If you’re the kind of person who loves long walks with a faithful, loving companion and friend, then the Labrottie might as well be the perfect four-legged friend for you. The Rottweiler Labrador Mix is a fun and energetic crossbreed that is so full of zest, you’ll be the one to give up even though you consider yourself to be physically fit. These dogs are fiercely loyal to their human family that they can become overprotective if they sense you’re being threatened. Their devotion to you is unmatched and their affection is immeasurable.
However, if you think the Labrottie is the perfect dog for anyone, you’d be wrong. They need special care and attention that novice dog owners may not be fully prepared to provide. Before you jump right in into this whole Labrottie pet parenthood thing, why don’t you spend several minutes to read more about this adorable yet quite an unpredictable hybrid? It will be well worth it.
History of the Labrottie
We definitely would like to give you information as to the history of the Labrottie, also known as Labweiler by the Designer Breed Registry. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of knowledge as to who or when or where the Labrottie was first developed. What is known is that it is the result of mating two purebred parents – the Labrador retriever and the Rottweiler.
It is very important to understand the difficulty of establishing any credible ‘standards’ of the designer breed. This is because of the possibility of crossing dogs that already have other breeds mixed in them. For purposes of discussion, we’d like to point out that a true Labrottie hybrid is one that came from the mating between a Rottweiler purebred and a Labrador purebred. Geneticists call this the F1 hybrid and offer a 50-50 split in the genetic information afforded by both parents.
Unfortunately, there are some designers that do not use purebred parents. For example, they may use an F1 Labrottie and mate this with a Rottweiler purebred or a Labrador purebred. This leads to a Labrottie genetic composition that is 75% Rottweiler and 25% Labrador or vice versa, depending on the purebred parent that was used in mating with the F1 Labrottie. This hybrid is called an F1B crossbreed. As such, you can expect the characteristics of an F1B Labrottie to be more varied than an F1 hybrid.
But wait, it gets more complicated if the breeder will cross two F1 Labrotties, known as an F2 hybrid. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is the same as mating two purebreds. Sadly, it isn’t the case. Crossing two F1 hybrids do not result in a 50-50 split in the Labrador and Rottweiler genome. Instead, one has to look at the individual genetic characteristics of the two F1 Labrotties and not its grandparents.
Given that the process of crossbreeding can be quite complicated, it is best to get a Labrottie whose parents are purebred Rottweiler and purebred Labrador retriever. This is to help minimize any genetic variations that can have a significant impact on how your Labrottie behaves.
Who are the Parents?
Answering the question, “Who is the Labrottie?”, invariably boils down to one’s understanding of the Labrador and Rottweiler as this crossbreed’s parents. So who are these two purebreds?
Labrador Retriever
Loved by the Americans, revered by the Brits, and definitely adored by the Canadians and the rest of the world, there’s no doubt that the Labrador retriever is the planet’s most endearing hound. It is the quintessential family dog – kind, gentle, and trusting. It is highly valued for its mild manners and even temperament that even if kids will be hustling the Lab with all their might, this gentle giant takes them all with that warm smile and gleeful eyes on its face.
The Lab has long been a favorite companion of fishermen and workers at the harbor of St. John in Newfoundland, Canada. It helped them reel in fishing nets, retrieve items on the water, and even carry important messages from one fishing boat to another right in the Bay. It’s a working dog and one that truly loves what it does.
Today, however, the Lab has long shed its fisherman’s friend status, although there are still those that aid in the hunt. The Lab is now taking on a variety of roles from therapy work to police assistance. Its intelligence and eagerness to please its human master allow the Lab to easily learn new tricks and incorporate these into its growing bag of skills.
Their gentle nature and mild temperament make them the best four-legged therapists on the planet. They don’t care how you smell or how debilitating your condition is. All they care about is your well-being. A fully-trained service Lab can be the eyes and ears of people who no longer have the faculties of sight and hearing. They can safely navigate you across obstacles, help you cross the busy street, and even climb up and down stairs.
Their loyalty is immeasurable. We’ve heard plenty of stories of Labs traveling hundreds of miles just to go home. Some spend years in the exact same spot where their owners last left them in the hope that they will return. Very few breeds of dogs can display such commitment and loyalty to one’s human companion. It does make you want to wish you had a human friend like that.
Rottweiler
Aside from the Pitbull Terrier, no other breed of dog has been more maligned than the Rottweiler; no thanks to media that have continuously portrayed these otherwise good-natured, calm, devoted, self-assured, and obedient dogs as the dog world’s bad boys. It really is sad that a lot of people have negative impressions about the Rottweiler when all the negative publicity the breed has been taking were all the result of bad pet parenting. In the hands of a good pet parent who knows how to train and socialize his dog, the Rottweiler is one of the best breeds one can ever ask for.
