Basset hound German shepherd mix is one of the most recent dog breeds that breeders have created in the 21st century. The breed has been around for less than two decades.
Since the German Shepherd Basset Hound mix is a novel breed, little information about its historical background, nevertheless, much information on these breeds is obtained from its parent breeds.
The intelligence of this mix is attributed to the parents. The German shepherd and the Basset hounds are intelligent and alert.
Further, the parents of the Basset hound German shepherd mix are frequent shedders. This trait is passed down to their puppies, even if they are crossbred.
Therefore, if you purchase a Basset hound German shepherd mix, be prepared for frequent grooming on its hair because it will shed more often. Additionally, the parents of the mix are high-energy breeds and devoted to work. Therefore, the Basset hound German shepherd mix will require a lot of exercising to harness this energy.
Your Basset hound German shepherd mix will inherit much of the parents’ genes-this may include developing boredom and becoming destructive when left on their own.
How Will the Basset Hound German shepherd Mix Look?
Generally, similar to the parent breeds, your Basset hound German shepherd will demonstrate loyalty, intelligence, socialization, and friendly to everyone in your household.
Also, it inherits much of its physical characteristics from both parents. The mix will take the Basset’s long body and short legs. On the other hand, the mix will inherit the German shepherd’s long and square muzzle, playfulness, high intelligence, black and tan hue, as well as brown eyes.
What You Need to Know about the Basset Hound German shepherd Mix
The Basset Shepherd is a new breed developed in the 21st century. For this reason, little information exists about its history. However, we do have quite a bit of information on the parent breeds.
A quick comparison between the German shepherd and the basset hound
| Breed info | German shepherd | Basset hound |
| Group | Herding group | Hound |
| AKC Rank | 2 | 39 |
| weight | 65-90 pounds | 40-65 pounds |
| height | 22-26 inches | Not exceeding 15 inches |
| Coat | Medium length double coat | Medium length double coat |
| Coat colors | A wide range of colors is acceptable. White color is a disqualification. | Hound colors are acceptable |
| Temperaments | Eager, alert, confident, brilliant | Excellent endurance, agile, great sense of smell |
| Exercise need | high | moderate |
| Life expectancy | 10-14 years | 12-13 years |
The German shepherd
The German shepherd is prevalent in the crossbreeding industry because of its admirable characteristics. The breed is brilliant, highly sociable, and trainable.
You cannot mention the origin or history of the German Shepherd Dogs without mentioning Captain Max von Stephanitz.
The German shepherd became an important military and police force dog as a result of its intelligence. As a result of its adaptability and intelligence, it was not long before the breed became famous worldwide. Later it was recognized and registered by the American Kennel Club in 1912.
The German Shepherds have a more wolf-like resemblance than other dog breeds. Their physical appearance makes potential GSD owners relate the breed to the wolves.
The German Shepherd Dogs are famous for their intelligence and working capacity. They have an unmatched commitment to work and courage.
Additionally, the German shepherds are excellent at performing almost every task that they are assigned.
The German shepherd is a specialized breed created to guard dogs and aiders to the disabled. The breed is also popular among police officers and military personnel.
Additionally, the GSDs conducts searches and rescues, detecting hard drugs, competitive obedience, and make an excellent, faithful companion.
The GSD stands at the height of up to 26 inches at the shoulder. And presents a smooth and gracefully curved picture rather than an angular dog.
The German Shepherd Dogs possess loyalty, courage, the ability to learn commands for many tasks, and the willingness to risk their life while defending their masters and companions. These features make this breed stand in the front rank of canine royalty.
As a German shepherd owner, you will agree that the breed conducts itself in a way that portrays its intelligence, courage, and confidence.
Von Stephanitz started including other breeds such as the Thuringian cross show dog, Wurttemberg Sheep Dog, and the Swabian Service Dog in developing an improved breed of the German shepherd.
This breeding gave the German shepherd wolf-like appearances and other features, including erect ears, shaggy gray hair, and a curled tail.
The modern German shepherds are longer than their heights, presenting a deep body and an outline of a smoothly curved, angular body. From observation, the dog appears massive, giving the impression of muscular fitness and nimbleness at both rest and in motion.
Also, an ideal German shepherd dog is stamped with a look of quality and decency. Also, depending on their sex, secondary sex features of GSD are strongly marked, with every animal giving a definite impression of masculinity or femininity.
The unique features of the German shepherd described above make it a perfect and top list of selections for breeding.
Basset Hound
Created in France in the 7th century, the Basset hound was a previous hunting dog.
The Basset Hound is a goofy and stubborn breed that possesses an immense sense of loyalty.
The breed gained Basset’s name from the French, where the term refers to bas, to mean low. The name was as a result of their down-to-earth height.
It may sound funny that to you, that your small-legged Basset hound with its floppy ears was a previous hunting dog.
