How Smart Are German Shepherd Husky Mixes?

When it comes to the intelligence of mixed-breed dogs like a Shepsky, the answer is never straightforward. They can inherit their intelligence from the original breeds. And it may vary considerably. Still, there are many ways in which this designer breed shows some unique cognitive abilities.

German Shepherd Husky mixes (Shepskies) are often very smart. But as a mixed breed, their actual cognitive ability (or intelligence) is somewhat unpredictable. They usually have unique problem-solving skills, such as opening doors and solving puzzle toys at remarkable speed.

To understand the Shepsky brain, we looked at how dog psychologist Dr. Stanley Coren measured the intelligence of the Husky and the German Shepherd. Then asked Shepsky owners and breeders on Reddit and Facebook to share their insights into how smart these dogs really are.

How Smart Are German Shepherd Husky Mix (Shepsky) Dogs?

German Shepherd Husky mixes learn quickly if they are motivated. They often have the high intelligence of the GSD, but they also often have the Husky’s independent streak.

A Shepsky can inherit its intelligence from either the GSD or the Husky to a different degree.

The GSD is the third smartest dog in the world in obedience and work intelligence. They can learn a new command in five repetitions or less, and they obey the new command 95% of the time after they learn it! – Dr. Stanley Coren’s research

On the other hand, the Husky ranks as the 74th most intelligent dog breed.

That said, you may need to repeat a command for up to 40 times before they can learn it. And then they may only obey about half the time afterward. 

So with a Shepsky, like most crossed-breed dogs, you often get a mixed bag. And this is why there’s not a lot of documentation for that matter.

What do the owners say: How smart are German Shepherd Husky Mixes?

Not a lot has been documented about the intelligence of Shepskies. So we thought it might be interesting to do our own research by seeking answers from Shepsky owners and breeders on Reddit and Facebook.

We discovered not only is the Shepsky unique in the way they think, but they often display some fascinating abilities many dogs don’t. 

1. The German Shepherd Husky mixes intelligence varies 

Mixed-breed dogs have a greater gene pool to draw from. This has many benefits, and many people argue that mixed breeds are healthier then their purebred counterparts. However, it also means it’s harder to predict traits like intelligence. 

Many Shepksy owners report extraordinary intelligence in their dogs. However, not all feel the same way.

“This breed is extremely smart. No question.” His litter of 10-week-old puppies is already fully potty and crate-trained.” – William from Wisconsin.

Other owners are less impressed with their dog’s smarts. One Reddit-uses writes, “My Shepsky is all floof, no brains. She’s very beautiful… she’s just not bright.”

Also read: What to Expect from a German Shepherd Husky Mix (Gerberian Shepsky)?

2. Shepskies can have short attention spans (and are excitable)

A major difference between the GSD and the German Shepherd Husky mix is their attention span. While a working German Shepherd is famous for its superior focus and concentration, the Shepsky is easily distracted, which sometimes makes learning harder. 

These are extremely alert dogs, and they love to chase anything that moves. This means that distractions can be a problem when you want to teach them something new. 

One owner writes about her puppy, Freya, “She’s smart period, but if something else catches her attention, good luck convincing her otherwise.”

You may also like: Are German Shepherd Husky Mixes Easy to Train? 

3. The German Shepherd Husky Mix is independent and strong-willed when it comes to learning

Many owners call it stubbornness, but we will call it a strong, independent mind. That is to say, while the German Shepherd usually loves learning new commands (for a reward), the Shepsky often inherits the Huskies’ tendency to learn when they want to.

This doesn’t mean that they aren’t clever. As we will show, many Shepskies seem to be hyper-intelligent. It just means that, like the Husky, you will have a tough time making them if they don’t want to learn.

Related: Is My German Shepherd Stubborn or Just Me?

One owner with one-year-old Shepsky writes, “When in training mode, he’s very good with following commands, but if we’re not doing an active session, it’s kind of a wild card of how well he’ll listen. We do lots of training in high-distraction areas, and he’s getting better, but he truly does what he pleases if he’s in a mood.”

4. The Shepsky is an elite escape artist that figures out how to get out of anywhere

Huskies are the notorious Houdinis of the canine world. And this is a trait that the Shepsky seems to have mostly inherited. Be it a yard or a crate, they can find their way out.

“I’ve watched her climb a tree in the backyard. She’s dug under the fence to visit the puppy next door. She’s also safely crossed 7 lanes of traffic to go visit Jesus inside the Catholic Church across the street once when she was bored. I am certain the only thing keeping her in the yard is that she likes it here, the six-foot fence certainly won’t stop her.” – a Shepsky owner.

Their escape artistry related to a surprising skill many Shepskies have:

5. The Shepsky is excellent at opening doors and problem-solving

One recurring superpower that many Shepskies seem to have is opening doors.

Amber from HD Shepskies in New York reports that her dog, Zero, learned to turn the door handle and push the door open when he was only 6 months old. 

“If I get out of his sight, he opens doors to get to me.” – Christina, the owner of a 7-month-old Shepsky, Atlas.

An anonymous Reddit owner adds that their Shepsky, Toki, can use his nose to open everything, including doors.

On the surface, this may seem the same as their ability to escape the yard. However, opening doors is actually a special skill of many dogs can master. See this demo for yourself:

It is also part of another special skill many owners report; Shepskies are great at solving problems. If you give them a puzzle toy that interests them, they can usually whizz through it far faster than most breeds.

It seems that this is a mix of the German Shepherd’s superior intelligence and the Husky’s superb ability to think independently.

6. Many Shepskies don’t understand fetch (except for a bottle of beer)

One skill many Shepskies don’t seem to have inherited from the German Shepherd is figuring out how to play fetch. Of course, this isn’t all Shepskies, but while the German Shepherd usually learns to play fetch in a jiffy, Shepskies often don’t understand it at all.

This seems to be a Husky trait, and myhapphusky.com reports that Huskies often just don’t “get” what ball chasing is all about.

Ellie’s owner writes, “she will absolutely not play fetch. “What do you think I am? A dog?”

But we really doubt it, and maybe it’s only a “ball” thing. Or they have not yet tried asking their Shepsky to fetch a beer? See this video until the end.

7. Some Shepskies are often extremely intuitive without training

Perhaps the most surprising revelation about the Shepsky is that some are natural service dogs and highly intuitive.

The brilliant Ellie always goes to her diabetic owner and stares before their Dexcom low alarm warns them of low blood sugar. This is despite Ellie never being trained as a diabetic alert dog. 

Related: 7 Things You Didn’t Know Your Dog Can Sense

Similarly, Amber’s female Shepsky, Mya, can predict incoming panic attacks and act to help her human without any training. 

Final thoughts 

The German Shepherd Husky Mix is a unique crossbreed that can be very smart. They have exceptional problem-solving skills but may suffer from short attention spans and need to be constantly trained. So looking at all the unique traits of this designer dog, do you have what it takes to handle a German Shepherd Husky mix?