The German Shepherd Husky Mix, also knows as a Gerberian Shepsky in some parts of the world, is a cross breed between the German Shepherd and the Siberian Husky.
The German Shepherd Husky Mix, or Gerberian Shepsky, is a recognized breed by the Dog Registry of America and the American Canine Hybrid Club.
However, with that being said, you have to be aware that you need to do your due diligence when it comes to choosing the breeder you’re going to be getting your Gerberian Shepsky from, as there are always breeders out there that will cheat you out and not give you your money’s worth.
German Shepherd Husky Mix Appearance
- Generally a large dog in size
- Piercing blue eyes
- Thick coat that is most commonly gray/brown in color
- Average height between 20-25 inches
- Average weight between 45-88 pounds
German Shepherd Husky Mix Temperament
The German Shepherd Husky Mix will usually get their temperament from the German Shepherd parent or the Siberian Husky parent, each case of which will lead to a different temperament as we will see in this section, due to the fact that each of the two parent breeds have a very different temperament than the other.
If your German Shepherd Husky Mix got its temperament from its Siberian Husky parent, then it’s most likely to have a calm, gentle and extremely friendly personality and temperament to it.
You can expect it to immediately make new friends with strangers it meets for the first time, which doesn’t make for a very good watchdog to be honest.
If they see a stranger, and even if this stranger is approaching your household for something they shouldn’t be doing, don’t rely on it to alert you of the situation.
There’s more of a chance that it’ll make best friends with the stranger instead!
However, if your German Shepherd Husky Mix got its temperament from its German Shepherd parent, then it’s most likely to have more of a hyper, alert and active demeanor to it.
You can also expect it to be much more protective of you and alert you much more frequently whenever it sees a stranger nearby.
This can be very good for security and safety purposes of you and your household, but it can also get into trouble with your neighbors if all your dog does is bark at strangers all day long that are doing nothing but walking on the sidewalk!
German Shepherd Husky Mix Intelligence
The German Shepherd Husky mix is a very intelligent dog, as its parents, the German Shepherd and the Siberian Husky, are both work dogs – meaning that they are mentally skilled enough to be able to carry out specific tasks they are taught.
Hence, the German Shepherd Husky mix dog is often used in jobs like:
- Search and rescue
- Military work
- Police work
- Guard dogs
- Scouting
The German Shepherd Husky mix dog is an excellent watchdog that will start barking to let you know when a stranger is getting too close to your property in a way they shouldn’t be.
German Shepherd Husky Mix Health Problems
The German Shepherd Husky mix suffers from a set of health issues because it’s a crossbred.
Here are some of the most common health conditions that this crossbreed’s parents, the German Shepherd and the Siberian Husky, suffer from, which means that it will also likely suffer from as well:
- Elbow and hip dysplasia
- Juvenile cataracts
- Blood disorders
- Bloat
- Dwarfism
- Flea allergies
- Von Willebrand’s disease
- Eye problems
- Digestive issues
- Eczema
German Shepherd Husky Mix Lifespan
The German Shepherd Husky mix usually has a lifespan of anywhere between 10 to 13 years.
German Shepherd Husky Mix Exercise & Play
The German Shepherd Husky mix is one of the crossbreeds that requires very high amounts of exercise during the day even when they are still very young puppies, because its parents are both extremely active dogs.
So before you make the investment in getting one, make sure that you either have a suitable, large space at home for them to roam free and get all the exercise they need in over there, or that you’re able (or can properly delegate this to someone else) to take them out each and every day somewhere where they can play around and get their physical exercise.
When talking about exactly how much exercise this crossbreed needs, think minimum of 2 LONG walks a day, a fair amount of running around the park in between and some games such as fetch, fly-ball, agility course training and tug of war.
(Hint: For the long walks, you’ll find that you may want to hire a professional dog walker because doing this each and every day, day in day out is bound to become a time consuming commitment for you real soon).
If the German Shepherd Husky mix fails to get its required physical activity “fix” for the day, you run a very high risk of having them start to develop serious behavioral problems, like excessive barking, howling and destructive chewing.
Keep them tired through the day and just watch how much of a happy life they’ll lead!
The German Shepherd Husky mix also enjoys its fair share of mental stimulation during the day, which you can easily do by setting a schedule of new tricks to teach it every now and then and sticking to it.
German Shepherd Husky Mix Best Climate/Environment
As we talked about in the last section where we covered the exercise needs for the German Shepherd Husky mix dog, the best environment they can live in is one where there’s a large space for them to roam free and keep on moving.
Ideally for you, that would be a large fenced backyard you have at home where it can spend the majority of its day and run around freely.
And the fence is just there for security purposes so the dog doesn’t get out to places it’s not supposed to be in without a leash.
As for the climate that’s best for the German Shepherd Husky mix dog to live in, a moderately cool climate is most convenient for them.
The last thing you want to do is have them live in a really hot, desert-like climate, because that will do nothing but cause them discomfort and push them to find ways to cool down.
With that being said, it should also be noted that the German Shepherd Husky mix dog can perfectly handle excessively cold climates.
German Shepherd Husky Mix Grooming
The German Shepherd Husky mix dog isn’t exactly the heaviest shedding dog out there, nor is it a dog that sheds hair in minor quantities.
It’s a moderate shedder that lies somewhere in between, which means you have to make sure that no-one in your household has allergies before you get one, because they WILL shed and you WILL notice it very easily, especially during times when seasons are changing.
The German Shepherd Husky mix dog has a double coat that should be brushed 2 times each week at minimum to keep it healthy and in tip-top shape, with grooming being done at a very young age so it grows up and is used to the process.
One thing you can also do to manage this shedding problem and live with it is make use of something like a furminator slicker brush.
Whatever you do, DO NOT shave the German Shepherd Husky mix dog, because contrary to what you might think, this will not make them cooler in times of excessive heat, this will lead to a whole host of problems that you don’t ever want to come across with your dog.
Other grooming tasks that need to be done on a regular basis to the German Shepherd Husky mix dog are ear cleaning (mainly to remove wax that builds up there), teeth brushing and nail clipping.
If you know how to do all of these and have experience doing them, feel free to do these tasks yourself.
However, if you don’t have necessary experience yet, it’s probably best to delegate them to a professional dog groomer.
German Shepherd Husky Mix Training
The German Shepherd Husky mix dog has to be properly socialized and trained as early as possible, even when they are still very young puppies.
This cross breed is, as we already established above, a very smart dog and will hence learn real fast in the hands of a competent trainer who knows what they’re doing.
If you’re going to be training your German Shepherd Husky mix dog yourself, then the 4 most important aspects of training you should keep in mind are positive reinforcement, firmness, consistency and engagement.
Stick to these 4 principles and you’ll be more than fine training this dog.
German Shepherd Husky Price/Cost
A German Shepherd Husky mix puppy will set you back anywhere between $350-$850, and a further one-time fee of around $400-$500 for equipment, medical examinations and neutering.
And, just like you and I have to have regular trips to the doctor for medical purposes, so does your dog.
The German Shepherd Husky mix dog will also set you back anywhere between $500-$600 in medical costs per year.
As for costs you will incur on things that are not medically related, you’re probably looking at another $1000 every year on things like training, food, professional grooming services and the like.
Other Names German Shepherd Husky Mix Dog Goes By:
- Husky Shepherd
- Gerberian Shepsky
