The German Shepherd husky is a crossbreed between the Siberian husky and the German Shepherd. This mix is very popular for its intelligent and bold nature. The German Shepherd Husky also makes a great working dog. It goes by a lot of names such as German Shepsky, German Husky, and Husky Shepherd.
The German Shepherd Husky is a medium to large-sized dog. It has a weight of around 60 lb to 90 lb and 20 to 26 inches tall. The females are on the smaller side as compared to the males. The German Shepherd Husky is also very active and loyal. It is good for active families and great around kids.
German Shepherd Husky Highlights at a glance
Other names: Gerberian Shepsky, German Husky, Husky Shepherd
Average height: 20 to 26 inches
Average weight: 60 to 90 lb.
Average size: Medium Large sized
Breed type: Crossbreed
Major health concerns: Elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, cataracts, Degenerative Eye Disease
Coat type: Long length, double coat
Coat colors: White, black, Tan, brown or grey
Grooming needs: High
Safe for children: Good
Shedding: High
Brushing requirements: High (at least every day)
Good with other dogs: Yes
Sensitive to touch: No
Barking: Minimal
Good pet: very good
Suitable for first time dog owner: No
Suitable for apartment: No
Training: Easy to train
Good with other pets: Yes (when trained and socialized early)
A tendency to gain weight: Normal
Average lifespan: 10 to 13 years
Hypoallergenic: No
Good tolerance to heat and cold: Good
Tolerance to isolation: No (May become destructive and naughty)
A wanderer or roamer: Average
Average yearly medical expenditure: $450 to $600
Average yearly non-medical expenditure: $560 to $600
The Breeding history of the German Shepherd Mixed with Husky
The origins of the German Shepherd Husky can be known by looking into the history of the parent breeds. This breed is a mix between the German Shepherd and the Siberian husky. The parent breeds are pure bred dogs and have been around for a long time.
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Breeding History: German Shepherd
The German Shepherd has been around since the 1800s. The first German Shepherd was called Horand Von Grafrath and it is said that all the other German Shepherd’s are descendants of this German Shepherd. Max Von Stephaniz, a German man, met this dog on a show and bought him. The German Shepherd is the second most loved dog in America. The Labrador retriever is on the first position.
The German Shepherd was brought to the US in 1906 and the German Shepherd Club of America was founded in 1913. The German Shepherd was used for herding. Due to their intelligence and obedience they are also used as service dogs. They are also used in the military and can help in rescues. They can also be used to assist disabled people. The German Shepherd was accepted by the American Kennel Club in 1908. The German Shepherd is also very active and athletic, therefore, they need a lot of exercises.
Breeding History: The Siberian Husky
The Siberian husky is originally from north east Siberia. This breed was used for pulling sleds and it was used by the Chukchi. The Siberian husky is known for its loyal, intelligent and friendly nature. The Siberian husky was brought to America in the 12th century. In the 1900s the dogs were used for competition in races in Alaska.
This breed has a coat that easily adapts to cold weather conditions. The dog is also very athletic. They make a very good pet and companion. They also have a long and healthy life. They are working dogs and therefore they also need a lot of exercise.
Appearance
Determining what the offspring will look like is almost impossible because this is a crossbreed and the appearance of the offspring will depend on which parent they have taken after.
Most of the time a litter of this cross breed can have up to 10 puppies and the appearance will vary. Some of the pups can inherit traits from both of the parents while other puppies can inherit traits from only one of the parents.
In general, the German Shepherd Husky will have ears that are pointed. It will have the physical appearance similar to that of a wolf. Their eye color can differ, they can have blue eyes or other colors like brown.
The size also depends on the parents they take after the Siberian husky is a medium sized dog, it has a height of 20 to 23 inches and a weight of 35 to 69 pounds.
On the other hand, the Husky is a large size dog. It weighs about 50 to 88 pounds and has a height of 22 to 26 inches tall.
The German Shepherd Husky has a double coat. The coat is thick and it may be long or short. The coat allows the dog to easily adapt to most weather conditions.
The coat can also be in many colors such as white, grey, brown, pepper, cream, golden and more. The coat can also have a mixture of the colors.
Temperament
The German Shepherd Husky is gentle and calm. The dog is very playful and active. He has a lot of energy and loves to play around. Because of this, they need a lot of exercise. Exercises also help to prevent the dog from developing unruly behaviors when he becomes bored.
They also have a bold personality. They make great watch dogs because they are very alert. They inherit this alertness from the parent breeds.
The German Shepherd Husky is also protective of the owners and members of the family. They are very good around children and love to play with them
This dog is also very affectionate towards the owners and people in the family. Early socialization is essential to ensure this. They are very loyal dogs and will mostly out the owners first before themselves. Intelligence is another trait that they have, training them is very easy because of this. They are also obedient and love to please the owners.
Exercise Requirements
The German Shepherd Husky is a very active dog. The parent breeds of this dog are working dogs and because if this motivation is also needed to ensure that the dog is well exercised. It has a lot of energy and loves to run around.
Therefore it needs a lot of exercise. The dog is good for active families and families that love to play with dogs because it fits very well in an active home.
Due to their high energy levels, the dog loves to do exercises. Therefore you need to ensure that the dog is exercised every single day.
You can take them for long walks at least 60 to 90 minutes of exercise everyday. You can also go jogging with the dog and include games like fetch in the exercises.
The German Shepherd Husky also fits well in homes with a yard or a wide spaces where it can play around comfortably. If the yard is not available you can take the dog to parks so that they can have some exercise time. Exercises are very important because they help to keep the dog healthy.
They also prevent unwanted behaviors like excessive barking, digging or chewing. The German Shepherd Husky also makes a great fitness partner, they can exercise for a long time without getting tired.
