German Shepherd Coonhound Mix: A Dog to Love

German Shepherd Coonhound Mix

Are you a fan of high-energy dogs with exceptional tracking skills? Then perhaps you should meet the German shepherd coonhound mix.

With the high-energy drive of a German shepherd and the exceptional tracking skills of the coonhound, this dog will be a perfect trail and working dog who will always be eager to please its handlers.

Besides being a working dog, this dog translates to be an awesome home companion. Trained and socialized, this dog breed mix will be a darling to every family member in your house.

With that said, let’s go into more details about the German shepherd’s black and tan Coonhound mix.

The German Shepherd Coonhound Mix

To understand the personality, temperaments, size, and exercise needs of any breed mix, you need first to explore more about this dog’s parents.

So what’s all about the German shepherd and the coonhound?

The German shepherd

The German shepherd is courageous, intelligent, and hardworking. Such attributes, coupled with its eagerness to please nature, have seen this dog become a mainstay in the police and army department.

The German shepherd is medium-sized with a dome-shaped head coupled up with erect ears.

Males stand between 24-26 inches, whereas female GSD’S stand between 22-24 inches. And most German shepherds will weigh between 50-80 pounds.

The coat is straight, dense, and close-lying to the body. You will find this dog with colors like black and tan, black and red, or solid black.

With its high energy levels, this dog needs a spacious yard where it can play when it’s not working. And if not exercising, the German shepherd will look for ways to dispense that extra energy.

The Coonhound

There are various coonhounds, namely black and tan coonhound, Redbone coonhound, American English coonhound, bluetick coonhound, treeing walker coon hound, and lastly, the Plott hound. And the most popular among all is the black and tan coonhound.

Males have a height of 25-27 inches, whereas females can range between 23 to 25 inches. The weight of this dog can lie anywhere between 65-110 pounds.

Classified under the hound group, this dog has a remarkable sense of smell that makes it a perfect trail dog.

Looking at the coat, it’s short and dense. Such a coat helps it withstand any harsh weather. Altogether, the black and tan coonhound is an alert, friendly, and eager to please dog.

This dog will ensure it finishes any task it has to do, and nothing can destruct it. Its high-tracking instincts make it a search and rescue dog.

Whenever you are with this dog in the yard, you need to leash and supervise and watch its movement as it is unstoppable whenever it catches a scent.

If not trained and well socialized, the black and tan coonhound can be hard to control. However, with the right training and handling, such behaviors can be eradicated. Worth noting this dog will need a spacious yard where it can play or exercise its muscles.

Table Comparing the German shepherd And the Black And Tan Coonhound

German shepherd Black coonhound
AKC Popularity rank 2 138
AKC Group Herding group Hound group
Height 22-26 inches 23-27 inches
Weight 50-90 pounds 65-110 pounds
Coat type A double coat of medium length Short but dense
Coat color Most colors are acceptable. No white, liver, or blue dogs Coal-black with rich tan markings
Temperaments Intelligent, loving, loyal, and brave Easy going, intelligent, and courageous
Shedding ability high Moderate
Level of barking Moderate-high Moderate
Guarding abilities Very high high
Lifespan 12-14 years 10-12 years

 

The Size and Appearance of the German shepherd Coonhound Mix

Like every other dog breed, the parents of this breed mix will determine its size and appearance.

With the German shepherd being 22-26 inches long and the coon hound standing at 23-27 inches, you will get a dog with a length ranging from 22 to 27 inches.

This dog will be masculine and well-boned and can weigh between 50-100 pounds.

All such temperaments will arise depending on which parent of this dog breed mix has the strongest genes.

This dog will have a medium-sized head with almond-shaped eyes that express alertness.

The coat of this dog breed will depend on which parent has the strongest genes. If it picks from a German shepherd, expect a dog breed with a dense straight double coat. If it picks from the Coonhound parent, you will find this dog will have a short and dense coat.

Coat colors can vary; however, the German shepherd coonhound mix will have a black and tan coat color.

Worth noting this dog breed will shed a lot, especially during the shedding sessions.

German shepherd Black And Tan Coonhound Mix Temperaments and Personalities

With the courageous nature of the GSD and the friendly and eager to please nature of the coonhound, expect to get an even-tempered, outgoing, and friendly mixed dog breed.

If well trained and socialized, this mixed dog breed will give out the best it has. The German shepherd coonhound mix will be a dog that will love to please its handlers every time. This dog breed will love to engage in any family activity and will be happy if rewarded.

If this mixed breed gets the coonhound’s high prey drive, its movements must be monitored now and then. This dog will perceive small moving pets in your house as prey, and it won’t hesitate to chase them all around. However, a little retraining will help clear that behavior.

The relationship with other family members will be dependent on how it’s treated. Often this dog will tend to have a certain soft spot for one person who mostly exercises, feeds, or grooms it. However, other family members will still receive this dog’s love.

Children will also need to be careful when they handle this dog; they should not pull its ears or tails forcefully.

All along, this dog breed will do well with children who act accordingly

Exercise Needs

With the parents of the German shepherd coonhound mix being energetic, then it goes without saying the same trait will trickle down to its offspring. However, exercising this dog breed mix is a must, and not with strenuous exercises that will hurt this dog’s muscles and joints.

For German shepherd black and tan coonhound mix puppies, subject them to a maximum of 30 minutes of play daily. However, divide these 30 minutes into two sessions.

German shepherd coonhound adults will need a minimum of 45 minutes of play daily. Some of the exercises that you can subject to this dog breed are running, forest walks, playing fetch, or swimming.

Besides physical stimulation, remember the mental part. You need to engage this dog’s mental part by giving it exercises that will challenge its intelligence.

