Meet the Rottie Poo: The Controversial Doodle Dog Sparking Heated Debates
The ethics of creating designer dog breeds can be a little foggy. “Designer” dog breeds are intentionally bred mixed breed dogs like Goldendoodles and Lhasapoos. The most popular designer dog breeds are Poodle mixes, but animal advocates have raised concerns about breeding conditions, and the types of dogs being selected to cross-breed with Poodles.
Ethical breed pairing requires the compatibility of the dogs—compatibility helps to ensure healthy, happy litters of puppies whose looks, temperament, and physique fit within a certain standard. Combining two vastly different breeds can yield unpredictable and sometimes undesirable results. Some people believe mixed-breed dogs are healthier because their parents lack genetic similarity. While it is true that mixes can sometimes avoid genetic ailments, you don’t get to pick and choose which genes a dog inherits. Many mixed-breed dogs are less healthy than purebred dogs whose parents undergo rigorous genetic testing before being bred.
So, what happens when breeders start to combine breeds that are so different, it takes things too far? Unfortunately, this could be the case for the Rottie Poo.
Also called Rottiepoos, Rottipoos, Rotti Poos, Rottles, or Rottweiler Doodles, Rottie Poos are Poodle Rottweiler mixes. Does this “designer” mix have any qualities that justify combining these vastly different dog breeds? Let’s dive in and learn what we can about a mixed-breed dog so ridiculous it hasn’t even caught on in the world of Doodle lovers.
Meet 5 Rottweiler Poodle Mixes from Instagram
You might never see a Rottie Poo in the wild, so soak up the sight of this rare designer dog breed while you can!
1. Morris
Morris is a super handsome Rottie Poo from Wisconsin whose mustache could rival any adult man!
2. Nigel
Nigel (right) is a four-year-old Rottie Poo with an amazing smile who inherited Poodle fur texture with Rottweiler coloring! Here you can see Nigel next to a purebred Rottweiler—do you see a similarity?
3. Moose
Big boy Moose (left) is a Rottie Poo who inherited a lot of his looks from the Rottweiler side. To give you an idea of how big Moose is, look at him compared to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog to his right.
4. Squatch
Squatch is a three-year-old Rottie Poo who loves the water! Squatch loves the pool, the beach, and chasing balls in the water, so it’s a good thing he lives in California where it’s swimming season year-round!
5. Jedi
Jedi is a super-smiley Rottie Poo with a sweet, playful personality! Super social with other dogs, Jedi is besties with an adorable small dog who is at most half his size.
Rottie Poo Basic Info
A Rottweiler Poodle mix dog—or a Rottie Poo—is a rare designer dog that hasn’t gained nearly as much popularity as objectively more sensible mixes like Sproodles and Labradoodles. The Rottie Poo seems to be a step too far for even the most avid Doodle lovers—the Poodle Rottweiler mix just doesn’t make intuitive sense.
When you buy a dog from a breeder, you expect to learn things about the temperament and health history of their parents. When the parent dogs are the same or similar breeds, the possible inherited traits of the puppies are much more predictable. When the parent dogs are different breeds, you vastly increase possible genetic outcomes for the puppies.
Rottie Poo breeders cannot reliably guarantee what their puppies will look like, what sort of temperament they will have, or even how big they will be. Anyone selling Rottie Poo puppies who claims to know these things is lying to you since it would be impossible to predict which genetic traits these dogs would inherit from either side of their parentage.
I’ll be doing my best to describe what you might be able to expect if you own a Rottweiler mix Poodle, but remember that this is a highly unpredictable mix.
Rottweiler Poodle Mix Temperament
Rottweilers are working dogs with tenacious personalities and strong protective instincts. Often used as guard dogs, Rottweilers can be wary of strangers and hesitant to accept newcomers. Conversely, Poodles are social, friendly dogs who typically get along well with visitors and other dogs. Rottie Poos may inherit the Rottweiler’s suspiciousness, the Poodle’s openness, or a combination of these traits, which can create a somewhat unpredictable temperament.
Both breeds are highly intelligent and athletic and require daily mental stimulation and physical exercise to stave off boredom. Both parent breeds are loyal and bond closely to their families. Without proper boundaries and training early on, Poodle mix Rottweilers can be prone to separation anxiety and might be described as velcro dogs.
Rottweiler Poodle Mix Size
Full-grown Rottweiler Poodle mixes are medium to large-sized dogs that typically stand 15–27 inches tall and weigh 40–135 pounds. These predicted measurements are based on Rottie Poos with one Rottweiler parent and one Standard Poodle parent. Later generations of Rottie Poos may be crossed with Miniature Poodles and could be smaller.
Rottweiler Poodle Mix Health
A Rottweiler mixed with Poodle can inherit breed-specific health conditions from either parent breed and issues related to size, age, and environment. A few health problems dog owners with Rottie Poos should be especially aware of include:
- Eye and vision problems (e.g. progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, entropion)
- Skin problems (e.g. sebaceous adenitis, eczema, folliculitis)
- Joint problems (e.g. hip and elbow dysplasia, luxating patellas, hip joint malformation, Legg-Calve-Perthes)
- Heart problem (e.g. dilated cardiomyopathy)
- Bloat
- Idiopathic epilepsy
- Juvenile laryngeal paralysis
- Polyneuropathy
- Von Willebrand disease
- Cancer (e.g. lymphoma, lymphosarcoma, melanoma, squamous cell cancer)
Where To Find Rottle Puppies for Sale
There is no way to find high-quality or reputable breeders of Rottie Poos because they do not exist. Even among other designer dog breeds, the ethics of breeding Rottie Poos is questionable at best, and you cannot buy one of these mixes without supporting a backyard breeder or puppy mill. If you’ve fallen in love with these breeds, I strongly recommend looking at Poodles and Rottweilers separately as purebreds or searching for a mix of the two at a rescue.
If you love Poodle mixes, check out IDOG Rescue to see adoptable Doodles around the US! If you want a Rottweiler, browse the Rottweiler Rescue Foundation’s list of affiliated rescues and shelters. To find adoptable Poodles, start your search with the Poodle Club of America Rescue Foundation.
Rottweiler and Poodle Mix FAQ
Are Rottie Poos easy to train?
No. While they are intelligent dogs and often eager to please, this can work against you during training. If Rottie Poos get bored or don’t feel stimulated by the activity, they are likely to work independently to find ways to get attention or “do a job” even if you haven’t asked them to. This is not a dog for inexperienced dog owners, or experienced dog owners who have never had working dogs.
What is a mini Rottie Poo?
A mini Rottweiler Poodle mix is part Miniature Poodle. It would be very difficult—and possibly dangerous—to breed a Miniature Poodle directly to a Rottweiler, so most mini Rottie Poos are at least second generation with one Rottie Poo parent and one Miniature Poodle parent.
Are Rottipoos recognized by any kennel clubs?
Yes. The American Canine Hybrid Club recognizes the Rottweiler X Poodle mix under the hybrid name “Rottle.”
What is a Rottweiler Golden Doodle mix called?
Rottweiler and Golden Doodle mixes (or dogs with Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, and Poodle parentage) are very rare and don’t have an official name. They could be called Golden Rottie Poos or Golden Rottie Doodles, though!