However, thanks to the breed’s strong sense of smell that made them reliable hunting dogs. Bassets gained popularity following their featuring in a campaign for Hush Puppy shoes. This popularity has been on the upward scale since then.
Today, the Basset hound is best known as the Hush Puppy dog, following its featuring in the Hush Puppy shoe campaign. However, you need to understand that the Basset Hound is much more than a mere advertising icon.
The Basset hound’s unique characteristics include a calm personality, short stature, slow pace, and a noble appearance. These features make the Basset Hound a popular family companion and a keen hunter of small animals.
The Basset hounds are stocky and muscular and weigh between 50 to 65 pounds. However, their height does typically not exceed 14 inches tall at the highest point of the shoulder.
Achondroplasia, which is a form of dwarfish, causes this dog to have short legs.
However, this condition does not deter him from making the best family companion.
If you research this breed, you may have observed that although it is a family dog, the Basset hound still serves its original purpose in various parts of the United States.
Further, when they are not on the hunting mission, they act as friendly family dogs.
If you have always expressed the desire to own this breed as your pet, I will encourage you to go for it. The breed is very affectionate, loyal, and adaptable.
However, you will need to commit time to ensure the breed gets at least moderate exercise and that the puppies are well fed- because the Bassets have an easygoing demeanor. Without exercising, they could quickly gain weight and remain vulnerable to health issues.
Also, Basset Hound have smooth, short, hard-textured coats that are relatively easy to groom.
If you have observed the Basset hounds at their breeding homes, you will note that they come in the classic tri-color pattern of black, tan, and white.
However, though others may display a gray coat color, many breeders do not desire this color as they believe that it may be associated with the dog’s genetic problems.
The Basset hound has loose skin on the face and possesses a rounded skull with a deep muzzle.
The loose skin is heavily wrinkled over the brow when the Basset is tracking, which causes the Bassets to have a sad look. Surprisingly, many people consider loose skin an addition to their charm.
As a Basset hound enthusiast, you should know that the breed was initially bred to be hunting dogs. Therefore, every feature on the dog’s body serves a specific purpose.
What You Need To Know More about Your Basset Shepherd Mix
Having captured in detail the characteristics, history, and behavior of the Basset German shepherd mix’s parents, you can now relate some of the features and behavior displayed by your hybrid to their parents.
You will know why your Basset Shepherd has a resemblance matching that of a Basset as well as a German shepherd.
This article will provide more details on its appearance, behavior, and how to care for it to help you know more about your breed.
| Breed name | Basset Shepherd mix |
| Group | Working |
| size | 12-20 inches |
| weight | 60-75 pounds |
| Coat color | Black, black and tan |
| Coat texture | fluffy and wiry |
| personality | Obedient, intelligent, compassionate, friendly, alert |
| Exercise need | high |
| Training | Easy to train |
| Grooming needs | Moderate to high |
| Barking levels | moderate |
| Relationship with other pets | Good, but needs an early introduction |
| Relation with children | perfect |
| price | 800$-2000$ |
| lifespan | 9-13 years |
Physical Appearance of Your Basset Shepherd Mix
The Basset German shepherd mix will reflect both parent breeds’ traits, depending on the degree of genes inherited from a particular parent.
For example, you may observe that your Basset Shepherd’s body resembles the Basset hound due to its short legs and a long body. However, the coat coloring and facial appearances of the same hybrid may resemble the German shepherd.
Besides, the breed may have floppy and shorter ears than the Basset hound that capture the breed’s pointed muzzle and dark brown eyes full of intelligence.
Whereas the German Shepherds usually weigh up to 90 lbs., your Basset German shepherd mix may be weighing 75 lbs on optimum.
Your fully grown Basset Shepherd mix will stand between 12 and 20 inches at the shoulder and, in most cases, inherit the Basset hound’s short height.
Further, in most cases, the Basset Shepherd mix will mimic the German shepherd color pattern. The resemblance will range from a dark muzzle, brown eyes, and a tan body with a back covered by a black blanket.
Temperament and Personality
You may observe that your Basset Shepherd displays such traits as obedience, intelligence, affection, socialization, and loyalty to their household members. These features are in line with their parents, which are excellent family pets.
Further, you may notice that some of them demonstrate clownish characteristics or behaviors of Basset Hound, which leaves everyone at home entirely amused.
The Basset German Shepherd mix has unmatched skills in guarding, acting as a watchdog. Its guarding expertise occurs because of its alertness, bravery, and courageous nature.
However, due to their alertness and watchdog instincts, the Basset Shepherd mix is likely to be cautious around strangers, compelling them to intimate their masters when they see any intruder trespassing into their domain or territory.
Caring for Your Basset Hound German shepherd Mix
You may be concerned about how you will handle your Basset Shepherd mix in terms of grooming, training, and feeding. Here were provided guidelines and recommendations on how to care for them.
