When you’re busy with work or personal matters, your dog can suffer from loneliness and anxiety, especially a playful and cheerful dog like a German shepherd.
Ideally, you should get a companion for your dog so they can feel happy and remain mentally and physically active.
You might be wondering, what’s the best companion dog for my German shepherd?
Well, that’s precisely what I’m here to tell you.
In this article, I’m going to talk about German shepherds, why they need companion dogs, and what’s the best breed for the companionship of a German shepherd.
So, make sure you read this article till the end if you want to get a furry friend for your German shepherd’s happiness and better life.
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Top 10 Best Companion Dog Breeds for German Shepherds
So, which dog breeds are the most compatible and best suited for a German shepherd?
You might be wondering.
Let’s take a look at some of the best companion dogs that are friendly, supportive, and playful, perfectly helpful for keeping your German shepherds healthy and happy.
Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retrievers are one of the best dog breeds in my opinion. They’re cute, cuddly, clever, smart, and at the same time very physically active.
They’re also known to be very affectionate towards their owners and other dogs and pets in the family.
Many animal rescue places choose to keep Labradors as their primary emotional support dogs because of how playful and cheerful they are.
They’re always playing around with a healthy smile on their faces. They’re very soft and cuddly as well.
If you’ve got a German shepherd in your house and you want them to have a great time with a dog buddy, then the ideal choice as a companion for your shepherd will definitely be a Labrador retriever.
Border Collie
A glamorous and incredibly smart dog breed is the Border collie.
This dog breed is the perfect match for a German shepherd because of similar attitude and tendencies.
Border collies are known to be incredibly smart and vocal.
This means that they’ll be able to properly communicate with your German shepherd to make sure they are mentally healthy.
At the same time, they’re also known to be a little aggressive in play time and German shepherds are known for that too, so they’ll be the perfect pair as companions.
Border collies are also known to have herding mentality. So, you should make sure you don’t pair them with smaller dogs.
A fun and enjoyable playtime as well as a strong bond is what a Border collie will give your German shepherd.
So, getting one will be a good choice for you.
Belgian Malinois
One of the best dogs to keep as a companion to a German shepherd is without a doubt a Belgian Malinois.
The Belgian Malinois is a medium-sized friendly and wholesome, affectionate dog.
Belgian Malinois were primarily used for herding sheep in the past but now due to their amazing nature and intelligence, they’re used in rescue centers as emotional support dogs, as well as police force dogs.
Keeping them as your German shepherd’s companion would be the ideal thing to do because they’re incredibly fast and playful just like German shepherds themselves.
So, both the pets will play and wear each other out.
Make sure you don’t keep a smaller dog around the Belgian Malinois and at the same time train it well because they’re instinctively known to chase things around.
They’d make very good companions for German shepherds.
Siberian Husky
Siberian Huskies are large and assertive dogs who need strong experienced owners to be controlled properly.
That’s why you need to train them as puppies so you can be the alpha in the house.
They’re beautiful dogs and they are very emotive, smart, and intelligent as well. So, you’re going to love keeping them.
At the same time, they’re very playful and active so your German shepherd will have a great time with them.
They’re generally known to be very friendly and good around other dogs. German shepherds will have a competitive and fun time companioning with Siberian Huskies.
So, getting one for your pet will without a doubt be a good decision for your pet’s health.
Corgi
Corgis are the small-statured cute as a button dogs that come in many colors and are very assertive as well.
They might be small in size but in terms of attitude, they’ll be aggressive to mark their territories if the need for doing that arises at all.
Corgis are very active and playful by nature, so they’d make the perfect companion dog for your German shepherd if you don’t have a lot of time to spare.
Corgis are small but strong and very loyal dogs.
They’ll form a strong bond with your German shepherd, deal with their loneliness problems and make sure that everything is fine in your house.
Ultimately, getting a Corgi as a companion dog will be a good choice.
Australian Shepherd
Australian shepherds are one of the most glorious and beautiful dog breeds in existence.
They make for incredible companions for all kinds of dog breeds including German shepherd.
They’re big dogs with large fur coats that shed a lot and they’re very physically active, playful, and smart as well.
So, if you’re a beginner dog owner who’s not up for a lot of activity, you shouldn’t get it on its own.
That’s where companionship comes into the picture.
If you get this dog as a companion for your German shepherd, they’re both going to have a fun and exciting playtime.
Bulldog
Bulldogs are amazing. There’s not much more to it. The best thing about them is how easily they adjust to their environment.