Rottweilers descended from massive drover dogs used by the ancient Roman armies in driving cattle to their camps while the men are actively engaged in conquest. It would simply be a waste of resources to have men drive cattle across treacherous terrain so dogs were used. Besides, these drover dogs also guarded both the cattle and the camp at night when everyone else is sound asleep. These ancient dogs were revered for their endurance, resilience, dependability, strength, intelligence, and unparalleled guarding capabilities.
When fully trained and socialized, the Rottweiler can show its good-natured side. It is devoted and committed to performing the work that it was trained to do. While it is valued for its courage and alertness, the Rottweiler can have a very reserved personality. They are not as showy and clingy as other breeds, but you’ll know that the Rottie will always be there for you when you need it to.
It’s a guard dog that can also be a very amiable family pet. However, it answers only to a stable, confident, firm, calm, and assertive pack leader. Anything less simply won’t suffice. Being a family protector can have its own set of pros and cons. It’s always good for you as its family, but may not be the case for others who may simply want to pay you a visit. A well-trained Rottie will never be aggressive. It will only show its typical reserved side as if sizing up your visitor from a distance.
Rotties are workaholics. And if you happen to forget giving it its daily exercise, it will handily remind you to do so the next time around. They’re full of energy that they need a lot of physically demanding activities to dispense of such energy. Rotties are intelligent, too. As such, they get easily bored. The combination of intelligence and high energy can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t know how to properly manage it.
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Quick Facts
Now that we have an idea of the parents of a Labrottie or a Labweiler, we can now establish some facts related to the designer breed. Do take note that these facts are based on the assumption that your Labrottie is the offspring of a Rottweiler and Labrador purebred dogs. If you have an F1B or even an F2 Labrottie hybrid, there’s a possibility that the traits you’ll see will be highly varied compared to F1 crossbreeds.
- The Rottweiler Lab Mix is duly recognized as a crossbreed type of dog by the International Designer Canine Registry, the Designer Dogs Kennel Club, the American Canine Hybrid Club, the Dog Registry of America, and the Designer Breed Registry.
- Aside from Labrottie, the Rottweiler Lab Mix have also been called other names such as the Rottador, the Rottwador, the Labweiler, the Rotten Lab, and the Rott’n Lab, although we strongly denounce using the last two as they’re somewhat derogatory.
- The Labweiler is classified as a big size of dog in the working and sporting classifications.
- It can be as light as 70 pounds and as heavy as 115 pounds. Regardless, this is a hybrid that is considered a heavyweight among its peers.
- It can be as tall as 24 inches, although we’re pretty sure the Rottweiler Lab Mix can grow even taller since the Rottie can reach up to 27 to 28 inches.
- The Rottweiler Lab Mix can have short- or medium-length hair, but always double coat. The outer coat can be straight, flat, and coarse while the undercoat is usually soft.
- While the Rottador’s coat is relatively short, it is not hypoallergenic as it is known to shed a bit on the moderate side.
- The color of the Labrottie’s coat can be black, brown, gray, and a combination of tan and black.
Things You Should Know
The Rottweiler Lab Mix is an adorable designer breed, there’s no question about that. Imagine combining the gentle and playful nature of the Lab with the high energy and loyalty of the Rottie and you can almost be assured of a winning combo. Unfortunately, this will only happen if the parents of the Labrottie were both raised by responsible pet parents and were duly trained and socialized as puppies. However, even with both parents having good temperaments, there’s no fool-proof way of knowing that your Labrottie will have the same characteristics and temperament as its parents. As they say, you’ll only know what you got once it has reached full maturity.
And for that, let’s take a moment to really understand what the Labrottie truly is. Again, please take note that these observations are expressed in the general sense. They may or may not pertain to your Labrottie.
Training
Some pet parents find training the Labrottie quite easy. This is quite understandable since both its parents are highly intelligent breeds. They are motivated to work and would stop at nothing to learn a new trick or two if only to satisfy their human master or to accomplish a task expected by their pack leader. We failed to mention, however, that these pet parents already have a fair understanding of the unique requirements of rewards-based training in dogs. We strongly oppose the use of punishment or any harsh methods to teach dogs. We are instilling fear in them, not letting them learn the more positive way.
Training a Labrottie should never be different from the training of any other dog, be it purebred or otherwise. Positive reinforcement techniques work best by appealing to the dog’s innate pleasure-seeking behaviors. Whatever gives them happiness is used as a reward. For instance, all dogs love treats. The careful use of doggie treats can help teach a dog like the Labrottie to associate a certain action with something really pleasant. You may call it bribing, but it is more a reward since the treat comes immediately after the desired action.
If you’re not confident about your skills in dog training, you can still bring home a Labrottie. However, you should hire an experienced dog trainer to help you train your Rottador right from puppyhood.
