Seven Key Facts About the Shepadoodle

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One of the many Poodle crosses that followed the famous Labradoodle, the Shepadoodle parentage should be obvious from its name. This mix between a German Shepherd and a Poodle was made recently with a few goals in mind – to create a German Shepherd cross that sheds less and doesn’t experience as many hind leg issues.

It also creates a significantly larger Poodle for those interested in that. Most of all, however, it just combines two awesome and very popular purebred dogs into a fascinating mix that can bring lots of joy to many families. So, here are the 7 most important facts about the Shepadoodle in case you’re curious to learn more.

What is the Shepadoodle breed and what do you need to know about it?

Both German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) and Poodles are often included in various designer mixed breeds but for different reasons. The GSD is usually bred with other dogs to diversify its gene pool away from some hereditary back leg problems such as degenerative myelopathy, hip dysplasia, and osteoarthritis. The Poodle, on the other hand, is crossed with other dogs to make them better – to reduce shedding issues, to make them more hypoallergenic, to make them healthier and more social, and so on.

And this looks to have been the intention with the Shepadoodle too. Now, let’s see if it was a success.

1. This is quite a large dog

Lots of people don’t realize that the Standard Poodle is a large breed – there’s something in the name “Poodle” and the overall fame of the breed that makes most folks think of the Toy Poodle instead. As large as the Standard Poodle is, however, crossing it with a GSD makes the resulting mixed breed even larger.

So, you can expect a standard Shepadoodle to grow as tall as 20 to 28 inches at the shoulder (51 to 71 cm) and as heavy as 60 to 90 pounds (27 to 41 kg). This makes the Shepadoodle impressively large. Combine that with the high-energy nature of this dog and you’ll need to make sure that there’s plenty of open space in your home.

2. The looks of the Shepadoodle can vary a lot

Poodles and German Shepherds don’t exactly look alike. So, their mutual offspring, the Shepadoodle, doesn’t really have a consistent look. Instead, this breed’s coat and appearance can swing anywhere between that of its parents. A Shepadoodle can either look almost identical to a GSD, almost identical to a Poodle, or like a completely random mix of the two.

Take their coats, for example. Poodles famously have a single-layer curly coat of hair that sheds very little and is almost hypoallergenic. GSDs, on the other hand, have a thick double-coat with a straight top layer, they produce lots of hair that sheds non-stop, and they are as further away from being “hypoallergenic” as possible.

So, what does this mean for the Shepadoodle?

It means that these dogs can have single- or double-layered coats, they can have curly or straight medium-length care, and their shedding is completely unpredictable. On average, most Shepadoodles will shed moderately and will have a slightly curly double-coat.

As for their colors, they will usually be bi-color or single-color and can be white, grey, black, brown, liver, chocolate, or cream. The rest of their appearance can also vary as Shepadoodles can either be lighter and more athletic like a Poodle or have a heavier build like a German Shepherd.

3. Get ready for some grooming

Regardless of what type of coat your Shepadoodle ends up having, you should be ready for plenty of brushing and grooming. If your Shepadoodle has a thick GSD-like double coat that sheds a lot, you’ll want to brush it daily to keep the shedding and the hair build-up to a minimum.

On the other hand, even if your Shepadoodle has inherited the Poodle’s single-layered light and curly coat, daily brushing is still important to prevent entangling and matting, and to keep the dog’s skin healthy.

4. The Shepadoodle needs exercise – lots of it

One thing that’s always consistent about this breed is how much exercise it needs. Both Poodles and GSDs are very energetic dogs and the same applies to the Shepadoodle. That, combined with these dogs’ large size means that a minimum of 2 hours of outdoor time is an absolute must.

And, keep in mind, when we say “outdoor time” we don’t mean yard time – that’s separate. Instead, two 1-hour walks to the dog park a day are essential to keep your dog well-exercised, happy, and healthy. This also makes Shepadoodles fantastic jogging companions if you’re looking for a buddy to help keep you in shape.

In addition to that, Shepadoodles will also benefit greatly from some yard time every day in addition to their outdoor time. The yard needs to be well-fenced to keep their prey drive and escapism tendencies in check, of course. Additionally, a weekend hike is also recommended as both GSDs and Poodles love and need longer and more extensive trips sometimes. Both parent breeds also love swimming so keep that in mind for your Shepadoodle too.

Last but definitely not least – when talking about exercise, don’t forget mental exercise. Poodles and GSDs are two of the most intelligent breeds out there so your Shepadoodle will also need a ton of mental exercise. This typically means lots of puzzle toys, interactive playtime, complex training routines, and so on. Ignore this and your dog will likely grow to be bored, anxious, disobedient, and potentially even depressed.

5. The health of this breed can vary a bit depending on its lineage

The mixing of a Poodle with German Shepherd dogs certainly helps to diversify the GSD gene pool and limit some of their many inherent health problems. Still, the risks remain. Depending on how healthy your Shepadoodle’s parents were, your dog can either have no inherited health problems or it can be quite sickly.

That’s why it’s crucial to always ask the breeder for a health certificate for the pup as well as for its parents’ certificates. A reputable breeder will also typically let you see the parents and their whole litter personally too. And, if you’re adopting from a shelter, you should definitely ask for a detailed medical check first.

If you’ve done this, you should avoid most major health issues. From there, it’s all a matter of quality food, plenty of exercise, and good care. Don’t skip any of your routine vet visits even if your dog looks healthy and watch out for any of the following potential problems:

Avoid these and your dog will likely live beyond the 10 to 14 years average for this crossbreed.

6. These are incredibly smart, trainable, and fun dogs to live with

To step away from the physical characteristics of the Shepadoodle- what type of personality can you expect from these dogs? For starters, they are impressively intelligent and easy to train. This is to be expected as both GSDs and Poodles are smart and trainable too.

This doesn’t mean that you can just skip the Obedience training, of course, but it does mean that said training should be very easy to go through. Aside from their smarts, Shepadoodles are also very playful, loving, loyal, and affectionate, all of which makes them fantastic family companions.

7. The Shepadoodle is incredibly social and outgoing too

On the sociability front, Shepadoodles score high marks as well. These dogs love to be around people and even interact with new folks, guests, and strangers. This is contingent on how well they’ve been socialized as pups, of course, but a properly socialized Shepadoodle should have no problems meeting new people, dogs, and kids, and being very well-mannered around all of them.

Cats, small dogs, and other small pets can be somewhat of a problem as they can trigger the Shepadoodle’s prey drive but even that can be manageable with enough socialization at home.

Shepadoodles may have a funny-sounding name – as all Poodle crosses – but they are a pretty special crossbreed. Combining the best features of both its parent breeds, the Shepadoodle sheds less than a German Shepherd, has much less of a risk for certain health problems, and also looks much larger and sturdier than a Standard Poodle.

All this awesomeness comes at a price too – extreme exercise needs and lots of space. As a descendant of a sporting breed and a large shepherd breed, the Shepadoodle needs to run, play, and interact with people for hours every day. This isn’t an apartment dog and it isn’t a lap dog.

So, you’ll need to be ready to spend at least 2 hours in the dog park every day, go hiking somewhere out of town with your dog almost every weekend, have a large fenced yard for your dog to play in for hours every day, and also spend some extra time interacting and playing with your dog indoors. If this sounds like it’d be too much for your family, you might want to consider a different breed.