50-90 lbs
22-28"
United States
Like many hybrids, the Shepadoodle — also known as a German Doodle, Shep-A-Poo or Sherdoodle — is a combination of two fabulous dogs. It’s got so much to offer any prospective pet parent.
Here, we’ll explain all there is to know about the Shepadoodle dog breed. Along the way you’ll find out some useful bits of information on this German Shepherd Poodle mix, including, but not limited to:
What is a Shepadoodle? A reasonably large dog with a large and lovely personality, the Shepadoodle is a cross between a German Shepherd and a Poodle. It’s loyal, though because it’s a dog that needs quite a lot of work, it’s probably not the right choice for a first-time pet parent.
So, while you could certainly welcome Shepadoodle puppies into your home, this German Shepherd Poodle mix might be best looked after by experienced dog owners, because of its relatively high needs in the exercise and mental stimulation departments.
With a lifespan of up to 14 years — and potentially longer than that — a Shepadoodle might cost approximately $1,000 to $3,000 a year in vet bills. A pet insurance plan may cover some of those costs. Here, you can compare the best insurance providers to find the right quote for you and your furry friend. And, while you’re there, why not consider a wellness plan, which will cover the cost of your pup’s routine vet treatment and checks?
Ready to learn more about this intelligent and beautiful breed? Let’s dive in.
Surprisingly, we can be specific about why the Shepadoodle came into the world. We know the how — it’s a cross between a German Shepherd and a standard Poodle — but the why, is that it was bred to be a military police dog in the 1960s for the US Army. German Shepherds have been by soldiers’ sides for a long time, so it makes a lot of sense that a full grown Shepadoodle would make a suitable companion for military service.
The German Shepherd — also known as an Alsatian in the United Kingdom — is a hard-working, strong, loyal breed that has been in the US since about 1906. Originally from Germany, of course, and intended to herd sheep, the breed went on to become one of the very most popular dogs in the US and in other countries, despite a setback around 100 years ago when their nationality meant that they were associated with the wartime opposition.
Poodles, meanwhile, are also German in origin. They’re what is known as water dogs — you might not know this, but the Poodle is called the Poodle thanks to the German word ‘puddle’. Although Poodles weren’t very popular in the US until 1935, they’re now a favorite dog here and abroad. Shepadoodles, however, are less common, so a typical Shepadoodle price is always likely to be higher than the price of a Poodle or German Shepherd.
Like many hybrids, it’s a bit of a lottery as to exactly what the Shepadoodle is going to look like. It could be curly like its Poodle ancestors, or coarse, black and tan like its German Shepherd family.
What doesn’t tend to change is that this is a fairly large breed — a full grown Shepadoodle can weigh up to 90lbs and stand as tall as 28 inches — with brown eyes and floppy ears. In color it might be white, it might be black, it might be tan and black; it’s all up for grabs.
In fantastic news for allergy sufferers, the low-shedding coat of the Shepadoodle means that it’s considered hypoallergenic — as much as any breed of dog is, at least.So, like the sound of the Shepadoodle’s temperament and its various requirements? Well, you might also be interested in the following breeds, which are similar in various ways to this German Shepherd Poodle mix.
It’s not hard to maintain a Shepadoodle, especially because its hypoallergenic qualities mean you’ll have comparatively little fur to sweep up. You might need to regularly groom its coat (around three times a week) but you won’t need to worry about spending much time on each session as the hair isn’t especially likely to tangle.
You ought to check your Shepadoodle’s ears regularly, because hair often congregates there, and make sure you’re maintaining its nails before they get too long, and brushing its teeth almost as often as you brush your own.
You should have at least 10 wonderful years with your Shepadoodle, but there’s never a guarantee that those years will definitely be 100% ailment-free. In Shepadoodles, as well as relatively common afflictions like hip dysplasia, the following conditions are a little more prevalent than others, so try and stay as alert as possible to the following:
We never like seeing the words ‘progressive’ or ‘degenerative’ in diseases. Degenerative myelopathy is something we hope your dog never suffers from; it’s an unpleasant condition.