They make some of the best companions for German shepherds. Bulldogs are of varying sizes but they’re pretty laid back.
They’re smart and affectionate as well and do well with exercise and attention because they thrive on attention and love.
But at the same time, if the environment is laid back and they have to be couch potatoes, they’re happy with that too.
Of course, as companions to German shepherds, they won’t get to be couch potatoes.
With German Shepherds, they’re going to have a fun and happy playtime and run around the house all day because of their well-adjusting and active nature.
So, you should get them if you want to as a companion dog.
Golden Retriever
Arguably the most suitable and perfect companion dogs for any dog breed and even other pets are Golden Retrievers.
In early age, they’re simply cute little balls of fur that will simply make your house glow up with their wholesomeness.
And as they grow, you start to realize their loyalty and affection for you, your family, and the other dogs and pets you have around.
They’re super cute, friendly, and positive to be around which is why they’re considered the ideal choice for making emotional support dogs.
If you have a German shepherd suffering from any mental problem or emotional issue, getting a Golden Retriever for their therapy would be perfect because they’re also very active and playful, and will make sure your dog has a great and enjoyable time.
Terrier
Terriers are medium-statured dogs that are found in many varieties and many colors as well.
They’re primarily great buds and companion dogs for German shepherds because of their quickness and agility.
In the olden days, they were used to hunt vermin and were parts of sporting contests and what not.
Terriers are intelligent, swift, and very physically active all the time.
That’s why if your German shepherd is suffering from separation and loneliness anxiety, with Terriers as their companions, they’re going to finally be able to run around and play all the time and get tired with them.
So, getting a fast and playful terrier will be a great thing as a companion for your German shepherd and you’ll be able to love both of the dogs because they require attention and affection for thriving.
Poodle
Poodles are considered luxury dogs but that’s a misconception.
They’re actually one of the best support dogs and companions for German shepherds because of their nature and their smart senses.
Poodles are very obedient and positive by nature and intelligent as well.
Their intelligence and obedience allow them to take up the challenge of impressing their owners by adopting a supportive behavior for the other dogs which is great for their health.
If you have a German shepherd in your house, you’d really enjoy keeping a Poodle as their companion dog because they’re active and they’ll make sure everything remains calm and in order.
So, you should surely get a Poodle as your German shepherd’s companion.
Do German Shepherds Require Companion Dogs?
German shepherds are naturally very loyal and affectionate dogs.
They’re big and strong but their gentle heart makes them very prone to separation stress and mental anxiety.
Separation anxiety is very real in German shepherds and if their owner isn’t able to give them proper time and play with them daily, they will experience it due to lack of attention.
At times, you might not have enough attention or care to give to your dog despite loving them dearly, that’s where companion dogs come into the picture.
And German Shepherds definitely require companion dogs as well.
The simple reason for this is that companion dogs or emotional support dogs are able to spend time with German shepherds and other dogs and develop a close bond by playing and enjoying with them every day of their lives.
This way, they do not feel under-valued or unattended.
If your German shepherd feels lonely, you should get a compatible companion dog for them and they’ll be able to finally play and feel mentally and physically peaceful all the time.
So, you should surely get a companion for your beautiful German shepherd.
Are German Shepherds Good With Small Companion Dogs?
A question many dog owners ask before getting a companion dog for their German shepherd is, are German Shepherds good with small companion dogs?
Well, it actually depends on you as an owner.
If you’ve raised your German shepherd with a good amount of training and manners, they won’t immediately growl or attack a smaller dog especially a support dog.
However, if the dog hasn’t been trained to do so, they’ll feel threatened and attack the small dogs. So, German shepherds can be incredibly friendly to all sized dogs if you train them.
But if you’re not able to provide them the instructions and training, and they keep misbehaving, you should contact a dog trainer.
Even if your German shepherd is well trained, I believe the ideal thing to do will be keeping an eye on them when they interact with the smaller companion dogs in early stages.
Once you’re sure they’ve established a friendly relationship and have developed affection for each other, you can let them play alone.
Conclusion
German shepherds are amazing dogs. They’re incredibly protective, loyal, and affectionate creatures.
Making sure that their mental anxiety and feelings of loneliness are dealt with appropriately is a very important thing that every loving owner must do.
By getting them a companion dog, you’ll gift them a fun and exciting daily life even if you can’t take them out on a walk or play with them all the time.
You can choose any of the aforementioned breeds and find the perfect friend for your German shepherd.
I hope that your pets stay healthy, happy, and always calm and peaceful!
