Life with a German Shepherd/Chow Puppy
This Unique Mix Brings Both Joy and Headaches
Her coloring is light brown with a reddish tint over most her body. Macy's coat is thick and lustrous, about medium length. Her face definitely resembles a German Shepherd, as she has a fairly long snout and mostly black face. On the other hand, her tail is much more Chow-like. It's very fluffy and curls backwards. Her ears are pointed and constantly erect, except when she is scared.
The best way to describe Macy's personality would be: sweet, but stubborn (much like my girlfriend, come to think of it). She loves attention most of the time, but is not one of those cuddly dogs that just wants to sit on your lap and be petted all the time. Macy is always full of energy and wanting to play. Her favorite games are tug-of-war, which she will play with any object she can sink her teeth into, and fetch. However, she only likes to fetch indoors, usually when she's bored. Once she's outside, her attention span goes kaput. There are just too many things to sniff, squirrels to chase and other dogs to run around with. Macy will chase balls outside, but refuses to pick them up and bring them back.
Potty training Macy was not too bad. After about two weeks of discipline for doing the wrong thing and encouragement for doing the right thing, she pretty much stopped peeing inside. Once in awhile she would still have an accident, but usually only if she was left alone for a long time or got very excited around a new person. She learned very quickly to let us know if she needed to go outside; unfortunately, she also learned that anytime she whined she would get to go for a walk. So, of course, we had to curb that habit.
This dog has proven to be very intelligent. She has picked up several tricks very easily. She naturally likes to paw at things, so teaching her to shake was a no-brainer. Then she learned how to high-five. In addition, she knows "sit", "lie down" and "dance", my personal favorite. For that one, I stick out my hands and she jumps up on her hind legs and puts her paws in my palms. She can be very amusing.
The main problems with Macy are her lack of obedience outside, and her tendency to chew up things inside. Fortunately, she rarely chews on furniture. Often she'll find something paper or plastic, like a pen, and tear it to shreds. This is only when she is left alone and gets bored, though. She lives in an apartment, but Shepherd-Chow mixes are probably better suited to homes with a backyard. On the few occasions she has been able to roam in a backyard, Macy did dig some holes, so that may also be a problem with this breed.
Overall, I would highly recommend German Shepherd/Chow mutts as pets. Based on my experience, they do require a lot of exercise and attention, so they would be well-matched with fairly active people. Macy loves to go on runs with me. Keep in mind, this dog requires a lot of patience, but is loyal, smart, and will reward you with a charming personality.
Published by Mr. Burgundy
I am a 26 year old student and aspiring writer. I thought I wanted to be a teacher but recently realized I love writing a whole lot more. And I decided teachers make too much money. View profile
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23 Comments
Post a CommentMy husband and I have the same mix, a female we call Cleotis. Our neighbors gave her to us. They bought her for 300 bucks at a flea market as a puppy. Whoever bred her took her litter at 4 weeks old and sold them as 16 week old pom/shitzu mixes.
She is talky and loving, but she can also be cranky with our other dogs. The cuddle thing fits her, too.
I wouldn't pay money for any dog, but Cleotis is priceless to us.
we resently adopted a german shepherd/ chow a few weeks ago. he showed up at our neighbor's house and they couldnt find the owner. its clear he has had some training but we think he must have ran off on them. any way we took him so he wouldnt end up at the pound. he is the gentlest dog i have ever met and very relaxed and he is only about a year old. the only problem we have with him is as soon as he sees an animal outside he takes off. he will leave the barn cats alone unless the start to run then he chases them. this is a big problem for us because we have horses and alot of land and wild life around us. we r surrounded by woods and if he runs i dont know if he will come back. he has left once for about an hour and came back. i have learned being calm and stern with him works ALOT beter then gatting mad and just yelling because then he is just scarred to come to u.
you could be talking about my roxy! she is a 3 yr. old gs chow mix and is word 4 word what you describe! but shes our baby girl and we love her dearly!
My shepherd / chow mix is exactly as described in this article. He loves to be next to my wife and I but rarely allows one to cuddle with him. He is very loyal and will stay by my bed while we sleep at night; he is also alert when needed at night. Outside he rarely listens to commands while off the leash. Although, recently training has allowed me to let go of the leash and he will stay by my side when directed; unless of course we come upon a rabbit / squirrel this is when fast reflexes come in handy to catch the lease with the feet. I love my shepherd chow mix and may only consider shepherd / chow mixes in the future.
I had an Australian Shepherd/Chow mix also. Until I read these articles I thought he was just one-of-a-kind; but he shared a lot of the same characteristics as all of yours. He was very loyal and a great guard dog. He loved almost every dog he came into contact with. Didn't play with other dogs too much, just did the sniffing thing. Always talked to you when you pet him, letting you know what was on his mind. VERY energetic. Taught him over 25 different words and phrases. Extra smart. Knew what i was doing before I did it. Sometimes he liked to take off on a journey for a day or 3...I tracked him over 5 miles one way once through the desert at the lake...Amazingly he found his way back every time. He passed at age 7.5 and he was a great friend...
the name of the organization is Lost our Home....www.lostourhome.org....very nice people, easy to reach too.
Sorry, not Yolanda, but it was a female guest, and also Pete, both who lost their dear pets.
We just lost our shepherd/australian shepherd. He was 13; he was my buddy, protector, and the most loving dog I've ever had. Our other dog, a shepherd/rottie female, is lost without her buddy too. So, you know what's coming...we are going to get a puppy. I have contacted an organization in Arizona (started by real estate professionals) that rescues animals left in foreclosure homes. We are getting a shepherd/chow puppy who will be about 9 weeks old. I heard that chows can be aggressive and hard to control, but after reading your comments, I am sure my husband and I can train this new addition to our family and have a wonderful companion. Thanks! (my condolences to Yolanda for her loss)
Just lost my chow/shepard mix last year after 10 years growing up with him. Great temperament, fantastic with kids. Neighbors kids would occasionally yank his tail or pull on his ears and the most he'd ever do was get up and slowly amble to hide under a bush. A lot of energy when he was younger and same issues with the attention span when walking outside our neighborhood (must sniff everything!). I'll miss him dearly; he was an amazing dog.
extremely loyal. His enormous size and intriguing look made him a favorite among many. He loved cats, all dogs we also have a poodle. he killed hundreds of field mice because he would catch them let them run a few paces and use his paw to swat them back while he did a little lurching dance over them , after 10 minutes they would just die from the fear. He would be so sad then he would look for another friend. He was awesome I recommend this breed but when he got sick he went so fast. He went to the vet on Dec 30 and died on Jan 3. Good luck to everyone keep your dogs well and watch closely for any mood or behavioral changes!Even in the end He was a perfect gentleman!