Meet 23 German Shepherd Lab Mix Owners – The Realities of Sheprador Puppy Parenthood
I interviewed 20 German Shepherd Lab mix owners’ to get their experiences of this gorgeous hybrid. Helping you to decide whether the Sheprador is your ideal new puppy. Because deciding whether a particular mixed breed is the right fit for your family can be a little overwhelming. And having some real world examples of life with the dog you’re considering can help to seal the deal, or to move your search on to a more appropriate pup.
The Sheprador is a German Shepherd Lab mix. An intelligent, active combination of herd protection dog the German Shepherd and fieldwork companion the Labrador Retriever. These are both intelligent, medium to large sized dogs with a high energy level. But their natures differ a lot when it comes to guarding behavior, and they both have potential health issues to contend with.
So what do Sheprador families have to say about this beautiful mixed breed?
- Meet the Sheprador families.
- Coat care, shedding and grooming.
- Behavior and training.
- Pros and cons of life with your German Shepherd Lab mix.
Watch out for bias
Before you dive into the highs and lows of the German Shepherd Lab mix, it’s good to remember to take these stories for what they are. Individual experiences. Although we can learn a lot about a breed from specific examples, surveys have an inherent bias. Participants are more likely to fill them out when they’ve had an extreme experience. So you are always going to get more responses from those who absolutely adore everything about the dog, or suffered through some challenges, than you will from those who were more neutral.
Meet the Shepradors!
Before we begin with the general trends from our reports, let’s get to know some of our Shepherd Lab mixes and their human companions.
Willow (owner Bev)
7 year old black female Willow is a brindle Shepherd Lab mix with markings on her legs. She looks more like a Labrador than a German Shepherd.
Willow is very excitable, especially when it’s time for walkies! She’s lovable, loves cuddles and will do anything for food! Although excited, she can be reactive if on lead. She wants to play with everyone, but not everyone wants to play with her! And gets angsty if she thinks another dog is trying to take her ball.
Pepper (owner Jeannette)
Pepper is a 7 year old black female Lab Shepherd mix. She resembles both dogs lab/shepard. She’s an active dog that bores easily.
Rocky
Male black and brown Rocky is 3 years old. He has the body of a Lab, but the coloring of a German Shepherd. Rocky loves to exercise and explore, is easily trainable and loyal. He is good with dogs, cats, and kids. He loves fetch and can play for hours.
He’s still a giant puppy and he tends to jump on people, so his owner keeps him away from smaller kids. He can also be anxious and has separation anxiety.
Sierra (owner Carolyn)
Sierra is 72% chocolate Lab and 28% German Shepherd. She’s a chocolate mahogany color, and high strung with tons of energy. She is very prey driven. Obsessed with birds and will chase planes across the yard. Anything that moves gets her attention.
Unleashed in fields she will usually want to play but her owner does not let her near smaller dogs that look like rabbits. Leashed she will bark and lunge, so is usually never walked on roads. People she wants to meet if they are just walking. If they are on a mountain bike or heaven forbid a dirt bike she will chase and try to stop it.
Roxy (owner Naomi)
Roxy is a 2 year old black female Shepherd Lab mix. She has ears like Dobby from Harry Potter. Not a floppy as a Lab’s, but not upright like a GSD’s. One picks up like a radar. She has a slightly bushier tail than a Lab. A longer snout like a GSD’s and almond shaped brown eyes.
Roxy is very happy, but also quite anxious. She is scared of things that make noise or are in the wrong place. She was scared of a tyre left in a field once. She’s super playful but happy to chill on the sofa. She wants to be involved in affection shown between humans.
Bentley
Bentley is all black with no markings. He looks like both parent breeds. He has a Lab body with Shepherd ears and stance. He is 2 years old.
He listens to everything and will follow through with commands. Intensely watches television. Lets you know when he wants something. No idea that he’s a dog. He barks at other dogs until he meets them then plays. People he ignores unless they interact first then he loves them.
Hollie (owner Vicky)
1 year old female Hollie is all black, with a small thumb size white dot on her chest. Hollie definitely takes after her chocolate Lab father. She does have a very slight neck ruffle and her ears sit slightly higher on her head, but they flop like her father’s and not stand upright like her mother.
Hollie is basically just a happy dog. She is extremely smart. She learns quickly and is highly food motivated. She’s been playing food rewards games since coming home at 8 weeksm and she learned to sit on a place for her kibble immediately. She is so bright and quick to learn her owner is constantly amazed.
At night time after dinner she is perfectly happy to just cuddle up on the couch and relax. She’s actually the perfect combination of high energy and adventure mixed with understanding how to be calm when the activity is over.
Tove
Tove is a female, black, 5 year old German Shepherd Lab mix. She is a playful, food-loving, kind-hearted, yet powerful dog who loves to be out in nature tracking and hunting.
Behavior on walks depends on the situation and who/whom she meets. First of all, it has become calmer with increasing age. The vast majority of meetings go smoothly and well. However, she seems to have a developed sense of whether there is any tension before the meeting, from those we meet, -or perhaps from me as a dog handler. In such situations, it is far more common for the meeting to devolve into dog barking and pulling on the leash. Especially if the oncoming dog starts barking first.
Milo (owner Nicola)
Milo is a male, golden colored Lab mix, who looks like a Labrador but with wonky ears. He is 19 months old.
Hyper is the main word used to describe him. Milo is very protective, barks when anyone comes to the door. He is very clever, wants affection constantly but is not food oriented. On walks with people ok but other dogs goes ballistic.
Buddy (owner Vera)
Buddy is a 2.5 year old male, black and tan. He has the Shepherd black saddle with the whole topside being darker. Buddy is smart and goofy at times, love bug and cuddler, but also protective and loves being with us at all times and loves car rides
This dog wants to go up and sniff, but doesn’t always want to be petted.
