All About The German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix

German Shepherd Golden Retriever MixThe German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix is an incredibly popular mixed breed dog. The German Shepherd is the second most popular dog breed in the world, the Golden Retriever is right behind in the third-place spot.

So of course, whoever thought to breed these two breeds together to create the German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix was a genius. This mixed breed is also referred to as the Golden Shepherd.

The large dog breed is known for its loyalty to its owners, affectionate nature, high energy personality that will captivate your heart.

Look at the categories below like temperament, feeding, exercise requirements, and our puppy section to learn more about the German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix History

There is no exact time frame known when the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever got mixed together. Most of the time, mixed breeds are developed through an accident or from someone trying to create a new designer breed.

Since there is not much known about when this mix was developed we will have to take a deeper look into the history of the parents of this mix.

Golden Shepherd Puppy

German Shepherd

A German man named Max von Stephanitz decided that he wanted to create his own dog breed that would provide services to people and help its owners.

He did extensive research to produce only the best dog breed by going to dog shows to find the perfect contender to make the perfect dog.

He used a wolf looking breed and some German sheepherding dogs to create what we know now as the German Shepherd.

This dog breed was used to aid police and military officials in World War II. Eventually, the German Shepherd was brought to America.

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever was also created by a man who wanted to develop the perfect waterfowl retrieving dog. A Scottish Nobleman is behind the development of this amazing dog breed; he was named Lord Tweedmouth.

He also wanted to create a dog breed that would be loyal to its owners, calm, and one with excellent retrieving skills.

This working sporting group dog is still used today in hunting for waterfowl. This is a very intelligent dog breed and a great companion.

Golden Shepherd Temperament

The Golden Shepherd is truly one of the best family mixed breeds out there. With its energetic, playful personality, it will make a great companion for children.

It can sometimes be hard to distinguish the personality of a mixed breed as each dog can be very different. The German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever are very similar in personality so it makes it easier to pinpoint this mixed breed.

This mix is very tolerant to young children as well as older ones. You will find this dog breed wanting to play and spend their time chasing the kids and playing fetch in the backyard.

Another great thing is this breed is friendly and tolerable to other animals such as other dogs and cats.

If the Golden Shepherd is not given enough attention, it can develop separation anxiety and misbehave. 

This dog would be the perfect addition to your home if you have a lot of children or a lot of energy to invest into this dog through love and play.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Appearance

Golden Shepherd

As you may already know the German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix will be a rather large dog breed weighing up to almost 80 pounds.

This is a very strong mixed breed with a muscular build. Your dog should have a very sturdy frame and a long body. 

The way your dog will specifically look can change from dog to dog and breeder to breeder. Your dog can either have the standard straight up German Shepherd ear or floppy Golder Retriever ones.

The tail will most likely be long and very fluffy with a lot of hair on it. Since this is a large dog breed, you can picture your puppy having large paws as it grows into an adult.

Golden Shepherd Coat

This mixed dog breed will take a lot of traits from the German Shepherd parent when it comes to the coat. Coats will range from a medium to long length.

The Golden Shepherd features a double coat that is used as an important tool for the dog’s body. It can used to temperature regulate the dog’s body, protect the dogs from extreme weather, as well as being water and dirt repellant. 

The Golden Shepherd is definitely a shedding dog breed. This dog breed will shed year long with two times during the year that it will shed a lot more. In the spring and the fall you will notice an increase in shedding from your Golden Shepherd. 

What Colors Do They Come In?

Here is a list of colors that your Golden Shepherd might come in. Your puppy could also possibly have more than one color:

  • Black
  • Sable
  • White
  • Gray
  • Blue Hues
  • Tan
  • Golden

Typically this dog breed will only have one color nose and one color for their eyes. A Golden Shepherd’s eyes will be brown and the nose will be black.

Golden Shepherd Size

This is a large mixed breed dog which will be quite large in size. A male can range from 23-25 inches in height and weigh between 74-70 pounds.

A female can range from 16-20 inches in height and weigh between 50-60 pounds.

Depending on the traits, your dog inherits from each parent can affect the dog’s size.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Health Problems

Adult Golden Shepherd

With any dog breed comes health conditions that your dog could possibly inherit. One way to help combat these health issues is by purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder.

These dogs can inherit conditions such as hip or elbow dysplasia, eye issues, obesity, and sometimes even cancer.

hip and elbow dysplasia are a condition that can affect the dog’s joints as it grows, making them be sore and pop out of place. 

Obesity is another condition these dog breeds can develop, and that is due to owners overfeeding their dogs. This condition is really easy to achieve in certain dog breeds; that is why it is very important to only feed your dog the correct amount of food.

Life Expectancy of a Golden Shepherd

When you mix two purebred breeds together, you usually end up with a long life span dog as it cancels out some of the breed-specific health problems.

You should expect your Golden Shepherd to live between ten and fourteen years.

This is just an estimation, if you are concerned with anything about your Golden Shepherd you can contact your veterinarian.

