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German Shepherd Poodle Mix: All You Need To Know

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Jacquelyn Kennedy
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Are you looking for a dog that’s sharp, easy to train, and eager to please?

Then, you should look into the cute German Shepherd Poodle Mix.

Also known as the Shepadoodle, the German Shepherd Poodle Mix is an intelligent and beautiful hybrid dog. Shepadoodles are fantastic with kids, loyal to their families, and charming little dogs.

And they make amazing watchdogs as they are wary of strangers!

In this blog post, I’ll be going through the German Shepherd Poodle Mix dog breed and tell you everything there is to know about this sweet little doggy.

So, without any further ado, let’s get started!

Let’s begin.

Quick Breed History Lesson: The German Shepherd Poodle Mix Parents

Shepadoodles, or the German Shepherd Poodle Mix, find their origins in the United States of America. The breed was developed by the US Army in the 1960s to be military dogs.

These cute doggies are the result of the interbreeding of two working dogs—the German Shepherd and the Poodles, so they are full of energy and need regular exercise.

Poodles and German Shepherds originated in Germany. The former was bred to hunt waterfowl, while the latter was bred to herd sheep.

Let’s take a look at the parent breeds, shall we?

The Poodle

Poodle

Originated in Germany, Poodles were bred to be waterfowl hunters. You can find these doggies in three sizes:

  • The Toy Poodle
  • The Miniature Poodle
  • The Standard Poodle

These dogs are hypoallergenic and are good for kids as well as families. They are intelligent as well as eager to please—making them easy to train or teach new tricks. They are also loyal and have a good nature.

However, Poodles are excitable little creatures full of energy and need a lot of exercise throughout the day.

The German Shepherd

German shepherd

Intelligent, athletic, and able, German Shepherds are a working dog breed that has a strong herding instinct.

This is one of the top dog breeds in the US and one of the world’s most recognizable dog breeds. This dog is a good military and police dog as he’s intelligent and easy to train.

German Shepherds are loyal to their families and extremely protective as well, which makes them fantastic guard dogs.

However, these dogs need someone with them at all times, or they develop negative behaviors such as biting, chewing, or dogging. So, they don’t make good dogs for people who are away from home for long periods of time.

German Shepherds can be strong-willed, so they need a harsh yet fair trainer.

This dog breed is also prone to getting separation anxiety.

The German Shepherd Dog needs to be socialized with different pets and humans, or they can be aggressive toward others. So, enrolling them in puppy kindergarten is a good idea.

Other popular German Shepherd mixes include:

The Temperament and Behavioral Characteristics of the Shepadoodle

German shepherd poodle mix 4

Shepadoodles are easy to live with, thanks to their relaxed nature. They aren’t ‘high-strung’ dogs and like to chill whenever possible.

These dogs are attached to their owners and are loyal, just like the German Shepherd is. They are warm, loving, and well-mannered little creatures if taught right. In fact, they are family-oriented doggies who are good with kids and other pets.

However, these doggies have high energy needs as they are a product of two working dogs combined in one. You should take your German Shepherd Poodle mix out on a walk at least once a day.

They’ll love the dog park, too!

These doggies are eager to please their owners and adhere to instructions.

German Shepherd Poodle mixes have a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.

The Activity Requirements of the German Shepherd Poodle Mix

German shepherd poodle mix 2

When comparing the German Shepherd and Poodles, we find that the former has stronger activity needs.

As a child of two working breeds, the German Shepherd Poodle mix needs a lot of activity to live a happy and fulfilling life.

These dogs love to accompany you on walks, treks, camping trips, etc.

Shepadoodles need regular daily exercise. You can take them out for a walk, jog, or play games such as fetch with them and they’ll love it! This dog breed needs a lot of physical activity.

Long walks are necessary for this dog breed as they are at risk of getting obese if they stay inactive. So, take your doggy friend out to the dog park for some fun with other dogs as well as socialization.

Take a look at these active little puppies!


How Cute Is the Shepadoodle?

Shepadoodles weigh between 50 to 80 lbs and are tall doggies at 22 to 28 inches in height. The figures depend on the nutrition they get and their genetic structure as well.

The German Shepherd Poodle mix comes in the following colors:

  • Sable
  • Black
  • Tan
  • Cream
  • Gray

Being hybrid or mixed breeds, these dogs can resemble either one of their parents—whoever has the most dominant genes.

These dogs aren’t heavy shedders, thanks to their Poodle side of the family, but still need to be brushed regularly.

Following are some of the dog brushes that I recommend:

The Shepadoodles Coat

Poodles have curly hair, while German Shepherds have thick and straight coats. So, what about the German Shepherd Poodle mix?

Well, the Shepadoodle looks more like the German Shepherd and has coarse and dense hair. However, they aren’t big on shedding. The following are the alternatives:

  • F1 Generation: They have a wavy coat that sheds lightly
  • F1B Generation: Their coat is curly, and the dog doesn’t shed

These dogs can have smooth, wavy, or curly coats, which depend upon which gene is more dominant.

Brushing helps reduce matting and tangling. You also need to bathe your German Shepherd Poodle mix whenever necessary. Following are the shampoos I recommend:

You may have to take your Shepadoodle to the groomers every once in a while to get this haircut but this dog isn’t high maintenance.

Grinding your dog’s nails at an early age is also a great idea.

Training a German Shepherd Poodle Mix

As I mentioned earlier in the blog post, the Shepadoodle was bred by the US military. So, these dogs are excellent service dogs as they’re intelligent and eager to please.

These little guys are keen to learn new things, such as tricks.

You need to socialize these dogs at an early age so that they are good to other humans, animals, and children. These dogs do amazing in obedience and agility training, and you can start the training process from a young age.

Here’s a guide that’ll help you train your furry friend.

Health Issues Faced by the German Shepherd Poodle Mix

The German Shepherd Poodle mix is a healthy dog breed as they are hybrid dogs and have a more abundant genetic history as compared to purebred dogs.

However, like all dog breeds, these doggies are still prone to certain health disorders:

You need to take good care of your doggy friend if you want the best for his health.

Final Words: The German Shepherd Poodle Mix

The German Shepherd Poodle mix is an intelligent, energetic, loving, and loyal little dog who is beautiful to look at.

Being designer dogs, it is hard to tell which of their parents they will take after regarding looks and personality. So, that’s something you’ll need to discover as your puppy grows.

The Shepadoodle has high activity needs and needs to be taken out for long walks, camping, hiking trips, etc. A lack of activity can be dangerous for this dog and can even lead to obesity!

The German Shepherd Poodle mix is easy to train and highly intelligent. However, you need to know how to train a dog efficiently.

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About the author

Jacquelyn Kennedy

PetDT was founded by Jacquelyn Kennedy, a dog lover and pet admirer. She built the website to provide pet owners with information, experiences, and opinions on breeds, temperament, personalities, health, nutrition, products, and care.

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