German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix: Breed Information

The German Shepherd Golden Retriever Mix is a mixed breed dog between a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd. Hence the name Golden Shepherd.

This crossbreed inherits excellent characteristics from both of its parents. These dogs are famous for their loyalty and energetic temperament.

People also refer to this crossbreed dog as Golden Shepherd, Golden Retriever German Shepherd Mix, German Retriever, and Golden German shepherd.

Golden Shepherds are great dogs for experienced pet owners who would like to have a watchdog with the characteristics of a family companion dog.

Golden Shepherds love an environment with enough yard space to explore, but this is not a deal-breaker if you ensure that your dog gets plenty of regular exercise. They live to share the companionship of humans, so don’t leave them alone for too long.

These dogs do not bark excessively, which is one of the main reasons people like to adopt them. Below we will discuss some of the most important features of Golden Shepherds, from temperament and skin coat to training and nutrition. Stay tuned and enjoy reading.

Golden Shepherd Temperament

The Golden Shepherd is a boisterous and energetic breed that may destroy households if not properly trained and left home alone.

Golden Shepherds inherited the detective streak from their parent, especially German Shepherd.

They love to play active games and being stimulated, so ensure that you are providing enough exercise to this dog breed, as it will be very beneficial for you and your dog. Golden Shepherd shares a social behavior with his Golden Retriever parent and loyalty with his German Shepherd parent.

This dog breed love to have human company; otherwise, they get bored and frustrated. He enjoys the company of his family and easily prone to separation anxiety. That’s why it is highly recommended that they are not left alone for long durations.

If you cannot provide the proper attention and care to this dog breed, this breed may not be the best for you as they require much commitment from their owners. The inquisitive nature of this dog gives him an extraordinary ability to find a way out of the fence, even with the slightest gaps in it.

Golden Shepherds are smart dogs and will need all the guidance and care from you to be the best for you and themselves.

Golden Shepherd Size and Appearance

The Golden Shepherd’s height measures between 21-26 inches from paw to shoulder. The weight of this breed is between 45 to 80 pounds.

Golden Shepherd is a sturdy breed having a thick body and a deep chest. Unlike German Shepherd, this dog doesn’t bear a sloped back. One of his distinctive body features is that he is slightly longer than his height.

The appearance of the Golden Shepherd is wider than Golden Retriever with large triangular ears. They can either stand still and erect or show a flop down. He bears large eyes with dark color, and his muzzle is long, projected from his vast skull. Golden Shepherds are double-coat dogs with dense hairs.

Golden Shepherd Coat and Colors

As far as the coat of the Golden Shepherd is concerned, he has a double coat with dense and thick hair of medium to long size. The length of hair directly depends upon the length of hairs of the parent German Shepherd.

If the parent German Shepherd is long-haired, the offspring will automatically have a long fur. Shedding is also varying in different individuals depending upon the type of ancestors.

Generally, they come in the category of moderate shedder because of their dense and thick hair coat. The coat color in Golden Shepherds has a diversity that may be either golden, solid black, dark golden, black and tan, solid brown, or solid white. It all depends upon the coat color of the parents (Golden Retriever and German Shepherd).

Golden Shepherd Training and care

The Golden Shepherd exhibits excellent intelligence that makes this breed easily trainable. They possess a keenness to please their owners because of their extraordinary intelligence. They love to get rewards in the form of toys than treats. That’s why you need to ensure you have enough tennis balls to use in your training sessions with your Golden Shepherd.

Golden Shepherd is believed to be less protective than German Shepherd. There are still chances of getting this trait, so be sure to socialize your Golden Shepherd with people, different environments, and other dogs when he is a puppy.

Exposure to different people at an early age would prevent him from being overprotective, and the more your Golden Shepherd interacts with various dogs, the more it will help eliminate his shyness and makes it easier to deal with different situations.