Living Conditions

Again this is a very highly active dog breed that will need a lot of room to play and exercise. If you live in a small apartment it may not be the best environment for a large dog such as this.

This would be a great dog for you if you live in a house that comes with a large yard that your dog can use to run around. 

This mixed dog breed also sheds quite a lot, so if you have allergies to dog hair or even dander, then this may not be the dog for you.

Children are a must for this dog breed as it loves to be played with all the time. You don’t have to have children to have this dog, but then all the playing with your dog will fall onto you.

Golden Shepherd Exercise

This is a highly active dog breed that will need a lot of exercise to get out all of that energy out of your dog. You should spend between 45 minutes to one and a half hours with your dog exercising.

This can be in the form of a walk, run, trip to the dog park, or even just playing with your dog in the backyard with some dog toys.

The Golden Shepherd needs to be stimulated both physically and mentally due to the fact that this breed gets bored very easily. This stimulation can come to the dog through play, toys, exercise, children, and companionship.

When your German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix is a puppy, it is important to not over-exercise your dog. You wouldn’t give a puppy over an hour of exercise every day because it could harm the developing joints.

Your puppy could develop hip or even elbow dysplasia if exercised too much when developing. Your puppy will still need plenty of exercise just not as much as it will need when it turns into an adult dog.

Golden Retriever German Shepherd Mix

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Feeding

The German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix should consume three cups of large breed dog food a day. The food should be broken up into four meals, which would equal 3/4 of a cup of food four times a day.

Even as a puppy, you will want to space out the meals, even space the food consumption out smaller to five meals to prevent the puppy’s stomach from stretching abnormally.

You will want to feed your dog a puppy specific large breed dog food, and even as your dog becomes an adult, it will still need a large dog breed formula. This will ensure your dog is getting all the necessary nutrients it needs to be healthy. 

Depending on the brand of dry dog food, you choose your looking at an estimated cost of $1.25 to $1.50 a day in food costs.

The Golden Shepherd does have a tendency to gorge itself so it is very important that you are only feeding your dog the recommended daily amount of food to reduce the chances of obesity.

You can always ask your dog’s vet if you are ever concerned about obesity within your dog.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Grooming

The Golden Shepherd has a medium-length coat that is mostly straight. Naturally, this dog breed has a double coat that will protect the dog from temperature, snow, and even rain.

This dog breed’s coat is also naturally resistant to some dirt, which means your dog will not need to be bathed as often as other dog breeds.

German Shepherds and the Golden Retrievers are known to be shedding dogs so they will shed all year long and more during the spring and fall.

To help combat some of the shedding this mixed dog breed does you can brush your dog thoroughly every day to remove loose hairs that would otherwise fall all over your house.

You will also want to keep your dog’s teeth cleaned so things like dental chews can be easy to get your dog to chew on while it is also helping to clean your dog’s teeth.

If your dog does not naturally wear its nails down you will need to clip them every so often.

Golden Shepherd Training

If you know anything about the German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever, then you know that both of these dog breeds are highly intelligent and easy to train.

The German Shepherd has been trained to do all sorts of tasks. It’s in the breeds blood to be a working-class dog that loves to be stimulated through work. 

Even though this dog breed is very easy to train you will still want to have a firm hand and be the alpha when training. If you do not accomplish this, then your dog will do things when it pleases and may not listen on command.

Always train with positive reinforcement and some sort of incentive, whether it is with a new toy or a treat. This will help your dog learn that it will get a reward every time it listens to certain command.

That is a very successful way when it comes to training. Remember to start off slow and progress to new things as your dog masters the tasks before that.

Training can be a very fun rewarding thing to do with your dog.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Puppies

Even though both the German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever are very popular more expensive dog breeds the Golden Shepherd mix of these two breeds is actually quite affordable.

If you find a reputable breeder that produces these puppies, they could charge you between $600 and $900 for a puppy. Of course, the price will vary from breeder to breeder.

Remember to always stay clear of puppy mills and untrustworthy breeders, as the puppies may not be healthy. Find a breeder that specializes in one of the parents of the mixed breed. One that is reputable and able to give you health papers on their dogs. 

This is a large dog breed so remember, your puppy will be big and grow bigger and bigger. Make sure before you purchase a puppy that you can accommodate its size when it’s small and as it grows bigger.

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix Litter Size

Both the German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever have around eight puppies in a litter.

So you can assume that the German Shepherd Golden Retriever mix should have around eight puppies in a litter.

FAQ

What is the Name of the German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix?

This mixed breed has a more official name called the Golden Shepherd.

Is the Golden Shepherd Good with Kids?

Yes, this mixed breed is fantastic with children. Of course, the answer to this question varies from dog to dog, but in general, this mixed breed is exceptional with children.

Make sure if it is your first time introducing your dog to children to take it slow and have patience. This mixed breed also has a good reputation for being friendly with other animals in the household.

Close relatives of the Golden Shepherd

Here are a few breeds that are very similar to the Golden Shepherd:



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