Beauty and brains, the German Australian Shepherd is known for being a happy, affectionate, and versatile family dog that thrives when he can be with his owners.
Often resembling his German Shepherd parent, the breed is an excellent companion, whether it is relaxing at home or out working in a dog profession or sport.
Description
Courageous and intelligent, the German Australian Shepherd is a large-sized breed of dog that is a versatile and loving family pet.
This is a breed designed to work, and he thrives when he can be part of a busy household.
They do have a high energy level and require a lot of exercise every day, which can make him unsuitable for homes where there isn’t time for this type of maintenance.
However, if you have the time, the breed is an amazing part of any family. Known for being loving and loyal, this is a breed that will give their life for their family.
They make excellent guard dogs and are happy to head out on the trail with their owners.
The breed is the result of crossing the Australian Shepherd with the German Shepherd and has become increasingly popular over the last few years as more people meet this intelligent and athletic companion.
German Australian Shepherd History
Like many of the designer and mix breeds that are gaining popularity today, the German Australian Shepherd has a history that is rather unknown.
What we do know is that the breed was developed sometime in the 1990s to 2000s; however, no breeder has been accredited with the creation of the breed.
The breed was developed by crossing the German Shepherd with the Australian Shepherd to create an active, intelligent working dog for both the farm and guarding.
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Appearance
The German Shepherd Australian Shepherd is a large-sized breed that often resembles the German Shepherd parent more than the Australian Shepherd.
Regardless of the parent, they resemble, the appearance should be of an athletic breed that is rectangular in shape, being slightly longer than they are tall; although they should be a leggy breed with long, straight legs.
The head should be wide and wedged-shaped with the muzzle tapering to the tip. Eyes are almond shape and can be brown or blue, or both.
The ears are usually pricked, but can also fold over like an Australian Shepherd, and should be high on the head.
The tail can be long and tapered to the point, or it could be a bobtail, which is inherited from the Australian Shepherd.
German Australian Shepherd Size
The German Australian Shepherd can range in size due to its mixed heritage, but on average, the breed should be a large-sized dog that is between 20 to 25 inches in height.
Weight can also range from between 45 to 80 pounds. Generally, meeting the parents will often give you a good idea of the end size for your puppy.
Males and females are generally the same size with this breed.
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Coat
The German Shepherd Australian Shepherd is a breed with a medium-length coat that is weather-resistant and has a slight wave to it. The coat should be thick and double layered with the warmer undercoat and the longer top coat.
The colors of the Australian Shepherd German Shepherd can be a lot of different colors, including tan with black markings, red, blue, red and white, blue and white, tri-color in both blue and red, black, white, and merle markings.
It is important to note that merle puppies, especially if they are the result of two merle German Australian Shepherd parents, have an increased risk of being deaf.
German Australian Shepherd Grooming
Overall, the German Australian Shepherd is not a dirty dog due to their heavy, weather-resistant coat, which only requires bathing every few months, but they do require some grooming, especially if they have a longer coat.
Brushing should be done two times a week at least and daily during shedding periods, such as in the spring when they shed some of their undercoats.
Due to the shape of their ears, the breed can be prone to ear infections, so the ears should be checked on a weekly basis.
Nails should be trimmed on a monthly or twice monthly basis. Teeth should be brushed several times a week to prevent gum disease.
With proper grooming, the German Australian Shepherd can be very easy to maintain.
What Colors Do They Come In?
The German Australian Shepherd mix can come in a big variety of colors from:
- Black
- Cream
- White
- Silver
- Gray
- Blue Hues
- Brown
- Stable
- Red Hues
Your puppy may have a few of these colors and some may only have one or two. Your dog will most likely have a black color nose.
There is a chance for your dog to have two eye color options one being brown and the other blue.
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Personality and Temperament
The German Shepherd Australian Shepherd is a hard working, versatile family dog that often fits into any home that he is part of. The breed is known for being very loving and loyal, and they thrive when they are in the middle of the action.
In fact, a German Australian Shepherd left alone too often can become despondent and suffer from behavior problems and separation anxiety.
When they are part of an active household, the breed shines and is an intelligent companion. They do amazing in various dog sports and are often happiest when they have a job to do.
The breed is very protective of his family and are often aloof with strangers. They are very brave and will not back down from a challenge.
Overall, they make excellent guarding and watchdogs and will alert bark if they see something suspicious.
German Australian Shepherd Life Span
The German Australian Shepherd has an average life span of 12 to 15 years.
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Health Problems
As with all dogs, it is important to know the health of the parents and only select puppies from healthy parents. The German Shepherd Australian Shepherd can be prone to a number of serious health problems.
Proper diet, exercise, and care can greatly decrease the chances of your puppy developing these problems, but starting with a healthy litter from healthy parents will increase the chances of having a healthy dog throughout his life.
