People nowadays are inclined to have mixed-breed dogs mainly because a mixed breed dog has both the breeds’ features and characteristics.
Mixed breed dogs are nothing but the ones which are crossbred of two pure dog breeds. In this case, Golden Shepherd dogs are a mix of prevalent dog breeds – Golden Retriever dogs and German Shepherd dogs.
Golden Shepherd is also known by names such as German Shepherd, German Retriever or German Shepherd Golden Retriever. This mixed breed dog is not a very good option for first-time handlers. If a person has been entirely associated with handling dogs or being a dog parent, only then that the person can take care of this designer dog’s needs. Golden Shepherds are loud, but they can warn you of strangers getting inside your property.
In this comprehensive article, we will take a look at the Golden Shepherd dog breed in detail. You will learn how to train them, how to groom them, how to feed them and how to buy one. What typical size and weight are they and are they good with the children. Do they make good guard dogs and what types of diseases are common among them? Let us look into the details of Golden Shepherd Dogs.
Written By Sergey Uhanov – Certified Veterinarian.
Sergey Uhanov is a certified veterinarian for dogs over 10 years, breeding 3 dogs. He loves dogs and has his own pet clinic in Israel. He likes to help other people with their dogs by sharing his experience and knowledge.
What’s the character of this mix like?
The Golden Shepherds are very friendly and useful as a family dog. They are also excellent watchdogs and has a protective nature. They do not like to blend with many people outside the family. Although, once they become friends with you, you have a life companion.
Being a mixed breed and carrying qualities of both the species, the Golden Shepherd is quite much used to work as military dogs, police dogs, or guard dogs. Golden Shepherds like to be involved with some of the other work, big or small.
Golden Shepherd dogs should not be left alone for too long as they are sensitive and become sad and depressed quickly and thus show an unpleasant change in behavior.
Golden Shepherd dogs make a great companion as your hiking partner and are also swift learners. Their puppies are the cutest with their little nose. From being good companions to great family dogs to great learners to active, Golden Shepherds are all-rounders.
How often and how long do you have to go out with this breed?
Golden Shepherds require a minimum of one to two hours of proper exercise to stay happy and healthy. Being a crossbreed of two super active and hardworking breeds, Golden Shepherds cannot sit all day lazily. That may instead cause unpleasant behaviors like barking or chewing things or peeing inside the house.
Thus, it is essential to keep a good time exercising in his routine. Taking the dog for a walk or run or even hiking are good options—Golden Shepherds kind of like to be on their toes. Playing fetch ball with them can make them a lot happy.
Both the parent breeds of Golden Shepherd are very active ones. One has a history of being a military dog, whereas the other is best known for its pleasant nature and super playful and energetic with the kids.
So, naturally, Golden Shepherd dogs ought to be active. If not allowed to play around in open ground or taken for exercises or walks, it is supposed to fall sick and be led to different health problems, which won’t be much pleasant for the owner.
Is this breed a great family dog?
Golden Shepherds are great family dogs. They are very lovable, active, and are the best companion. Their super-friendly nature makes them suitable for pet parents. Golden Shepherds come from two super-intelligent parent breeds – Golden Retriever and German Shepherd. German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers are very intelligent breeds, making Golden Shepherds quick learners.
Not only that but also families who have kids and young children also do not have to worry about keeping Golden Shepherds as they blend very well with the little ones. They are docile in nature and patient with the kids. As intelligent and quick learners, they can be easily trained to keep as family dogs.
Golden Shepherds are very protective. They are cautious about their owners and make sure to guard the house against unwanted strangers. They are also very loyal to their owners and do not like to be left alone.
Is this breed rather stubborn or easy to handle and train?
Golden shepherds are not at all stubborn; instead, they are very active and jolly. They come from super active and intelligent parents and hence cannot sit in one place for long. They always need at least some job to do. Also, you can efficiently train them as they are quick learners.
These dogs can also serve as police dogs or military dogs, which require high training, and even there, they perform well.
Thus, when raising as a house dog, the training is, of course, not as severe as that of a military dog, and they can very quickly catch the things they are taught to, making them a perfect family dog.