Grooming Needs of the German shepherd Coonhound Mix

If the German shepherd coonhound mix takes a coonhound coat, you will not have many grooming obligations.  Brushing the coat twice weekly with a slicker brush is better than nothing. However, if your mixed dog breed gets the German shepherd’s coat, you will have an extra duty to keep up with its high shedding ability.

If so, worry less as regular brushing with a fine-toothed comb and accompanying with a detangling rake will help remove any loose fur and dander on it. And you will need to put more effort during the shedding seasons.

What about bathing? If you are an expert, bathing this dog will not be a hard task. You will need to bathe this dog’s coat every six months to freshen and make this dog smell good. Unlike brushing, bathe sessions should not be regular. The reason being, this dog risks developing dry or flaked skin that can be uncomfortable.

When bathing this dog, use a vet-approved dog shampoo. And suppose your dog has a special skin condition, your veterinary may recommend using a certain medicated shampoo that will help clean this dog and eradicate the condition on its skin.

Also, be keen on its ears. If the dog mix has the coonhound’s floppy ears, you should ensure you’ve checked them every two days. Notify your vet if you can spot any discharge or awful smell.

The corner of this dog’s eyes will need regular cleaning using a clean towel and do so every 2-3 days.

Also, nail clipping is paramount; remember to use a pet-friendly nail clipper that will not cut nerve and blood vessel endings.

If unable to keep this dog clean, you can take it to a professional groomer of which can be expensive.

Training and Socialization

How easy it is to train this dog mix will be dependent on which of its parent it picks after. If this dog breed takes after the GSD, you will have a smart dog who will not need several training sessions to capture a concept.

However, if it picks after the intelligence and independent nature of the coonhound, you will need to be stern and don’t expect results as soon as possible.

So when should you start training the German shepherd coonhound mix? Well, the earlier, the possible. Start training this dog immediately it comes into your house, and remember to start with easy commands.

The essential piece of training that this dog mix will need to learn is potty training.

Afterward, as the dog grows, you can introduce other commands. While training this dog mix, you need to use a positive tone when giving out your commands as the dog is sensitive to any tone you use.

And remember, using positive reinforcement will make the behavior you desire permanent. Only reward the behavior of your desire, and all your training seasons will be smooth.

Also, socialization will be important. Proper socialization is what makes a dog complete and acceptable. You need to expose the German shepherd black and tan coonhound mix to lots of sights and sounds. Let the dog learn what is good and bad. You can expose it to people and let them know who it should trust.

You can even enroll this mixed dog breed in obedience classes. Do so, and you will have an awesome dog breed that will not be hard to control.

The Diet of a German shepherd Coonhound Mix

The diet of the German shepherd coonhound mix is not different from other big-boned dogs. All this dog needs is a high-calorie diet that will supply it with the required energy.

You can decide to give this dog commercial dog food (wet or dry) home-prepared diet or a raw diet. If you choose any of them, ensure it fulfills your dog’s daily calorie needs.

Also, while doing so, you need to capture the dog’s age, size, and energy levels. Such factors walk together when you need to feed any of your dogs. High active dog breed will need more calories compared to couch potato dogs.

If you cannot understand the best diet for a German shepherd coonhound mix, a veterinary or an animal nutritionist will help structure one.

The Health Issues of the German shepherd Coonhound Mix

As a mixed dog breed, you don’t expect this dog breed mix to have most health issues that affect its parents

However, as a medium-sized dog breed with high energy levels, watch out for conditions like Hip and elbow dysplasia and osteoarthritis.

If you want to evade hereditary health issues, get your breed mix from a reputable breeder who will show you all the dog’s health clearance certificates.

Also, ensure you update all the shots of this dog breed every time

The Lifespan of the German shepherd Black And Tan Coonhound Mix

The lifespan of the German shepherd coonhound mix is 9-13 years. The care and lifestyle you subject this dog breed will determine how long it leaves.

Where Can I Get a German shepherd Coonhound Mix for Sale?

German shepherd And Coonhound Breeders

Look for a German shepherd and coonhound breeder in your area and ask them the possibilities of having this dog breed.

Since it’s a new and rare dog breed, you may have to walk for miles before you get a breeder who breeds such a dog.

However, if you cannot get one, you can look for other German shepherd breed mixes with close attributes like this breed mix you desire.

Rescue Centers

Check for German shepherd coonhound mix in a rescue center in your area. However, as early said, it’s a rare dog breed, and so you may have to walk for long before you meet one.

What Can a German shepherd Coonhound Mix Be Used For?

With the German shepherd’s speed and courage combined with the coonhound’s high tracking capabilities, this dog breed mix will be the perfect working dog in the police departments, mostly as a search and rescue dog or sniffer dog.

Will This Dog Breed Mix Be Right For Me?

If you are an expert dog handler who knows how to handle high-energy dogs who can become independent thinkers, then this dog breed will be right for you.

Is It Important To Have A Mixed Breed Dog?

Adopting or owning a mixed breed dog is always a contentious topic. Those who support such a practice say these dogs are healthier than their parents and have no hereditary issues present in their parents. Again you may get a dog breed mix with unique looks and temperaments.

Those who fault such breeding practices say such breeding practices can be expensive, and still, these mutts are expensive. Again there are high chances of getting a dog with congenital issues. Finally, it can be hard to predict the temperaments of the crossbreeds. It’s often a matter of probability.

What’re your thoughts on this issue? Do you support any of the sides? Or are you neutral?

Final Thoughts

Hoping we have given you the information you needed to know about the German shepherd coonhound mix. This dog breed has high energy levels, and with that, it needs an active pet parent who will be ready to exercise it daily.

Tell us, do you have a German shepherd black and tan coonhound mix, or are you planning to have one? Tell us here in the comment box.

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