If you are on the lookout for a big dog to complete your family, a Husky German Shepherd is a perfect choice. They are well-tempered and docile around kids and other pets, perfect to introduce into your family. Protective and loving, they are a perfect mix between the two breeds.

What is a Husky German Shepherd Mix?

A Husky German Shepherd mix is a hybrid between the Siberian Husky and German Shepherd. This breed is extremely beautiful, intelligent and are filled with energy too, as they are a mix of two working dogs.

History

This type of mix is fairly new and is usually a designer type of dog. The German Shepherd, as expected, originated from Germany. The breed dates back to the 1800’s, originally bred to be herders. However, eventually, they became bred specifically for police and military purposes. They were bred to be strong, quick-witted and agile, as they were crucial to the army and police force.

During World War I they had many different purposes such as carrying messages, protection, guard dogs and pack carriers. This is when they were recognized as their own breed. They became one of the most popular American dogs after featuring in war films that demonstrated their courage, loyalty and intelligence. Those same qualities make them popular today as well, as they are good for protection and company.  

Like German Shepherds, the namesake of the Siberian Husky comes from its origin country – Siberia, Russia. And just like the German Shepherd, they were bred for their strength because they were made to help people of their country. As a result, Siberian Huskies have a great amount of endurance, making them the ideal sled dogs.

They are able to pull great weights across far distances, faster than any other dog. They were brought over to Alaska and Canada around the early 20th century, still as sled dogs. Now, they are a staple breed in Canadian and American homes, with many sought-after traits such as their obedience.

The Husky German Shepherd mix is a perfect combination of these two dogs. They are friendly and outgoing, strong, playful, guarding and loyal. Though they are a mix of two very serious, working dogs, the mix tends to be goofy nonetheless.

Temperament

The Husky German Shepherd’s temperament greatly depends on which breed is more dominant in the mix. However, there are traits that are shared between both breeds. The mix is known to be energetic and playful, requiring a lot of space to play and a lot of exercise. They are quite mischievous and may get into some trouble, most likely around the kitchen, considering their appetites.

If they have more of the Husky temperament, they may be a little crazy when they are younger – hard to walk and always filled with energy. While they love receiving attention, this mix is typically picky as to when they want it. Similar to cats, they want to be pet when they want to be pet, not when you want to pet them. They are quite independent, but they do not like being alone and will likely follow you around the house.

On the other hand, if they have more of the German Shepherd in them, they may be quite vocal, constantly howling, especially if anyone comes near the door. However, they will be extremely good guard dogs and will be protective too. They are extremely intelligent and will adapt to many situations, but they need to be exercised as they were bred to work. In fact, they may become anxious if they do not have a way to get their energy out. Shepherds’ are less silly than Huskies, but they are just as loving.

General Appearance

The Husky German Shepherd mix stays very true to its name, appearing exactly how you would expect a mix of the two dogs to look. Some lean more towards one breed than the other, while others appear to be a perfect mix of the two. The mix is quite unpredictable, though, as they can sometimes appear quite regal and strong. On other occasions, they will look friendly and slightly goofy.

Coat

Both of the breeds are known for their thick, coarse fur. Especially for Huskies, their fur was made to keep them warm in cold climates, so thick is an understatement. The mix will have a furry coat and if they take on more of the Husky, it may be scruffy and messy. On the other hand, the German Shepherd is a little more tamed and straight.

The fur may be short, long or anything in between. There is a multitude of original fur color patterns, though. Usually, there’s a mix of brown tones, red, gold, cream, gray, as well as whites and blacks. Their fur is not uniform and the color patches are usually pretty random, as both Huskies and Shepherds have those color patches.

Size/Weight/Height

Both originating breeds are medium to large-sized dogs, so the Husky German Shepherd mix will not be small. They usually weigh between 45 and 90 pounds, though they can be more. They are typically around 20 to 25 inches, though similarly to weight, their environment, diet and exercise regimen will affect their final size. The mix is strong and muscular, built for obstacles and enduring long distances.

Features

The eyes can be either brown or blue, or sometimes even both. They may have the standing, triangle-shaped ears, as both breeds have this pointed ear shape. However, some have floppy ears as well. Their muzzle is not too large or too small and not quite pointed or square. Both breeds have rather thick necks, especially Huskies, which typically have large gatherings of fur around that area.

Grooming

Fortunately, the mix of the two breeds does not bring out the worst from the two genetic lineages. The Husky German Shepherd mix did not inherit the hereditary trait that made the purebred Huskies and German Shepherds heavy shredders. In other words, there would just be a moderate amount of grooming for this mix.

