German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix Puppy, Training & More
German Shepherds, the name of large dog breed comes from Germany. In the 1800’s they were mainly used as sheepherders because they were intelligent, strong, fast, and had a great sense of smell.
It proved himself as a loyal, courageous, confident, intelligent, hardworking pet animal among all pets.
Not only a pet but they are also involved in military defense, police force because of their honesty, loyalty, ability to learn new things and obey the command of their commander.
They are as grateful to their master that they can put their lives in danger. This dog breed has another name “Alsatian Wolf Dog”.
On the other hand, Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed in the world. This name comes from the Chihuahua state of Mexico.
This breed is well known for its charm, loyalty, and big dog-like personality. They are eventually considered as a national symbol of Mexico.
They are intelligent as well as stubborn. The Chihuahua is a graceful, balanced, and confident pet breed of all dog lovers.
German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix:
The German Shepherd Chihuahua mix is a designer dog that has unique characteristics from its parent breed. They are loyal, curious, and stubborn companions.
This breed comes from crossbred of a male Chihuahua and a female German Shepherd.
Under human supervision and assistance, this breeding is done by artificially creating a breed that has unique characteristics of these two breeds.
The German Shephard Chihuahua mix puppy carries the characteristics of both breeds like intelligence, loyalty, attentiveness, and courage.
The physical characteristics which they carry may be variable. They are:
- Coat color: black and /or tan-colored
- Shedding: short to medium coat with minimum shedding
- Erect ears
- Soft spot on their head (disappears with time)
Physical Identity:
This design breed looks like a German Shephard in appearance but the size and weight alike to Chihuahua.
This is a small dog breed with an apple-shaped head, large ears, and little eyes. and they have a traditional black nose.
Their height ranges from 7 to 45 inches (17.8 to 114.3 cm) tall and has weight ranges from 8 to 60 lbs (3.6 to 27.2 kg).
The coat color of this breed is the same as the German Shephard dog, brown and black. But the color can vary like black, brown, tan, sable, etc.
The lifespan of this breed is 9-20 years, which is better for German Shephard (12-14 years) and Chihuahua (up to 20 years) individually, make sure to take care of your dog properly.
Psychology And Temperament:
As a hybrid, The German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix breed varies widely in size, personality, and temperament.
The German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix has a wonderful personality of aggressiveness, curiousness, attentiveness, ability to obey commands.
They are very stubborn in nature so they need proper training and socialization, and they are very familiar and easily handled after proper training has been done.
Their curiousness and aggressiveness make them start barking if anyone strangers come around him or their owners. They can suspect any unwanted condition or situation.
These are great dogs but they become wary of strangers if they aren’t introduced to a variety of animals (pet animals, dogs, cats, birds, etc.), people around them, and the environment where they live.
As they are aggressive in nature, they are not suitable for small children. They are best for older kids whether they don’t like smaller or young kids. Kids, as well as all people of this dog owner, should know the signs of aggression, like snarling or showing of teeth which may help them to prevent injuries or, biting by dogs.
They also have to know proper interaction, touching, and playing techniques. In spite of all these, they are very alert, active dogs which are very favorable to pet lovers.
Training:
Both parent breed is prey hunter in nature and also aggressive and stubborn. So proper training and socialization are important for this German Shephard Chihuahua mix breed.
If they carry the major % genes of German Shephard then it will be easy to train them they have the ability to obey the orders. But in the case of Chihuahua preference in this breed then it will be a little tough.
They should train at a young age so that they can easily learn about behavior around people and other animals.
The best way to train this breed is through “positive reinforcement training techniques” where teach to obey the commands of the owner from wherever it is listening to the voice of the owner.
Crate training is also very helpful where they get accustomed to being on their own. A crate is a safe place for a young dog, and it makes dealing with any separation anxiety much easier. And will also aid in potty training.
Potty training with puppy pee pads is very important otherwise they will make the home dirty. The timings are every morning after waking up, after eating, and finally after the exercise period.
Grooming:
The German Shepherd and the Chihuahua are two dogs infamous for shedding all year round. German Shepherd Chihuahua mix dogs do shed all year round, while the majority shed as the season change.
This little doggy should bathe at least once a week with good shampoos so that they don’t shed everywhere. Brushing hair should be done regularly so that it can be shed easily.
With a proper grooming kit, you can do this at your home without going out to a dog grooming place.
Health Issues:
The German Shepherd Chihuahua mix is a healthy hybrid dog breed. The health record of both the parent breeds helps to get an idea about the physical condition of the breed.
There are some common disease conditions in this breed. The most commonly occurred conditions are:
This condition is commonly found in small dog breeds like the Chihuahua. An abnormal gait is found due to an improper line-up of patellar bones.
This condition is commonly found in small dog breeds like the german shepherd dog. This is a very painful condition where the bones are not fit at the sockets properly. Later it leads to osteoarthritis which is a very painful situation.
It means the dog suffering from low blood sugars. The puppy may start developing a blue tongue, develop restlessness, and appear weak.
when the dog is fed an unhealthy, high amount of food cause this breed is very prone to obesity. So, they should feed a proper diet with nutrition.
This condition comes from the Chihuahua parent. Puppies born with a soft spot on their head are called Molera.
This condition is very common in large dog breeds with a deep chest. When the dog eats its food too quickly, and the stomach twists and turns then causing bloat. Bloat is a minor disease condition but sometimes it became a life-threatening condition. To prevent this, give small meals throughout the day, and meals provided in special small bowls with protrusion are best. This will help them to prevent gobbling down their food and teach eat in a small amount.
There are no critical health problems. The German Shepherd Chihuahua mix has congenital heart defects. These are heart conditions inherited at birth including aortic and pulmonic stenosis, mitral valve dysplasia, and endocardial fibroelastosis. However, these conditions are exceedingly rare.
Food And Nutrition:
The diet of any dog varies from each other because of their size and physical activity. the German shepherd chihuahua mix should take 3-4 cups of high-quality food in the morning and in the evening. they are very prone to get obese so their diet should be proper with the required nutrients.
German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix Puppy:
The German Shepherd Chihuahua mix puppy will cost an average of $400 – $1200.
The German shepherd chihuahua mix puppy doesn’t usually produce naturally, the sperm of a male Chihuahua and is put inside a female German Shepherd by a skilled breeder.
The size of the puppy depends on the size of the female German Shephard. Litter size determination is difficult in the mixed breeds as German Shepherds can have between eight to fifteen puppies in a single litter.
Chihuahuas can have between three to five puppies in a litter, but some Chihuahuas can have up to ten puppies. This mixed breed can have between four and eight puppies in a single litter. This will vary for each dog.
Conclusion:
The German Shepherd Chihuahua mix is a small dog with a big personality. The German Shepherd Chihuahua mix needs to be socialized at an early age.
These doggies aren’t suitable for people who stay away from home for long periods of time as they can develop negative behaviors such as chewing, digging, etc.