The Rottweiler dates back to the days of the Roman Empire where the legions of conquerers needed dogs to guard the herds of cattle they brought along for food. These tough, durable dogs used to guard the herd are the ancestors of the modern Rottweiler.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, these dogs found a new home in the town of Rottweil where the got their name from. There they helped cattle farmers bring their herds from the pastures to the market. The invention of the railroad cattle car eventually put left the Rottweiler without a job in the 1800s.
This versatile, durable breed of dog quickly adapted, taking roles as police dogs, search and rescue dogs, and guide dogs for the blind. The Rottweiler is truly a blue-collar dog and little has changed from its first breed standard in 1901. It now ranks as the eighth most popular dog breed according to the AKC.
Poodle Breed History:
While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over 400 years ago. In German, “pudelin” refers to the splashing in water that the dogs would do to retrieve waterfowl. The Poodle’s curly, weatherproof coat as well as its natural swimming ability and high intelligence made it an excellent retriever.
Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe. To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France. The entertainment industry then caught on to the Poodle’s showy looks, intelligence, and ease of trainability and gave them a prominent role in circus acts across the world.
While the Poodle started out as the “standard” variety, eventually the miniature and toy variations were bred. The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog. Due to the many positive personality traits and its hypoallergenic coat, Poodles are now commonly bred with a wide variety of other breeds to produce the “designer” hybrid dogs known and loved by many as “doodles.”
Rottie Poo / Rottle Breed History:
As one of the less common types of doodle, not much is known about the Rottie Poo’s history. It was likely first intentionally bred sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s but no one breeder is recognized as being the first to bring the Rottie Poo into existence.
We can assume that the Rottweiler Poodle mix was first bred to combine the intelligence of these two breeds in a durable, large-figured body with less tendency for shedding or provoking allergies.
They’re predominantly bred from Standard Poodles rather than Mini Poodles or Toy Poodles due to size differences. As adults, expect Rottie Poos to weigh between 50 and 110 pounds and stand between 15 and 27 inches tall.
Rottie Poo / Rottle Coat & Grooming:
The coat of a Rottie Poo can be shorter and single-layered like the Rottweiler or curly, longer, and double-layered like the Poodle. How often you need to brush a Rottle is partially determined by how curly their coat ends up. As a good rule of thumb, 2-3 times a week is a good frequency to brush your Rottie Poo.
The colors of this breed vary and can be either single-colored or multi-colored. Some potential colors are black, white, brown, and cream.
Are Rottles Hypoallergenic? Do Rottles Shed?
Rottles tend to be lower-shedding than Rottweilers but usually not completely non-shedding like Poodles. With 50% Rottweiler DNA and 50% Poodle DNA, exactly how much your Rottle puppy will shed and how allergy provoking they may be largely comes down to luck.
If your heart is set on a Rottle puppy, try to opt for a generation that is closer to Poodle than Rottweiler. For example F1B Rottles are 75% Poodle and only 25% Rottweiler where an F1 Rottle is just 50% Poodle and 50% Rottweiler. They may cost more money, but these F1B or F2B Rottles are more likely to be hypoallergenic. Even so, with genetics, nothing is guaranteed. For more information on this, check out our doodle generation guide.
Rottweiler Poodle Mix Health & Wellness
Rottie Poo / Rottle Lifespan:
The average lifespan of a Rottie Poo is in the range of 9 to 12 years.
Rottie Poo / Rottle Common Health Concerns:
While mixed breeds like the Rottie Poo are in general less prone to genetic health issues, there are still some more common ones amongst this breed that you should be aware of. Hip Dysplasia, Cancer, Patellar Luxation, and Bloating are all common health concerns in the Poodle and/or the Rottweiler and therefore could appear in Rottles as well.
Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.
Rottles are loyal and protective dogs. There are pros and cons that come with this. They make great guard dogs, being large enough and wary enough of strangers to be intimidating to potential intruders.
However, some insurance companies deem the Rottweiler as an aggressive breed and won’t write homeowners insurance or renters insurance policies to those living with one. While this doesn’t always apply to mixed breeds, be sure to check with your insurance agent.
Rottie Poos tend to be good with both children and other pets so long as they are socialized early on as a puppy. In addition, Rottles come from two very intelligent breeds so they are bound to be very smart as well. This makes them easier to train than lots of other breeds.
Rottie Poo / Rottle Activity Requirements:
The Poodle Rottweiler mix is not for those looking for a couch potato companion. Rottie Poo dogs need plenty of exercise each day. Not only are walks good, but trips to the dog park, hiking, swimming, and outdoor games are also recommended.
At a minimum, 60 minutes of exercise daily is necessary, but ideally more than that. While you can in theory still exercise them enough without it, Rottie Poos will likely be happier in a home that has a large yard to run around in…and maybe even a dog door!