They can easily be trained to be around children too. At the same time, Golden Shepherd puppies are sensitive, and hence it should be taken care of that one does not overstress them with the training. The basic training, like the obedience part, is excellent in them.
Is this breed a good guard dog?
As Golden Shepherd has half its genes from German Shepherd, it has the qualities of being a perfect guard dog. They can keep away strangers very well. Golden Shepherds are often used as guard dogs. They have a relatively general barking nature, which stands as an advantage here in this case.
German Shepherds have forever been popularly known to be guard dogs or military dogs or police dogs. They can be well trained to do the most challenging jobs they have been doing in the military forces. A Golden Shepherd also carries this quality, and they do warn their owners of any stranger approaching and hence keep the family safer than it would be without one.
What are the common diseases of this breed?
Generally, a mixed-breed dog has the advantage of being safer from diseases, but there are still some health problems that they are prone to. Golden Shepherd dogs are prone to allergies, ear infections, bloating, eye problems, cancer, and elbow or hip dysplasia. Golden Shepherd dogs are also prone to Von Willebrand’s disease.
Another health issue of the Golden Shepherd breed is that they are prone to gaining weight. And if it turns to obesity, it might as well turn into a significant point of causing joint problems as its limbs would have to carry more weight than it can.
Their ears should also be taken care of and cleaned often to avoid debris jamming up and causing infections. They also tend to build up tartar as they are a mixed breed, and thus their oral health should also be looked into.
The one way to avoid this is by owning mix breed from a proper breeder who has done the genetics test and then moved forward with the breeding.
How much does it eat on average daily?
Golden Shepherd dogs are already so prone to joint-related problems; you should also take care of their diet to prevent them from gaining calories and suffering from obesity, which puts up a lot of weight on the dog’s hip elbow joints.
Thus, you should always feed foods that are rich in nutrients for them. Being a designer breed, its diet must include food with higher proteins and low fillers. Avoiding fillers is important because intaking them makes the dog want to eat more and more to feel like he had enough food, resulting in the dog’s health problems.
Since Golden Shepherds are prone to digestive problems and bloating, they should not be allowed to feed always or on anything. You should also avoid giving a lot of food at once, rather than at proper intervals.
Size, Weight, and Typical colors of this breed
The size of Golden Shepherd dogs may vary from twenty to twenty-seven inches. They weigh around 60 to 95 lb. The coat of golden shepherd dogs is medium length and double coated. Their fur’s color is found in varying shades like black, tan, red, cream, or sometimes even blue.
Also, the parent breeds being Golden Retriever and German Shepherd, who both have heavy thick double coats, so naturally, Golden Shepherds are heavy shedders. Their thick coat needs to be maintained. It should be combed daily if possible, and that would reduce the chances of the dog shedding its fur everywhere and making the house or car dirty, and you will have more time to spend and befriend your dog.
How old will it get on average?
The average lifespan of a Golden Retriever is 10 to 12 years, and that of a German Shepherd is 9 to 13 years. In contrast, a Golden Shepherd provided with good quality food, regular checkups with the vet, maintaining lifestyle at home, etc., lives for 10 to 14 years, which is very unlikely for a large dog.
What is the breeding history, and where does this breed come from?
The Golden Shepherd dog breed, as discussed earlier as well, is a designer breed formed by crossbreeding two pure dog breeds – German Shepherd and Golden Retriever.
This dog breed is not too old; it was first bred around 30 to 40 years back in the 1980s when this crossbreeding and producing designer dog breeds came into practice. Breeders crossbred two pure breeds to achieve dog breed that might shed less or be healthier or have a longer lifespan or be more extensive or even smaller.
One parent of this breed, the German Shepherd, originated in Germany during the last century to be kept as guard dogs. And from then onwards and even now, the breed’s excellent learning skills, guarding skills, and loyalty have made him the top choice for military services and police investigations. They are trained to smell a given odor and help find out the culprit.
On the other parent side, Golden Retrievers originated in Scotland in about the half of the 19th century as a dog who could hunt birds on land and frigid waters and bring back the hunt to the master without cramping or destroying the bird.
