Rottweiler/Pug Mixes: Pictures, Cost to Buy, and More!

Pugs and rottweilers are two fantastic dog breeds, each have their own challenges, but for the most part they are among America’s favorite dog breeds. Mixing these two breeds is the best of both worlds. We are able to have the kind playful personality of the pug, while also having a companion to protect your family with the rottweiler gene.

Rottweiler pug mixes cost on average $1,000. They are normally more 20 pounds or less and stand 11 to 12 inches tall, taking after the size of the pug. This mix is friendly and obedient. They make great family dogs.

This post will tell you everything you need to know about rottweiler pug mixes. There is so much to consider when buying a new dog, especially when you don’t know much about the breed. It is important to educate yourself as much as possible before taking the step of buying this mixed breed.

Rottweiler Pug Mix: Pros and Cons

The first thing you might think of when thinking of the mix of rottweilers and pugs is how does that happen? Rottweilers are huge, and pugs are definitely not. For this reason, this is something that needs to be done very carefully and by a professional breeder. It is impossible for a male pug to mate with a female rottweiler.

Breeding is done by inseminating a Rottweiler female with a pug’s sperm. This keeps everyone safe and makes the whole process even possible. After the dog is bred, there are many pros and cons to this mixed breed.

This rottweiler/pug dog will be very healthy. He or she will have a very low chance of any extreme health issues which is great. Additionally, the dog will live a long life because of this and it will cost less for you.

This is also a great way to have all of the perks of a rottweiler, without the aggression and violence. The pug’s personality masks the rottweilers and covers up much of the rottweiler’s innate instinct to be aggressive.

One of the cons associated with this mixed breed is shedding. Both breeds shed. Rottweilers shed mainly twice a year, and pugs shed all of the time. Be prepared to find dog hair everywhere. There are some measures you can take to take care of this issue.

Brushing your dog a couple of times during the week can help to contain some of the dog hair.

Cost to Buy Rottweiler pug mix

Purebred rottweilers typically cost between $850 and $1,500. Pugs range between $600 and $1,500. On average, the cost of a rottweiler pug mix costs around $1,000. This is for a pup coming from a breeder, which will be better than buying from a puppy mill, so even though it might be more expensive, it is worth it.

You can also rescue a rottweiler pug mix. There are so many dogs out there that need a home and need someone to love and care for them. Checking out your local shelter can be a good idea if you are okay with not knowing a ton of details on the past of your dog.

This price of $1,000 is just for buying the puppy alone!

There are a lot of other things that will cost you when preparing to have a new dog in the house. This table will go over all of the expenses for the first year with a new rottweiler pug mix.

These prices aren’t exact. Depending on gender, surprise vet visits, the size of your pup, and the wear and tear of some of these things, you might end up spending more or less money.

In this chart, I calculated the pups eating 1 cup of food a day, so that would equate to needing five 40 pound bags of food a year. As your dog grows older he or she will need more food, eventually getting up to probably 2 cups day.

Depending on if your dog is a boy or girl, the medical expenses will be different, and therefore more or less money.

The collar/leash, toys, and food and water bowls all are determined by wear and tear. This table calculates 6 toys or so a year, one set of bowls and one collar/leash set.

The bed will really depend on how much your dog uses it and how much you want to spend on a bed. You should buy a new bed once a year. You can get really cheap ones or much pricier ones. You will likely need to replace his or her bed more if you decide on getting a cheaper one.

This mixed breed will most likely be a small or medium-sized dog because it will most likely take after the pug’s size. Due to this, you should only need to buy a crate one time.

There are different kinds of treats that you can buy and you can also home make treats. The number of treats per year that you need will also depend on how often you give your dog treats. The annual price on this chart calculates one of those boxes of treats lasting 3 months.

The Rottweiler Pug Mix Appearance

The appearance of a mixed breed cannot be determined for sure. This is because you don’t know for sure which breed your rottweiler pug mix will take after more.

Dogs from the same litter often differ from each other in look and size!

