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Getting to Know the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix

By Jacquelyn Kennedy
Updated on

Do you want a smart and powerful dog as a companion?

The German Shepherd Rottweiler mix has both of these qualities and makes an amazing companion for those who can live with this powerful animal.

The thing with mixed-breed dogs is that we can only make predictions about their behavior, health concerns, appearance, etc. because everything depends on how their genres are ultimately expressed.

So, in this blog, I’ll talk about the awesome German Shepherd Rottweiler mix and everything there is to know about this breed!

So, are you ready to know this dog?

Amazing!

If Looks Could Kill: The Physical Appearance

I have divided this section into smaller sections for the sake of your understanding.

In this section of the article, I’ll go over a few things, like the aliases, the expression of genes, and the basic looks of the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix.

So, let’s begin, shall we?

German shepherd rottweiler

The Various Aliases That The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Goes By!

Since the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix is the mix of two different breeds, it goes by various aliases that merge these two names together.

There are a lot of names that are used for this doggy.

Let’s take a look:

  • Rottweiler Shepherd
  • Shepweiler
  • Rotten Shepherd
  • Shottie
  • Rottie Shepherd

Cool names, right?

The Shottie is a designer breed that is a result of mixing the second most popular dog breed—the German Shepherd—with the ninth most popular dog breed—the Rottweiler.

Of course, the Rottweiler and the German Shepherd are the most recognizable dog breeds and the Shottie gets the best of both worlds!

The Lineage of German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix

In this section, I’ll very briefly touch on the subject of the Rottweiler Shepherd’s parentage.

As I have previously discussed, predicting the looks of a designer-breed dog is a gamble, and parentage has a big role in how your dog will turn out.
So, let’s take a look!

The German Shepherd

German shepherd dog

The German Shepherd is a tall, medium-sized dog with a muscular body and weighs between 50 – 80 pounds. 

This dog is a herding breed.

Other popular German Shepherd mixes include:

The Rottweiler

Rottweiler dog

On the other hand, the Rottweiler is a large and tall dog. The dog has an intimidating and powerful physique and weighs between 75 – 129 pounds.

This breed likes to work.

The Physical Appearance of A German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix

The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix’s physical appearance totally depends upon how his genes are expressed.

This means that one pup may look like a German Shepherd while the other might look like a Rottweiler.

Coloring

A German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix puppy can have the following colors:

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

Usually, from what I’ve seen, the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix puppies tend to get their coloring from their German Shepherd side of the family, while the facial features are from the Rottweiler side of the family.

But there is no hard and fast rule.

Coat

German Shepherds have thick and medium-length coats, while the Rottweiler sports a thick and short coat.

So, you see, a German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix would most likely have a coat that is:

  • Either identical to one of the parent breeds
  • The middle ground between the two

Now, chances are that the dog will have a coat closer to that of a German Shepherd, but it is too hard to say anything for sure.

However, one thing is for sure.

Your German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix will need some good grooming and regular brushing.

I strongly suggest you grind the dog’s nails as early as possible and buy some good dog grooming brushes.

I have written about the need for nail grinding and the best nail grinders available in the market over here.

Other than that…

I recommend the Petter Pet Grooming Brush and the Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush if you’re looking for a good dog brush.

Moving on!

It’s All In The Personality: Basic Behavior Traits

In this section of the article, I’d like to go through the basic behavior traits of the German Shepherd Rottweiler mix.

As you know by now, most of the traits are inherited by the dog from its parents. We can’t be 100% sure which traits are dominant in your dog’s behavior.

That being said, let’s dive in!

German shepherd rottweiler

Intelligent

The German Shepherd Rottweiler mix is a very intelligent little doggy.

Intelligence runs in its blood since this dog’s parents are known for this trait.

So, I can assure you that this doggy will be very sharp and easy to train!

Guard dog

German Shepherds are known to be great guard dogs; this is one trait that the German Shepherd Rottweiler mix inherited from that side of its family.

So, you shouldn’t worry too much about yourself (or your home) if you have a Shottie for a pet!

Confident

This dog has a mind of its own and is extremely confident.

The fact is that both of this dog’s parents are known to be very confident and bold—a trait that this dog was bound to inherit!

On to the next one…

Loyal

If you know anything about this dog’s parents’ breed, you know that they are as loyal as any dog can be.

And this, I feel, is one of the best traits a dog can have.

