German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix – Full Breed Profile

Written by: Bojana Radulovic
Are you more of a German Shepherd or Rott lover? What about a mix between these two? Read on to discover what makes the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix unique.
Dog Breed Group:
Mixed Breed Dogs
Height:
22 to 28 inches
Weight:
75 to 115 pounds
Life Span:
9 to 13 years

Breed Characteristics:

Apartment Friendly

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How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?

Good For First-Time Owners

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Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?

Overall Sensitivity

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Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?

Tolerates Being Alone

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Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?

Affectionate With Family

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How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?

Kid-Friendly

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Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?

Friendly Toward Other Dogs

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Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?

Friendly Toward Strangers

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Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?

Drooling Level

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If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?

Easy To Groom

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Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?

Overall Health

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What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.

Prone To Obesity

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Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?

Trainability Level

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Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.

Intelligence Level

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Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?

Prey Drive

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Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?

Barking Level

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How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?

Energy Level

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Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?

Exercise Needs

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Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?

Playfulness Level

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Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?

It’s common for breeders to mix small size dogs to create new ones. After all, they are hundreds of small size designed dogs across the world.

They are compact, easy to move around, and they are commonly extra fluffy and similar in appearance. To create those small and extra fluffy dogs breeds often use Poodles of any size to create their compact size. However, there are many mixed dogs that come in a much bigger size.

What a Poodle is for creating fluffy and smaller in size dogs, that is German Shepherd for larger mixed dogs. Did you know that the famous German Shepherd is commonly the number one choice when it comes to creating a new powerful and big breed?

The crossing is always more successful when there is at least one parent whose history, upbringing, and health are completely known.

If you add to that mix another dog parents who is equally known and popular, who can expect a really unique outcome.

That being said, when you mix famous and all-around German Shepherd with powerful Rottweiler you actually get to know an amazing German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix.

The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix is known by other names as well, including Rottie Shepherd or Rotten Shepherd. No matter how you decide to call them, you cannot go wrong – this designer breed will still have the best parents traits.

Quick Facts

Real name: German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix
Other names: Rottie Shepherd, Rotten Shepherd
Origin: States
Breed type: Mixed Breed Dogs
Weight: 75 to 115 pound
Height: 22 to 28 inches
Lifespan: 9 to 13 years
Litter Size: 6 – 15 puppies
Color: Black, grey, white, red, cream, and tan are main color. They may have a mix of two to three colors
Coat: Short and double coat

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix History

The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix is a relatively new breed.

It’s known that breeders started mixing them in the late 1990s but it’s not impossible that this breed has existed naturally for years. However, it’s known that breeders intentionally started breeding them when they decided to mix breeds of German descent.

Their goal was to mix their stamina, intelligence, and loyalty toward people into one. As expected, interest in this mixed breed was high and breeders continued perfecting them.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Physical Appearance

Can you expect a German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix to be a small size dog? Of course not.

With so powerful and large parents in size, it’s only expected for a German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix to be a large size dog. This is exactly what you will get size-wise: a dog of up to 115 pounds and height between 22 to 28 inches.

Since this is relatively a young breed, there are only a few standards when it comes to size and they are mostly linked with weight and height. As for the coat – it usually comes in various colors, resembling the parent’s coat.

That being said, the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix will usually have a black, white, red, or tan coat. Their coat can often be solid, or a mix of two or three colors.

As for the length, it will also depend on the parent’s coat. As a general rule, their coat can be of medium length or shorter. This will always depend on parents’ genes.

Since this breed comes with German Shepherd genes you should know that shedding will be a big deal.

If you are not ready for some intense grooming, brushing sessions specifically, you might reconsider your decision on getting the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix.

German Shepherd is known as heavy shedders, especially during the shedding season.

Shedding season is something that every dog has to go through, during the spring and autumn time. During this period it’s great to have a vacuum cleaner on hand.

Rottweiler is also bred prone to shedding, although their coat is much shorter and less dense opposite to those in German Shepherd.

