Husky German Shepherd Mix: The Best German Shepherd Husky Guide - Unlock Your Dog's Full Potential with MastersDogClub

The Husky German Shepherd mix, which is also commonly referred to as the "Shepsky", is a designer dog breed.

A designer dog breed that’s a cross between the Siberian Husky and German Shepherd dog breeds, which is also what this guide will be about.

Having two parent breeds, this designer dog breed has its best traits, which are its activeness, medium body size, and loyalty.

 

The Husky German Shepherd mix can also be referred to as the "Gerberian Shepsky", and they are cute, loving, tender, lovable, and loyal.

 

They are also categorized as working dogs, and they are quite smart and vigilant, which is why they will be excellent guard dogs.

 

They have a history of being used for police work, guard duties, and search and rescue missions; in addition, they are also used during military operations.

 

This designer dog breed is not recommended for people living in apartments, as what this hybrid dog breed requires are large homes with yards, and it is advisable to assign them heavy duties to get their energy used up.

 

Shepskies can get destructive and uncontrollable when they are under-stimulated, which is why you need to always keep them stimulated both physically and mentally.

 

So, read on to learn more about this designer dog breed and to also be sure whether this is the right hybrid dog for you and your family.

 

Historical Background

There’s just so little about the German Shepherd Husky mix, which includes where it came from and also when it came, as it’s rather a new designer dog breed.

Looking back through history, this designer dog breed was claimed by some dog experts to have been intentionally bred in the late 1980s.

Initially, the purpose of mating a Siberian Husky with a German Shepherd was to create a top-quality working dog, especially given the fact that the parents of this designer dog breed are both outstanding working dogs.

 

And, as mentioned above, they are used during military and police operations and also for search and rescue missions due to their surpassing strength and quick intelligence.

 

Since there’s so little known about this designer dog breed, it will be more helpful to look at the historical background of its parents, the Siberian Husky and the German Shepherd.

 

The Siberian Husky is considered to have come from the Siberian Arctic, which was about two millennia ago.

 

This dog breed was used by the nomadic Indian tribes to assist them with heavy loads and also pull sleds. In the 1900s, the Siberian Huskies came to North America.

 

The German Shepherd, this dog breed, came from Germany in the year 1899, where they were used in the act of herding sheep and also to help pull heavy loads under extreme conditions.

 

In the course of the Alaskan Gold Rush, the German Shepherd breed was imported and used to serve as sled dogs.

 

Over time, this dog breed gained fame and popularity, especially all over Canada and the United States, where they are recognized and regarded as excellent pets.

 

Size

There are just very few standards for the body size of this designer dog breed, as it is rather a new dog breed.

 

So, talking about what to expect for the size of this designer dog breed, you should expect it to come in medium to large body sizes since it is a result of the crossbreeding between Siberian Husky and German Shepherd.

 

Generally, the weight of this designer dog breed will be around 45 pounds to 88 pounds, and its height ranges from around 20 inches to 25 inches at the shoulder.

 

Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that Shepskies can come in sizes larger or smaller than the above-estimated body sizes.

 

Coat Color

 

The German Shepherd and Husky mix also come in the mixture of their parents' coat colors; the German Shepherd and Siberian Husky are the same in weight and height.

This designer dog breed will come in various coat colors and color combinations, but the most common of them are white-black and brown-black.

And, while the other coat colors they can come in are white, red, cream, blue, gray, light brown, and golden brown.

 

So, simply put, the coat color your Husky German Shepherd mix comes in is purely a result of congenital traits.

 

Temperament and Trainability

Every Gerberian Shepsky dog is different, which also means they can't have the same personalities.

This is because their personalities are generally determined by the traits they inherited from their parents.

 

Although, generally, the German Shepherd Husky mix has quite an excellent temperament, this hybrid dog can be quite amiable, childish, kind, and tender, which are traits they inherit from their Siberian Husky parent.