Like any other family dog, the Basset Shepherd mix requires general maintenance and grooming to improve the animal’s general health and lifespan.
You should know that the Basset German mix has a lifetime of 10 to 14 years. However, for the breed to live to its maximum life, maintaining a healthy pet is mandatory.
Worth noting is that the two breed parents of the Basset Shepherd have a moderate to heavy shedding tendency. Therefore, as the breed’s owner, you are required to make room for frequent grooming of your dog.
Additionally, if you want your dog to shed to a manageable level, then embrace rubber-brushing and bathing your Basset Shepherd more than two times a week.
Apart from regular brushing and bathing, you must conduct an extra and frequent cleaning of your breed’s ears. Such a hygiene measure is necessary because the Basset Shepherd mix is characterized by folding over ears, easily attracting and trapping extra moisture and other foreign materials.
When such incidents occur and you, as the dog owner, do not realize and clean them away sooner, they will risk causing infection and irritation on the breed’s ears.
Therefore, it is your responsibility as the trainer and owner to ensure that the breed’s ears are dried thoroughly after bathing or swimming.
Also, the nails of the paws ought to be trimmed and maintained at a considerable level. Clip the nails when you hear them clicking against the floor while walking.
With the Basset Shepherd mix being a crossbreed of two high-energy breeds, it will require plenty of exercises to harness its much energy. You may want to introduce your breed to energy-consuming activities such as long-distance walks and regular playtime within a fenced yard. This will improve the breed’s mental and physical fitness.
How Do I Train My Basset Shepherd Mix?
Although the Basset Shepherd mix’s intelligence makes it easy to train, the breed is challenging and generally stubborn, which poses a challenge to their training. This breed mix gets the strong-willed and stubborn traits from the parent breeds.
While training your Basset German Shepherd mix, keep in mind that socialization-based training would help distinguish the good and the bad and not attack visitors.
Also, introduce your dog to obedience training and teach them basic commands that will improve discipline from its early age.
Are My Kids and Pets Safe around The Basset German shepherd Mix?
As a mix of two sociable breeds, the Basset Shepherd mix has a good rapport with everyone in the family, even kids. However, parental supervision essential, mostly when the dog is left alone with small kids.
Like its rapport for kids, the hybrid also gets along well with other dogs and small pets at home, such as dogs-this function very well when all these animals are brought up together in the same household. But still, if you are a keen observer when interacting with your Basset Shepherd mix, you will realize that hybrid has some predatory instincts. These might have been inherited from the parent German shepherd.
Therefore, they may be inclined to chase anything that moves around.
How Do the Male and Female Basset Shepherd Mix Compare?
If you are lucky to own a male and female Basset Shepherd mix, you will agree that the male Basset shepherd may be larger than females. The male weighs around 10 to 15 lbs more than the female.
You may also realize that males are more alert and protective of the household’s owner and members.
However, both genders share a standard temperament and general characteristics.
What Is The Price Of A Basset Shepherd Puppy Mix?
If you desire to own a Basset Shepherd mix, you should understand that it is a rare breed to come across because it is a recent hybrid created in the 21st century, meaning that it yet to spread.
However, even if you are lucky enough to get a breeder with the puppies, expect to part with $800. In other circumstances, you may need to spend $2000 depending on availability.
General Health of Basset Shepherd Mix
Fortunately, even if you might spend on acquiring this breed, you will be pleased to hear that the Basset Shepherd mix does not have many health problems. For this reason, many people suggest that it is acceptable for one to purchase the breed from any breeder.
However, the breed’s health may be at stake if the puppy inherits the parent’s health conditions. Therefore, to get a breed that meets your desires and heart interest, it is advisable to consult an experienced breeder.
Close socialization with your hybrid will reveal that the Basset Shepherd is generally a very healthy dog. However, you must remain vigilant for any issues that may become severe if not identified and treated sooner. The minor issues associated with the breed include eye problems (including the cherry eye) and wobbler syndrome.
Your Basset Shepherd mix may develop other severe health conditions, including degenerative myelopathy, Hip dysplasia, and Elbow dysplasia.
Final Thoughts on the Basset Shepherd Mix
The Basset Shepherd designer dog is a mix of two loyal and intelligent parent breeds. The breed fits the right type of dog to purchase for your family.
The Basset Shepherd is a new breed developed in the 21st century. For this reason, little information exists about its history.
The Basset German shepherd mix will reflect both parent breeds’ traits, depending on the degree of genes inherited from a particular parent.
The Basset Shepherd possesses such traits as obedience, intelligence, affection, socialization, and loyalty to their household members. These features are in line with their parents, which are excellent family pets.
The Basset Shepherd mix has a good rapport with everyone in the family, even kids. However, parental supervision is vital, mostly when the dog is left alone with small kids.
Generally, the Basset Shepherd mix does not have many health problems. For this reason, many people suggest that it is acceptable for one to purchase the breed from any breeder.
