The Malamute Rottweiler mix is an interesting hybrid dog breed. Both parent dogs can be somewhat heat-intolerant and have a naturally high affinity for people because of the work they were bred to do.
Hybrid dog breeding itself is not a new concept, but it is becoming more popular again because there are health advantages to crossbreeding canines.
However, when you make a commitment to a hybrid or still-developing, dog breed, you won’t have as much information to help you make your decision or learn what to expect.
In this article, we give you a solid overview of the Malamute Rottweiler mix dog so you can decide if this might be your next companion canine.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix
The Malamute Rottweiler mix is becoming more popular today. This dog breed has one purebred Alaskan Malamute parent dog and one purebred Rottweiler parent dog.
The Malamute Rottweiler is sometimes nicknamed the MalaRott. These dogs will inherit the working dog double layer coat, the working dog temperament and affinity for people, and the working dog’s intelligence and strength.
See a Malamute Rottweiler Mix Dog Playing
In this YouTube video, you can get a good idea of what a Malamute Rottweiler mix puppy might grow up to look like.
Of course, there is never any way to predict for certain which parent dog’s genes will most influence a puppy even within a single litter.
For example, one puppy in the litter could look more like the Malamute parent dog, like this puppy does. But then another puppy in that same litter could look more like the Rottweiler parent dog.
If you have any particular needs, such as a shorter coat, or wants, such as a particular color, working with a later-stage hybrid dog breeder (F2 or later) can help you pick a puppy that could more closely match the dog you are looking for.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Dog Breeds History
The more you can learn about the history of each parent dog breed, the better you will understand what drives and motivates your hybrid MalaRott dog.
Malamute history
The Alaskan Malamute is considered to be one of the world’s most ancient modern dog breeds.
These dogs have been traced back to the ancient dogs of the Paleolithic period, which occurred more than 4,000 years ago according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Malamutes have always been bred and developed to work with nomadic, tribal people who migrated seasonally in search of food and resources.
Unlike the Siberian Husky, the Malamute is a breed developed for hard labor – hauling and pulling heavy cargo over long distances where strength is a priority over speed.
Rottweiler history
The Rottweiler has a similarly long and noble history if a more recent one. As Vetstreet points out, the Rottweiler is prized as a K-9, police, military, and security dog.
Rottweilers got their modern breed start in Rottweil, Germany, the town from which they take their breed name.
There, they assisted with herding livestock to and from the markets, guarding the herds, the people, and the goods from poachers and predators.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix Personality & Temperament
While both the Alaskan Malamute and the Rottweiler are working K-9s, they can have some important personality and temperament differences to be aware of.
This is particularly important to remember if you work with an earlier-stage hybrid dog breeder (F1 or F1b) because it will be hard to predict whether your puppy will take after one parent dog more than another.
Learning about the dominant personality and temperament type of each purebred parent dog breed can give you a better idea of what your puppy might be like in adulthood.
Malamute personality and temperament
The Alaskan Malamute tends to be a vocal dog breed. They have a signature high-pitched howl that can sound more than a little like a wild wolf.
Malamutes love to be with people. As an Arctic spitz-type dog, a Malamute is not the dog to pick if you want a guarding and protection dog.
These dogs are very high energy and can become destructive if they don’t get enough daily exercise and activity – both physical and mental.
Also, Malamutes are true canine athletes and incredible escape artists, so your backyard must be completely escape-proof or you risk never seeing your dog again.
Rottweiler personality and temperament
The Rottweiler personality is famously friendly with “their” people and naturally aloof or standoffish with unknown people.
As true guarding and protection K-9s, your Rottweiler makes an excellent watchdog and will guard you with their life without hesitation.
These dogs are also high-energy and active, although that tends to taper off as your dog gets older.
They tend to be territorial and can develop a stronger bond with one person if all family members do not participate equally in feeding, training, and socialization.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Size, Height, and Weight
If you live in a place where you have any size restrictions for your pets, it is important to find out in advance how big your puppy might grow up to be.
This is typically more difficult to do when you are choosing a hybrid puppy like the Malamute Rottweiler.
However, you can get an idea of the total possible weight and height, and size range by learning about these numbers for each parent dog breed.
Malamute size, height, and weight
As Vetstreet describes, the Alaskan Malamute can vary in size a great deal.
An adult Malamute may weigh anywhere from 65 to 100 pounds and stand anywhere from 23 to 25 inches tall (measured from paw base to shoulder top).
These dogs are lean but they don’t look it because of their thick and bushy long fur coats.
Rottweiler size, height, and weight
The Rottweiler can vary a lot in adult size based on whether your dog is female or male. Female Rotties typically weigh between 80 and 100 pounds and can stand up to 25 inches tall.