Buster (owner Elaine)
Buster is a 5 year old black, male. He looks more like his German Shepard mother.
He is fun loving. Loves the outdoors, enjoys playing with his ball and absolutely adores anything to do with water. He still acts like a puppy when he is out. Buster is very protective especially towards the children. He enjoys playing with other dogs but does like to be top dog.
Buster likes to have a sniff of other dogs. He plays with dogs on the beach and field. Although he lets people stroke him but is wary if people walk funny and he doesn’t like it if people stand still in front of us on walks. He is guarded if he doesn’t trust a person.
Athena (owner Floyd)
Athena is a 4 year old white female Sheprador. She’s a very calm dog but loves attention. She is very well behaved.
Finn (owner Bethany)
Seven month old black male Finn is black with brown German shepherd leg markings. He looks like a shepherd but with Labrador ears. Finn is a fun loving, affectionate, chaotic good boy. He always wants to play and say hello to everyone. Sometimes barks at dogs, but just to get their attention to say hello.
Common German Shepherd Lab Mix Personality Traits
Most German Shepherd Lab mix owners that we heard from described their dog as loving and energetic, but the results in general were surprisingly diverse.
Here were the top characteristics owners assigned to their pets:
- Loving
- Energetic
- Protective
- Likes to be together
- Exciteable
- Food lover
Other personality traits that came up fairly often for Shepradors included:
- Bouncy
- Keen to please
- Loves everyone
- Loves children
- Shy of strangers
- Anxious
There were some traits that came up a handful of times, including:
- Confident
- Relaxed
- Reactive
- Gentle
- Independent
Only a small handful of owners described their dogs as being calm, submissive, nervous, aggressive or nervous of children specifically.
We asked our owners – Does your dog’s coat need any special or regular care?
Most of our Shepherd Lab mixes were brushed at least once a week, and were high shedders. However, a couple of them had quite low maintenance coats.
Have you done much training with your German Shepherd Lab mix?
Most owners feel that their dogs are very trainable and intelligent. Basic commands were started early for most of the dogs that arrived as puppies, and understandably those that adopted older dogs experienced more challenges on this front. Several dogs had advanced training skills or activities including sniffer dog training, dock diving and even sled dog work.
Is your dog happy to be left home alone for a few hours, a few times a week?
Most of our Shepradors were happy to be left alone for a few hours, either crated or in the house with some sort of background noise. However, there were some incidences of separation anxiety that needed to be managed.
Looking at health
Most owners felt that their dogs were generally healthy. However a few things did crop up including ear infections, stomach upsets, ACL, knee, hip and shoulder problems.
Is there anything you find hard about life with your dog?
Very few dogs present no challenges at all to their owners, but most issues owners had with their pets in this survey round were pretty standard ones that could apply to owners of any breed or mix. Early morning wake ups, whining, barking,
Issues that could be more linked to one of the parent breeds included high prey drive, being an escape artist, restlessness, rough play and even over intelligence.
What do you love most about life with your dog?
When it comes to the highs or this mixed breed, the word loving came up a wonderful amount. Warmth, attentiveness, companionship and affection were very common themes.
Lastly…is there anything you think prospective owners should know, about life with a German Shepherd Lab mix?
Finally, here are some words of advice from our established Shepherd Lab mix owners.
Sierra’s owner Carolyn says
Love them as you would any dog. Just research the breeds and know what they are all about. But we are very happy we rescued her and that she is part of our life. Even with all her craziness.
Milo’s owner Nicola says
I’ve had Lab/Boxer, pedigree Lab , Lab/Pointer but Milo being a Lab/German shepherd is the most taxing.
Bentley’s owner says
They will fill your life with love.
Buster’s owner Elaine says
Be prepared for the high energy levels. The need for exercise and mind games to keep them active and out of mischief. Also the constant shedding of fur, I wasn’t prepared for how much they actually shed lol.
Buddy’s owner Vera says
I would say early socializeing and basic obedience training mine has the Shepard protective streak.
Athena’s owner Floyd says
Very energetic when young, require a lot of exercise. Also very loving, loyal, and protective when they need to be.
Finn’s owner Bethany says
Be prepared for crazy moments of zoomies, eating anything that isn’t nailed down, and chewing everything in sight . In return you will get a loyal best friend
Willow’s owner Bev says
Expect the unexpected!
(paid link)Pepper’s owner Jeannette says
Make sure you keep her life busy and interesting.
Rocky’s owner says
Socialize, enrich, and build confidence! Especially if it’s a shepherd mix. Shepradors are ACTIVE. All dogs need mental, emotional, and physical stimulation. Shepradors can run for miles and not get tired. Please do breed research, it’s very important. Different dogs have different instincts.
Roxy’s owner Naomi says
They need lots of exercise and benefit from training. They love water, balls and food.
Hollie’s owner Vicky says
I think it’s important to know the traits of both primary breeds. Hollie looks like a lab but a lot of her behaviour is shepherd dominant so training her as a shepherd seems to work well. I thought as a retriever she would like retrieving but she seems to enjoy scent work and searching better. We play more search and reward food games and this works for her mental enrichment.
Tove’s owner says
That one should be aware that it is always more difficult to know which characteristics the mix will inherit from the respective parent individual and respective breeding line.
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My husband and I adopted a 6 month old shepador ( German Shepard and yellow lab) she is gorgeous “Bella Angel” because her ears looked like angel wings in the picture from the shelter. Smart as a whip, loves meeting people and we were surprised on well behaved she was meeting new people at 7 months old. Is obsessed with trying to to play with the cat who not happy about a new dog in the house “ we had three dogs at one point lost my black lab Elliott to cancer two weeks after getting Bella. Molly our oldest dog is 14 so really doesn’t play that much.