Because the German Shepherd is prone to this condition, so is the Shepadoodle. The disease — whose cause is unknown — affects the white matter of a dog’s spinal cord so that it finds it increasingly difficult to move. Tending to pick up hip dysplasia along the way, a dog with degenerative myelopathy will often be falling over and becoming lame by the end of its life.
A vet will need to eliminate other diagnoses — like arthritis — before arriving at a diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy. Once there, the vet will simply want to minimize the amount of pain your dog is in. This treatment might simply be a good diet of fresh fruits and supplements like aminocaproic acid or, more expensively, physical therapy involving specific exercises engineered to keep your dog comfortable for as long as possible.
Hemophilia can be a bit of a scary condition — so scary, in fact, that afflicted puppies can often die before they even reach adulthood. It’s an ailment defined by the blood’s inability to clot properly.
As you can imagine, when blood can’t clot properly, it means that it is difficult to stop it being released from your furry friend’s wound indefinitely. Dogs’ blood clots for a reason, so when a pup suffering from hemophilia sustains a cut or has an internal bleed it’s cause for great concern.
Present in your dog’s genes, this is an inherited disorder that cannot be cured, only treated. When it’s treated, the options available to vets are plasma or blood transfusions to control the bleeding; products that will help clot your pup’s blood; or gene therapy.
A technical term for bone inflammation, panosteitis in your dog might make itself known through symptoms like fever, reduced appetite, or lack of interest in exercising. We wouldn’t blame your dog for not wanting to run about — panosteitis means that it’s experiencing nasty pain (often for weeks) in its legs. Because this is a condition frequently characterized by lameness, you should contact your vet quickly; your dog being unable to walk properly or at all is always a cause for serious concern.
Luckily, this is a problem most often affecting younger dogs, and often clears up by the time your pup is a couple of years old. While your dog is struggling with it, your vet is likely to prescribe one of various types of pain medication.
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The Shepadoodle tends to stay pretty lean, thanks in no small part to the large amounts of exercise it undertakes. It ought to go without saying that the food you give your Shepadoodle should be high-quality, nutrient-rich food full of animal proteins that will keep it healthy and full of energy.
Do your research and avoid harmful ingredients and things like fillers and E numbers. If you can afford it, favor dog food brands that are transparent about how they source their ingredients and what goes into each packet. Try, if possible, to avoid giving your Shepadoodle scraps from your plates — food tailored to dogs will always be preferable.
If you want comprehensive information about the best dog foods out there, check out our friends at Dog Food Advisor — they have in-depth brand reviews that include ingredient analysis, so you know exactly what you’re feeding your pet.The typical Shepadoodle temperament is a delight. With both the German Shepherd and the Poodle bred to work, the Shepadoodle is similarly high in intelligence, work ethic, fitness, though needs to be stimulated mentally.
A loyal and super-friendly dog who loves to play, the Shepadoodle enjoys being with its family more than probably anything else. It will be protective of you without being aggressive, and should get on perfectly well with strangers. Try not to leave it alone if you can help it; it’s a sociable breed that will be happiest when it knows you’re nearby.
If you have little kids, you’ll be happy to hear that the Shepadoodle is great with children. It’s possible but not ideal to keep the Shepadoodle in an apartment because, like a lot of dogs, it needs lots of space in which to spread out.
This is a moderate to high-energy dog breed that will require a decent amount of outdoor time to stay fit and happy. Being a working dog, not a lap dog, it needs in the region of 12 miles of exercise every week.
More than that, however, it’s a bright and alert dog that needs plenty of brain stimulation: make sure you’re playing with it and giving it training games that will tire it out mentally.
Although the Shepadoodle will be more than thrilled to stay inside with the pack and chill, they have a very active ancestry that will drive them to want to play and romp around outside all day if they can. It's important to remember that even though your dog loves you and enjoys being inside with you, they will be even happier to spend time outside enjoying nature and burning off energy by your side.
Some great activities to do with your Shepadoodle may be a jog, a long dog walk, or playing fetch in the yard. Dog training is another great way to bond with your pup, while also tiring them out mentally.Dogs who don't get this opportunity may become destructive when left alone, so it's better to spend a few minutes teaching some tricks and manners in order to learn more about your dog and keep them using their energy for a positive purpose.
Written by Ralph Jones
Published: 12/18/2017, edited: 02/22/2024
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