 

And, from their German Shepherd parents, they inherit its devotion. 

Courage and German Shepherds are quite reserved, which is quite the opposite of Siberian Huskies.

So, it will be right to say that the mix between the Siberian Husky and German Shepherd will be the perfect combination.

 

One of the reasons for this is that your Gerberian Shepsky will serve both as a guard dog for you and as an excellent family companion pet.

 

Early socialization is also very important for this hybrid dog, as it helps them tolerate children and other animals well.

 

The training of your Gerberian Shepsky needs to be proper, as it is quite smart and intelligent, which also means it will learn faster.

 

Your Gerberian Shepsky will prefer more physical exercise than mental exercise if it is more of a Husky, as Huskies can be quite headstrong and also get bored quickly.

 

But if it’s more of a German Shepherd, it will prefer more mental stimulation than physical exercise, as it loves to try and learn, especially new things, and it also loves to be occupied with activities.

To keep your pooch mentally and physically stimulated as an adult, you will need to engage it in activities for about 120 minutes.

Keeping your Gerberian Shepsky physically and mentally stimulated will also help keep it from being destructive and from displaying negative behaviors such as howling, chewing, and barking.

I will not recommend Gerberian Shepskies to owners who are beginners or who won’t provide their pooch with the needed attention, affection, and love.

 

And it will also be right to say that this designer dog breed is an excellent choice for energetic and venturesome people.

 

Health Issues

 

You should know that the Gerberian Shepsky, which is also a German Shepherd Husky mix, is susceptible to some of the same health issues that its parents, the Siberian Husky and German Shepherd, are prone to.

And, to state the fact, Shepskies are generally a healthy designer dog breed, but some of them will indeed be susceptible to some health issues.

 

So, this makes it quite important to always visit your veterinarian for regular checkups and to maintain good health.

 

Below are some common health issues this designer dog breed is prone to:

 

• Elbow and Hip Dysplasia
• Juvenile Cataracts
• Corneal Dystrophy
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
• Chronic Degenerative Radiculomyopathy (CDR)
• Gastric Dilatation Volvulus (GDV)
• Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI)
• Von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD)
• Cancer
• Anal Furunculosis
• Allergies
• Epilepsy
• Panosteitis

 

Care

 

To discover some health issues early and to maintain the good health of your pooch, it is quite important to always take it to your veterinarian for regular checkups, which are also the same as for all other dog breeds.

 

To maintain the good health of your Shepsky, your veterinarian will help you create a care schedule, and you should also be careful as your pooch is very likely to suffer from obesity.

 

Shepskies are also categorized among dog breeds with high energy levels, so at least 60 minutes of exercise a day will be a good place to start.

 

Dog parks and large open areas are required to effectively train and exercise this designer dog breed.

 

You should only clean the ears of your Shepskies according to the instructions of your veterinarian, but you need to check their ears every day for pests and debris.

 

Trimming the nails of your pooch once or twice a month is appropriate. Just make sure its nails do not get long.

 

You can get a professional groomer to help you with the grooming of your German Shepherd Husky mix.

 

For the care of this designer dog breed, the most important part is its oral health. 

Especially since a lot of dog breeds are susceptible to dental problems, I strongly recommend that you brush their teeth every day.

 

You can also seek the advice and instruction of your veterinarian on how to properly brush your pooch's teeth.

 

Final Thoughts

 

The coat colors of this designer dog are more or less never solid, as their coats are usually a combination of two colors or more.

I would not advise people with allergies to get a German Shepherd Husky mix, as they are likely to shed a little bit more. They also possess long, tough coats.

 

This designer dog breed is also not recommended for dog owners who live in apartments or for people who won’t provide it with the needed affection, attention, and love.

 

So, to conclude this guide, I will say that this designer dog breed, the Husky German Shepherd mix, is a perfect choice for a family pet as it is both protective and loving, having the traits of an excellent guard dog and also those of a wonderful family companion dog.