Enjoyed reading all the info and other people experiences with their babies. Thank you.
My dog looks like that too
My husband and I recently adopted a 3 month old Lab Shepherd mix named Lupin. We’re not sure about his parents, as we rescued him (he and his brothers and sisters were found abandoned) but his coloring is saddleback with a beautiful black mask over his face and sweet half-floppy ears. He is the LOVE of our lives, and has made us so happy. He definitely is smart, being potty-trained after only 2 weeks (and learning to sit on command in an hour!!) and BEYOND loving. Crate training was also a breeze, as he loves his crate and goes to sleep in it willingly throughout the day ever since bringing him home (I think the key was a super soft tear-resistant fleece blanket over a memory foam dog bed) His favorite thing to do is to sleep in our laps if we sit on the floor, which I’m afraid he’s going to grow out of being able to do soon, as he is getting so big! That being said, he is still a puppy, and his second favorite thing to do now is bite! Not hard of course but as he is a baby, the teething stage is definitely apparent; though not as bad as it was for my family dog who was a black lab (who was fondly nicknamed “Mr. Bitey”). If you have a chance to bring one of these sweeties into your family, don’t hesitate!! From what we have experienced so far, I have never had a more affectionate, smart, goofy dog. <3
My dog has ears like that too
My friend called me up a couple weeks ago letting me know if I didn’t get Ludo, her 11 month old sheprador, he was going to be dropped off outside animal control. Needless to say, I now have a giant one year old puppy that is the kindest and most intelligent dog I’ve ever owned. He stands at 27 inches at the shoulder so he’s kind of a beast and can pull harder than any of my working huskies ever could. But he’s so eager to please and so intuitive to my needs. I have a disabling condition that affects my joints and causes immense pain but he’s already adjusted to my needs (compared to the kids) and is very gentle when he feels I’m struggling on the leash. I’m lucky that I knew my rescue from a puppy and had bonded with him at his former owners but I could see this breed bonding with just about any good owner that offers love and praise. He’s a good boy and its a good breed. I’m so lucky I get to spend his life with him. My boy ❤
We got a pup also. Mainly black but has the bronze on his legs. Of course the floppy ears and German nose. He isnt even 4 months yet and measures 18″ tall at shoulders and almost 40 pounds. HUGE feet. But loves everything and everyone. He is our big baby for sure. But I think he is going to be bigger than average if he keeps growing like he is.
I love my Labrashepard!! She is so smart, affectionate towards all animals and people, and she is turning 4 the end of this month. She has a lot of the lab characteristics, but territorial of her home like a shepard. She is looks like a yellow lab with the saddle back color of shepard and dark around the ears and muzzle. Lana, is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and she loves me back I can really tell especially when I sit on the couch and she has to lay on me. I want to get another one soon!
I have a 2yr old Shepador. I have always been a Lab girl. My son brought this puppy home 2yrs ago. He was full of energy and grew fast , He is sleek black with a white patch on his chest. He looks like a black lab with a longer snout. He is tall like a shepherd. Super smart,loyal and easy to train. Loves to play ball, swim and run. At the end of the day he justs wants you to hold him like a baby. He has no idea he is a big boy! Looks like a lab Acts like both. He is the best dog I have ever owned. ❤ my Shepador
I adopted what I thought was just Chocolate Lab. The pound said he was 2 and full grown at 59lbs. The vet told us otherwise. They said he was maybe 9 months and would grow much more. Almost a year later he is 85lbs and is much much taller! Full of so much energy! I feel he could be German Shepard mix because of his fluffy tail, height, corse back fur, and the Shepard symmetrical wing type pattern on his back! I’d like to do a genetic test on him some day to see ?
We have an eleven year old German Shepard/Black Lab mix. He is such an intellegent wonderful dog. Tall and thin (needed to get a counter height table to keep his chin off of it). You can see him think. He is obsessed with playing ball and can think of where you are going next in the yard and places it where you MUST move it to get your work done. We got him at a year old, knowing that his back hips were barely in the sockets. He started on anti-inflamatories at 5 years when he started to cry at night. He loves his one mile wallks and still pulls hard the whole way. He’ll chase a size 1 soccer ball until he’s exhausted. He has a 1/2 acre yard to run in and if you can kick the ball far enough you might have a few minutes between kicks. He is such a great companion dog that we had him DNA tested to see his mix. 50/50 lab and shepard. Black with white chest spot. Currently 79 pounds and sleek.
Enjoyed your article. My dog was a rescue and represented to us as a “lab mix”. At about 4 mos old it became apparent that he was a german shepherd/lab mix with those huge upstanding ears! He has a beautiful black coat w/brownish undercoat and he has the longer hair. He loves water that comes out of a hose or faucet, but will not set foot in a body of water. He has a very strong prey drive that I still struggle to control. He stalks small animals and does not get along with other dogs. If I let you in the house, he’s great. However, while you’re waiting on the other side of the door, you will definitely be scared. All in all, he’s a good boy, but he’s definitely my dog!
I was in search for a good dog after my last few died of old age. Well actually one was run over by our tractor at the begining if the year. Tragic day, big stain that seems to have settled in on the drive shaft…. Couple weeks later we was at the lawnmower races and Shytstanemagee ran right out and was ran over multiple times.. Ok, so mabe it wasnt old age but we lost em and thats that..
So I was driving big red with my wifey looking fer road meat when we sees a sign that read dogs for sale..
