German Shepherd/Golden Retriever X

[Jayke]

I've been looking into GSD's for quite some time now, and I stumbled across an opportunity to get a great deal on some cute little Shepherd/Golden puppies. I am unfamiliar with this combo and was wondering if anyone has and would care to offer any advice or insight into the topic.

Anything would be appreciated,
Thanks!

J

[Stosh]

Well you couldn't find two diverse dogs rolled into one! I can't imagine how the polar opposite temperaments would play out...do I chase the ball or bring it back? Do I sit here for hours getting petted or do I guard the front door? Do I go for a run or sleep at your feet? Probably a pretty combo, possibly bred intentionally with the idea of lowering the drive of the gsd.

[x0emiroxy0x]

If you were going to get a shepherd/golden cross, go to the shelter.

If there is a breeder that you have found that breeds these two dogs together, they are no more than a backyard breeder that is putting more dogs in the pound.

These puppies are nothing more than mutts. That is not a mean word. They are purely mix breeds. This person is contributing to more dogs in the shelter.

I would personally not get a mix of these two breeds.

A german shepherd is supposed to be aloof and wary of strangers while a golden is supposed to be loveable towards everyone. Shepherds are working dogs/herding dogs. I have heard that mixes of shepherd/goldens are usually more difficult to train, but that could be rumor.

I would choose either a german shepherd OR a golden OR a shelter dog. A golden/shepherd mix is no better of a dog then a collie/poodle mix. They are mixes.

If you want a dog that needs to be at your side 24/7 and is very willing to work, get a shepherd. A shepherd is loyal to ONE person, but can love the whole family.

If you want a slightly more independent dog then get a golden.

Please DONT buy a mix dog from a breeder...this encourages them to do so in the future!

[cta]

i happen to have just met a gsd/golden retriever mix. he was beautiful! he had a golden head and soft wavy coat, but the coloring of a gsd. he had floppy ears too. he was large...his head stood at my waist...i'm almost 5'6"...but this dog was THE sweetest, most mellow, well behaved dog i've ever met. i can't say that it's the mix that made him that way, but i was in awe of him. such a sweetie.

[Rerun]

The dog will probably turn out to be a very nice pet with proper training and socializing.

Was this an oops litter or purposely bred? As it's a mix, no one is really going to be able to tell you how the pups will turn out. Meet both parents, see if they are friendly, willing to meet you, appear to be in good health, and if you're looking for just strictly a pet then by all means, get one of the little guys. If there's a reasonable "adoption" fee then pay it and get your little guy to a vet within a day or two to have a fecal sample run, start vaccines if you choose to vaccinate, and have his heart and lungs listened to, etc. Then find a good trainer to start classes with and enjoy your new pet.

Consider though, that chances are VERY high that neither parent has had their hips/elbows x-rayed, and both breeds are well known to have hip dysplasia. Temperament problems abound within the GSD breed, goldens I think not so much, but I'm sure they are there as well. Percentage wise, you're more likely to end up with a friendly golden even if it's from a BYB. A GSD, not so much. The temperament of a dog isn't just how you raise it - much of it is genetic too, which is why I mentioned meeting the parents. Since this isn't a good breeder who you can trust to be honest, you'll have to access what little you can of the parents temperament from a simple meet and greet. You don't want to see shy, skittish, aggressive, behavior from either the parents or the pups. You do NOT want to pick the shy puppy and snuggle with it to make it feel better. You want an outgoing, confident pup. The GSD parent may be somewhat aloof towards you - this is ok. Shy, skittish, aggressive is not ok. If this is the case, move on and find a new puppy.

There is nothing wrong with adopting a mix breed from someone. There is something wrong with paying ridiculous amounts of money to someone who purposefully bred their two dogs and created a bunch of mutt puppies for no apparant purpose. I see no benefit in getting a dog from the shelter after it's missed crucial weeks of socialization when you can get it direct from the source for a REASONABLE adoption fee. JMHO

***And hopefully this isn't important to you, but given that it's so important to many people for some reason and they always end up asking, even if they know the dog is a mix - the dogs ears will most likely not stand like a GSD.

[qbchottu]

I have a GSD/Golden X. I got her from the shelter. My situation is certainly not similar to yours. My dog was abused and neglected by her previous two owners (she was returned twice) at an early age (before 8 weeks of age). She was also taken away form mom and her siblings before 8 weeks. All that plus whatever her genetics are have caused her to have a LOT of behavioral/health problems such as separation anxiety, allergies, infections, fear aggression, food aggression, resource guarding, pacing, harmful chewing on herself, reactive with kids, scared of other dogs etc etc etc.

HOWEVER, deep down...she has a very sweet and loving personality. On her good days, she's the perfect cuddle bug. But most of the time, she is VERY active. I run with her for several miles, play ball with a chuckit for 2 hrs minimum a day and have various toys for her to play with at home. She will still be hyperactive and restless in the house. She constantly has to pace or fiddle with something. She isn't very trainable. We've been to numerous obedience classes, practiced at home, and she still only listens when she feels like it. For a GSD/Golden, she isn't very food motivated. She does make a good alert dog because she is very hyper vigilant. But when she is faced with a threat or stranger, she doesn't know what to do. It's really fascinating watching her when she guards. She is on hyper alert, but she doesn't know when to bark and usually runs back to me for reassurance. Good watch dog...not a guard dog

If you have to pay for these puppies, I would run the other way. Go to your nearest animal shelter and you can see a 100 puppies like this. It's really a roll of the dice as to what you will get with mixes... I've had purebred Goldens and GSDs so I know their personality types. They don't mesh together in my dog's case. Just too much confusion and mixed drives.

[qbchottu]

Here is a picture of her at a year old. Yes..that's a bow in her hair

[Kaity]

Incase you were wondering what your pup would look like. Why not just get a full GSD? Your pup might not be as cute as Puddi!

[qbchottu]

LOL!!! I can definitely see the resemblance. She used to be completely golden/red with a black mask. Over time, she has turned very black and shows no signs of stopping

[Kaity]

Sorry if that offended you, I was just trying to point out that you can't pin point what you're getting since these breeds are total opposites! And is with most mixed breeds, it's hard to say 100% what they will look like. I've seen cute yorkie x chihuahuas.. then I've seen chewbacca looking things!