German Shepherd Chow Mix (A.K.A Shepherd Chow) – Overview

The German Shepherd Chow mix dog is a relatively large-sized cross-breed that’s a product of mixing a German Shepherd dog parent and a Chow Chow parent.

Much of the German Shepherd Chow Mix dog’s physical traits and personality traits will depend on which of the two parents was the dominant breed when the two were mixed during breeding.

A Note About The German Shepherd Chow Mix Dog Traits & Characteristics

If the dominant breed was the German Shepherd parent, then the German Shepherd Chow Mix will take most of its physical traits and personality from them.

However, if the dominant breed was the Chow Chow parent, then the German Shepherd Chow Mix will take most of its physical traits and personality from them.

If none of the two parents were dominant breeds and they were both involved in the cross-breeding procedure in equal percentages, then the German Shepherd Chow Mix dog will have almost even traits from both.

German Shepherd Chow Mix Appearance

Size, Height & Weight

Even though this dog’s height and weight can differ a little bit between one dog and the other, depending on which of its two parents was the dominant one during breeding, this dog will generally weigh anywhere around 40-80 lbs and will stand at around 19-23 inches tall.

Coat

When it comes to its coat, the German Shepherd Chow Mix usually gets most of its features in this department from its Chow Chow parent.

This means that this dog will most often have a fluffy coat full of hair just like its Chow Chow parent, rather than a relatively shorter coat and less fluffy one that the German Shepherd is known for.

As for their coat’s color, it usually comes in tan or red colors with a decent amount of black (taken from its German Shepherd parent) that covers its back area.

Some other coat colors that this dog could possibly have are black, brown, a combination of black and brown, light brown, blue, and white.

Watchdogs

Just like its German Shepherd parent, this dog is extremely loyal to its owner and family members (given that they treat it well and it loves them back) and will show exactly that by being an excellent watchdog.

Not to mention the fact that unlike other dogs, this cross-breed dog won’t bark as much when there’s no real reason to, which is always a good thing in a watchdog since you don’t want to be alerted into thinking something’s wrong while in reality, it’s just a cat that they saw on the other side of the road.

Attention & Physical Activity

Want to make this dog the happiest version it can ever be? Give it all the attention you can offer in the world!

And when it comes to giving this dog the attention it needs, this doesn’t have to mean only laying around with them, cuddling and telling them how much of a good boy/girl they are, or letting them lay on your lap until they sleep.

Giving them the attention they need could very well be done by spending adequate amounts with them during the day engaging in PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!

This dog LOVES any and all forms of physical activity, and if they get to do that with you, then there’s not a better form of attention they could ever ask for.

This way, they’ll be getting two things they love most in life, spending time with the person they love most, and getting the exercise that keeps them physically and mentally stimulated.

However, one thing that must be noted is that this dog needs a constant change of routine, because it will get used to the form of exercise you give it real fast and it will become a tedious routine for them real fast.

This is one of the unique traits this dog has, much thanks to its very high intellectual levels that need a special kind of simulating.

So instead of always taking them to the park for a walk as the only form of exercise, spice it up a bit. Go for 2 walks one day, go jogging the other, then accompany that with a few rounds of Frisbee play, add in a few rounds of fetch while you’re at it, and so on.

The key takeaway here is, SPICE IT UP! Don’t let physical activity become a routine for them, they will soon enough dread it.

When giving them the exercise they need in activities such as walking in the park, you have to be aware of the fact that if this dog wasn’t properly socialized, it will tend to go after other animals that it comes across in the park, something which will definitely be problematic if accompanied with an attack.

This is why it’s very important that if you don’t get this dog properly socialized from a young age, that you have it attached to a leash when going places like the dog park so that they don’t cause any problems by attacking other animals they come across.

Training

One of the things that sets this dog apart from other purebreeds and mixed-breeds alike is the fact that they are so good in getting accustomed to different forms of training real fast, be it obedience training, agility training, you name it.