When we pulled in we fell right in love and had to bring that small guy back wit us. Turns out hes a labrador and shep mix.. he is a big dog, he came with many tricks. He runs head first into the couch and door.. most of the tyme he just lays and licks his pecker, hes just like my wife..
I think you should get a dog like this too. Just be sure to have alot of spare cardboard incase those head holes he makes in yer front door git bigger, you use the cardboard and some red tape to seal er up.
One of his eyes droops alot but thats ok, its like i say about the sheep, just because they cant get away dont mean they dum. He howls alot when he pees, hes such a happy dog.
Old fred from along the way tells me theys all the same but mine seems smarter then the other ones. I never sees a dog with 3 teeth before but that is 2 more then me..
Something funny is happening, my boy is having babies, wes having a big family now!!
First, I’d like to say, I’m glad I found this website, where I can relate my experiences. I recently lost my pup to cancer. She just turned 13, and a month after her bday, she had passed away. I’d like to say, she was the best pup I have ever had. Since my husband and I don’t have kids, she was definitely spoiled, plus she didn’t have any other puppy siblings in the house.
I’d have to agree with some of the posts. If you’re thinking about adopting a lab-shepard mix, be prepared for energetic attention, all through out their teen years. My baby was a chocolate lab mixed with shepard. When I bought her, I wasn’t informed enough of the breed,, so I was in for a surprise. At the time, my husband worked and I went to school, so half of the day, she’d be with other family members in the house—who paid less attention to her,, and boy, did she take her boredom out on our stuff. One day, my husband went to work with “airconditioning” on his shoe, not noticing he had holes the size of a thumb. Or times where buttons on our remote controls kept missing, and we found out she had ripped them off and hid the pieces on her bed.
Life isn’t boring with a labshepard mix. She sloppy kisses, grunted when she disagreed, barked/cried when she needed to go out, and poked us when she begged for something. It took me a year to teach her basic commands, but repetition is definitely a must, because she was also easily distracted. She had an obsessive relationship with her squeaky kong ball until she was older, and she learned to entertain herself later on when she learned mommy and daddy left a few hours of the day. She loved her stuff toys a lot, and always came back to her favorites.
As she got older, anxiety kicked in. She definitely was conservative of her space, the lesser she interacted with other pups. She was still a people person though. She was quite tolerant, except a few instances when her space is being invaded (with my husband and I as an exception). She was always sneaky with food. And she never forgets if she didn’t like a person the first time.
She became calmer as she entered 10 years of age, but still acted like a puppy when we came home from work. If she was watching us intently, you’d know she was trying to figure out how she can do it herself, like the time she watched us open a new container of treats, and she knew to push the lid open after first watching us (without teaching her). She was definitely intelligent.
Healthwise, she was hardly sick, and was healthy for 12 years. We regularly took her to vet only for shots and once or twice to see the vet for apparently an allergic reaction to something. Her health declined at 12 years old. It started with arthritis, then moved on to a tumor, but then quickly, in 3 months time, found out she had cancer and lungs and heart were shutting down.
She was the best decision I’ve ever made. And even though it was a roller coaster, she was all worth it.
If you decide to have one, be patient, learn with them and love them. Everything will take its course.To those who currently have one, Enjoy them and congrats. And to those who’ve had one, like my husband and I, I bet you’ve had a good relationship with your pup, and he/she will be missed dearly.
My boy figured out how to open my front door after the first week! He wanted out and I knew he just wanted to sniff around the neighbors dog that was in heat. So he started at the door handle. I just watched him as he was mentally working out how to do and ill be rammed but he turned that round knob just enough to crack it open! I stopped him there but now I have to keep it dead bolted so he doesn’t take off on a joy ride! And even now I catch him trying to figure out which way to move the dead bolt. They are crazy intelligent!
I have a black lab German shepherd mix. He is 13 months old now and is very huge and an awesome smart dog! He’s cute and he thinks he’s small and sits on people’s lap. It didn’t take long for me to train him. He’s very playful and the funniest part is, he loves to play fetch with stones. He brings stone and asks us to throw it (of course we are careful while playing fetch with a stone) and now he has a collection of about 50 stones in my room which he brings from the garden. And YES he is very protective and wary of strangers.
If you’re planning to get one then I would definitely recommend getting one! However, do not leave them alone with kids. Its not that they will do something violent, but they’re just playful big puppies who don’t know their size quite well. They’re SUPER energetic and can push a child easily. But, I swear they’re so understanding and loyal you will fall in Love with them. <3
I have a 5 month old black lab/gsd mix and he is the hands down the best dog I’ve ever owned. His mom is a lab mix with small amounts of akita, put bull, and golden retriever but we believe that the dad was full german. He is mostly black with golden brindle legs and brown on his face and chest. He is the sweetest thing. He can be very energetic but also loves being at home and cuddling with us. He has a german shepherd body and looks totally different from all of the other pups in his litter! I am so thankful that we ended up with such a good mix! He’s the best.
Loved reading all the stories of human love for animal love. My “Maggie” is a rescue dog with absolutely NO history. Rescued her two years ago. We know she is lab and I now believe part Gr. Shep. (her ears are always up). She is a beautiful blond with white, affectionate, intelligent, loves people, walks, rides and outdoors. She is probably 4-5 yrs. old now and has had at least one litter of pups. Yes, she to understands when I talk to her; what a smart girl. It seems we have our own language and understanding. She makes me laugh also. I rescued her COMPLETELY TRAINED!!!! What a blessing, huh? Her only negative side (if there is such a thing) is her distinct dislike for other dogs. However, she LOVES people and they have no problem is giving her the pets and affection that she thrives on. ONE GREAT BREED….NONE BETTER!!!!!
