Rottweiler Lab Mix – A Complete Guide To The Labrottie Or Rottador Dog

By
Tom Mattinson
-
26
rottweiler lab mix

In this article we take a look at what you can expect from a Rottweiler Lab mix, including size, shape, personality. And whether they are likely to be more or less healthy than their parent breeds. Helping you to decide whether this is the right puppy for you, and giving you the information you need to care for them in the best possible way.

The Rottweiler Lab mix is a cross between two popular breeds, with very different personalities. Also known as a Rottador, or Labrottie, they have one Labrador Retriever parent and one Rottweiler parent.

People Often Ask…

What’s In This Guide

Rottweiler Lab Mix: Breed At A Glance

  • Popularity: Labs are the number one most popular breed in the United States, and Rottweilers are right up there at number eight
  • Purpose: Companion animal or watchdog
  • Weight: 65-110 pounds
  • Temperament: Loyal, protective

Rottweiler Lab Mix Breed Review: Contents

Origin Of The Rottweiler Lab Mix

As with any mixed breed dog, it’s pretty much impossible to pinpoint the exact origins. However, we can look at the origins of the parent breeds to learn about the Rottie Lab mix’s ancestors.

Labrador Retrievers got their start when they were imported from Newfoundland to England in the 1800s. They were hunting and fishing dogs. You can find out more about their origins here.

Rottweilers, on the other hand, are of German descent. They have been traditionally used as guarding, herding, and hunting dogs. Take a look at more information on this dignified breed here.

labrador and rottweiler mix

With both of the parent breeds being in high demand through the years, and enduring in popularity, it’s no wonder that someone thought of crossing them and creating the Rottador!

What To Expect From A Rottweiler Lab Mix

The Rottweiler Labrador mix is a bit of a dice roll, though that’s true of any mixed breed. One of the best things about crossed breeds is the wide range of potential shapes and personalities your dog could grow to have. But this can have its downside as well. It’s really impossible to predict what traits a mixed pup will inherit from which parent.

In the case of a Labrottie, there are several different possibilities for both appearance and personality. So it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Appearance

For clues on the size of a full grown Labrottie, the first place to look is the parents. Labradors and Rottweilers are different sizes, and your puppy may fall anywhere between.

Rottweilers generally weigh up to 110 pounds, while Labradors are significantly less heavy set at 65-80 pounds. Rottweiler height can be up to 27 inches at the shoulder, whereas Labs only grow to a maximum of 24.5 inches to the shoulder.

Labrottie Size

With those ranges, your Rottweiler and Lab mix could be anywhere on the spectrum of smallest Lab to largest Rottie. Both breeds can vary in size within themselves, so it stands to reason that larger Labrador and Rottweiler parents will have a larger Labrottie pup.

Due to this large degree of potential variance, if you definitely don’t want a dog as big as a Rottweiler it’s probably best to steer clear. A Labrottie might well hit the higher end of the Rottweiler’s size range, and this could leave you with a dog that is bigger than you’re comfortable with. Most, however, should fall somewhere in the middle. But you won’t know until they are older.

Labrador Rottweiler Mix Coat

Rottweilers are well known for their classic black and tan coloring. They have short, low-maintenance coats. Labs, on the other hand, come in different colors. Yellow, chocolate, black — they could pass down their coloring to a Labrottie puppy, resulting in a unique coloration.

There’s likely to be a big difference, for example, between a yellow Labrottie mix and a black Lab Rottweiler mix. But, again, it’s just impossible to accurately predict what your Rottador will look like. All you can bank on is the range from both parents.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Temperament

Labradors have a proud history as faithful retriever dogs, whereas Rottweilers have an equally proud history as guard dogs.

Labradors are generally friendly, and are bred specifically for the task of returning hunted game to their owners. A dog bred for this purpose needed to be comfortable around all sorts of people. Rottweilers, in their guarding capacity, have been bred in a way that a fearful and distrusting attitude toward strangers. After all, a guard dog who is happy to greet strangers isn’t much use in protecting your property or livestock.