In most rottweiler mixes, which is also true in this mix, the rottweiler manifests itself in the color of the dog, while the other dog takes over the body type.

In a rottweiler pug mix, it is most likely that the dog’s body shape will be one of a pug, except for the face. The face will be more pointed like a rottweiler. The color of the pup’s coat will probably take after the rottweiler, with blacks and browns.

This dog will be around 20 pounds and will stand 11 to 12 inches tall. This is a normal size for pugs, so if this dog does take after the rottweiler, he or she will be much larger.

Purebred rottweilers are about 100 pounds and stand 25 inches or so tall.

If you have a male mix, you will usually have a pup who is bigger. Females typically run smaller in both of the breeds.

History of the Rottweiler

The rottweiler breed is very old. The breed originated in Rome in AD 74. At this time they were called Roman Drover Dogs, and they were used to herd cattle.

When the Romans were trying to take over Europe these dogs were used to bring food to the soldiers. The Romans would bring their cattle with them for a food supply, and the drover dogs were responsible for them. Later the butchers would just kill the cattle and have the drover dogs pull the meat on a cart and carry it as they traveled with the soldiers.

They would pull large amounts of meat on carts. They were built to be very strong and tough.

Rottweilers eventually came over Germany, where they are more well known to be from. In Germany they were used as military, police and guard dogs. They worked side by side those in the German army, protecting and helping them.

Eventually they came to the United States and became household pets, while still working as police dogs. They are now among America’s favorite breed of dog.

You can find more on the history of rottweilers, such as where they came from and what they were bred for at this link.

History of the Pug

Pugs originate in China, they were used in the Imperial Court during the Song Dynasty, around AD 200. They were very prestige dogs. Often times, only families of royalty owned them. Eventually they were spread to different parts of Asia, still commonly found in royal households.

These dogs were held to a very high level of respect. They lived a very luxurious life. Sometimes there would even be soldiers for the king’s pug.

As I’m sure we all know, pugs have wrinkly faces. This was actually an important thing for the Chinese leaders that owned them. They thought the wrinkles represented good luck. The specific wrinkles could be made out as Chinese symbols or characters, and so they would interpret them and take those messages from their pug.

Later in the 1500 and 1600 China started traded with other countries, mostly in Europe and so pugs found there way over to Europe.

After the Civil War, pugs came to America and they became known as and used as the household pet that we know them as today. They might not live as luxurious of a life as they lived in China, but they are loved and cherished by people who own them across America.

The Temperament of the Rottweiler Pug Mix

Rottweilers are pretty well known for having some less attractive temperament qualities. Everyone has their fair share of opinions on them because of things they have heard or experienced.

Rottweilers are more aggressive dogs simply because of what they are bred for. As you read earlier, they were originally created to help in war and work side by side with military personnel. They weren’t bred to be lap dogs, they were made to work hard and be aggressive.

Since they have become household pets, this issue has been a common one. Often times a rottweiler’s tendency to be protective of his or her family, house, or other things can come across as aggressive and violent.

Due to this being such a strong and huge part of who rottweilers are, in rottweiler mixed breeds, these traits are commonly still seen. This is a trait that rottweilers most of the time carry over. However, this is not the case in rottweiler pug mixes.

Pugs have such friendly and happy personalities that it is very uncommon for them to ever act out. This trait is dominant over the rottweilers drive to be aggressive most of the time.

This mixed breed is very social and friendly. They love being around people. At times they can even develop separation anxiety when they aren’t around their owner, or family because they love being around people so much.

Because of these things, this dog will make a great family with the family. Rottweiler pug mixed dogs do very well with children and other pets.

However, this mix doesn’t lose all of the rottweiler traits, they still make great watchdogs! They will protect the house and people that are important to them.

You can also count on this pup to be a very obedient dog when trained. If you choose to buy or adopt a rottweiler pug mix, it is still important to socialize this dog just as it is important to socialize any rottweiler. Any dog will misbehave if not trained, so try to teach them young.

The temperament of the rottweiler pug mix is one of the more redeeming qualities as opposed to something many people hide behind when talking about rottweilers.

