"Dexter is a confident 3 year old Labrador x German Shepherd with very good social manners. At this age he already calmed down a lot and is much easier to handle than when he was 18 months old. He still needs a lot of exercise but is also happy to have a nap on the sofa instead. Dex is very friendly but I wouldn't say he's the cuddliest dog on earth :) he likes some fuss but without excess. Now as he matured he likes having his own place where no one disturbs him. He's much less clingy and although still likes to keep an eye on me, he doesn't insist to be my shadow any more. He's colour (black & tan with black mask & brindle) is not something you'd usually see in the cross but can happen. He's 77 pounds (35kg.)"
Dexter the German Sheprador (German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 3 years old
Dexter the German Sheprador (German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 3 years old
Dexter the German Sheprador (German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 18 months old—"We adopted Dexter when he was 10 months old from his previous family. I don't judge them, as they have done the right thing looking for a new home for him. They didn't have time to exercise a demanding breed mix. So at only 10 months of age he ended up ball obsessed. It takes a lot of time and patience. He still is not perfect but we're moving forward each month. He learns very quickly. That's what you would expect from a Labrador and German Shepherd combined in one dog. Now he can do both paws, high-fives, sit, lay down, stay, get out, move away, jump, play dead "bang bang" and crawl. He recognizes all his toys. If you name a toy he will find it and bring it to you. I believe his mother was a black Labrador and his father a German Shepherd. He has a sensitive stomach and sensitive skin. Unlike a Labrador, he's not a big fan of food. You won't "buy" him with food, but you can with a ball. I can't call a dog that is still obsessed with something fully balanced. It will take more time. But otherwise he's really a treasure. Perfect. We combined a bit of positive-reward training with some of it being a more dominant approach. In my opinion you have to find a fine line between them. Reward training does not work with everything. Especially when you have a powerful dog. If a big dog gets obsessed with an object and jumps on you "bad boy" is not enough. I must show him I'm stronger and I will not accept it and there will be "follow through". No, I never hit my dog. Never. In this case the Cesar Millan approach works well."
Dexter the German Sheprador (German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 18 months old—"He is protective and I wouldn't advise a stranger to pull my arm or hit me. He doesn't like it when we do it at home for fun and plays a role of peacemaker, getting between us, barking, whining, jumping and licking. Usually he will cover my body with his body so I can't be touched. He rarely uses his voice, he's a very quiet dog, but when he barks you can clearly hear German Shepherd in there. If he wants to he can sound really scary, but only twice in 10 months I had a chance to hear that. Once was when someone surprised him by coming out of the darkness."
Jill, a German Shepherd Dog / Labrador Retriever mix
Harley, a Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix
Dexter the German Sheprador(German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 18 months old—"At 18 months old he weighs about 32 kg (70 pounds) and is 65 cm (25 inches) in height at the shoulders. He goes out 4 to 5 times a day. Two of those times are usually for about an hour or more. On weekends we take him for much longer walks. Sometimes up to 3 hours at a time."
Dexter the German Sheprador (German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 18 months old—"He is a great swimmer and loves being in water. The first time I showed him water at 10 months old, he went in straight away and started swimming with no fear at all."
Dexter the German Sheprador (German Shepherd / Labrador Retriever mix) at 18 months old—"He's very good with people, both adults and children. He loves other dogs, not so much with cats and foxes. He adjust to other dogs way of playing but he prefers running and chasing each other than wrestling. He's very fast and his best play companions are greyhound-type dogs, he enjoys speed. Speed, swimming and fetching are his favourites."
Gypsy the German Shepherd / Lab mix—"She gets along great with my other dogs."
Gypsy the German Shepherd / Lab mix
Gypsy the German Shepherd / Lab mix
Gypsy the German Shepherd / Lab mix
Mitch the Labrador Retriever / German Shepherd mix at 8 years old
Mitch the Labrador Retriever / German Shepherd mix at 8 years old
Mitch the Labrador Retriever / German Shepherd mix at 8 years old
Mitch the Labrador Retriever / German Shepherd mix at 8 years old