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Feeding
Seventy pounds is never light. And that is just the lower limit of the possible weight of a Labweiler. You’re looking at a minimum of 1,700 calories per day for a 70-pound active and intact Labrottie. If you have a Labrottie in the upper limit of the designer breed’s weight range, you’re looking at about 2,200 calories per day. In other words, you’d have to be prepared to supply your Labrottie with the correct amounts of high-quality, animal protein-based dog food. It’s not cheap, to put it simply.
Additionally, instead of going the usual twice daily feeding, it’s better to feed your Rottador three times a day to lessen the amount of dog food it eats with each meal. This can help minimize the risk of bloat which this hybrid is especially known to develop. The question now is that, if you are going to leave your Labrottie at home, who will feed it its second meal?
Rottweiler Lab Mixes are also prone to being overweight and obesity, especially if they are leading a very sedentary lifestyle like their human masters. In such cases, portion control is a must while also taking note of its food intake.
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Exercise
Labrotties come from parents that are known for their high energy. As such, it is expected that Labweilers will also have the same levels of energy. They need to go out every day on relatively long walks of about 30 to 60 minutes in duration. If not, they can always play a game of catch for a good one hour. The issue here is in the dog owner. Do you have the stamina to match your Labrottie’s energy?
Of course, you can always forego the exercise thing. However, you should be ready with consequences such as chewing, incessant barking, biting, digging, and other forms of destructive canine behavior. Hey, it’s not your Labrottie’s fault that it has to look for other means to use up all of that energy inside its body.
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Socialization
A Labrottie that is not socialized from puppyhood has the tendency to be standoffish. It may have an easy-going personality, but it will never be on good terms with other pets and other persons.
All of these can be addressed if you socialize your Labrottie as soon as you get it home. Bring it to the dog park or anywhere else where it can mingle with other dogs. Be prepared with the leash, though. If you can socialize a Labrottie, it may still be able to learn how to live peacefully with other pets.
This is a large dog and as such should never be allowed to play with very small children even though you have socialized your Labweiler. Your dog may have learned to control its outbursts, but your kid sure doesn’t know the boundaries of petting.
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Grooming
Because of their relatively short coat, Labrotties are very easy to groom. Weekly brushing is all that is needed to maintain the shine and health of its coat. However, if you think you have a hypoallergenic crossbreed in your family, you’d be grossly mistaken. This hybrid is a moderate shedder. It doesn’t blow hair all year round, but when it does, a good and powerful pet hair vacuum would come in handy.
Bathing may have to be done on a monthly basis especially if your Labrottie loves playing in the mud and getting really dirty. Brushing the teeth on a daily basis is also recommended, although we do know how difficult it can be to brush their teeth every day. At least give it thorough oral care twice or thrice a week. Don’t forget to clean its ears and trim its nails, too.
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Health
No dog is ever free from diseases, not even a sturdy crossbreed like the Labrottie. Being a large dog, it also inherits some of the very common health conditions that affect large breeds. These can include hip dysplasia, bloat eye problems, epilepsy, allergies, ear infections, bone cancer, and obesity.
Make sure to check for any inheritable disease that the Labrottie’s parents may have had as these can also be easily passed on to the Rottweiler Lab Mix.
You really need to consider getting a Labrottie into your home if you…
- Already have experience caring for dogs
- Have a very clear understanding of training and socializing crossbreeds and know exactly how to train and socialize the Labrottie
- Love going for long walks and generally enjoy the great outdoors
- Enjoy playing with dogs and giving them the attention that they need
- Can commit to a regular grooming routine for your Labrottie
- Do not have allergies or anyone else in your household
- Live in a relatively large house, preferably with a backyard
- Always have someone at home to take care of and supervise the Labrottie
Regrettably, we don’t recommend the Labweiler to the following folks:
- Those with young children as well as other pets in the home
- Individuals who clearly don’t have any understanding of training and socializing dogs of this type or any other dog, for that matter
- Folks who will not be staying at home for most of the day and the Labrottie will have to be left alone
- Individuals who are couch potatoes, by their own admission
- Those who live in small, cramped spaces like apartments and houses without yards
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Temperament
The Labrottie has the confidence and loyalty of a Rottweiler and the intelligence and fun-loving ways of the Labrador retriever. It is highly energetic and would definitely love to play all day long with its human family. It does have the highly protective instincts of the Rottie, making the Labweiler quite unpredictable when it comes to other people and other pets. However, when it comes to the people it considers its family, no one can ever question its devotion, loyalty, and affection. This is a crossbreed that will love you and your family forever.
Designed for the experienced dog owner, the Labrottie can be the perfect family companion. It has all the desirable characteristics of an excellent family protector while loving you endlessly with its immeasurable devotion. However, this is only possible if you can train and socialize your Labrottie while it is still a puppy.
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