However, a moderate amount of shedding is still a significant amount for households with health issues regarding pet hair such as allergies or asthma. The amount of shedding done by the Husky German Shepherd will also be a considerable amount of work when it comes to cleaning up after them.

Having a double coat, the ideal amount of grooming recommended is at least twice a week in order to maintain a healthy and lustrous coat. Other grooming concerns should be practiced in a standard manner, such are for the cases of the ears, nails and tail.

Furthermore, it must be clearly stated that under no circumstances should the coat of the Husky German Shepherd, or any other purebred dogs, be shaved under the impression that the dog will bear warmer climates better.

Ideal Environment

Being a relatively large dog and coming from lineages of active sports dogs, the Husky German Shepherd mix is best kept with an ample amount of space. The size of the space should be just right for the dog to be able to go around and play without any constraints. For some living in enclosed apartments, this can be a problem. Unless, the entire floor plan of the apartment is available for the Husky German Shepherd.

A simple solution for dogs being kept in those situations is to regularly have the dogs go out for a walk, or a trip to the dog park. Ideally, a spacious fenced backyard would be more than sufficient to provide the Husky German Shepherd the environment it would need to expend its energy. Regarding the ideal climate, a moderately cool environment would be more than enough.

Possible Health Problems

Although there are those who claim that dogs coming from mixed breeds are healthier than the purebreds, professional dog breeders actually sing a different tune. In fact, they claim that it is the purebreds that are healthier. In lieu of the dog breeders’ knowledge, the Husky German Shepherd mix would have a set of health problems specific to their genetics.

Taking notes from the common health issues of both Siberian Husky and German Shepherd, this mix would have a subset containing ailments from both purebreds. Common health issues would include:

Juvenile Cataracts

A development of opacity in the eyes that could potentially lead to blindness.

Allergies

An overreaction of the immune system to certain substances or allergens. Common allergens for the Husky German Shepherd mix would be flea saliva from a flea bite.

Hypothyroidism

A hormonal imbalance caused by the subpar performance of the thyroid.

Dwarfism

A genetic defect that causes a growth deficiency.  

Dysplasia

General joint issues such as instability or looseness that commonly affects the joints in the hips and the elbows.

Exercise

If you want to have a Husky German Shepherd, you better be prepared for a lot of exercise on your part. This is because your dog will positively be a bundle of energy starting all the way from a puppy to a happy adult. Once again, this can be easily attributed to the Siberian Husky and German Shepherd being both highly active breeds. By now, you might be dreading the thought of one walk a day. However, in reality, you should be looking at least two sufficiently long walks a day.

In between walks, the Husky German Shepherd mix should be receiving other energy-using activities, primarily games such as fetch, tug-of-war and maybe a sort of obstacle course. The dog’s mind should also be kept sharp through tricks, or keeping a schedule without monotony.

If you think your life would be difficult providing this amount of exercise for a Husky German Shepherd mix, it surely won’t get better if you don’t. Dogs with high amounts of energy tend to develop irritable behavioral problems when not given sufficient exercise. Symptoms from lack of exercise would include excessive barking and howling. In addition to that, lack of stimuli can also be taken out on your household items due to destructive chewing.

Is This Breed a Good Family Dog?

It really depends on how you would define what a good family dog would be. If you are concerned about whether the Husky German Shepherd mix would love every single member of the family, then there’s nothing to worry about. This is because the dog will show nothing but love to everyone in the family, including the children.

However, there are some issues that may arise from this breed. Although the Husky German Shepherd mix is a protective breed, it can be too overprotective. Being overprotective of your family can lead to aggression towards new people or even new pets. A simple fix for this behavioral issue would just be proper socialization to new people and other animals at an early age. From being a puppy, the Husky German Shepherd mix should be exposed to new people and dogs. This needs to be done so that it can learn how to be more sociable and well-rounded as an individual.  

However, additional supervision should still be given when the dog is around small children. This is because small children might not know how to properly play with the dog. You have to remember that this is a rather large animal.

Training

Fortunately, there shouldn’t be any problems when it comes to training the Husky German Shepherd mix. Coming from intelligent lineages, this breed will not have any difficulty learning trick after trick.

An important note when it comes to training this dog should be obedience and your assertiveness as its master. This mix has a strong background of being in a pack and in order to have complete control over it, you have to always balance the line between being its best friend and its pack leader.

Conclusion

The Husky German Shepherd mix is a beautiful hybrid, a perfect addition to any loving family. They will prove to be the ideal dog for anybody who has time to take care of them and allow them to get their exercise. They are loyal and will quickly become a best friend and a member of your family.

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