But how does this combination affect your pup? Well, the problem is, you won’t know until they’re older.

Labrottie Personality

First generation mixes are kind of like rolling a dice. You can’t be sure what combination of characteristics you’re going to get. You might end up with a dog that looks almost like a Rottweiler, with the Labrador’s social personality. On the other hand, you might end up with a protective guard dog that looks exactly like a Labrador. The worry of this is when you are bringing up a family pet, you don’t want them guarding your home aggressively.

Rottie Lab Mix Aggression

As a breed, Rottweilers are responsible for a disproportionate amount of dog attacks. A certain amount of this could be to do with the sort of situations the breeds find themselves in, but we don’t know that for sure. And we can’t deny statistics. They certainly appear to be among the more aggression-prone breeds.

This should be seriously considered by people with kids. The overwhelming majority of people killed by aggressive dogs are children as they’re much more vulnerable. Guarding dogs are generally good with their families, but families have friends. Kids bring over other kids, and a family pet needs to be accepting of this.

Labrador Rottweiler Mixes And Children

There are two ways we can help. One is by meeting the Rottie parent and making sure they are totally at ease in the presence of you and your family. Another important aspect in the development of a dog’s personality, though, is the way we raise them. Socialization is vital for any breed, but especially for a breed like the Rottweiler.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Socialization

The idea of using traditional training techniques on a Rottweiler mix may be a daunting task for some owners. You don’t want to be in a physical contest with a dog stronger than you are. Fortunately, nowadays we have better and safer methods for training dogs. The first step is always socialization.

Introduce your dog to lots of other dogs and people at a very young age to help desensitize them to strangers. You want them to happily accept people coming and going in their home as nothing to be afraid of. With a Rottweiler Lab mix puppy, make sure you have new visitors every day and that a large proportion of them are children. All puppies have a period of absolute confidence when they’re very young. In the wild they would be under the protection of their family, so fear would be unnecessary.

Therefore, this is the best time to throw them into all sorts of new situations. By the time they are full grown they shouldn’t have any instinctive fear of them; this is important, as almost all dog attacks are out of fear.

Training And Exercising Your Rottweiler Lab Mix

Positive training techniques also play a vital role in crafting the obedience and temperament of a dog. For anyone still considering punishment-based training, I would strongly advise against it. Studies have shown that dogs trained in this manner are less obedient, and more likely to attack both their owners and strangers.

Rottie Lab Mix Puppy Training

Like any puppy, your Rottador will require specialized training when they are young, in addition to socialization.

Rottweiler And Lab Mix Exercise

All dogs require a good amount of exercise to keep them in shape. This is especially true with physically capable breeds like the Rottweiler and Lab. Given a good amount of space to run around in, your Labrottie will thrive.

rottweiler lab mix

This isn’t just nice for dogs, it’s good for them too. Lack of exercise combined with poor diet can unfortunately be deadly. Dogs that don’t exercise enough and eat too much invariably put on more and more weight. Obesity in dogs, as in humans, leads to diabetes and other complications. The parent breeds are both active, strong dogs, and you’ll need to put in some extra effort towards walking and running them on a regular basis.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Health And Care

Pedigree dogs can suffer from genetic disorders. Although mixed breeds may be healthier in some cases, it doesn’t remove the risk. Breeding two dogs that are genetically dissimilar results in a phenomena called hybrid vigor, whereby outbreeding undoes a lot of the harm done by inbreeding. But this isn’t a magic wand. These dogs can still carry on genetic diseases from either of their parents given the right circumstances.

Labrador Health

Both Labradors and Rottweilers suffer regularly from hip dysplasia, meaning their hips are improperly formed. One nasty complication of hip dysplasia is a disease called degenerative joint disorder. A 2001 study found that around 11% of Labradors and 20% of Rottweilers suffered from this disease as a result of hip dysplasia.

One of the more commonly reported concerns in Labradors is exercise induced collapse. This strange condition means that Labradors in the full swing of physical activity may suddenly be unable to hold themselves up. It has actually been linked to a gene, so it is doubtless inherited from dog to dog. If your dog suffers from this even once it’s important to talk to a vet, it’s likely to happen again and you can discuss a proper course of action.