Depending on the dog, your furry friend could either be a family or a one-master dog.

Alert

This dog is an alert one and always on the lookout for potential threats.

If you live in a relatively unsafe neighborhood, then having a German Shepherd Rottweiler mix for a pet is a very good idea.

Devoted

The German Shepherd Rottweiler mix is a very devoted dog and always tries to please its master.

This breed inherited this trait from the Rottweiler side of the family.

Calm

Rottweilers are known to be calm, and this trait is also inherited by the German Shepherd Rottweiler mix!

I hope I have explained all these behavior traits to you simply.

Now, let’s talk about food and nutrition, shall we?

Feeding The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix

The German Shepherd Rottweiler mix has nutritional requirements similar to those of the German Shepherd.

So, in order to find the best food for you, you can take a look at a food guide that I wrote about earlier: Best Dog Food for German Shepherds.

But there’s a catch!

I would encourage you to consult a vet for a good diet plan for your dog because they will be able to guide you better about your dog’s nutritional needs, health concerns, and sensitivities. Some vets consider fresh prepped homemade dog food to be superior to other dog food, but just like humans, sometimes cheap fast food is needed to save time and money, and that’s okay!

One high-quality and inexpensive dog food that I would recommend to you is the Taste of Wild Canine Formula.

Moving on…

German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix Health Concerns

Each and every dog breed has a few health concerns that dog owners need to be on the lookout for.

And the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix is not an exception to that rule.

In this section of the blog, I’ll like to go through a few health concerns that plague this breed.

So, let’s take a look, shall we?

Cancer

Yes, cancer also affects dogs.

In fact, it is the leading cause of dogs over the age of 10!

Your Shottie’s parentage makes the dog more prone to this disease. So, you should keep an eye out for the symptoms of cancer in dogs.

Moving on...

Eye Disease

For some reason, the German Shepherd Rottweiler mix is really prone to getting eye diseases such as cherry eye, conjunctivitis, dry eyes, etc.

Most of these eye diseases are treatable.

You can read more about them here.

Heart Problems

Heart diseases in dogs are treatable as well as curable.

That being said…

If heart diseases are left untreated (or unnoticed), they can even cause death!

You can read more about heart diseases in dogs over here.

Conclusion

The German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix is a good-natured, confident, and loyal dog resulting from the union of a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler.

There’s a catch.

With designer or mixed-breed dogs, it is really hard to predict how the genes will be expressed. So, this means that one puppy could have physical and temperamental traits totally different from that of another puppy from the same litter!

I hope I could explain everything you need to know about the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix to you!

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About the author

Jacquelyn Kennedy

PetDT was founded by Jacquelyn Kennedy, a dog lover and pet admirer. She built the website to provide pet owners with information, experiences, and opinions on breeds, temperament, personalities, health, nutrition, products, and care.

4 thoughts on “Getting to Know the German Shepherd Rottweiler Mix”

  1. I appreciate how you broke it down into sections.
    I now have more knowledge on the mix breed and feel very positive and excited in my decision to adopt a loving dog and give him a loving and forever home ❤Thank you!!!

  2. We have our “Gibs” .. Sheap/rotti puppy. He is now 3.5 months old and he an absolute pleasure. Stubborn at times but trains well and learns fast. Great around the kids but gets to be a little to much for my 9yr old as she gets scared. We have no regrets in getting him an look forward to having a loyal friend for the family
    Love the article and gave new info on some things we didn’t find.

  3. Well I had to admit, this mix is pretty cute! I think I’d rather just have a full blooded German Shepherd though, I love those dogs. But I do love that Rottie coloration!

  4. So how the puppies will look will depend on the gene expression of the German Shepherd- since the Rotty will have Black and Tan Recessive genes- while German Sheperds could have the Sable Dominant Gene….

    This means if you cross a Rotty with a “Sable” GSD- you will get a lot of sable + black&tan/rotty colored shepherds.
    If you cross a Rotty with a “Black&Tan” or “Black” GSD- You will get mostly rotty colored shepherds- AKA the result of the coloration most people are looking for!

    This also means there will never be Rotty Belgian Malinois mix with the Rotty’s coloration because most Mal’s are Fawn or Wild Type- which would be expressed over the Rotty’s coloration almost always since its much more favored to go into the more dominant Fawn expression (solid tan coat with a blacked face mask)

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