The German Sheeppoodle, also known as Schafpudel, is a rare working dog breed native to Germany and it is believed to have been developed from crossbreeding primarily the Puli, a medium-sized Hungarian herding breed with the Komondor, a large-sized Hungarian livestock guardian breed, due to the fact that sheep herders used to travel back and forth from Germany to Hungary.
Relatively hard to find outside Germany, this medium-sized pure breed is practically extinct, despite its excellent livestock herding and guarding abilities. The most striking feature of this breed, in terms of general appearance is its long and fluffy coat, which resembles that of a poodle, hence its name, but it often becomes a thin rope-like corded coat, similar to that of a Puli.
The body of the German Sheeppoodle is well-developed, strongly muscled and sturdy; its head is broad, with a square and long muzzle, its eyes are covered in ruffled fur, the legs are muscular, with large round pads and covered in fuzzy fur, the ears are long, fluffy and facing downwards, the neck and back are strong, its chest is broad and the tail is carried low.
The coat of this breed is quite long, coarse and shaggy and it covers the entire body, helping it to intermingle with the sheep. Its rough and corded coat comes in large variety of colors, mostly white, roan, brown, fawn, red and black, or combined. In terms of the health of the breed, due to the fact that it is such a rare and pure breed, it is not predisposed to any genetic disorders and it is considered one of the hardiest breeds out there.
This high performance herding breed is very intelligent, alert and extremely loyal to and protective of its family members (people and livestock). However, although it makes an excellent family companion, this breed is not recommended to families with small children. As is the case with all herding types of dogs, the screaming or running around of little children can instinctively mislead it to work its magic and attempt to herd them, which could frighten the children. This breed is not suitable to apartment living conditions, where it could feel confined and it could become anxious from the lack of proper and regular exercise. It can adapt to any weather conditions, but due to its long and fluffy coat, it prefers a cooler climate.
In terms of trainability, this breed, like all herding breeds, can be a little stubborn, thus it requires proper obedience training from an early age, for better results. Also, early socialization is equally important for a well-balanced temperament, neither too aggressive, nor shy and in order to learn to accept other dogs. It generally does not get along with cats and other small animals.
Despite its long and corded coat, this breed is low maintenance, and grooming is required every two weeks, occasionally having to part the formed cords and mats. Being an active and energetic breed, it needs a lot of activity and plenty of space where it can run and play at will to keep it healthy and content.
If you decide to adopt a German Sheeppoodle, you will be the proud owner of a rare and pure breed on the verge of extinction, with excellent herding instinct and a unique, loyal, loving, dedicated and protective personality.