With that being said, this doesn’t mean that this dog will always make your job training it a walk in the park.

Sometimes, this dog’s Chow Chow side can kick in by deciding to hold its own and not follow your orders as much as you’d like.

This is a stubborn side that many Chow Chow dogs are notorious for having.

When (and if, ofcourse) this stubborn side becomes apparent, it’s your job to establish your firmness while making use of positive-reinforcement practices to get things back on track.

Positive reinforcement here doesn’t always have to be with edible treats and toys, it could just be tied with the attention we talked abut above and affection shown to this dog that could many times be just enough to keep them going.

Chow Shepherd Mix Living Conditions

With the high energy levels that this dog has, this means that they’ll do best in a property that has a large space (such as a backyard) in it, and won’t be very comfortable in somewhere like an apartment because of the limited space they have available to move around.

And, just like we stated in the introduction to this article, this dog does really well in families that are able to spend adequate time with it.

A little bit of quality time from you, a little bit of play time from your kids, a little bit from your spouse, this dog will be the happiest thing ever if they feel they are loved and appreciated enough.

But, in case you don’t have that much time to spend with this dog and have to leave it alone for long periods of time because no one else at home is there to attend to it, then this is not the dog for you, unless a miserable dog is what you’re looking after.

If you leave it alone and unattended for a long time, this dog will make itself heard loud and clear.

Speaking about time to spend with this dog, if you’ve got kids at home that love nothing more than to play around until they’re exhausted in your backyard, then this dog could be the perfect companion for them, provided that this dog has been properly trained and socialized from a young age so they don’t form any sort of danger to your kids.

Even then, you’ll want to keep a close eye on both your children and your dog when they are interacting and playing with each other just to make sure that everything is okay and that you can immediately intervene if anything bad goes wrong.

It’s not always the fault of the dog, sometimes our kids are the party that’s at fault because of something that they did that elicited an aggressive response from the dog.

This dog is one of the most persistent dogs when it comes to playing around, and could potentially take a lot of time off your hands by helping you out with playing with your kids for you in times when you’re busy and can’t do that yourself.

Chow German Shepherd Mix Health

The German Shepherd Chow Mix isn’t known to suffer from special health problems that are only unique to it and it only, but it is known to sometimes carry over some health problems from either/both its parents.

Some of the most common health problems that this dog usually carries over from its parents are:

• Hip dysplasia
• Flea allergies
• Heart problems
• Eye problems
• Bloating
• Joint dysplasia

The best way you can make sure that your German Shepherd Chow Mix dog will grow up to lead a healthy life is by only buying one from a reputable breeder that’s able to show you all the health clearances for this specific dog as well as both its parents.

Only then will you be able to know any specific health problems they are suffering from or are very likely to suffer from due to inheriting them from their parents.

In general, this dog will go on to live for around 10-12 years as an average lifespan.

German Shepherd Chow Mix Living Conditions

This dog is known to be a fairly heavy shedder, a condition which can potentially get even worse during spring seasons.

And, just as we recommend you do with any other dog that sheds excessively, you should take care of their coat by brushing it 1-2 times each and every single day.

If you slack off on properly and frequently brushing this dog’s coat and hair, then be prepared to live in a house with your dog’s hair everywhere.

On the couch, on the carpet, on your clothes, EVERYWHERE.

So don’t get lazy and brush your German Shepherd Chow Mix dog’s coat once a day!

As far as giving this dog a bath is concerned, you should be doing this whenever the need arises.

Just make sure you use a specific dog shampoo formula and not a shampoo that you and I would use.

This dog’s teeth should also be brushed around 4 times a week to keep them in optimal condition.

Trimming this dog’s nails should also be something that’s done on a frequent basis, although it’s ideally taken care of by a professional groomer in order to avoid causing pain and bleeding in the sensitive areas that are our dogs’ nails.

Finally, the last grooming to-do item on the checklist is cleaning this dog’s ears, which is also something that’s ideally done by a professional groomer around 1-2 times a week.