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Would a German Shepherd and Golden Retriever Be Compatible?

by Antoinette
(South Africa)

German Shepherd with Golden Retriever Puppy

German Shepherd with Golden Retriever Puppy

We have a gorgeous German Shepherd and we've been thinking about getting a companion for him because he just loves to play.

What are your thoughts about a Golden Retriever as a choice? I think they're gorgeous and may match the temperament of the German Shepherd very well.


Nancy's Note: Hi Antoinette! I think a Golden would make a lovely companion for your German Shepherd, with a few cautions/suggestions.

First of all, if you check with a Golden Retriever rescue (which I highly recommend) they can steer you toward a dog with a temperament that would match your Shepherd's.

The GSD breed, in general, tends to be a bit more aggressive and dominant, while Goldens tend to be happy to defer to other dogs (to keep the peace). That makes for a pretty good combo.

However, there can be a few Goldens who also want to rule the roost. Check with the foster family of the rescue, to see how your prospective dog rates in this category.

Golden Retrievers vary in their playfulness. Make sure you get one who likes to play, or your Shepherd will be very disappointed!

The two breeds are also well matched in size and (in general) energy level. I've had mostly "couch potato" Goldens who could "turn it on" at play time.

So either that kind, or a high-energy Golden, would match your Shepherd well. No worries there. Again, trust the foster family's wisdom, as they've seen their dogs in action, in a home situation.

Good luck, and let us know how it works out for you, OK?




Comments for
Would a German Shepherd and Golden Retriever Be Compatible?

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Jul 22, 2011
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golden with gs
by: Anonymous

I have one and he is adorable he is like a gs and he is all gold

Apr 20, 2011
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German Shepherd and Golden together
by: Michelle

We had this same combination of breeds. When I met my boyfriend he had 3 kids and a German Shepherd Shadow 10 yrs old. I also have 3 kids and a Golden Retriever 9 yrs old. We had our concerns as our relationship developed and we decided to combine households. As with the children, we did it slowly and with several interactions. It worked out great! They became great friends for 4 years. Then in a twist of circumstances a good friend of ours bought a German Shepherd for a gift to his girlfriend--a surprise, but the surprise was his when she was very unhappy about it. Short story, 12 week old Lilly joined our Brady Bunch. It was an abrupt change but still things went well. The older dogs did get annoyed at her because she wanted to play way more then two senior citizen age dogs. Overall, the mix of the breeds was great for our family. The Golden Ginger seemed to help Shadow the Shepherd to get over her fear of water. They often swam off the pier and the beach. I would recommend it completely. I hope that helps. PS--Sadly, we lost Shadow 2 years ago. All of us mourned her but treasure the memories.

Mar 10, 2011
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Goldens and Shepherds
by: Susan

I have two goldens now but have had goldens with other breeds at differing times in my life. It has been my experience that goldens get along with everyone! My three year old male "Pete" is in love with my son and daughter-in-law's female german shepherd Marlee who is also three. They absolutely love each other and whenever we all get together the dogs play (the shepherd is a lot more energetic than the golden but Pete tries his best to keep up and sleeps great after they leave). They kiss and hug and roll around together. Both breeds are excellent with the grandchildren as well. I think the combo would be great!

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