Other problems commonly seen in Labradors include elbow dysplasia, PRA, obesity, ear problems, and skin allergies. Hip and elbow dysplasia, as well as PRA, can be tested for. Health testing is an important part of the process of taking care of our pets.

Rottweiler Health

Elbow dysplasia is also a very common condition in Rottweilers. A study of German Rottweilers found more than half suffered from this ailment.

Rottweilers also appear to be susceptible to a few nasty neurological disorders, namely nueroaxonal dystrophy and leukoencephalomalacia. Both of these diseases are degenerative, meaning they gradually get worse and worse. Unfortunately there is no cure or treatment for either, and they sadly can be fatal.

For more information on health tests and screens that should be done for Rottweilers, visit the British Veterinary Association and this panel from UC Davis Veterinary Medicine.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Health

Any of these problems could potentially be passed on to your Rottweiler and Lab mix. Although he is potentially less likely to suffer from any of these diseases than a purebred dog, the risk is not removed. Health testing is still a vital part of good breeding practice, even for mixes.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Life Expectancy

Labrador Retrievers have a projected lifespan of 10-12 years. Rottweilers, on the other hand, have a shorter span of 8-9 years. A Rottweiler and Labrador mix could fall anywhere in that range, depending on the health of the dog.

rottweiler lab mix

Labrador Rottweiler Mix Shedding

Labradors have a double coat that protects them from the cold in winter or while swimming in cold water. Because of this, they’re known to shed quite vigorously. This is especially true during certain times of the year, as their winter coat starts to come loose.

Rottweilers, on the other hand, aren’t as well known for shedding. But it’s another aspect of a mix that is completely up to chance.

Rottador Grooming

The Labrottie has the benefit of two parent breeds with generally low-maintenance coats. Both Labradors and Rottweilers have short, easily groomed coats. So their Rottweiler Lab mix pups will definitely have the same length coat. Brushing shouldn’t need to be any more than weekly, unless they take heavily after their Lab parent. Then they may need a little more.

Do Rottweiler Lab Mixes Make Good Family Pets?

What makes a pet good depends on the person, and also the individual pet. One of the drawbacks of mixed breeds is that it’s a bit of a lottery. Your Lab Rott mix could look like a Labrador, but with the guarding instincts and characteristic wariness of the Rottweiler. Equally, your dog could look much more Rottweiler-ish and have the gentle, easily trainable personality of a Labrador. The likelihood is it will be somewhere in between.

Socialization and training go a long way to producing a happy and friendly dog. But genetics play an important role. Rottweilers have been typified as guard dogs and protectors, and you might be put off if you’re just after a furry friend.

rottweiler lab mix

A Labrador Rottweiler mix is best suited to an active adult home, where the family is around for much of the day and is committed to positive reinforcement training methods. If you have small children or don’t have the time and energy to train your dog as needed, you may want to look at a different breed, such as a purebred Lab or another mix.

Similar Breeds

Here are some other mixes that you may want to consider. They are very similar to the Rottador, but may tend to be more family friendly.

Rescuing A Rottweiler Lab Mix

Rescuing a dog can be the best thing you can do for the animal — but it also might be the best thing you can do for yourself! Choosing to adopt a dog in need gives that pup a new lease on life. And, in return, you’ll be rewarded with love and affection.

Keep in mind, however, that if you adopt an adult dog, you have no sure way of knowing how they were trained — or if they were trained at all. With a Rottweiler mix, this can be a big concern. Exercise extreme caution before bringing home an adult dog that may have been badly trained or poorly socialized, especially if there are children around.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Breed Rescues

We haven’t found any Rottador-specific breed rescues in operation. If you’re interested in rescuing this mix, we suggest getting in contact with rescues for the parent breeds. If you come across any rescues that do concentrate on the Rottie Lab mix, please let us know in the comments!