Health problems seen in the German Shepherd Australian Shepherd are:
- Bloat
- Epilepsy
- Hip Dysplasia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- Progressive Retinal Dysplasia
- Juvenile Cataracts
- Blindness
- Allergies
- Deafness
- Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)
- Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
- Hypothyroidism
- Hemangiosarcoma
- Lymphoma
German Australian Shepherd Litter Size
German Australian Shepherds are a breed that usually have medium sized litters of 5 to 8 puppies, although 9 or more puppies are not unheard of.
The average litter size is usually about seven puppies.
Living Conditions
As with a lot of herding breeds, the German Shepherd Australian Shepherd is not recommended for apartments as they have high energy and need access to a yard to burn that energy off.
The breed does better in a home with a large, fenced yard.
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Training
German Shepherd Australian Shepherds are a very intelligent breed that is eager to please, which makes it easy to train him. However, owners should be aware that this is a breed that can get bored quickly, so it is important to make training sessions short and to the point.
Avoid repetition and give the dog breaks every 15 minutes to do an activity that will challenge his energy and his mind.
Since this breed is used to working, they do need firm leadership and consistent rules in the house.
If they don’t have those, the German Australian Shepherd can develop bad habits, and it will make training harder for both of you.
Socialization is a must with this breed as they tend to be distrustful of strangers and will be aloof to most people.
Start socialization at a young age and be sure to introduce them to a range of different situations both in the house and out of it.
German Australian Shepherd Exercise
As mentioned above, the German Australian Shepherd is an active breed, and this means that the breed will need ample exercise. The minimum amount of exercise the breed should have is one hour a day; however, they thrive when they can have about two hours of exercise per day.
This exercise should be split up between walks and also off leash play where he can really burn his energy, such as with a game of fetch.
In addition to exercise, the breed does need brain activities that will challenge his intelligence. When left with no mental stimulation, the German Shepherd Australian Shepherd can become bored, and this can lead to destructive behaviors and other problems for the dog.
Be sure to make training a daily activity and invest in some toys that really put his brain to use.
One important part of exercise is to never exercise your German Australian Shepherd twenty minutes before and twenty minutes after eating.
This is a breed that is prone to bloat, and exercise on a full stomach can increase the risk of bloat occurring.
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Feeding
Feeding is very simple for the German Australian Shepherd as they do well on a high-quality kibble. Like all breeds, the amount of food you offer really depends on the energy level of the individual dog, the quality of the dog food, and the age of your dog.
Generally, German Australian Shepherds eat about 2 to 3 cups of dry kibble a day. Make sure you split the meals into several servings a day as overfeeding can lead to bloat, which is a concern with this breed.
They love treats! Especially when those treats are incorporated into their training sessions. Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, or dog treats are all suitable for your German Shepherd Australian Shepherd, and don’t worry about counting the calories while your puppy is young as they will often burn the calories with their daily routine.
Start counting when they get older and start slowing down.
Always provide clean, fresh water for your German Shepherd Australian Shepherd throughout the day.
German Australian Shepherd Puppies
Puppies of the German Australian Shepherd should be active and playful. Many tend to be aloof and often sit back watching when they are introduced to new people, and this is okay as the breed tends to be a bit standoffish to strangers.
When they arrive home, you should have a happy and affectionate fluffy puppy that is ready to get into trouble.
And they will find that trouble if you aren’t watching them or have puppy-proofed your home.
Make sure that you spend time every day with training to help curb their curiosity and to keep them tired out. In addition, be sure to puppy proof your home, so they stay safe.
While they are still young, their ears will often be in various levels of erect and should be regularly checked to make sure the puppy is not getting an ear infection.
German Australian Shepherd puppies will learn quickly, and they are often described as having two settings: off and on. They play hard and sleep hard, but they are always happy to be with their owners throughout the day.
Socialization, like training, should start as soon as it is safe to take the puppy out and should continue throughout your German Australian Shepherd puppy’s life.
Close Relatives of the German Australian Shepherd
Here you will find dog breeds that are very closely similar to the German Australian Shepherd, they are:
- Australian Shepherd
- German Shepherd
- Border Aussie
- Long Haired German Shepherd
German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Suitability
The German Shepherd Australian Shepherd is a versatile breed that can do well in a lot of different homes. They are not great for apartments but they can do very well in homes with a busy family.
The breed does like to be on the go and working, so if you don’t have the time to dedicate to training and exercise, then this is not the breed for you.
The German Australian Shepherd is a great family dog; however, they are better suited to homes with older children.
Given their Australian Shepherd parentage, the breed can be a bit nippy and may try to herd children, which can pose a risk for younger kids.
Overall, if you have the space and the time, the German Shepherd Australian Shepherd is a wonderful breed that will fit into any family.
