What do you get if you cross a Rottweiler with a Labrador Retriever? A Labrottie!
A Rottweiler Lab mix, the Labrottie, is a strong and energetic, large dog that would make a good guard dog or protective family pet.
This mixed-breed dog is sometimes called a:
- Rottweiler Lab mix,
- Rottweiler Labrador mix,
- Labrador Rottweiler mix,
- Labrotti,
- Rottador,
- Rottwador,
- Labweiler,
- Rotten Lab,
- Rott’n lab,
- or the Lab Rottweiler mix dog.
The appearance of this crossbreed dog will depend on the parent mix, but the Labrottie is likely to inherit a solid and sturdy body like the Rottweiler, a broad head like the Labrador and a short to medium length, shiny double coat. A Rottweiler Lab mix is one of the largest hybrid dogs around. It may look like a fearsome large dog but it can be very friendly, loyal, and loving.
The Lab Rottie is a very energetic and muscular dog whose exercise needs should not be underestimated by any potential dog owner. Early behavioral and socialization training will help this Rottweiler mix show its affectionate and positive protective nature.
A Labrottie puppy is an adorable crossbreed dog.
A brief history of this mixed-breed dog
A Rottweiler Lab mix is a cross between a purebred Rottweiler dog and a purebred Labrador Retriever dog.
When two different dog breeds are deliberately mixed, the crossbreed is known as a designer dog; this Rottweiler and Labrador hybrid dog is sometimes nicknamed a Rottador.
Meet the Parents: The parents’ breed history:
Parent 1: History of the Rottweiler – a purebred dog
The Rottweiler is a purebred large breed of dog that has a very muscular and stocky build; it also looks quite fierce. This breed is very confident and determined and is regarded as the No1 guard dog.
Rottweiler dogs were as used to herd and guard cattle for Roman soldiers as they traveled around in their quest to conquer Europe; these cattle were the primary food source. Their alertness, discipline, and endurance made them an ideal guard dog.
Fact: The Rottweiler is probably the oldest known herding dog breed with its origins traceable back to Roman times. The Rottweiler dog breed is believed to have descended from Roman drover dogs: a mastiff-like dog.
Their intelligence, strength, and energy levels meant that these large dogs were used during the World Wars as guard dogs and for messenger or ambulance duties. They are still used today for this type of support and search and rescue activity.
The Rottweiler is ranked the 8th most popular purebred dog in the United States by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and it’s slowly growing in popularity.
So what color is a Rottweiler dog?
The Rottweiler typically has a slick black coat with tan markings; official AKC recognized colors are Black & Mahogany (most popular coat color), Black & Tan, and Black & Rust.
Parent 2: History of the Labrador Retriever – a purebred dog
The Labrador Retriever is the best-loved and most popular dog breed in the world!
It has a solid double coat in one of 3 colors; pure black, chocolate brown, or yellow. Whatever the coat color this is just an attractive and loveable dog breed for any level of dog owner or as an adorable and friendly family dog.
The Labrador Retriever dog is from Newfoundland, Canada, and was used by fishermen to retrieve their fish from nets and catch any that escaped back into the sea. They are good swimmers and have a gentle mouth grip that will not further destroy any prey they are ordered to retrieve.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Province, in Canada, provided this hunting and retrieving dog with its name – the Labrador Retriever (or Lab to its friends!).
The Newfoundland Labrador Retriever dog breed came to Great Britain around 1830, to be used as gun dogs for retrieving waterfowl from land and water, during the shooting season, in Scotland and England.
Ongoing breeding is believed to have continued the pure Newfoundland lab bloodline in our Labrador Retriever breed today.
The Labrador Retriever is ranked the No1 most popular purebred dog in the United States by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It’s easy to see why.
The lab is gentle, fun-loving and loyal with an easy-going temperament.
A Labrador Puppy, when trained and socialized it can be trusted and protective around anyone.
Meet the offspring:
The hybrid offspring of these two purebred dogs is the Rottweiler Labrador mix – the Labrottie puppy.
Designer dogs gained popularity in the United States during the 1990s and this increased demand and popularity for cross-breeds such as the Labrador Rottweiler mix.
The Labrottie puppy is a hybrid dog breed and is therefore not recognized as a breed in its own right, by the American Kennel Club; nor can it be awarded pedigree papers.
As a hybrid dog from two purebred dog breeds – the Rottweiler Labrador Retriever mix is recognized as a mixed breed dog by several other kennel clubs:
Dog Registry of America (DRA), American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), Designer Breed Registry (DBR), Designer Dog Kennel Club (DDKC), International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).
The Rottweiler Labrador mix – Colors and pattern
As the Labweiler is a crossbreed dog, its appearance will be more difficult to predict than a purebred dog, however considering the parent breeds there are only a few likely coat colors including Black, Black & Tan, Brown, and Gray. Any other colors may be due to a gene mutation and are rare.
What are the main characteristics of a Labrottie?
Any crossbred dog, like the Labrador Rottweiler mix, could inherit the characteristics and the health problems of either parent or from both; or perhaps they could get the best of both and be stronger and inherit fewer health problems than their parent breeds.