Finding A Rottweiler Lab Mix Puppy

Mixes in general are growing in popularity, and Lab and Rottweiler mix puppies are as cute as any other. But they will need a lot of work in terms of socialization and training, to make sure you reduce the possibility of bad behavior later on.

You must see your Lab cross Rottweiler’s parents before committing to a puppy. It’s especially important to see the Rottweiler parent, as this is where potential guarding instincts are likely to come from.

The Labrador Handbook by Pippa Mattinson

Both parents should be friendly, healthy and confident. This is by no means a guarantee, but stacks more of the odds in your favor. Please avoid buying from puppy mills or pet stores, as these have no real concern for the health of their animals.

Labrador Rottweiler Mix Breeders

Mix breeders are rather more difficult to find than the breeders of pure breeds, especially if you’re after a specific combination. Recently, people have started to breed Rottweiler Lab puppies deliberately, but they have existed for quite a while by accident. As the Labrottie grows in popularity, you’ll probably see more deliberately mixed puppies advertised.

You need to avoid backyard breeders by only going to someone who has mixed a beloved pet due to their excellent health and wonderful temperament.

Good breeders ask lots of questions, and are happy to answer them in return. They won’t home puppies to places where the family is out all day. Both the Lab and Rottie parent of your puppy must have excellent hip and elbow scores. The breeder should provide you proof of this. They must also be clear for PRA and have recent unaffected eye tests from their vet.

Rottweiler Lab Mix Products And Accessories

Is A Rottweiler Lab Mix Right For Me?

To summarise, let’s take a look at the Pros and Cons of getting a Labrador Rottweiler mix.

Cons

  • May develop separation anxiety.
  • Will require extensive socialization and training.
  • May have a strong guarding tendency and possibly aggression.
  • Has some significant health risks.

Pros

  • Likely to be extremely loyal.
  • If the mix takes after the Lab parent, could be very friendly.
  • Will be trainable and intelligent.
  • Could be an excellent guard dog if properly trained.

Your Rottweiler Lab Mix

Do you have a Rottweiler Lab mix? We’d love to hear all about them in the comments below.

References And Resources

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program 

Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website

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26 COMMENTS

  1. my wife found a lab rotti cross as a pup and there were 2 kids at that time rather young.He didnt get any formal training but you would think he had.Around me he was excellent with people extremely social and very calm.If janice and the kids were alone at home he was a different dog quite leary of strangers and placed himself between the kids and the stranger.As a pup he contracted parvo and he survived and lived to be 11 years old….he would have made it further but he was in severe pain from hip issue and we didnt want him to suffer so we did the proper thing and had him put to sleep…I could tell what he was thinking just in the way his eyes met mine….we absolutely want another…there is no animal like them my buddy will be sorely missed

  2. My labrotti is about 7 years old. I’ve had him since he was a puppy. He’s an awesome dog! His cost is amazing, However, the shedding is a bit much. He is fairly laid back. He gets along great with other people and children. He wants to play with all dogs although his size may be a little intimidating. If you didn’t know that I had a dog you would never know that he was here because he’s so quiet when others are around.

  4. Hi, I have a rottador. He was bought as a Labrador, but father must have been mixture (looked like yellow lab with wrong features – i.e. thickness of neck & behaviour), mum was choc show lab. Mine is black, with just visible dark brown markings when in sunlight. Bigger than average lab with smoother/shorter coat. He was an awful unruly puppy, but much more biddable than my previous Labradors. He has been much more trainable, but does have a natural dominant streak that can be aggressive. We established a clear pack hierarchy early on & he completely respects this. He is now the most loving & caring dog to us, his pack, that I have ever had. I do believe if we were threatened in any way he would protect us to the death, which I have never had before. He guards the garden when I’m in the hot tub & checks I’m ok regularly. If you sniff he runs back to check you are not hurt or crying. He is the sweetest dog I have ever known (to us). If we invite others in he is quick to accept them, but if the gate creaks unexpectedly he will bark & growl loudly. He is now 11yrs old & acting younger, more exuberant & perhaps more delinquent each day! I would say this mix makes the best family pet as long as there is a clear Alpha structure. I would not leave my dog alone with a child under 14 as he has a tendency to wolf (lie over your neck with full weight of 50kg) & does shake his toys, plus gets distressed/nervous excitement if someone squeals. He does love kids just should always be supervised.

