The Pros and Cons of a German Shepherd Mix Breed | Dogs

By JanRyan
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The American Kennel Club has registered the German Shepherd dog in its club since 1908. Actually in the 19th century it was bred for herding, because of its strength, intelligence and its excellent temperament. At that time it was already a German Shepherd mix because it was a cross breed between three types of shepherd dogs found in three different regions of Germany. They were the long-haired, short-haired and the wire-haired shepherd dogs. Used extensively by the police and the army, they became excellent guard dogs and guide dogs. They were also used for search and rescue purposes.

The American Canine Hybrid Club has officially recognized some hybrid crosses of purebred dogs. The cross breed called the Shepadoodle is a cross between the German Shepherd and a Standard Poodle. Unfortunately, not all breeds are pure bred today, so the new designer breed could become a product of a multi generation cross, having the characteristics of more than two breeds.

Another name for the German Shepherd is the Alsatian. This dog is known for its obedience and loyalty, and because of these characteristics it is often used as a working dog. It learns extremely fast because of its intelligence. It can be trained very well and is always eager and alert to learn. But it is mainly a bold and confident dog, which can be direct and fearless. It is more or less a family dog, sometimes even a one-man dog and dislikes strangers.

It is generally believed that mixed-breed dogs are healthier and they have reduced incidents of genetic diseases. They live longer, most of the time, than their pure bred parents. The German Shepherd suffers often from a disease called hip dysplasia. In a German Shepherd Mix where a German Shepherd is crossed with another purebred, it is likely that the cross-breed will not suffer from hip dysplasia. But if both the parents have a similar genetic disease there is a chance that the cross breed develops the disease. But if the genetic ailments of both the breeds are not the same, there is a lesser chance of the ailments being transmitted.

The German Shepherd or the Alsatian is a popular working dog, because it is intelligent, alert and confident and can be trained very well. It is known for its obedience and above all its loyalty to its family and especially to its master. It is extremely alert and is therefore a very good watchdog and has a natural aversion to strangers.

Cross-breeding between the German Shepherd and the sweet-tempered dogs like the Golden Retriever, the Labrador Retriever and the Collie are not recommended, as the German Shepherd mix retains more of the neurotic characteristics of the German Shepherd breed than the better temperament of the other purebred parent. The cross breed could then be shy but aggressive.

Also cross breeding with the Golden Retriever, the Labrador Retriever or the Collie can be unsuccessful, because the neurotic characteristics of the German Shepherd totally overshadow the sweet temperament of the others. The hybrid dogs may turn out to be too shy or too aggressive. The Alaskan Malamute is an independent, stubborn and aggressive dog.

A good and successful German Shepherd mix is the cross breed with the Great Dane which makes it an affectionate, loyal and a pure family dog.

About the Author

About the author: Jan Ryan is an avid lover of the German Shepherd and has a popular website where you'll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics there, you will find out more about German Shepherd Mixed Breeds plus a whole lot more.

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