Fact: Not all dogs from mixed breeds inherit 50% of their characteristics from one parent and 50% from the other. It can be heavily weighted towards the characteristics of one parent more than the other.
With any mixed breed dog, you just have to wait and see how it turns out.
Labrottie puppies tend to have more of the classic appearance and sturdy build of the Rottweiler but with the friendlier facial features and floppy ears of a Labrador.
Loyalty and companionship
Any Rottweiler mix dog, when trained and socialized properly, can make a very loyal and protective companion, but especially when it’s mixed with a Labrador Retriever.
This mix is likely to be courageous, confident and smart and also loving and affectionate. They will show devoted loyalty to their dog owner and family. They will be fairly active and enjoy having lots of company.
Reputation:
Any Rottweiler mix dog could be thought of as a fierce guard dog. The Rottweiler is a confident breed that looks fiercer than its behavior displays. When a Rottweiler is mixed with a Labrador Retriever, the perception changes, as the Labrador is considered a highly friendly, soft-natured, and docile family pet.
When mixed the Labrottie will be loving, loyal, and protective of its loved ones, but wary of strangers, with a big bark.
Popularity:
The Labrador Retriever is recognized as The most popular dog in the world and the Rottweiler ranks No 8.
When your parents are such popular purebred dogs, how could the Rott’ n Lab not be popular too?
This mix is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as it is not a purebred dog, but this will not affect this attractive dog being in demand.
Trainability:
Any Rottweiler mix puppy needs to be trained and socialized as early as possible.
This Rottweiler Labrador mix puppy will be a powerful and muscular large-dog breed that needs to learn control and discipline early. They are intelligent and determined so training should be fairly easy, but this powerful dog is not recommended for an inexperienced dog owner or anyone who cannot provide it with lots of exercise and long walks.
Positive reinforcement and reward-based training are recommended for this large dog breed as is very confident, and strong-willed, so it will need to build trust with its owner.
Rottweiler mix puppies should be trained slowly and never negatively punished, challenged directly, hit, or locked up for misbehavior. Always reinforce change gradually and praise good behavior and learning. Clicker training would work well with this puppy.
This powerful mixed breed dog is no more likely to bite than any other dog breed however with their muscular build they could be very physical in their attempts to play; therefore they should be supervised at all times around young children and smaller animals.
The Labweiler is fairly energetic, so a Labrador Rottweiler puppy will need at least one hour of daily exercise and playtime, building up 1-2 hours a day in adulthood.
Power and intelligence:
Labrotties are smart, very powerful with a protective nature. They are fast learners but can be stubborn and aloof, so they will need to be trained and handled properly to be able to socialize in public with other dogs and children.
They will love to keep active and play games with their family in a way that keeps them challenged; catch the ball or frisbee, puzzles or interactive toys are popular with this breed. Only full knowledge of the parents’ history will indicate how powerful this dog might become.
Socialization:
Early socialization dog training and discipline are strongly recommended for any Rottweiler mix dog.
This type of hybrid dog has two highly active parents and one is a powerful guard dog. This mixed breed dog will need to learn to control its strength and have discipline training early to become well–behaved and trusted with other dogs and children. It will thrive in an outdoor environment.
Purpose:
A Rottweiler Labrador mix will be observant and have herding and retrieving instincts and want to be kept busy. The Labradors have a soft bite that is delicate and careful when retrieving anything and the Rottweiler is determined and forceful.
Together they produce a loveable brut of a dog that will love to please but will need a confident and experienced owner to be able to control it; it’s not a dog for beginners!
Over time both have used their skills for good activities such as search and rescue, as both can follow orders and commands. A Labrottie can be a disciplined and protective family pet or a good service dog.
Behavior:
A Rottweiler Lab mix can be strong-willed, occasionally stubborn, and physically powerful, therefore it needs to be trained early as it can become destructive, bark, or chews things if under-stimulated. This dog will want to guard and watch over its home and will bark at strangers or anything it doesn’t understand so it will make a good watchdog.
Children should not be left alone with any Rottweiler mix dog and if they are able to play with them they need to understand how to treat this dog with respect and be careful not to overexcite it as it can get boisterous and clumsy; understand the dos and don’ts around any powerful dog.
Physical Characteristics of the Labrottie
Size: The Rottweiler Lab mix is considered a large-sized dog breed that has a solid and muscular build, with the build of a fearsome guard dog but the face of a loveable Lab.
Height: You can expect both male and female to grow up to a height of 22-27” (56-69cm.
Weight: You can expect both male and female to reach between 70lb-115lb (32-52kg) in adulthood.
Coat: A short to medium length, shiny double coat that sheds a moderate amount, but isn’t hypoallergenic. It’s likely to be thick and dense like the Rottweiler.
Color: The coat color is influenced by the parents, and can be Black, Black and Tan, Brown, or even Gray.
You can expect a Labrottie to live between 9-12 years, and to spawn a litter size of between 6-10 pups on average.
Temperament:
The Rottweiler Lab mix can be strong-willed and stubborn. This Rottador has a very high energy level and can be destructive and bark if not occupied. With careful training and socialization they can be affectionate, pleasant and kind and protective
How should you train a Rottweiler Labrador mix dog?