  5. I have a labrottie that looks like a golden Labrador, has the tan on the back of the rear legs and on nose and ears.loves fetching the ball and will return ball to throw again, 13 months old and still pulling although we’re getting better with working her with treats, she’s learning that coming back in line benefits her with a treat (it’s working) she will longe at strangers if on lead, but will willingly great any dog happily, This breed is very energetic and will require allot of mental and physical stimulation. Great guard dog takes after rottweiler side there. And very intelligent and stubborn.

  6. Iam adopting a labrottie he is just 1month 1 week old.. But I don’t know how to train it to become a friendly and a socialized dog during this pandamic and I have lockdown in my country..

  7. So. I don’t think using only positive/ reward training works well for Rotties. Im disappointed that your personal feelings on training types was put into this article. I was looking for information and not opinions, however here is mine since you threw it out there: Balenced training has its place especially for large strong dogs who have strong temperments. Also… rottweilers are often in the news ( they make great scary articles that sell) but that does not mean that the statistics are accurate. Many more bites to children happen by other breeds that never get reported because those breeds are not considered monsters. Better statistics to seek would be the percentage of rotties that bite vrs percentage of rotties in the country. And to compare that to stats of other breeds. You’ll find that some of the tiny breeds are ridiculously prone to attacks on children.You simplified the issue too much. You need to remember that lovers of labs and rotties will come to this article to see if their beloved breeds mix well… so you have to be careful to respect your audience. Your readers may feel strongly about your words.

  8. We have a Lab Rottie we got from the pound he was approx.3-4 when we got him and is now approx. 12years old and no sign of stopping he is in good health other than we have to take him to an optometrist to get his eyes checked out. He went to the vet today and weighed in at 62lbs. He looks like a rottie with a labs ears and tail. He is a big lap dog, sweet as can be, lets the other little pups lay all over him. He just wants to be part of the cuddle pile.

  10. Hey there folks. I’m a deployed military member looking for A loyal family dog. I think the Labrottie is the perfect match. Obviously a sought after brews too. You can google it all day, but does anyone have a reputable breeder? Thanks!

  11. We have an amazing, #100lbRescue (Yoda’s social media hashtag) Labrottie! He is a gentle giant. Rottweiler head, ears, brown/black coat and size; Labrador personality, friendliness, double coat, and nose. BEST DOG EVER! Yoda is not much of a barker but likes to speak to us all of the time. He also loves to sing when we play the piano. He’s extremely intelligent. Most people are scared of him when they see him, but he is a lover. He wants to be held all of the time and he was wonderful with my 3 year old when we rescued him at 1 years old. He is now 7 and getting white on his face but he still has the energy to run our big yard. He LIVES for walks and car rides.

  12. We’ve had a lab-rottie for almost 5 years now, and she’s the sweetest baby you could ask for. She’s definitely taken more after the lab side in personality and most of her body shape, but she has the strength and coat pattern of a rottweiler. She barks at passing cars and strangers but is super submissive. She’s even rolled over for a bunny! She’s never bitten anybody, and only had the back of her neck fluff up at a handful of strangers in all her years. I wouldn’t trade her for any dog in the whole world.

  13. We have a lab-rotti, he barks at passerby’s but we have trained him not to go to be the greeter of our road. Most people were afraid of him but he was only saying hello. He is between 115-120lbs and full of love for everyone that is invited in our house. Anyone making a delivery or just driving by slow is announced loud and clear, bark is definitely worse than his bite. He is 6 now and has a front leg joint that slows him in the mornings or after his nap but wouldn’t think twice about launching himself of the deck(5steps up) to chase a chipmunk or rabbit in the back yard. Greets children with a big lick. So smart and eager to please.