Have had two Shepradors. They were wonderful and no other dogs before/after can compare to their versatility: excellent companions, child-friendly, curious and playful, non-aggressive but watchdogs and no health problems. Such great dogs. Would recommend them and am befuddled as to why they aren’t more commonly owned.
I have a lab/shephard mix. Both parents are purebred, She is eight weeks old. She is very smart and trains well.
I would like to know how to get your book on the Lab/Shephard mix.
we just lost our lab/shep. She was 13. She was literally the smartest dog we have ever had! sweet girl. I would get another one in a heart beat. She needed a lot of exercise and keep her brain moving when she was young. it takes dedication but is 100% worth it. kind, gentle, smart – has everything.
I’m sorry for your loss.. :(, I know how it feels..We also just lost our babygirl, at 13 yrs old last 01/13/2019. She was a chocolate lab shepard mix, and was the smartest, playful, sassiest, sweetest pup. I was lucky to have found her. And raising her for 13 years was the best gift she’s left me.
I have a 15 year old Sheprador and there isn’t a better breed for a family as far as I am concerned. We have had shepards before her and I have known many labs. I love both breeds but with her we definitely got the very best of both breeds. She has been a second mother to my kids. She would come get me whenever they were doing something dangerous. She was always with them watching over them wherever they went inside or outside. Once the two year old got outside and headed for the highway and the dog went with him. When we found him a few minutes later he was walking down the highway and she was right between him and the road pushing him off the road as they walked. She warmed up quickly to anyone we invited into the house and would be very friendly but would not let any stranger or strange dog near her kids or any of the neighbor kids who were at the house. She never hurt anyone but did I have lock her up so neighbor men could pick up there kids if they were out playing night games. She is extremely bright and picked up tricks and training in single sessions. She is a great retriever and a great tracker. She was also a great mouser on our farm killing more mice than the two cats ever did. She has excellent herding/protective instincts. She did shed continuously it seemed and was a voracious chewers (thank goodness for Kong balls, tennis balls, and knuckle bones)
She didn’t have a single health problem until about 13.5 years old when she started to get some arthritis. She would be 15 in January, but now has bone cancer and also nerve weakness in back legs and so the vet will be here tonight for her graduation party. We will miss her terribly.
I’m sorry to hear of your pup’s illness. I recently lost my babygirl at 13 yrs old last 01/13/2019. I’ve had her since she was 3 months old. Reading through your post, it reminded me of her very much. Especially the mention of being healthy most of her younger years. Mine was the same, until her health started to decline slowly on her 12th year.
I would love to get a lab X German shepherd puppy. I would like more the German shepherd colouring the Black and Tan with not too much of a dark face with little longer hair, again more like the German shepherd look. I think I would also prefer a female. If anyone knows of a litter of puppies coming up I would really appreciate being contacted. I live on the Gold Coast Queensland so if anything nearby would be great. Terri
I hadn’t thought of a label, but I would lean toward Sherprador. It sounds noble enough and uncomplicated.
My pup is black lab mixed with GSD and small amounts of akita, pit bull and golden retriever. Most people think he’s pure lab because of his shiny black coat and lab like head. He is only 6 months old, so that may change?
He is lovable and loving, super intelligent, willing to please and exuberant. Yes, for the right owners, I would recommend his combination. He is a rescue I adopted at 8 weeks. He is a wonderful traveler. He sleeps almost as soon the engine turns on. He drove with us 9 hours (with potty breaks) to Maine from NY with no hassles. He rode 4 1/2 hours (with potty breaks) to NYC and learned to adapt to traffic and concrete. He lives in the country where he has several acres to play on. He LOVES people and is eager to make friends with other dogs.
We just adopted a 10 month old rescue yellow lab gsd mix. She is a sandy color; with a pointy nose and floppy ears. She was mistreated when young, so she is very leery of people. She has finally warmed up to me (after 2 weeks), but still has a difficult time with my husband .. basically all men .. pretty sure a man must have mistreated her. She is a very sweet girl otherwise. Training is not going as quickly as we had thought, but since she was mistreated, she has a hard time trusting us. Potty training is going quickly though .. but then our 2 year old black lab pretty much let’s us know when they need to go out. We trained her to ring a bell on the back door when she needs to go out. We are hoping to train our shephedor to ring the bell as well (once she isn’t afraid if the bell sound).
I have a lab German shepherd with a little bit of boxer. His name is Gus and just turned 12 years old. He is definitely showing is old age. He has always been very protective with our family and very easily trained. He has the body of a lab, colors of a German shepherd , short hair and the face of a boxer. He listens very well. I was told he could live upwards of 16 years old. Who knows but so far he is very healthy. I just enjoy the latter part of his years. I couldn’t ask for a better dog.
I have a black GSD X black Lab mix named Raven. We adopted her 2 years ago when she was just two months old. Despite the fact that the gene for a longer coat is rarely passed to mixes, she has the longer coat of a GSD. Her entire coat is pitch black and she has big orange eyes. She is extremely energetic and swims in our pond every chance she can get! It takes her a while to get used to strangers, and she is really protective of me. She looks like a GSD, except that her ears are floppy and she has webbed toes. She is my baby, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world!!!
I adopted a GSD x Golden Lab puppy August 9th as rescue. DOB May 25th. Jax is golden color but with all the GSD markings. Black muzzle, eye markings and black down his back. He has lab ears, coat and tail. In the two weeks we have had him he has become potty trained, knows basic commands and walks on his leash like a champ. Very playful and sweet. Friendly with everyone and other dogs. We are so happy we were able to be his forever home. I see many adventures in our future! He can be a stinker though when he gets bored but redirection works great. Drop with our hand under his mouth has saved many shoes and household items.
