Should I adopt a Great Dane German Shepard Mix?
I'm considering adopting an 8 month old Great Dane German Shepherd mix that I met this evening at a local SPCA. I've been scouring the net for info on the mixed breed and am not finding much useful information. This medium (Pet Talk) appears to have fairly active membership so I'm posting this request for feedback. I see that Jenny25 posted a GD/GS breed question back in 2006 and some folks jumped her pretty hard about even thinking of breeding her GD and GS. Well somewhere near Seattle, someone did let a GD and GS breed and the result is "Rex," who's been at the local shelter since October, 2008.
About Me:
I lived with and helped care for a Harlequin Great Dane, named Sophie, for approximately eight years and feel competent and comfortable with the breed's size, care requirements, expenses, issues and personality traits. However, Sophie attended puppy school as soon as she was old enough, received strict reinforcement to maintain her training, prevent jumping, property destruction and other bad manners. She was crate trained, kept on a regular diet of high quality kibble with moderate boiled chicken and rice on occasion (i.e. no people food). She was also not allowed on furniture and was restricted to her own giant bed/pillows. Sophie was used to being bathed, having her teeth brushed, her nails trimmed and ears cleaned on a regular basis and when seasons changed, she tolerated being vacuumed. She respected cats, parrots and most other dogs with a few exceptions. Sophie knew her place in the home and to this day is an exemplary dog.
Sophie lives with my ex in Virginia and I'm across the country in Washington. I really enjoyed the goofy, emotional, affectionate traits of the breed. The size is pretty cool too. I'm a horse nut and grooming Sophie sometimes felt like grooming a pony:) I've been thinking about getting my own Great Dane on and off for over a year now. I purchased a decent sized home a few months ago and it's adequate to share with a large indoor dog. The yard is fenced but may need to be heighten. I'm just .2 miles from a great dog park (Westcrest Park) and I work from home.
About Rex:
During my visit this evening with Rex, he initially looked really depressed in his kennel but maintained good eye contact. Once we were in the visiting pen, he continued the eye contact, permitted considerable handling all over his body, obeyed a few commands acceptably for an untrained dog after just a few instructions (sit, stay, come). He fetched with vigor and amped up the energy the longer we were together. Physically, he's remarkably clean and fit for a shelter dog with a shiny, short Brindle coat, clean ears, nice teeth and breath, bright eyes, etc. His body, legs and paws look GD while his tail and head look more GS. He doesn't really know how to walk properly, which is somewhat expected, and responded to some body language with jumping. Rex has been neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated and comes with six weeks of free dog training classes. He's getting cat-tested [again] tomorrow at my request.
My Quandary:
I feel I have the space, experience, income and interest to take on Rex, but am unsure about how the German Shepard part of him may differ from what I'd expect from a Great Dane. My only exposure to German Shepherds has been limited to police and service dogs. This is a huge decision and commitment I'm facing. Taking on a brand new, pure bred Great Dane puppy would be more predictable than gambling on an 8-month old mixed breed who spent his first 6 months as a yard dog and the past 2 months as a shelter dog, with a 2 week foster care respite reportedly due to his increasing depression. This indicates his personality may be largely Great Dane since they are super sensitive. However, his intellect was exceptionally sharp, focused and quick. I had him sitting on voice command after maybe 3-4 physical instructions. As I sharpen my own training skills, I suspect he may be a very eager and adept student. But who knows?! Argh!! Should I visit him every day for the next week and see how we progress through 'Beginner' dog training lessons? (Katharina Schlegl-Kofler). I'm not worried about someone else adopting him since he's not moving now because of his size, energy level and jumping behavior.
I have a german shep/great dane mix
Her name is Oakley. She is one year old and the best dog in the world. I would not trade her for anything. she has big ears that stand straight up like a german shep. they arent cropped. and she has a snout that slightly droops like that dane. a beautiful dog. Her color is merle and she is about 100 lbs now..still growing.She is very affectionate and loves giving kisses! The awesome thing about her is she is protective of me and my siblings and parents. Just yesterday she ran 2 bears off that were outside walking in the backyard. She jumped in front of me kicking her feet back and growling. You never see her aggressive unless she feels that i am threatened or she is scared. She plays well with other dogs and loves babies. She is very gentle. She has a huge personality and carries around stuffed animals like they are her babies. You tell her "oakley bring me your baby" and she brings a stuffed animal to you. She is very intelligent and literally opens doors with her mouth or paws by turning the door nob. she was potty trained by 2 months old and has never had an accident. she loves being outside. she was never big on chewing things up. its like she knew better! she hates being alone and loves car rides. her only flaw is she sheds a lot! i dont believe breeding them is a bad idea at all considering there are so many good traits that come out of the two breeds to form such a great dog. could go on for days about her. wish i knew how to put a pic up.