This cute, docile dog comes in different variations of American, Canadian, and British and all of them being equally adorable and lovable.
What needs to be considered for grooming and care?
Golden Shepherds do shed a lot. It can only be kept under control by brushing daily or at least on alternative days, or one shouldn’t be surprised to find golden furs all over the house floor or car seats.
You should also consider the essential grooming needs like clipping nails, cleaning ears, and brushing teeth daily, or one would lead to the other and might lead up to some significant diseases.
Golden Shepherds do not require frequent washing and bathing; just one in a few months is enough for them other than if they get themselves into the mud or dirty themselves in some or another way. Often frequent bathing can lead to the loss of natural oils on its coat. Trimming their fur once in a while would also be useful.
Are there any rescue groups?
Generally, most rescue groups are found for pure-breed dogs, it is comparatively harder to find rescue groups for mixed or designer breeds, but they exist in tiny numbers.
Two such rescue groups are German Shepherd Rescue of Orange Country and As Good as Gold.
Also, some groups do consider the Golden Shepherd dog breed. They are – Designer Breed Registry (DBR), American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), Dog Registry of America (DRA), and International Designer Canine Registry (ICDR).
What does it eat?
Trust me they’ll just munch on anything and everything you offer. But that isn’t the way to go about with it. You always try to feed food that is rich in nutrients. Never feed chocolates or other oily food as it can prove to be very bad for their health, and coat.
Golden Shepherds need to be fed with many proteins for stronger bones. Their diet should include rich nutrients, carbohydrates, and calcium. You should also consider low-calorie foods as they tend to grow plump, resulting in joint problems like elbow and hip dysplasia.
It is highly recommended not to add fillers to its kibble, which adds up to their body weight and makes them feel more and more hungry.
Where can one buy a dog of this breed?
Golden Shepherd dogs are mostly found at places where they practice crossbreeding. Some select breeders keep such designer dogs for sale. Also, such dogs are often located on the streets, so you can even adopt and not shop.
Are Golden Shepherds good dogs?
Golden Shepherds are all-rounders. They have multiple qualities. Golden Sheperd dogs are friendly, intelligent, active, protective, good with children, etc. With all these qualities, it is one of the best dogs someone can have.
Having a Golden Retriever parent and a German Shepherd parent, Golden Shepherds inherited the best qualities of both of these individually great dog breeds.
Do Golden Shepherds shed?
Golden Shepherds do shed a lot; they have thick double-coated fur. Also, both of its parent breeds are a lot furry and make Golden Shepherds thickly coated.
How long do Golden Shepherds live?
Golden Shepherds with proper care, regular checkups, veteran visits, balanced and required diet, and good grooming can live up to as long as 14 years, hardly seen in such large breeds.
How much is a Golden Retriever and German Shepherd mix?
Golden Shepherd puppy prices may vary according to breeding and genetics, but approximately it can cost around 1500 dollars more or less.
Conclusion
Golden Shepherds, as discussed throughout the content, are a mixed designer breed of two extraordinarily gorgeous and intelligent parent breeds, the Golden Retriever and the German Shepherd. They carry all the qualities of their parent breeds and some even better like having a longer life span than Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds or any other large dog breeds.
The best thing about Golden Shepherds is that they can be kept as military dogs and family dogs. German Shepherd parent makes it suitable for being a military or police job where it can be easily trained to do jobs that would help the departments. Its quick learning and protective nature become an advantage here.
On the other hand, having a Golden Retriever parent makes the Golden Shepherd appropriate as a family dog. It is super friendly and active. However, the quality of being loyal and good with kids makes Golden Shepherds a good choice as a family dog as well, and one would love to spend time with them.
Thus, to conclude, it is seen that how much of a right designer breed Golden Shepherds are. They a multi-functional, and not only that but they can also serve the purposes of a Golden Retriever and German Shepherd as and when required. It is more like having two breeds of dog at home but just feeding one.
I hope the provided information could help you break your dilemma of whether or not to take a designer breed of Golden Retriever and German Shepherd.