I have a 9 week old Lab /Gsd black coat with brown under his chin and on legs and around his bum he is such a crazy energetic boy always wants to play!
I have a chocolate lab German Shepherd mix 8 month’s old . The best at feeling your emotions not scared of loud sounds he’s taught to bark when he needs to go pee or poop. I like across from a soccer field 5 yrs.old thru 17yrs. old the kid’s are in love with him parents too even with his milk teeth the young children put there hands thru the chain link fence and he loves the attention lickin hands petting. I live in Florida and gunny drags me outside in rain thunder and lightning storm’s to boot. So if friendly cuckoo for water baths and rain to not scared of lound noises friendly with ferrel cat’s neighbors cat and dog’s and squirrels. or you may take him for a ride to a gas station shopping plaza etc.that won’t bark at people going in and out while shopping this might be a breed for you
Hi I just got one, a girl, how did you teach yours to bark when they need to pee or poo? Thanks!
I have a baby German Shepherd/Lab mix. He’s a male and I got him at 3 weeks. I trained him to go potty outside by crate training him. German Shepherd and Labs will refuse to pee or poo in their crate because they like to sleep in clean spaces. He will cry in the beginning so just be patient. Unfortunately accident do happen when he’s outside the crate so to fix that I give him treats when he goes potty outside and I don’t give him treats or compliments when he pees and potties inside! Hope this helps. You just have to be patients thought. It takes time for the puppy to get used to the idea of being in a crate. Like any other dog, Yu just have to be patient..
R they hard to potty train does it take long
where can I find a sheprador, ours recently passed
We also just adopted a sheprador.It is light yellow on the top, and then the color fades to white. She is so cute and exciting. Her mouth is also yellow.
I have a Sheprador! He’s beautiful (he’s black with a little bit of dark brown on his sides). When he was a puppy he would chew on my shoes, and run away (never far, mostly he wanted to play the “try to catch me” game ?). He needed a TON of attention and excerxise. He HATES being alone. He loves to go for walks, bike rides, car rides, etc. He’s very very smart (I swear he understands everything I say to him). He’s very protective, affectionate, great with kids and other animals, compliant (now), and so energetic. He’s 4 now and I hope he lives forever.
We adopted our Sheprador from a rescue. Ella is now 14 weeks old, yellow/brown, and with eyes that look like she’s wearing eyeliner with little eyebrows! She has been very easy to train with commands, but potty training and crate training have been a challenge. Puppy biting is also an issue, but we’re working on that. She’s very attentive to us, her humans. Our plan is for her to become a service dog for my son. I’m glad we have this sweet girl!
I have a 4 yr old shep lab mix, and he is awesome. Super energetic and needs lots of exercise. He is very loving and friendly and good with our elderly small dog and cat. So smart too! He was pretty destructive the first two years and had to be watched closely, exercise was very helpful. Although not nearly as crazy wild as he was the first two years, he is still very energetic. He is a great family dog, but you do need to be committed to giving this kind of dog lots of activities and attention, and love of course. He is no couch potato!
I had 2, a rescue first and after him I only wanted another one. They were different yet wonderful in so many ways. I can’t make myself want another breed now.
I’ve had Darcy, a gsd X black lab for 2 months. She was 5 months when we got her and she has now doubled her body weight up to 20kg already (7 months old). She is an utter nut job when she gets playful and she is very protective of me and my family. She is very weary of strangers when she’s on the lead but doesn’t notice them when she’s off.
She has been fairly easy to train in terms of basic stuff (sit, lay, roll over, come and go busies) but not do you need to always remember her ball on walks. She just won’t burn off enough energy unless she has something to hunt.
I just rescued a shep lab mix, she was 10 months old and had never been trained or socialized or walked, she is really friendly and loves to play, however, we are having some difficulty with her trying to be dominant, nothing we try seems to be working, can anyone suggest something? we adore her but she gets over excited quickly and her nips turn to bites and then she thinks us telling her off is a game. The only thing that calms her down is closing the baby gate on her and leaving her in the kitchen, which is great when we are at home but out on walks when she gets overexcited we can’t do that.
I got Kuiper last april. He was 4 months old when i got and he was already a huge, energetic puppy. He is big, prolly 80+ pounds and mostly black with a white stripe on his chest and belly and the very tip of his tail and a sort of sandy/tawny dusting on his paws. He showed his protective tendencies very young. Hed let out a soft chuff to warn me if there was another dog or person he didnt trust. That and his body type are where the shepard in him shines. He is very deep chested and much leaner with shorter rear legs. And floppy triangles for ears. Every now and then he will hold just one up.. so cute. Other than that he is very loving and much more motivated by play and affection than food. He will play fetch/football for hours on end and is always eager for a cuddle or belly rub. Gets along very well with my cats too.
I have actually 7 Shepradors* puppies right now. We are probably keeping two, plus their mother (She’s the GSD and her pregnancy was an accident.) My FIL/MIL (puppy daddy’s owner) and UncleIL/AuntIL are getting two, one puppy per couple. We have three left and two of them have found forever homes already, but my last black female will be staying with us until we find her a place.
The lab is black and my GS has the usual coloring that they’re known for. The puppies coloring seems to differ a bit from both parents. I have three black puppies (1 female with pure black fur, 1 female with black fur and a white chest marking w/ one white paw. 1 female with black fur, white chest marking, all white paws, and teeny bit of a white-tipped tail.) I have 2 dark brown puppies (1 male with dark brown fur and all white paws. 1 female with dark brown fur and no markings.) Last but not least, I have 2 light brown puppies (1 male with light brown fur and a white chest marking. 1 light brown female with all white paws and also has a teeny bit of a white-tipped tail.)
