German Shepherds are a popular dog breed but are you familiar with the German Sheprador?
These are two different types of dogs that have similar names so it’s easy to confuse the purebred German Shepherd for the hybrid German Sheprador.
German Shepradors are part German Shepherd to blur the lines even further.
While the German Shepherd is a well-documented breed, there isn’t quite as much known about the German Sheprador.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the difference between a German Sheprador and a German Shepherd.
We’ll speak to three Sheprador owners to learn more about these dogs – Lumi (@lumi_the_sheprador), Kyla (@kyla_thelabrador) and Cobiccino (@cobiccino).
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What Is A German Shepherd?
German Shepherd lying down (Photo: Adobe Stock)
The German Shepherd is the second-most popular dog breed in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club.
As their name suggests, the GSD is a dog breed that originated in Germany in the late 19th century thanks to an ex military captain called Max von Stephanitz.
They’re a large, muscular dog that have intelligent personalities with a noble demeanor. German Shepherds have traditionally functioned as service dogs in modern society but they can fulfill other roles such as devoted family pets.
The AKC’s website lists some of the key characteristics of German Shepherd dogs that have earned them a stellar reputation in the canine community.
Loyalty, courage, confidence, the ability to learn commands for many tasks, and the willingness to put their life on the line in defense of loved ones.
What Is A German Sheprador?
Kyla the Sheprador (Photo: @kyla_thelabrador / Instagram)
It’s unclear when the first German Sheprador was intentionally bred unlike the German Shepherd.
The Sheprador is a cross between a German Shepherd and a Labrador Retriever to combine two of the most-popular dog breeds in the world.
As a result, the German Sheprador will encompass some of the traits of both German Shepherds and Labradors to create a well-rounded dog.
Unlike the Labrador or German Shepherd, the German Sheprador is not a member of the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club.
The Dog Registry of America and the International Designer Canine Registry does recognise the Sheprador.
The German Sheprador can also be called the following names: Labrashepherd and a German Shepherd Labrador mix.
German Sheprador Vs German Shepherd Size
The German Shepherd can grow to a height between 22 and 26 inches tall and can weigh between 50 and 90 pounds. As we touched upon above, German Shepherds should be large, muscular and athletic dogs.
The Sheprador has a much wider size range – the hybrid dog can be between 20 and 27 inches tall and can weigh from 60 to 95 pounds.
German Sheprador Vs German Shepherd Appearance
A typical German Shepherd dog will have a trademark black and tan coat that most of us associate with the working breed. However, there are some rarer colors such as all-black and all-white German Shepherds.
Seeing as the German Sheprador inherits physical traits from their German Shepherd and Labrador Retriever parents, there’s greater scope for a range of coat colors.
Lumi’s owner (@lumi_the_sheprador) explained some possible German Sheprador coat colors.
My Lumi is all black with some white patches on her back paws, chest, chin, and neck. When she was a three month old puppy she had a white tip on her tail. Her coat is what I’d say is medium length (fine hair). It’s not too short and doesn’t dry very fast. She is double coated but not long to the point where you have to brush everyday to detangle.
The color of these gorgeous mixed-breed dogs varies, and you might end up with a solid coat color, like Labs, or striking mixed coloring, like German Shepherds. A lot of this depends on the color of the Labrador parent, whether they’re yellow, black, or chocolate. As a general rule, the darker the Lab parent, the darker the coat of the pup. But you also get white German Shepherd dogs, which can result in striking white Shepradors. Basically, it’s a bit of a lottery and you don’t know what you are going to get, as puppies grow up, they can lose those color patterns.
German Sheprador Vs German Shepherd Temperament
Cobiccino the Sheprador (Photo: @cobiccino / Instagram)
German Shepherds are a dependable dog breed that are eager to please, extremely intelligent and possess a drive to work that requires satisfaction. They’re quick to learn and loyally follow commands. German Shepherds can make loyal and loving family pets, while functioning as effective guard dogs. The AKC explain in the breed standard for GSD that there is a “certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships.”