Feeding Requirements
The German Shepherd Husky are medium to large sized dogs. They need food formulated for medium sized to large sized dogs. You need to ensure that the food they are given contains a lot of essential nutrients. This is because when they are given food that does not include the proper nutrients they may grow up unhealthily. The meal that they are given should also contain vitamins and should be of high quality.
They need to be given at least three to four cups of dry dog food every day. Wet food should not be given to them Every Time but occasionally. They also need to be given enough water especially after giving them dry food.
The amount of calories in the food that you give to your dog is determined by the size, the age as well as the activeness of the dog. You also need to keep in mind that the dig will not eat the same food every time but it will change as it grows. If the dog is still a puppy you need to give them good that is formulated for the puppies because such food is packed with nutrients for their growth.
You also need to remember that puppies needed more calories as compared to the adults. This is because in the puppies, the calories work to ensure that they grow faster and healthier. They also help to develop their skeleton system faster. The protein in the dogs duet should be higher and they should not be given a lot of carbohydrates because their digestive system is made for protein digestion. You also need to inspect how much your dog eats to help in preventing obesity.
Training the German Shepherd Mixed with Husky puppies
The German Shepherd Husky requires training and this should be done at an early stage and when they are still young. Training them at a young stage ensures that they develop behaviors that are good.
The German Shepherd Husky is an intelligent dog and because if this training them is very easy. The dog does not take a long time to learn things. They may also inherit some traits from the parents that can make them a little stubborn and challenging when it comes to training it.
When training the dog, positive reinforcement should be used. You should be able to treat your dog when it does something right. When training them you should also ensure that you practice obedience training to ensure that they are obedient and have a great behavior.
The dog should be socialized at an early stage to ensure that it can react well when it meets other pets or dogs. It also ensures that they interact well with people. Socialization and training should also be done at an early stage because it also helps to determine the kind of behavior that the dog will have. You should also practice firmness and consistency when training. This also helps to ward off stubborn behaviors.
Mental stimulation is also very important when training the dog. Such training helps to stimulate your dogs mind. They also ensure that the dog does not become restless or destructive in any way. You can also enroll the dog in puppy classes to train the well. You should also include a lot games in the training sessions. The dog loves games that involve challenges, therefore you can play games like fetch, frisball, hide and sniff. In hide and sniff you will take a toy or something and let your dog smell it, after that you hide it and let your dog find the hidden object. You can also help to stimulate your dogs mind by taking it for walks at different places every time.
Grooming Requirements
The German Shepherd Husky care guide shows that this crossbreed has moderate grooming requirements. It has a double coat that sheds moderately. Brushing the coat is needed at least twice a week.
Brushing us also important because it can help remove the dead cells as well as getting rid of the unwanted fur that will shed eventually. Because of the shedding the dog is more suitable for homes where people do not have allergies.
The German Shepherd Husky may also shed occasionally. It also has a blow out period. This happens when it is close to the hotter months where by the dig will get ready of the hotter climates by shedding unwanted fur.
The dogs should only be given a bath when they really need one. This is because frequent baths may not be good for the dog as it may strip it of its natural oils. The dog ears also need to be examined for debris and infections.
They should also be cleaned. Their teeth should also be brushed occasionally. This helps to prevent dental problems. The nails may also get too long and need to be clipped.
The German Shepherd Husky should also be taken to the vet for check-ups on regular basis. This helps to ensure that the dog is in a healthy condition and that any problem can be treated early.
Living Conditions
The German Shepherd Husky is a very active dog. It is also medium to large sized dog. The dog is more suitable for conditions that have a lot of space where it can roam around comfortably.
Homes with a yard are also suitable for the dog because it can be able to run around and get a lot of exercises comfortably.
The dog has a double coat that allows it to adapt to most weather conditions easily but they do better in colder climates.
Behavior with Children and Other pets
The German Shepherd Husky is very friendly around children. The dog loves to play around with children. It is also suitable for homes that have children. It is important that the children are taught on how to play with German Shepherd husky to ensure that they are safe and do not provoke the dog.
The dog is also very good with the other pets in the house. To ensure this easily socialization and training is very important so that they know how to interact with the other animals.
Health Concerns
The German Shepherd Husky is a mixed breed. The breed is generally healthy, however it may inherit some potential Health problems from the parent breeds.
A background check on the health and the potential Health problems of the parent breeds is very important. You should also ensure that the breeder is able to give you the background on the health of the parent breeds.
Elbow and Hip Dysplasia
These problems are passed on genetically. The elbow and hip dysplasia come due to the malformation of the bones in the hip and on the elbow. The dog experiences pain and may have trouble when it comes to walking. In worst cases this may lead to paralysis.
Hip and elbow dysplasia can be caused because of obesity. You can also be able to prevent hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia by giving your dog enough exercises every day.
Cataracts
This is a very common problem in the Huskies. Cataracts is an eye problem and it can be passed down from the Husky parent to the German Shepherd Husky. The disease affects the vision of your dog. Cataracts is treatable especially when it has been discovered early.
Bloat
Bloat is a condition that is also passed down from the parent breeds. It can be caused due to overfeeding. The disease caused the stomach to twist and can cause pain. This can be reduced by ensuring that your dog is not overfed.
Cancer
Cancer is common in the parent breeds. There is also a high chance that the German Shepherd Husky may inherit this problem. The type of cancer can vary in the dogs.
Conclusion
The German Shepherd Husky is a cross breed between the German Shepherd and the Siberian husky. The dog is a medium to large sized dog. Since it is a mixed breed knowing the traits of the breed may not be easy to determine until it has been born.
Just like any dog, they need to be properly trained and socialized. When training you should ensure consistency, firmness and adopt positive reinforcement meth