As for recommending them as pets: they were born on 01/26, so they are only about 2 weeks old. I’m almost positive that if you have the time and energy for them/one; you won’t regret the decision. I’m also not a fan of small, yappy dogs. We originally my German Shepherd for protection when I’m home alone.
We are keeping the two females with white tipped tails. Mil/Fil are getting the dark brown male. UIL/AIL are getting the light brown male. One of our friends is getting the second black female with white marking on her chest (because he talks a lot and so does the puppy. She’s the loudest, most vocal puppy we have.) and another friend is getting the all black female. Just need someone to speak up for this last puppy.
I couldn’t be a breeder though. I DON’T want to raise 7 puppies at all. I don’t want to give any of them up though. I’m already attached to them and they’re super soft with medium-length coats, snuggles, kisses, and puppy breath. I mean we weren’t planning on her getting pregnant. She had just turned two a few weeks before FIL’s dog knocked her up. We swore we were just gonna give them all the puppie to deal with once they were weaned and able to leave their mother.
As you can see from the above (where we’re keeping two ourselves,) that changed rather quickly. The black female we’re keeping for a particular reason other than she’s just cute: she was born dead. We thought our GSD was done but she surprised us 2x after the first six of the litter. There was a black male pup that didn’t survive; our dog didn’t make any noise with that birth; she didn’t make any effort to save him herself. I had stepped into the restroom briefly (recomposing myself and washing my hands). My hubs had gone to get something to eat from the kitchen. Like I said: We thought she was done at six puppies. So we didn’t make it in our bedroom in time to save him; he died in the sac. My poor hubs tried! He did CPR for at least 30 minutes before I told him it was no use.
About an hour after that we were both in bed and my shepherd was on the floor with her six puppies. Husband just happened to sit up in time and saw another puppy coming out. I ran and turned the lights on, grabbed the sac the puppy was in (no gloves at all; wore gloves for the other 7) and tore it open as fast as I could. I grabbed the runt and started trying to get her heart pumping by doing compressions on her very fragile chest. Another stillborn puppy. I had just buried the third male of an 8 puppy litter. Husband took the puppy and did mouth-to-mouth-&-nose with ches compressions. I was crying and watching that little girl for ANY sign of life. Then, after what felt like a millennia, he felt her heart beat.
After she was dried off, fed, and ready for sleep (I know you aren’t supposed to hold them too much when they’re newborns) I picked that tiny 1lb runt of a girl up and held her for… i don’t know how long, but it felt like hardly any time at all.
My spouse and I had decided we weren’t keeping NOT 1 SINGLE PUPPY, NO MATTER WHAT! He had already picked a favorite puppy in the light brown female with all white paws who he was affectionately calling Ada because AND I QUOTE “She’s adorable. Adorbs. We will call her Ada. After I put little girl down with Little Mama Sam, we kinda just looked at each other and I finally said I don’t think I’ll be able to give her up. He said “yeah, we saved her life. That’s the only puppy you touched without gloves on even though there was a ton of blood.” So, I asked him if we could keep her because I didn’t think I’d be able to bear giving her to someone else and my husband knows how much I love her. He didn’t even hesitate. We started trying to figure out a name for this sweet miraculous runt that we(he) fought so hard to save. I suggested Glimmer. Reason being was right before she started breathing and her heart started beating; she had a Glimmer of Hope that she might be able to live. Plus she brings a Glimmer of happiness to our lives. He said she didn’t have to have a glimmer of hope because she DIDN’T die. So, I huffed and asked “Alright! Well what do you have for a name,” not expecting him to answer. He thought for maybe 15 seconds and said “How about Mira?” I liked it. I liked it a lot; however!, I know this man well enough after 6 years (5 years married) that I KNEW there was a reason behind it. I follow up with “I really like that, but why Mira?” Without missing a beat he answered, “Because she’s a miracle puppy.”
**Gah.. whose cutting onions in here?!? Stupid ninjas.**
*Labrashepherd doesn’t roll of the tongue for me as well as Sheprador does; however, my husband prefers Labrashepherd over Sheprador. He still probably it a Sheprador though since that’s what I do.
Loved your story. We are enjoying our 1,5-year-old Nikita. She’s an adorable hyperenergetic yellow rescued Sheprador.
Hi, do you still have the one female puppy? We are thinking of getting a Lab / GS mix puppy as I walk my friends guide dog Dancer who is this breed and she is such a lovely dog. My daughter wants a puppy, I would be happy with a rescue dog but as we have two cats this is difficult. We would be looking to get a puppy mid July as we have a holiday abroad booked early July and couldn’t leave a puppy or dog anywhere. (will be holidaying in this country in future)
Annetta
We have a black lab shepard mix, her name is Jedi aka Baby Baby. She is so lovey and smart. She is the most amazing dog with kids. She plays hide and seek with my 6 my old son, though she cheats and tells him where I am when I play with them. If i call my son and he doesn’t answer she barks and runs around where he is and lets me know where they are. She sleeps with him and if he has bad dreams or talks in his sleep, she puts her head on his back or chest and makes these soft noises and comforts him. She is so gentle and lovey. She does think she is a little dog though and loves to sit in my lap. The day we adopted her was our lucky day.
I have a two year old lab/GSD that I absolutely love. He is black, looks like a lab but is more pointed in the muzzle like a GSD. He has long shedding hair which floats everywhere. I have to sweep and wipe down counters daily. He is highly energetic and loves to lick my hands and make loud barking sounds when someone comes near our fence. He’s pretty large, about 85 pounds of sweetness. He is laid back in the evenings just sitting at the foot of my bed or near the sofa. He gets along well with my gchildren; just a little dorky when excited. I definitely recommend getting this mix.
