German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix – Breed Facts And Complete Guide

• Origin: German
• Size: Large
• Dog Breed Group: Working Dogs, Guard Dogs, Family Dogs
• Purebred: No Cross Breed
• Lifespan: 10-1 Years
• Height: 22 -27 Inches Tall (56-68 Cm)
• Weight: 75-115 Pounds (34 – 52 Kg)
• Coat Appearance: Double Coat
• Coat Colors: Black, Gray, Cream, Red, Blue, Tan, Silver
• Temperament: Alert, Athletic,  Affectionate, Cheerful,  Energetic, Friendly,  Intelligent, Lively,   Loyal,  Protective, Pleasant, Responsive, Social, Spirited, Territorial, Watchful
• Good With Children: Yes
• Intelligence Level: High
• Good With Pets: Yes Under Supervision
• Hypoallergenic: No
• Grooming: High
• Shedding: Moderate To High
• Barking: Barks When Necessary
• Suitable For Apartments: No
• Need For Exercise: High
• Easy To Train: Yes
• Good For First Time Owners: Yes
• Health Issues: Hip Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Atopic Dermatitis, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, Bloat, And Hypothyroidism
• Average Price: 300- 800 Usd

If you want a dog who is

• A powerhouse of energy, agility, stamina and absolutely handsome
• Looks Striking and stern, and makes an excellent watchdog
• Powerful and protective. No harm can happen to his family when he is around
• Smart, Loyal and quite the lookers in the canine world.
• Happy, playful, sociable dog
• Eager to toil, play, please and do stuff

Well, a Shepweiler may be right for you.  

 If you don’t want to deal with

• Low boredom threshold. Destructive when bored or left alone for long periods
• Energetic exercise requirements
• Stubborn, demanding and bossy if given the chance
• Resolute dog, needs a person of natural authority with a dominant personality stronger than the dog’s
• High prey drive. They will love to chase chipmunks. squirrels and rabbits, so are wary if you have small pets

A Shepweiler may not be right for you…keep looking

Appearance

Their appearance is not standardized and may vary based on the dominant parental gene. Since both breeds are of a larger size, your Shepweiler will likely be a mid-level large dog.

As experienced breeders reveal, the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix puppies tend to get the build and pattern from the Rottweiler side of the family while their shape and coloration from their GSD side of the family.

All hybrids of this GSR mix will be stocky and sturdy to some degree, but they can transmit it differently.

Facial Region

The Shepweiler head is a straight back but relatively short compared to its parent breeds. Long and strong, sharp muzzle forming a wedge-shape with tightly built-in lips.  They have deep almond-shaped eyes, black nose, and big ears.

Body

Both his parent breeds are natural, hard-working dogs. So, clearly, the Rottie Shepherd is going to have a sturdy, muscular appearance. Strong neck which is free from any loose folds of skin.

The dog’s withers are higher and sloping to the level back. Muscularly developed back is straight and comparatively short.  Long shoulder blades which are obliquely angled laid flat and are not placed forward.

The Shepweiler forequarters are similar to that of a German shepherd with a broad chest.  Broad, well-muscled thighs – upper and lower thighs form almost a right angle.

They have slanting hips, long legs, and big feet. Their perky arse which shoots up when they listen to anything suspicious, or else, they tend to lie down. The hairy tail of a GSR mix is set smoothly into the croup.

German Shepherd (black, white and brown) can be mixed with some smart breeds to produce impressive mix breeds; likewise Rottweilers are also mixed with various breeds. Some interesting mix breeds are:

German Shepherd + Siberian Husky = German Shepherd Husky Mix

German Shepherd + Golden Retriever = German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix

German Shepherd + Pitbull = German Shepherd Pitbull Mix

Coat Color

• Black
• Gray
• Cream
• Red
• Blue
• Tan
• Silver

Two awesome Temperaments!  German shepherd vs Rottweiler

• GSD is a typical herder that is loyal and very protective. The breed is also very sharp and shrewd; they can sense what they are supposed to do before being told.
• Meanwhile, the Rottweiler is also a herder, loyal and affectionate breed. Overall, your German shepherd-Rottweiler mix will be smart and intelligent while thrives on guarding its household or family members and generally is alert, affectionate and devoted.
• Since they have herding instincts in their veins, watch them around smaller pets like cats and kids. Otherwise, you might witness lots of chasing.
• You will need to also be very watchful about his training and socialization to avoid some of the potential issues with extraneous guarding that these mixes demonstrate.
• Clever, courageous, confident, caring, cheerful, committed, cordial, censorious, captivating and comparatively non-aggressive (if trained properly); they love to play around with their owners.
• When rottie shepherds are improperly socialized or left alone too much, they can get separation anxiety.
• If they’re confronted with unfamiliar people or pets and haven’t been taught how to behave, their guarding inclinations can result in barking, snapping and even nipping.
• Early socialization will also significantly help with them not getting into any conflicts with other animals or pets you have at home.
• This is one smart dog that knows how to set priorities. He can be level-headed, loyal, friendly towards his owners but when comes to the job, he is an active beau and will be always ‘on the alert’ of his surroundings.
• What’s more, is an excellent companion dog, this dog is also recognized to be a tremendous working dog and will stand by your side through thick and thin.

For first time owners

German shepherd-Rottweiler mix is a good choice for first time owners, thanks to their high intelligence levels.

Having said that, you must keep one thing in mind- it’s EXTREMELY important that you train your German Shepherd- Rottweiler Mix dog from a very young age, therefore tweaking his ability to kowtow to your standards and adopt more positive characteristics.

Also, these dogs will grow up to become relatively large dogs with a whole lot of physical strength to them, which will make your training much more difficult.

However, their shrewdness makes training easy, so considering this – Rottie shepherds make good pets for novice owners.

Adaptability

• Apartment Living – No
• Good For First-Time Owners – Good
• Sensitivity Level – High
• Loneliness – Hates To Be Left Alone
• Cold Weather – Average
• Hot Weather – Average

Friendliness

• With Family – High
• Kids – Good (If Properly Trained)
• Other Dogs – Good (If Properly Trained)
• With Cats – Good, If Raised Together
• Strangers – Suspicious

General Behavior

• Independence – Average
• Dominance – High
• Combativeness – Aggressive
• Indoors – Active
• Outdoor – Highly Active
• Territorial – Yes
• Easy Of Transportation – Good

• Exercise Needs – High
• Intensity – High
• Activity Level – High
• Exercise Requirements – >60 Minutes/Day
• Walk Mileage/ Week – 10 Miles
• Playfulness – High
• Grooming Needs – High
• Tendency To Drool – No
• To Snore – No
• Bark – High
• Dig – Low
• Social/Attention Needs – High

Calorie considerations – A typical, healthy Rottie shepherds should be fed about 40-50 calories worth of food per pound of body weight. So,

-the puppy (four to 12 months) who doesn’t exercise a lot, weighing an average of 10lbs, needs around 500 calories per day, split between two or three meals (¾ to 1½ cups of dry dog food).

-An active, adult dog in the (55-75 lbs) range should get around 1500-1700 calories per day.

-Sedentary Rottie shepherds need 1000-1200 calories per day

-The average adult Rottie shepherds should get 1500 calories per day.

• Daily cost – $1.50 – $2.00 (average)
• Monthly cost – $45.00 – $60.00
• Pups between eight and 12 weeks old – 3 meals every 24 hours (300g- 700g).
• 3 to 6 months old –  3 meals every 24 hour period (700-1000g)
• Feed puppies 6 months to 1 year – 2 bowls of food daily (1000g)
• After his first birthday, one bowl or two smaller bowls every 24 hours is typically all that’s necessary.

Remember, the feedings depend on puppy’s build, eating tendencies and depending on their activity level.

• Dogs weighing-35 kg = 400g to 550g
• 50 kg =700g
• 60 kg = 800g

Adult dogs need to be fed a high-quality diet that meets all their dietary and nutritional requirements while keeping a close eye on a dog’s weight.

Here is a rough feeding guide for your glance.

• Protein content should be anything from 14 – 25%
• Carb content should be 30 to 60%
• Fiber content should be less than 4%
• Fat content should be less than 10%
• Calcium content should be 0.5 – 0.8%
• Phosphorous content should be 0.4 – 0.7%
• Sodium content should be 0.2 – 0.4%

• Trainability – Easy
• Intelligence – High
• Memory – High
• Mouthiness – Low
• Prey Drive – High
• Wanderlust potential – Average

Regardless of how muscular, physically daunting and intimidating-looking they are, will grow up to become supreme sweethearts toward the people who treat them right if they’re given proper training and socialization early in puppyhood.

