Sharpei German Shepherd Hybrid Mix Dog Breed Guide

The Shar-Pei German Shepherd is a combination of different sizes of dog breeds. One is medium while the other is large. One popular thing about German Shepherd is that a lot of people love them. 

The Shar-Pei, on the other hand, is rare and can be difficult to raise or train. The mix of these two breeds is not something anyone can easily venture into. This mix is unpredictable.

How the Mix Will Give You an Amazing Dog? 

Two things that sets Shar-Pei dogs apart are their uniqueness and loyalty. Many people are becoming challenged at the fact that people can barely mix these dogs. The prospect of doing this makes many people wonder if this mix will bring companionship that has been known to the German Shepherd.

To understand if this possible, it is advisable to check out features that the mix will bring.

Who Thought Up the Idea of German Shepherd Shar-Pei Mix?

Very little information is available on this discussion. This debate’s only possible origin is the great debate that started a few decades ago when everyone talked about the ‘designer dogs.’

Designers’ dogs are different from regular mutts. They are created from the mix of chosen parents. During this debate, the result left people wondering if they were making the right choice. The outcome of the puppies couldn’t be predicted. People wanted to how healthy pure-bred dogs will be when compared to designer puppies.

One thing that stands sure is that both dogs have their unique health risk.

To counter people’s fear about the health risks found in both types of dogs, American Veterinary Medical Association released an article in its 2013 Journal, which revealed that any disorder found in any of the mixes could not be traced to their upbringing.

Instead, they got these disorders from the genetics of their parents. Any breed can be mixed as long as you have done your research about the breeder you are selecting.

Origins

The Shar-Pei itself can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, a small southern Chinese village. In this small village, farmers utilized Shar-Pei for different things. Some of the most popular items they did were hunting, herding, guarding livestock, and fighting in pits.

After the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, very little information was available about this breed. This can be a result of the gradual extermination of this breed. The species, however, lasted the period of this establishment.

Due to a campaign carried out in the 1970s, Shar Peis were taken care of with interest. Created by Matgo Low, a breeder in Hong Kong, the campaign was tagged save ‘the world’s rarest dog.’

Origins of the German Shepherd

Getting its name from Germany, its place of origin, the dog has been around since the 1800s. Their history started with the desire of Max Von Stephanitz to have the best herding dog. To that effect, he went on to mix different strains of Shepherd found in Germany.

After a while, herding dogs’ needs declined; yet, the dogs were still deemed useful. They became a part of the police and military dog. Their roles became more pronounced because of their ability to obey and assert authority at the same time. Thus, they become essential for guiding, searching, and rescuing people.

German Shepherd Shar-Pei Appearance

Seeing how these dogs differed in size but aligned in responsibility, many saw the need to create these two dogs’ perfect breed. Nonetheless, you can’t overlook their varying lengths, making one wonder how they will look.

Since these dogs’ mixing is rare, it is hard to postulate how they will look like. 

The only way this can be handled is by examining their parents’ breeds and understanding how they will look like after their combination. The first thing to know is that Shar Peis are compact. More so, their skins and faces are loose. They also skin wrinkles. Interestingly, puppies’ skins and faces are more wrinkled than those of the adults.

Another notable point is that they have large and flatheads that come with broad muzzles. They share the same tongue features with the Chow-Chow: their tongues are black-blue.

German Shepherds are the complete contrasts of these features found in Shar-Pei. For one, German Shepherds have agile bodies. Their faces are angular, and they have pointer ears, which easily align with their heads’ sizes.

Therefore, the result is that mixing these two breeds will result in a dog having any of the above features. The mix will exude strength and athleticism. Besides, they may posseess some fractions of Shar Pei’s components.

One sure thing is the mix will have more physical features of their Shar-Pei parents. Well, their ears might take on any of the ear types of the parents.

In summary, regardless of the breeds  that impacts the puppies after their birth, this mix will be unique.

Projected Sizes of Shar-Pei German Shepherd

On one hand, Shar Pei has a medium size. They can easily stand at 18 -20 inches in height. As regards weight, you can find them within the range of 45 to 60 pounds.

On the other hand, German Shepherds are 22 – 26 inches in height—their weight ranges from 50 – 90 pounds.

Consequently, the mixture of both parents will give you a relatively large dog. Their size might not be constrained by the medium size of the Shar-Pei parent. The mixed-breed might sometimes get to the same size as an enormous male German Shepherd, which can be 26 inches in height and a weight of 90 pounds. Yet, getting smaller dogs is often the case.

Regardless of the size, the mixed breed will give you a dog filled with power and strength.

Color and Fur

Shar Pei’s coat has the same feeling as Sandpaper. In fact, ‘Shar-Pei’ can be translated to ‘Sand Skin.’ Their short fur should be factored in whenever trying to understand their breed.

Shar-Pei comes in different colors, mostly red, black-blue, and cream. You might sometimes find them as brown or chocolate. They all come with a mask and brindle marking, which can come in tan, white, or white cream.

The same cannot be really said for German Shepherds. Their coats are thick, doubled, and straight, and sometimes wavy. Its skin is made from the combination of any of six colors- white, gray, blue, black, and sable, as well as liver. These combinations count to 11 color mix.

The result, therefore, is that this mix will can be anything between short and medium. Even at that, they will be milder than the Shar Pei’s coat. Most times, they come as tan and may have the same markings as German Shepherds.

German Shepherd Shar Pei Temperament

Both dogs are known for their boldness. The Shar-Pei is known for its antisocial trait. In addition to this, they mark their territory and protect their own with unequaled intelligence. These features help them put up different characteristics from being calm and collected to be aggressive.

Their aggressive side is a result of their inherited genes from their fighting ancestors. Understanding that these dogs used to make money in fighting pits will help you handle their behavior.

Likewise, German Shepherds are known for their protectiveness, loyalty, intelligence, confidence,  and concentration.

This means that when you mix both dogs, you will have an ultra-devoted and caring dog. You can easily counteract the antisocial traits of their Shar-Pei parents.

Training Your German Pei Shepherd

When you have gotten this mixed breed, you must start training them immediately you buy them. Although German Shepherds can be trained easily, you might have a hard time preparing Shar Peis, which are known for their stubbornness. This is the reason you must start training the puppies after mixtures.

You must be ready to dedicate enough time to train this breed. If you cannot sacrifice your time, preferably go for another dog. Expose them to several types of training and understand the ones they love.

Health

There is a few documented information about health issues. The most likely problem you might encounter with them is anyone inherited from their parents.

German Shepherd Health Concerns

German Shepherd is known for their healthiness, making this breed have a better chance of being healthy. Nonetheless, it would be best not to overlook how human effort has caused more unhealthiness for dogs.

One such problem is the rate at which modern breeders focus on training that will cause more harm to the dogs than the common good. Most German Shepherds are susceptible to joint and spinal problems.

German Shepherd Shar-Pei Life Span

When the mixed breed s well taken care of, it has a life span that ranges between 7 to 12 years. 

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