I have a golden lab (which I never knew existed) and German shepherd mix. He’s the color of the golden but has a dark on his muzzle and around his eyes. I call him Worf because the top of his head is wrinkled and makes me think of a Klingon! I’ve only had him since 11-22-17 when I adopted him out of a humane society at 1.5 years of age. He’s loyal, protective, wary of strangers, great companion, sweet, loves to cuddle and laze about until a ball is added to the mix! I can’t wait till the days are longer so we can get outside more.
We have a 4 month old lab shepherd cross. He is fawn colour with a black muzzle.
My 15 year old daughter and I adopted our Sheprador from a local shelter, he’s ten months old now and has added so much joy to our lives. We’ve named him Bentley and he’s so ornery but also lovable (won’t always cuddle though ????) and very smart.
All of what I’ve read about this breed is pretty much spot on, easily trainable, eager to please, sensitive yet protective and courageous, gentle unless playfully rough housing- which is often if you’re not too active for one day. Hah. *always ready to play*
Always needing something from us and talks back at times so he has a very strong personality which we love about him. He keeps us on our toes for sure! I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to having a dog around but he’s the greatest puppy-we love him so much! Wish I could post a picture here, he’s grown so much the past 8 months that we’ve had him.
We don’t know anything about his parents but his sister was all black and they were found as tiny pups on the side of the road. He’s short hair, tan with mixes of black and one little white spot on his chest. Lab looking short snout and lab backline as well. His coloring, dark circle near his mouth, and ears that stand up make his German Shepard obvious.
Love reading about all the other lovely pets in his breed out there!
Many years ago i had the pleasure of having a Lab x GSD for best part of 16 years she looked 100% black lab but had the GSD bark even my vet had her down as a Lab for her first 7 years. Her mum was one of the biggest GSD I had seen but I never saw her dad. Sam was one in millions and was perfect in every way there was not a command she didn’t know. I couldn’t have wished for a better family dog soft as they come fantastic with the kids but at the same time very very protective. When walking her I always knew she had my back and would not let anyone to close to me especially in the dark and on one occasion stopped a man from grabbing me. Sadly I know I could have a million dogs and never be lucky enough to have another Sam.
Agree. My babygirl passed away at 13 years of age. She was a choco labshepard mix. Her name was Deedee. She was beautiful inside and out. And I would never find another like her. I’d know to pick her out from a million other dogs. I was also lucky to have her in my life.
Hi
Just got a lab Shepherd mix she is 8 weeks
We are enjoying her very loving and adorable. My kids love her.
I have had a lab/ German shepherd mix for 5 and 1/2 Years called Sammy. He is a wonderful dog but very wary of strangers. He has the German Shepherd ears and long hair, I assume he is a unique dog because his mother, the Labrador was a yellow lab and he is completely black. He is defensive of us and loves to hunt squirrels and other animals. when finding a dog to give him some company last year we found that he did do much better with females than with males. Also I guess he is a particularly large dog being 85 lbs.
I have a four year old black lab GSD mix. She is the most incredible dog I have ever owned. She is so intelligent and clearly communicates with us with her range of different barks for different occasions. She loves our two year old child who loves her back in equal amounts, although his love can sometimes equate to overbearing, aggravation of the dog. The dog just sits there calmly and allows this to happen. She is totally amazing. I would not hesitate to recommend this mix to anyone looking for a clever, affectionate, loyal, loving, friendly family dog.
I have an all black gsd lab mix. And i have to say out of all the dogs I’ve ever owned, (lab, gsd, pitbull, boxer, dobby, husky and Chiwinnie… Dotson mix) he is definitely not the brightest of the bunch and that really surprised me. Lol lets just say if he was a person he would be socially awkward :(…. But we still love Ace and wouldn’t trade him for the world. Met a friend of a friend and he said the same thing about his, parents of both puppies have no relation. Is this common or is this just luck of the draw? My personal favorite was my pitbull rescue tho, she was always so sweet and well mannered unlike her brother the husky, smh he’s like that crazy energetic cousin everyone has lol.
My guess is luck of the draw. I am the proud owner of 5 lab/Shepard mix dogs. Sadly 3 of the 5 are “special” and “socially awkward ” the other 2 are amazingly intelligent and quick to learn. Of course i love them all and wouldn’t part with a single one of them.
We just rescued a Black Sheprador (my call), whose father is a solid black GSD, and mother is a yellow lab. The result is the beautiful black bear- puppy who is a ball of love and intelligence at an incredibly young age! I can’t for what’s to come, as I know he’s just going to be an incredible addition to our pack of now 5. Our Chihuahua has taken to him kindly, and they rest together which means the world to us. I can’t to see what’s to come !
i had lab shep mix for 11.5 years. she was nothing short of amazing. if you are considering one do not hesitate.
I agree 100%
Jim, is your lab/shep mix still alive? I was wondering what the lifespan is of these wonderful dogs? I have a 12 year old name Gus
I adopted Artie 4 yrs ago. He is intelligent, so so funny, loving , and a great companion. He is yellow, with the snout of a German Shepard. He is80 lbs and loves to cuddle. He is very protective and very wary of strangers . But once he trusts you he is your friend. However he is most loyal to me. I just love and enjoy him so much. He loves to hike, snow shoe , run, and play hide and seek. He is a wonderful dog.
I have a black lab german sheppard mix. He is all black with a little bit of white on his chest and paws. He is 5 years old and amazing i would deffintly reccomend getting one. So smart and loving. Hes my boy ????
Oh my goodness! I just got a puppy lab and German Shepherd, and she’s all black with a little white on her chest and paws. She’s so cute! ❤️ But wild