as little as 65 pounds or as much as 135 pounds. Height could be anywhere from 21.5 inches to 27 inches. You can expect a short, flat coat that sheds year-round and seasonally.
And in terms of life expectancy, nine to 12 years is typical.
11. Staffweiler (Rottweiler and American Staffordshire Terrier mix)
The American Staffordshire Terrier, which is sometimes erroneously named the Pitbull, and the Rottweiler make a formidable combination.
Both parent dogs have reputations that precede them, especially the Pitbull, which over the years has earned a reputation for ferocity that is sometimes mistaken for aggression.
In actuality, a well-bred Staffweiler from a reputable breeder will be the finest example of a loyal, affectionate, loving, and eminently brave companion canine.
These dogs have it all – strength, speed, courage, tenacity, intelligence, you name it.
Here are the vital stats you need to decide if the Staffweiler is the right next dog for you.
Your Staffweiler might grow up to weigh anywhere from 40 to 135 pounds and stand 17 to 27 inches tall. But where size, height, and weight can be hard to predict, coat type is easy. Both parent dogs have a short, flat, neat double coat that sheds.
AmStaffs, as American Staffordshire Terriers are often nicknamed, may live 12 to 16 years, which is a great boost from the Rottweiler’s nine to 10-year life expectancy.
Choose Your Rottweiler Mix!
Now that you have met these great Rottweiler mixes, all that is left is to decide which dog is the right choice for your next canine companion!
Other 45 Rottweiler Mixes
- German Shepherd Husky Rottweiler Mix: Surprising Mix of Bold & Beautiful
- Pitbull Rottweiler German Shepherd Mix: A Powerful Trio
- Cocker Spaniel Rottweiler Mix: Truly the Best of Two Breeds?
- Irish Setter Rottweiler Mix: Total Dog Guide
- Rottweiler German Shorthaired Pointer Mix: Ultimate Guide
- Neapolitan Mastiff Rottweiler Mix: Helpful Owner’s Guide
- Rottweiler Bloodhound Mix: A Total Guide
- Dogo Argentino Rottweiler Mix: Your Total Hybrid Guide
- Shih Tzu Rottweiler Mix: Friendly, Cute, Active Family’s Dog
- Rottweiler Newfoundland Mix: Patient and Loving Gentle Giant
- Rottweiler Basset Hound Mix: Meet the Charming Loving Dog
- St. Bernard Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Large and Lovable Dog
- French Bulldog Rottweiler Mix: The Adorably Quirky Dog
- Bullmastiff Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Brave Loyal Dog
- Pug Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Charming Loyal Dog
- Boerboel Rottweiler Mix: The Steadfast And Loyal Hybrid
- Great Dane Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Friendly & Loyal Dog
- Beagle Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Curious & Confident Guardian
- Chihuahua Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Graceful, Sweet Dog
- Rottweiler Mastiff Mix: Meet the Massive and Magnificent Mastweiler
- Australian Shepherd Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Smart & Loyal
- Boxer Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Big Brilliant Boxweiler Dog
- American Bulldog Rottweiler Mix: Everything You Need to Know
- Doberman Rottweiler Mix: Delightful or Dangerous – You Decide
- Rottweiler Pitbull Mix: Overcome a Dangerous Reputation, Loving Pet, Dedicated Worker
- Rottweiler Labrador Mix: Friendlier Rottie or Protective Lab
- Belgian Malinois Rottweiler Mix: Beauty and Brawn?
- Rottweiler Rhodesian Ridgeback Mix: Unlikely Family Champion with a Crest
- Rat Terrier Rottweiler Mix: Rare but Desirable Cross
- Blue Heeler Rottweiler Mix: How is More Compatible than You Think
- The Majestic Akita Rottweiler Mix: Get Brawn and Beauty
- Rottweiler Chow Mix: How It Is Not Much of an Enigma
- Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Meet the MalaRott Hybrid Dog
- Cane Corso Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Rotticorso Dog!
- Yorkie Rottweiler Mix: the Little and the Big About This Unusual Mix Dog Breed
- Greyhound Rottweiler Mix: the Speedy Security Dog with the Strong Personality
- Rottweiler Maltese Mix: Meet This Smart, Fluffy, and Feisty Hybrid Pup
- Irish Wolfhound Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Protective, Loyal, Loving Guardian Dog
- Rottweiler Wolf Mix: Is This Hybrid Dog Real? Find Out the Truth!
- Rottweiler Coonhound Mix: the Hound Hybrid with a Huge Heart for People
- Great Pyrenees Rottweiler Mix: Meet the Lovable, Loyal & Large Greatweiler
- Pomeranian Rottweiler Mix: A Friendly Pup For An Active Lifestyle
- Meet the Presa Canario Rottweiler Mix – Great Guard Dog and Great Family Companion
- Dalmatian Rottweiler Mix: What You Need To Know
- Shiba Inu Rottweiler Mix: Everything You Need To Know