  16. I have lab rottie,who looks totally like an adorable lab and has the temperament of a rottweiler with strangers,he will not think twice before ripping anyone apart,if the neec arises to save his pack. But he a mumma’s boy ,who likes to sleep on my lap,get a belly rub and play ball with me but the funny part is he will retrieve the ball and not give it to me,guess he is a half retriever😄😄. Cudnt have asked for anything for better.

  17. I totally disagree with everything I’ve read. I had at 4 weeks old great health n lived to be 20 years 2 months n 2 weeks n NEVER HAD ANY HEALTH PROBLEMS. HE ACTUALLY DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES SO NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR FACTS CLOSER. THANKS VIKKI DOOLEY

  18. Reading this made me my old “Labweiller” as we called him named Moose. He was a great dog, there is no doubt he’d lay down his life to protect the house or any of our family members. He liked kids too as long as they were small. Anything large person or animal he saw as a threat that must be dealt with.

    I found out that the people who owned his father had to get rid of him because of his overprotectiveness, so it must have been genetic? Lord was that dog stubborn too! He could see someone a 100 times and that 101st time comes he’s still gunna go for them every single time.

    I can’t count how many times friends with their kids would come over and when they went to leave I’d hear, “David you need to come out here and get your dog before you have 2 more kids.”. Every time I’d go outside to same scene, the kids playing with Moose between them and the parents barking, lunging, and snapping at them. Protecting those kids like the good dog he was!

    I still miss him every day.

  19. We just got a 2 month old pup. He seems to favor the Rottie side of things. We named him ‘Fang’ as he resembles Hagrid’s dog. Our 6 month old ‘Heinz 57’ has adopted him. Yeats ago we had another Labrottie that looked like the biggest Black Lab ever. Sweetie was about 120 lbs and the only thing that looked Rottie about him was his big head. EXTREMELY strong and gentle as a kitten.

  20. Bought our dog in 2013, her mother was a lab and she got pregnant when she went in a corn field,. The owner had no idea what the father was. And the puppies were black some of them had white spots on their chest and all of them had brown marbling on the bottom half of their legs. Ours is the blackest of them all only in certain light we can see the marbling. I’ve been looking at pictures of Labrotties and I’d say I’m 99.99% sure my dog is one. She looks just like a black lab. But she could make people turn around when at the door. She can also pull us and our three seater couch by tugging her toy when were holding it. And she hates water ??

  21. I have a beautiful chocolate lab who has a very protective personality. When i recently checked her records, she was microchipped as a lab rottie cross. I wonder if this is why. hahaha she is magnificent. would love to share a pic of her with you, and get your opinion if you think she looks like a mix. it would explain why she has no fear. she hates dogs fighting and thinks she is the park bouncer. she jumps in and gets them to stop. regardless is she is a pure lab or not, she is 100% dog and my best friend in the world.

  22. Wonderful read! I have a lovely labrottie that had been brought back to the shelter 3 times! He proved difficult to train, not quite house broken and huge. 120 lbs! He is amazing with our children. On one occasion our 9 month old daughter purposely shoved her fist down his throat when he tried to take her toast. He laid down in submission immediately and ran to me whimpering for protection from this 20 lb baby! He is very protective of our property and even an electric underground fence at full strength does not always keep him. In the yard if really feels there is a threat. And was quite aggressive towards the “threat”. In one case a thankfully very understanding jogger who he pinned to a fence snarling viciously. And so much barking! He chases butterflies out of the yard. He also pooped by the front door at night consistently no matter what we did. Worked with a trainer and learned it was his way of protecting us by marking the entry point for strangers. She suggested dog formulated cbd oil which has made all the difference! If you have one of these lovely dogs in a neighborhood I definitely recommend a strong high fence and slow introduction to friends who come by. Overall, great dog, and he has a forever home with us! Any dog that responds to commands from an infant is a keeper in my book!

  23. I have a 3-4 year old Labrottie that I just rescued from my local shelter. Only had him 2 weeks and now he’s growling and barking at me over my bed, or trying to get him OFF my bed so I can go to bed and tonight he’s been growling/barking at me over a tennis ball and stuff toy. Not sure what to do.

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