One important thing that needs to be sure of is consistent and firm training of your Golden Shepherd. Though he is intelligent, this breed needs a consistent trainer to learn different commands. If you live with a family, the entire family must use the same commands to avoid confusing your dog and to get better results.

Golden Shepherd Diet and Nutrition

On average, Golden Shepherd would likely consume three cups of food daily. The high requirement of food reflects his activeness of the Golden Shepherd. Food requirements directly relate to the amount of activity performed by a Golden Shepherd. If your dog has a less active routine, he will consume less food than an athletic dog.

It is quite sure that whatever the diet is, it needs to be perfect and balanced, providing the required calories to your dog. For this purpose, you need to consult a canine nutritionist or your Veterinarian to ensure the optimum growth of your Golden Shepherd.

As Golden Shepherd is a medium to a large-sized dog breed, he is prone to gastric torsion. Serve your dog multiple meals during the day in smaller portions, and don’t try to immediately feed your Golden Shepherd before or after any strenuous exercise. This is to avoid any complications with gastric torsion.

Golden Shepherd Health

The Golden Shepherd is a relatively healthy dog with an average lifespan of 10-14 years. The life expectancy of Golden Shepherd is longer than his parents, i.e., Golden Retriever and German Shepherd. Health tests regarding this new designer breed are recommended. You can get a vague idea by estimating the health of his parents’ breeds. This will help you to understand what could be the likely health issues in this mix breed.

Some Health Problems of the Golden Shepherd Mix Breed?

Golden Shepherds are prone to certain health problems. These are the health problems that can also affect the parents of this mixed breed. Here are some diseases that you must keep in mind before planning to adopt your Golden Shepherd.

1. Degenerative myelopathy

It is a type of degenerative disease that mostly affects the spinal cord of the senior Golden Shepherd. One of the major concerns of this disease is its progressive nature. This disease affects the hindquarter of the dog, which results in the loss of coordination.

2. Bloat

Bloating is also a common condition of senior Golden Shepherds that demonstrates itself by inflating the stomach due to the accumulation of gases. The ultimate effect of this condition results in gastric torsion or twist. The situation may get worse sometimes and become fatal due to a lack of prompt treatment.

3. Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is a condition where there is excessive production of thyroid hormone. This happens due to genetic mutations that cause hormonal imbalance. Excessive thyroid production leads to boosting the dog’s metabolism.

4. Elbow and hip dysplasia

These are the degenerative diseases of the skeleton system that cause the immobility of the joints, especially the elbow and hip joints. In later stages, complications develop that result in difficulty walking or lameness.

In addition to these health issues, there are several other predisposing health issues of this breed. These conditions include allergies, eye problems, and cancers.

Pros and Cons of The Golden Shepherd?

The Golden Shepherd is a new designer mix breed that has certain pros and cons. These discussed below;

Pros

Ideal dogs for working purposes
Available in various colors of coat
Highly intelligent and trainable dogs
Typically considered as healthier than other purebred dogs
Best suitable for active and exercise lover pet parents
Ideal for people who love to share the company of dogs and understand their privilege
Dreams dogs for those who dislike dogs that bark a lot

Cons

Are not suitable for busy pet parents that don’t have much time to spend with their furry friend
Demand much time for their regular grooming, exercising, and training
Have fluctuating temperament that is difficult to predict
May impose problems to novice owners due to their unpredictable nature
Need extraordinary investment for their proper caring and feeding
Require regular training sessions to avoid behavioral changes that may be a strenuous task

Where Can You Buy or Adopt Golden Shepherds?

Golden Shepherd puppies are available at various prices ranging from $700 to $800 or maybe above. You can find places to adopt Golden Shepherds at Puppy Finder.

You can buy them from different online places like Greenfield Puppies and Puppy Finder Verified Breeders.

Golden Shepherd Summary

Golden Shepherd is an extraordinarily intelligent and trainable breed of dogs. They require proper grooming and regular exercises to keep their optimum health status. If you plan to own a Golden Shepherd as a watch pet dog, feel free because it is an ideal dog for this purpose.

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