Golden Shepherd

Quick Take

• Despite being called a "Golden" Shepherd, this breed's actual appearance might surprise you more than you'd expect. See size details →
• One inherited health condition can turn a routine meal into a life-threatening emergency, something most new owners never see coming. Learn about bloat risk →
• The Golden Shepherd's friendliest trait can quietly become its most destructive one if you miss a single care step. Understand separation anxiety →
• Protecting your puppy's joints requires limiting something most owners instinctively want to give them more of. Protect your puppy's joints →

With its strong heritage, the Golden Shepherd makes for an excellent watchdog, service dog, and overall companion and friend. The Golden Shepherd is a mix of a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd. Both breeds have a fascinating history. The Golden Retriever was originally bred in the Scottish Highlands as an exuberant gundog that would find and retrieve game. The German Shepherd descended from large German herding dogs in the 19th century. The German Shepherd’s incredible combination of intelligence, athleticism, and speed has served all kinds of purposes, from police work to search and rescue. It was also used in both world wars.

The Golden Shepherd inherits attributes from both breeds, including the loyal and friendly personality, the muscular, athletic body, and the dense coat of medium to long fur. This coat can be rough like a German Shepherd or soft and smooth like the Golden Retriever. Despite the name of this hybrid, the Golden Shepherd actually comes in several colors, including black, white, gold, cream, blue, gray, tan, and sable.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning a Golden Shepherd

Size and Weight

The Golden Shepherd is a large, muscular dog. Males tend to be quite a bit larger than females on average.

Common Health Issues

Despite being generally healthy, the Golden Shepherd may inherit several health problems from its two parent breeds, including allergies, heart disease, cancer, epilepsy, eye conditions, and endocrine diseases like diabetes. Another potentially serious problem to look out for is Von Willebrand’s disease, a bleeding disorder that results from low levels of clotting protein in the blood.

Like its German Shepherd and Golden Retriever parents, the Golden Shepherd is also prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. These developmental disorders may be due to a failure of these joints to develop properly or to the bones failing to fit together perfectly.

Because neither condition is reversible, it is best to be vigilant. You will need to work out a special diet and exercise plan with your vet. Your pup must be given special food to prevent rapid development, which may, in turn, place extra strain on its hip and elbow joints. Lack of sufficient exercise and overfeeding may also cause extra strain on your pet’s joints, increasing the risk of problems in the future.

Finally, owners need to be aware of bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus), a very serious condition that can cause the stomach to expand rapidly if the dog eats too quickly. Some of these conditions have a strong genetic component that can be minimized through good breeding, but problems will always arise, no matter how healthy the dog seems.

To catch these problems early, it is always recommended to schedule regular checkups with your vet for tests and a physical examination. A healthy Golden Shepherd will usually have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.

Temperament

The Golden Shepherd has an outgoing, upbeat, and friendly personality that should get along well with almost everyone. There is a chance it may inherit a wariness of strangers from its German Shepherd parent, but once it makes friends, it is a loyal and protective companion and even an excellent watchdog. Sometimes it can be a little overprotective and will anxiously check up on each member of the family.

This tendency to be anxious and restless is another issue you will have to deal with. If left alone for too long or ignored by its owner, then the Golden Shepherd can become anxious and bored, which may lead to destructive and unwanted behavior. This is why owners should supply their dog with plenty of activities to do. As a result, this dog does best in larger homes with plenty of space to roam.

How to Take Care of the Golden Shepherd

The Golden Shepherd is a medium to high-maintenance dog. Since it requires a great deal of hard work and attention to care for, this dog does best with an experienced owner. However, even novice and first-time owners can learn how to take care of this dog with enough time and effort. If you have any other questions or concerns about your dog’s care, consult your vet.

The Best Dog Food

A fully grown Golden Shepherd will probably need between 3 and 5 cups of high-quality dry food per day. The exact amount depends on the dog’s age, size, and activity level. If your dog is prone to bloat, then you might want to use a slow feeder bowl or divide up the meals into several per day. Also avoid timing meals and exercise too close together.

If the dog starts to show signs of allergic reactions or gastrointestinal symptoms, then you should adjust the diet and try to find a food that works. Also, be mindful of this breed’s propensity for heart disease. At regular vet visits, discuss your dog’s heart health and the benefits of legume-free dog foods, since legumes are linked to heart failure in dogs.

Maintenance and Grooming

With its heavy and frequently shedding coat, the Golden Shepherd needs to be groomed with a simple pin brush around two to three times a week, although these brushing sessions may need to occur almost daily during the heavy shedding seasons of the spring and fall. The coat generally keeps clean and should only be bathed as necessary whenever the dog becomes particularly dirty. Proper dental hygiene should be maintained with simple dental chews and regular tooth brushing at least a few times a week. Finally, you should trim the nails with a clipper and clean the ears with a cotton ball whenever necessary.

Training

The Golden Shepherd is a very trainable and eager-to-please dog that strives to obey all of its owner’s commands. It responds best to a firm and strong leader who employs a consistent and predictable training method. Owners should set consistent boundaries and rules for the dog to follow, and communicate as clearly as possible when the dog is doing something wrong, using a calm and dispassionate tone.

It is not a good idea to act aggressively toward your dog. In fact, owners should strive to be positive and upbeat and offer it plenty of treats and praise when it does something right. Fortunately, this dog isn’t too stubborn or belligerent, and it grasps commands very quickly. If you are struggling to maintain a consistent process, then you might want to consider taking your dog to see a professional trainer.

Exercise

The Golden Shepherd is a highly active dog that requires at least 45 minutes of exercise per day; otherwise, if it doesn’t receive enough playtime, it might become bored and anxious. This dog will enjoy long walks or runs on a leash, combined with the ability to roam freely in a large yard or park near your home. Indoors, you should have plenty of chew toys and balls available for it to play with. The Golden Shepherd also excels at all types of tricks, agility competitions, and sports.

Puppies

Golden Shepherd puppies need to be trained from an early age to prevent them from developing some bad antisocial tendencies as adults. Owners should preferably start puppies on obedience training, house training, and, if necessary, crate training within the first six months of their lives. Owners should also attend to the puppy’s physical development; their bodies may be sensitive to running and jumping until about 18 months of age, so you should limit their exercise at first to slow walks and playtime on soft surfaces.

Golden Shepherds and Children

Despite its size, the Golden Shepherd should be kind and gentle to even the smallest children. Once it accepts them as part of the family, the dog will exhibit loyal and protective behavior toward them. But even so, it is rarely a good idea to leave dogs alone unsupervised with smaller children unless an adult is present.

Dogs Similar to the Golden Shepherd

Besides the Golden Retriever and German Shepherd parents, the Golden Shepherd is similar to the following types of dogs:

• Labrador Retriever: As one of the most popular breeds in the United States, the Labrador Retriever is beloved for its friendly, outgoing, and upbeat temperament and its playful, athletic nature. The dense coat comes in three different colors: black, chocolate, and yellow.
• German Sheprador: A cross between a Labrador Retriever and a German Shepherd, the Sheprador is an excellent companion and watchdog. Friendly, loyal, and eager to please, it will form a lifelong bond with its owner.
• Goldador: Good-natured, loyal, and affectionate, the Goldador is a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. Although a great companion and friend, it does require a lot of time and commitment on the part of its owner.