This dog is one of the cleverest canines out there, just like both of its parents. This means that they won’t give you such a hard time in training and they will be quick on the uptake.

The German Shepherd Rottweiler mix puppies without proper obedience training from puppyhood, they often grow up to have problems following orders of others because they think that they’re the pack leader and not the follower.

Providing that you stick to the right basics of dog training- such as positive reinforcement, making yourself as the alpha( pack leader) and remaining consistent all through the training, you’ll be more than fine and you’ll find that training this canine is actually a pleasure.

It’s highly recommended that pet parents/trainers expose their puppy to as many people, pets and noises as possible so as to make sure they get a friendly dog once their pup reaches adulthood.

German Shepherd Rottweiler mix requires lots of physical activity and this dog also needs serious mental stimulation. Keep him busy with training sessions and interesting games every day.

They are generally cannot be contained in an apartment, need a minimum of 1 – 2 long walks a day, keep catch sessions short, allow him to spent some time on his own in the yard ( if you have one) and take him as your jogging companion ( but after his bone structure is strong enough to go for jogging).

Like most independent and confident dogs, they do not respond well to any sort of heavy-handed training or cold correction methods.

Nevertheless, they do respond well to positive reinforcement in the form of praise or treats which gets the best results from these sensitive, smart dogs.  Add to the fact that they’re extremely intelligent and you’ll see why shepweilers are a breeze to train!

• Coat Density – Thick
• Length – Medium
• Texture – Wiry Straight
• Brushing Frequency – Daily
• Trimming/Stripping – Yes
• Hypoallergenic – No
• Shedding – High

As far as shedding is concerned, if your German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix inherits the coat from their GSD parent, then you have to face the reality that they will shed excessively and especially more during shedding seasons.

This means that you need to brush their coat on a daily basis to remove loose fur before it sheds. Always use a brush that can reach deeper layers of the coat. Otherwise, you’ll be doing lots of vacuuming and cleaning.

In general, the Shottie most often takes their coat from their Rottweiler parents, which means that they won’t shed as much as GSD’s.

Make grooming your dog a part of your regular routine, at least 5-10 minute daily and pooch-pampering sessions to keep his coat healthy, shiny and tangle free.  Bathing can also help with excessive shedding.

Keep him away from dirty patches, brush him, and he’ll take care of the rest.

Some major health problems with this breed include:

Hip Dysplasia – Hip dysplasia is a common canine hip problem caused by a deformity in the hip joint that affects one or both of the hips.

Elbow dysplasia – Irregular development or deformity of the elbow joint which causes damage to the cartilage surface of the joint – a process called osteochondrosis or OCD.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy – A hereditary disease of the retina that includes several different genetic diseases (Similar to retinitis pigmentosa in humans) that lead to the degeneration of the retina.

Atopic dermatitis – Airborne pollens, animal dander, Food Allergies, Dust mites, Flea, and tick bites

 Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency – This is a malabsorption and maldigestion condition that is caused by a degenerative disease of the pancreas resulting in a reduction of pancreatic exocrine secretion in the small intestine. So the absorption of food and digestion is greatly impaired.

Cataracts – This typically affects senior Dogs

Hypothyroidism – Hypothyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed hormone disorder in the dog and it is a congenital disorder of thyroid gland, causing abnormalities in physical and mental development.

Bloat – This is also known as “Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV),” twisted stomach or “stomach torsion,” which is second only to cancer as a cause of death in dogs.

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Price

You should expect to pay between $300 to $800 but can go all the way up to $1000 for your German Shepherd- Rottweiler Mix puppy depending on the breeder, pedigree, vaccination details etc.. Always make sure to buy your puppy from a reputable breeder or look at local dog shelters.

Recommended Read: Questions You Should Ask A Breeder Before Buying A Pup

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Breeders

The good way to start is by searching for a good breeder on national kennel or breed clubs. Start your search with breed rescue groups.

Check with Rottweiler and GSD rescue groups in your state and let them know what you are looking for in the event that they know of an eligible cross available for adoption.

It’s not necessary to go to a local SPCA or animal shelter these days to find out what dogs they have. Most organizations have a strong online presence and in social platforms such as Facebook.