German Shepradors can inherit some of this aloofness from their German Shepherd parent, but these hybrid dogs could possess the friendliness of the Labrador Retriever. They can have a deep sense of loyalty to their family members. Seeing as the German Shepherd and the Labrador are smart dogs, it’s a safe assumption that a German Sheprador will be clever.
Kyla (@kyla_thelabrador) enjoys receiving attention and love from her family members.
Kyla is the friendliest dog and incredibly loving. She absolutely loves humans and dogs – and loves giving cuddles and kisses and loves attention! She is in a constantly playful mood. She also has traits of being a guard dog, when she hears noises or sounds or the front door. Kyla also has a big voice (whining noises and speaking) which we believe is more of a German Shepherd trait. We think that her looks and playfulness are more Labrador but her guard dog instincts and need for attention is more of the German shepherd side.
German Sheprador Vs German Shepherd Exercise
German Shepherds are an active dog breed that require a lot of exercise to keep these working dogs both physically and mentally stimulated. German Shepherds like to have a task or serve a purpose to satisfy their willingness to please. Most German Shepherds will require at least 60 minutes of exercise a day.
It’s a similar situation with the German Sheprador considering they’re part German Shepherd with some energetic Labrador Retriever added in for good measure. They’ll usually have playful personalities and will be happy to play with their owners in the garden or yard, take part in physical activities or learn new commands.
Lumi (@lumi_the_sheprador) has plenty of energy that needs to be burned on a daily basis.
Just letting them get outside and run around or daily walks will definitely help. Lumi loves to go outside and do her “zoomies” where she’ll run around in the lot next to our house, or she’ll go greet the neighbor’s dogs and run with them along their fence line. After a bit she calms down and takes a nap to recover the energy she just used. Most days she can sleep all day and all night. When she was younger, she needed to go outside more to potty.
German Sheprador Vs German Shepherd Training
Did you know the German Shepherd is ranked as the third-smartest dog breed in the world? Only the Border Collie and the Poodle are considered more intelligent that the hard-working German Shepherd. They’ll usually excel when it comes to learning new commands or tricks but these smart dogs can be independent thinkers which combined with their strength can require an experienced hand when it comes to training.
German Shepradors can inherit this strong-willed mentality from the GSD but at the same time, they may possess the eagerness to please and be food motivated like the Labrador. While not ranked quite as highly as the German Shepherd in Stanley Coren’s The Intelligence Of Dogs, the Labrador is listed at no7. So a Sheprador should be highly intelligent!
Kyla (@kyla_thelabrador) has been quick to learn with recall training her Achilles’ heel.
Kyla is incredibly intelligent and has caught on to her training very quickly. She learnt sit, down, stay wait within her first week (9 weeks old) and by 16 weeks she was doing tricks such as roll over, wave, spin, between the legs etc). Her intelligence can sometimes be slightly annoying as she knows how to open doors! The only problem we have had with Kyla’s training is her excitement at seeing other dogs which can sometimes end up with her forgetting her recall training when out and about!
German Sheprador Vs German Shepherd Shedding
Lumi the Sheprador (Photo: @lumi_the_sheprador / Instagram)
You probably won’t be surprised to learn German Shepherds shed a lot when you consider they’ve got beautiful, flowing hair. German Shepherds will usually shed throughout the year and blow out their undercoats at least twice a year.
Shepradors will usually be big shedders – too. The Labrador sheds a lot of hair throughout the year just like the German Shepherd. So if you’re thinking about getting a Sheprador, you should be prepared for lots of hair.
Cobiccino (@cobiccino) sheds throughout the year irrespective of the seasons.
She sheds a lot no matter if it’s winter or summer.
Wrapping Up
German Shepherd running with a stick (Photo: Adobe Stock)
We’ve reached the end of our comparison article taking a look at the differences and similarities between the Sheprador and the German Shepherd.
Generally speaking, these two types of dogs will have a lot in common given the Sheprador is part German Shepherd.
However, the Sheprador could also inherit the friendliness of the Labrador along with the Retriever’s boundless energy and food motivation.