The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix will always have a thick coat and strong undercoat, which makes them suitable for areas with colder temperatures. Still, you shouldn’t leave them outside for a long period when it’s too cold or too warm.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Personality

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix will always be packed with energy. With so powerful and physically fit parents, it’s normal to expect their offspring to be of high energy. Both parents were carefully bred to be effective working dogs. This means that they were created to stay active for a long time.

They are highly durable animals, both mentally and physically. Why would this mix be anyhow different?! High energy levels are definitely something that you can expect with the breed.

This is why it’s important that you have enough time and energy to meet the breed’s needs. Keeping the dog both mentally and physically is important for his overall health and well-being. They are larger in size, but they often see themself as lap dogs.

This means that they will jump into your lap no matter what. This isn’t something that should be allowed to large dogs, because accidents could easily happen.

Make sure that you provide enough cuddling time, but also train your dog not to jump as he likes. Excited jumping can lead to future behavior-related issues that are manageable, but time-consuming.

Plus, unwanted habits are much harder to fix than to create a good one. They are great family dogs, but they are most likely to stick to one person – their human.

Due to their Rottweiler side, they may be too protective of their territory, toys, or a person. This is why dog house rules are important, both for your family and visitors.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix should get along with children of all ages.

Still, you should educate your children on how to behave around dogs. Safe interaction between children and dogs is everything when it comes to great connection.

They should get along with other dogs as well, as long as they are introduced properly. When it comes to felines, they will probably try to chase them.

If raised together, they might learn how to get along. It all comes down to training, rules, and positive reinforcement. And a lot of treats, of course.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Training

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix is an intelligent breed and as such should be easy to train. However, this won’t be the case unless you have extended experience as a dog owner.

This is not a breed for first time dog owners. Make sure that you know how the training process looks like and that you can indeed create a well-behaved dog.

Make training sessions short, fun, and consistent. Have enough toys for indoor games and serve him treats as a reward. Never use any harsh training methods, no matter how big the dog might be.

Dogs thrive on positive reinforcement training and rewards, you that in your advance.

If you feel that you need extra help with training your dog, think about puppy classes. This can be an effective way to bond with your dog and help him master some great tricks in no time.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Grooming

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix will require regular brushing. brushing is a mandatory part of every grooming practice. That being said, you should think about proper grooming tools and brushing needs.

You should brush German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix at least twice a week to keep shedding at its minimum.

Expect everyday shedding and extra debris and hair during the shedding season in spring and autumn.

Having a really good vacuum cleaner is a great way to keep your floors clean. Trim or grind nails monthly. check gums and eyes on a weekly level, and keep your dog’s weight at an optimal level.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Health

When it comes to the health of mixed breeds, it all comes down to parents.

If parents are prone to certain health issues, the chances are high that their mix will demonstrate identical trouble at some time.

It’s normal for dogs to develop certain conditions during their lifetime. However, some of them, if not many, can be prevented with regular veterinarian check-ups.

Prevention is the best way to keep your dog fit, healthy, and happy.

As for the minor conditions in this breed, you can expect to see some allergies and eyelid issues. These conditions are something that is treatable with the right therapy.

This large size dog can easily inherit hip and elbow dysplasia, a condition that is common in dogs of larger size.

Lymphoma is something that can often be seen in this breed, next to gastric torsion and bone cancer.

Large size dogs are also prone to bloat – a serious condition that can lead to deadly outcomes. Make sure that you do your research on this life-threatening condition and choose the best dog bowl for your Shepweiler.

Is German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix For You?

If you are a first time dog owner, this breed isn’t for you.

On the other hand, if you have long experience as a dog owner, and you know what it takes to own a large size dog, this is a breed to consider.

They are active, outgoing, and highly protective of their people and belongings. This means that they need a firm hand who will teach them who a leader is.

They thrive on positive training methods, and if you feel like you two need extra time for exercise, you should think about dog sport, such as agility. If you can provide regular walks, extra exercise time, and a lot of cuddles this might be the breed for you.

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