Life Expectancy

Due to the fact that pug rottweilers help to eliminate each other’s health problems, this mix of dog lives for a very long time. They have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.

This is longer than the average lifespans for rotts. Rottweilers live an average of 8 to 10 years. Pugs live right at the average for the mixed breed by living for 12 to 15 years.

Caring for Rottweiler Pug Mixes

Even though rottweiler pug mixes are amazing pets to have in the home, they can still be a bit of a handful to take care of. They need attention, training, exercise, and good grooming.

Exercise

Rottweilers are very high energy dogs, and normally as purebreds need around two hours of exercise every day. This helps to keep them healthy and gives them a good place to outlet some of their energy. Pugs, on the other hand, are more low to moderate energy dogs.

Rottweiler pug mixes have more of a moderate level of energy. They need space to be able to run around and play, but they cannot be overworked, because it could burn out the pug, and cause them to overheat.

Good ways to care for them is taking them on walks and hikes, as long as the weather isn’t too hot and it is not too strenuous of a hike or walk.

Grooming

For grooming, these dogs do not need baths very often. Giving them baths too often can dry out their skin. This is not very good for the dog, but it also isn’t very good for anyone who is allergic to dogs, because dry skin leads to pet dander which is what triggers allergic reactions in those with pet allergies.

They do shed a lot, so it is a good idea to brush their fur to keep the hair contained and avoid collections of large amounts of hair. Brushing them especially during the two major shedding seasons when they are growing a new coat is pretty important. You will brush them probably once a day during these two periods, and twice a week or so during the rest of the year.

Other basic grooming necessities are cleaning and trimming their nails. Also, check around their paws to make sure they haven’t stepped in something that is dangerous or could hurt their paws.

You will also want to remember to brush their teeth and keep their ears cleaned out. Other than that, they are pretty low maintenance dogs when it comes to grooming.

Training

Both rottweilers and pugs are obedient dogs. They are normally each pretty easy to train.

Mixing these dogs makes it a little more challenging. Rottweilers are very dominant dogs, so they will try to be alpha if there isn’t someone there to take that role. This mixed breed needs an owner who is going to show dominance over them. If you are able to do that, then training comes easier.

They are very intelligent dogs, which is beneficial for you. This is because they will know you are trying to train them. They will catch on fairly easily to the method you are using and obey what you are trying to teach them.

A good rule of thumb when training this mixed breed of dog is to not overwork them in one sitting. Train them each day, for a shorter amount of time as opposed to long amounts of time once or twice a week. Doing this will be much more effective.

The more they exercise, the easier they are to train. Make sure to keep them active, and you can use that to your benefit when training them.

It is very important to train this mixed breed. It is very important to train any dog, and even though the pug’s genes cover most of the rottweiler’s aggression and violence there is still a chance that those traits could pop out.

If you are going to do any type of training, the best is to socialize them. Socializing these dogs will help them to be more well rounded and ready to be around other dogs or people. Taking them to a dog park to be around other dogs a couple of times a week will be really good for them.

That also goes for any mixed breed that has rottweiler in him or her. Socialization is the most important thing you can do for your rott.

Health

Although it may seem a little bit crazy to mix these two breeds together because of their size, this mixed breed doesn’t have too many health issues. Like mentioned a few times earlier, pug rottweiler mixes are born fairly healthy.

Small dogs and large dogs each have their own health issues, and often times size can be a categorizing factor for health issues. Lots of large dogs have similar health issues, while small dogs also experience the same health issues.

Due to this, mixing a large dog with a small dog eliminates many of those health issues that each size of dog experiences.

Pugs are prone to get Brachycephalic Syndrome, which is when their nostrils become narrower than most other dog breeds. This happens when at least five generations of purebred pugs are bred. Another common issue among pugs is joint problems as they grow older. Rottweiler genes help to combat both of these genetic issues found in pugs.