The Rottweiler breed has had a reputation for being aggressive and dangerous if not trained properly. The boundaries need to be set early for this mixed breed dog. Fun and positive reinforcement and reward-based training work best.
Never hit or raise your voice to this breed during training as it may challenge this Labweiler to rebel and refuse to cooperate.
Types of training required: obedience, discipline, agility, and socialization.
So, if you are not going to use a professional dog trainer:
1) Develop basic command words: Stop, Sit, Down, etc. and be consistent each time you use them. This hybrid dog will try to dominate and this must be controlled early in training.
2) Crate – Buy a crate and gently get this puppy used to going into it. This will eventually become its nest and it will sleep there. You will have to lock the cage in the early days so it knows it has to sleep there and it’s useful to experience for bladder control and if you need to transport it.
3) Potty training – May be hit and miss for any new puppy who gets easily excited and lacks control, however products are available, such as mats and odor sprays to attract puppy go to the same spot each time. Eventually, the puppy with your help will learn where and where not to go. They will eventually become creatures of habit and regulate their need and place to use.
4) Walking on a leash – Understanding voice commands and road awareness is important for this outgoing and athletic puppy’s safety.
Health problems and health issues
What health problems can a Rottweiler Lab mix suffer from?
Hip Dysplasia (and elbow dysplasia) – common in many large breeds of dog. Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hip joint, where the ball at the top of the leg does not fit properly into the socket and the ligaments attaching it are weak. This allows excess movement of the fitting which can eventually lead to stiffness and pain for the dog.
Early warning signs are visual stiffness then walking, a reluctance to get up when prompted, and a difference in walking style; limp or caution. There is no cure for hip dysplasia
Cataract eye disease – both the Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler breeds are prone to Cataracts – a clouding of its vision, and other eye problems so it’s recommended that its eyes are checked regularly by a vet.
Bloat – any large dog that eats quickly or drinks a lot before exercising can suffer from bloat. This dangerous excessive gas build-up can cause the stomach to twist and damage other organs.
Other health issues include ear infections, bone cancer, heart problems, skin conditions and allergies, epilepsy, and cold tail.
How do you care for a Labrottie dog?
Exercise needs
A Labrottie is outgoing, athletic, and energetic so it will need lots of mixed exercises that blend fun and challenges. They need outdoor space to run around and burn off their excess energy, long walks, and activities that involve exercising around 2 hours a day as an adult.
Feeding
Feed as a large-sized dog, around 3 cups of Kibble dry formulated food per day. They should be fed twice a day and slowly to prevent bloat.
Grooming
This mixed breed dog inherits a short to medium length, shiny, dense double coat. It’s a moderate shedder, so only brush every 2-3 days, with 2 bigger sheds per year as its seasonal coat changes.
Bathing
This shortish-haired, water-resistant coated dog does not need regular bathing, only when required. Certain dog formulated shampoos have a double effect of cleaning the coat and protecting it against fleas and insect bites.
Cleaning teeth, nails and ears
As with all dogs, their teeth need to be cleaned regularly to prevent a build-up of plaque. Chewing breaks down plaque, so use doggie chew-toys, bare-bones and soft toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Nails grow quickly and need trimming regularly, say monthly, and ears need to be checked for debris that could cause infection.
What’s life like for a Labrottie?
Lifestyle
This breed is very confident, intelligent, and highly energetic. It will try to be dominant unless controlled and needs to be kept occupied otherwise it can become destructive.
They can be stubborn and aggressive until trained. They will chew things if bored or left alone for long periods of time, so keep stimulated and busy. Chew toys can help with boredom. They need your company and outdoor space to run.
This breed is a natural watchdog that will act on instinct to be very protective of its family.
Positives and Negatives of ownership
Positives
- Protective and loyal
- A Family dog and loyal companion
- Intelligent and affectionate
- Energetic dog, great stamina
- Easily trained
- Needs to keep active and stimulated
- Generally health, low maintenance
Negatives
- The stigma of Rottweiler aggression
- Destructive if left alone, will bite and chew things
- Needs company, suffers separation anxiety
- Strong and powerful needs supervision with small children
- Wary of strangers
- High Energy
- Stubborn and aloof
- Commonly Asked Questions:
Q: What’s the proper name of the Labrottie dog?
A. It’s a Rottweiler Lab Mix also referred to with different combinations of the parents’ breed names; Labrador Rottweiler mix, Labweiler, Rott Lab, Rott’nLab, or Rottwador.
Q. How much does a Labrottie puppy cost?
A. Buying from a reputable dealer will cost between $350-600. An alternative is to contact a rescue center to adopt a puppy or adult. The cost of adopting a rescue dog is much less than from a breeder.
Warning: If considering any Rottweiler mix rescue dog it is important to find out as much as possible about the circumstances behind why that dog ended up in a rescue center – abuse, neglect, personality, behavior or any details of the temperament or health issues of the parents.
Food costs around $40-50 per month for an adult and given their possible health problems you must factor in Vets fees and accessories from a retailer like Amazon.