Male Rottweilers typically weigh anywhere from 95 to 135 pounds and will stand up to 27 inches tall.
These dogs are solidly built but not stocky per se.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Training and Exercise Needs
When you select a hybrid dog breed that comes from purebred working dog stock, you can plan on needing to provide extra socialization, training, and activities to satisfy your dog’s naturally high energy level and intelligence.
While both the Alaskan Malamute and the Rottweiler are true working dogs, you now know the two breeds were developed to do different types of work in different environments.
While Malamutes have traditionally worked in canine teams, Rottweilers have traditionally worked individually, often apart from both other dogs and from their people.
This combination of traits can make training and socializing a MalaRott more challenging, especially if you are learning how to train a dog for the first time.
Malamute training and exercise needs
The Alaskan Malamute is an Arctic sledding dog through and through. These dogs have been bred through the generations to run long distances for incredibly long periods at a stretch.
But Malamutes are not racing dogs, either. They have always been bred to work – to help with hunting, sled pulling (droving and carting), hauling, and helping out their people with similar tasks.
Rottweiler training and exercise needs
Rottweilers are generally eager to please their people and they are very smart. This can make them excellent students during K-9 training as long as you keep the sessions short, interesting, and very positive.
Once your Rottweiler is fully-grown and X-rays confirm the growth plates in the legs have hardened and closed, your dog will need a lot of daily exercises and playtime to stay happy and healthy.
In particular, you will need to teach a Rottweiler Malamute that takes after the Rottie parent dog how to deal with strangers, both people, and animals.
This will require plenty of early and ongoing socialization and exposure to new people and new animals so your dog learns what you want them to do if a threat arises. Otherwise, your dog could become aggressive out of uncertainty.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Coat Care, Shedding & Grooming
When you choose a Malamute Rottweiler mix, you are choosing a shedding dog. This means you will have shed hair all year long and very high-intensity shedding seasonally.
However, the amount of shed hair may vary depending on which parent dog your puppy most takes after, as you will learn in this section.
Malamute coat care, shedding, and grooming
The Alaskan Malamute is often mistaken for the Siberian Husky. Both dogs have that distinctive sled dog appearance, complete with the bushy and thick sled dog coat.
As the Alaskan Malamute Club of America points out, all that fur is going to need a lot of care from you.
The Alaskan Malamute has a double layer coat as most working dog breeds do. The outer layer is long, coarse, and water-resistant to keep water and snow away from the dog’s skin. The outer coat layer also helps resist sunburn, pests, and injury.
The inner layer is equally thick but shorter and softer. This is the layer that is most like the insulation in your own winter coat. It sheds out seasonally to help the dog to better regulate their body temperature during the warm season.
You will need to brush your dog each day to keep the coat from tangling and matting.
Rottweiler coat care, shedding, and grooming
Rottweilers also have a thick, double-layer working K-9 coat that offers protection from the weather, wet, pests, abrasion, and injury.
But the Rottweiler coat is short and flat, which makes it much easier to care for. You don’t have to worry about tangles and mats and a good weekly brushing will usually be sufficient along with occasional baths.
Rottweilers also go through a seasonal shed, or coat blow, to help them self-regulate their body temperature. These periods can generate a lot of shed hair in a short period of time, so you may want to brush more frequently to control this.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Longevity & Health Issues
Whenever you make a commitment to a new companion dog, you want to make sure your new puppy is as healthy as possible and will be with you for as long as possible.
While there is never any way to know for sure, a reputable breeder will give you an initial guarantee of health and will show proof that all known genetic health tests have been done for both parent dogs.
This way, at least you know that your puppy has not inherited a serious genetic health issue from the parents.
Malamute longevity and health issues
According to the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database, the Alaskan Malamute breed can transmit these heritable (genetic) health conditions from a parent dog to a puppy.
Proper pre-breeding pre-screening can identify which dogs are safe to breed.
- Elbow dysplasia.
- Hip dysplasia.
- Polyneuropathy.
- Eye issues.
- Autoimmune thyroiditis.
The Alaskan Malamute has a typical life expectancy of 10 to 14 years.
Rottweiler longevity and health issues
According to the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database, the Rottweiler dog breed can pass along the following genetic health issues to their puppies.
Parent dogs should be pre-screened for the following health issues prior to breeding:
- Hip dysplasia.
- Eye issues.
- Heart issues.
- Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis & Polyneuropathy.
- Elbow dysplasia.
The Rottweiler has a typical life span of just nine to ten years on average.
Malamute Rottweiler Mix: Is This the Right Dog For You?
Is the Malamute Rottweiler mix the best companion canine for you? If you love staying active with your dog by your side, you might love the MalaRott.
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