Rottweilers, on the other hand, experience their own series of health issues. These include:

• Hip Dysplasia
• Osteochondritis Dissecans

These are both problems where the bone doesn’t sit properly in the socket. Hip dysplasia is obviously in the hip and Osteochondritis dissecans is a problem in the shoulder. These health challenges make running around very difficult for rottweilers as they grow older.

Introducing the pug genes to a rottweiler helps to eliminate those issues which are commonly found among large dogs. These dogs are born almost completely healthy unless there is a health concern with one of the parents.

If you choose to buy a puppy from a breeder, the breeder should let you know about any health problem you need to be aware of so you can prepare for and predict some of these problems.

Be sure to ask for medical histories on both parents when buying a new puppy.

The only health issue rottweiler pugs frequently face is obesity. Both breeds are prone to becoming overweight. Rottweilers become overweight if they don’t exercise enough, and since the pug doesn’t have a super high activity level, the mixed offspring has an increased chance of becoming overweight.

The ways to prevent this are feeding your dog lots of protein. Dogs like these breeds need protein, and they don’t need grains. Grains cause them to gain weight. If you feed them right, it will eliminate a lot of problems.

It is also important to exercise them. Pugs aren’t super active, but they do need to run around a little bit so that say fit and in shape.

You should be able to be well prepared for any health problem your rottweiler pug mix will face by doing your research and taking care of your dog.

What do Rottweiler Pug Mixes Eat?

Rottweilers as purebred dogs need a lot of protein. Their diet should consist of between 22% and 28% protein. They can eat a lot of different human foods, but it is best to keep them on a diet of mostly dog food.

It is best for rottweilers to have protein-based food with very little or no grain in it. The food you feed rottweilers is very important because it can have a huge influence on their weight

Pugs also need to have a pretty specific diet. They need to have really small pieces of dog food. It helps them when chewing their food.

Also, many pugs are allergic to foods such as chicken, corn, soy, and wheat. Unfortunately, these are all common ingredients in most dog foods. A lot of dog foods that are really good for dogs are chicken based.

Due to this restriction, it is best to stay away from chicken being the most predominant ingredient. It is also a good idea to stay away from high grain-based foods. This helps to meet dietary needs for both breeds of dogs.

Some foods that work for rottweiler pug mixes include the one listed in the table earlier in this post as well as a turkey-based food such as the one attached to this Wellness Core Natural food found here.

This food is a good choice because its main ingredient is turkey, which is a good source of protein that pugs aren’t likely to be allergic to.

It is also grain free for the rottweiler in your mix and it is for small dogs, so it has small pieces of food since the shape of your dog is likely to be more like the pug.

Another food option is called Wellness Complete Natural Food and can be found here. This food is again turkey based which meets the protein restrictions.

However, this one does have oatmeal in it, which is a grain. It is not a terrible grain however, so it is not going to be the worst thing for rottweilers. It probably will not be the best for them, but it definitely won’t be the worst. It again has small pieces of food for the pug to be able to chew.

A few questions to ask yourself when buying dog food are:

• Is the food for small dog breeds? It is important for it to be for small dog breeds because the food will be smaller, and a pug needs smaller pieces of kibble so they can chew it up.
• Is the main ingredient a type of meat? Rottweilers need a lot of protein, so it important that they are able to eat meat based food. Also, if you buy meat based dog food, the chances are higher that there are more natural ingredients in the food and it will be better for any dog. Sometimes dog food have a lot of weird ingredients that don’t do much good in providing essential nutrients that your dog needs.
• How much of the food is grain based? Grain-based foods can increase your dog’s chance of becoming obese or overweight. Rottweilers are more likely to become obese, and so it is important to watch this ingredient when buying food.
• Is chicken, corn, soy, or wheat near the top of the list of ingredients? If so, it might be best to avoid this food. Pugs have a tendency to be allergic to these ingredients and since these ingredients are common in dog foods, it is important to look out for them when choosing which food to buy.

Rottweiler pug mixes are pretty good dogs. Their temperament is probably one of their most sought after traits. They get along great with people as well as other animals which makes them great house pets. They will make a great addition to any family.