MyDogBreeds
Shepherd Husky is originated from United States but Formosan Mountain Dog is originated from Taiwan. Shepherd Husky may grow 12 cm / 5 inches higher than Formosan Mountain Dog. Shepherd Husky may weigh 22 kg / 49 pounds more than Formosan Mountain Dog. Both Shepherd Husky and Formosan Mountain Dog has almost same life span. Shepherd Husky may have less litter size than Formosan Mountain Dog. Shepherd Husky requires Moderate maintenance. But Formosan Mountain Dog requires Low maintenance
What a beautiful dog the Shepherd Husky is. He is a mix between the Husky and the German Shepherd. Other names for him include Gerberian Shepsky, German Husky and Siberian Shepherd.
The German Shepherd originated in Germany and the Husky is from Siberia. We assume this mixed breed dog was bred in the USA. The true origin of the German Shepherd Husky dog is unclear but both the parent breeds have long histories.
The dog is recognized as a Hybrid by both the Dog Registry of America as well as the American canine hybrid Club.
The Formosan Mountain Dog is most often known as the Taiwan dog and it is a landrace indigenous to Taiwan. It is a small to medium breed of dog that was semi-wild at one time. The colonialization of Taiwan and other foreigners help to fully domesticate the Formosan Mountain Dog. They were found to be very trainable and uniquely suited for the terrain around Taiwan. The dogs were easy to train and now serve as hunting dogs, stunt dogs, guard dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dog and personal companions. There are three types of Formosans two smaller types and one medium. However, the original pure Formosan Mountain Dog is getting close to extinction again because the government and people have provided no protection or conservation efforts for them. These dogs have been living in Taiwan in the mountains and were called Formosan Mountain Dogs when Taiwan was known as Formosa. They come from a line of Southeast Asian hunting/gun dogs and they are considered ‘rare’ now.
According to historian Dr. Sung Yung-yi, the breed went through 4 major catastrophes that affected their development. The first of these was the Dutch Establishment in 1624. The Dutch colonized Taiwan and imported both people and dogs. The dog they brought in was called the Flying Dog and was either Greyhound or Pointer. Eventually, the Flying Dog bred with the Formosan Mountain Dog. This along with the slaughter of dogs belonging to the indigenous people by the government, starting the decline of the original Taiwan dog.
In 1895, it was the Japanese acquiring Taiwan following the First Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese bred the Formosan Mountain Dog extensively with the own Japanese dogs. This further diluted the line and authenticity of Taiwan dogs.
This was followed by World War II when German Shepherds traveled with the US Army and they cross-bred with the Formosan. This was the third major dilution of the Formosan Mountain dog line. At the same time, the Japanese government considered the Formosan Mountain Dog a sanitation threat and barbaric. They massacred them in large numbers in the name of sanitation.
The fourth and final dilution took place during the Kuomintang Era beginning in 1945 with the arrival of the Chinese Nationalist Party. They brought with them the culture of eating dogs. During this time the economy of Taiwan took off and business people began to import their own foreign dogs that were high priced purebreds. These dogs bred with the Formosan and other Formosans were just abandoned to die. The ranks of the breed became very thin indeed. Today’s pure Formosan is highly valuable and extremely rare. Because of all the crossbreeding over the centuries, today’s purebred Formosan Mountain Dog is very different from the Taiwan dog of old. Today’s Formosan is loved all over the island and is a companion and watchdog.
Today there is an effort by Taiwanese ecologists to put together a research project that would study and preserve the Formosan in its indigenous form. Dr. Yung-yi led this effort. He located only 46 dogs with a pure pedigree, 21 females and 25 males. They let the Food and Agricultural of the United Nations know and the dogs were labeled close to extinction. Reproducing from the indigenous dogs to purify and increase the breed was the goal. The government was not very supportive.
Today the Royal Air Force is looking at the Formosan Dog to use for military security. They are currently only using German Shepherds and needed another choice. It was decided that the Formosan Mountain Dog had a better sense of smell, dexterity, alertness, and hearing as well as better padding on their paws.
Through these efforts and those of foundation stock breeders and owners, the Formosan Mountain Dog in its indigenous form was brought back. Some call this dog a purebred Formosan while others consider it a new type. Standards were presented to the FCI for registrations as a purebred. This debate continues today
Solid and strong, the German Shepherd Husky mix is attractive. He is a fairly large dog standing at 51 to 64cm in height and weighing between 20 to 40kg.
They’re powerful dogs these as they have a long history of being working dogs. The eyes of this beautiful dog can be brown, green or blue or a mix of these. The thick double coat protects them from the cold and in the warmer months, he sheds quite a bit.
The coat can be brown, black and tan or it can have creamy shades and be mixed with grey and white too.
The Shepherd Husky is a friendly, amicable dog who wants to please his owner. Training and socialization make him even more well adjusted. He is a dog that will get on well with children in the home as well as other dogs.
He is such an all rounder this dog – loyal, intelligent, social and loving - being great for accompanying you on walks and hikes but being willing to sit with you indoors too.
While he is adaptable and good natured and will happily live with his owner in the city or the countryside, he is better suited to life in the countryside. He also makes a great guard-dog.
The Formosan Mountain Dog that was seen during Dr. Sung Yung-yi’s research is a medium-sized dog, athletic and fit. It has a deep chest and a slim waist. The ears are half-covered, the nose is black and there is a coating of black on the tongue. This black tongue is the most distinguishing attribute of the Formosan Mountain Dog. The breed has a strong jaw, the skull that is just slightly longer than the muzzle, which is flat and tapered, triangle face and almond eyes. They have a thick coat and upright, curved tail.
The dogs are known to be extremely agile with an ability to hop that is rare in dogs but helps when hunting animals like rats. The Formosan Mountain Dogs hunted in packs with each dog attacking the prey with one bite until it was too exhausted to fight them off any longer.
The German Shepherd Husky mix is such an ideal dog for single people, couples and families. This wolf-like breed is intelligent, loving,social and protective – the ideal family dog.
For those looking for an active dog that can be their jogging, walking and camping partner, this dog is for you. He loves to be busy, but he also loves being made a fuss of indoors too.
He has so many excellent qualities and is one dog breed that ticks all the right boxes for being such an all-round splendid pet and companion.
The Formosan Mountain Dog is very child-friendly. He is affectionate and loyal to his family and protective of his children.
He is intelligent and has exceptional hunting skills. He is a good guard dog due to his alertness, but they can be fear-aggressive.
He is very adaptable to living in any location as long as there is somewhere for him to get adequate exercise. He is friendly to people and animals.
He is intelligent and learns quickly.
This is such a robust dog that you an scarcely think of him being sickly and yet there are some illnesses that are common to all dogs and which your German Shepherd Husky mix might get as well.
Hip dysplasia is common in German Shepherd dogs as well as arthritis and thyroid dysfunction. Bloat and cancer are other diseases to watch for.
Canine hip dysplasia is a genetic disease characterised as a disease of the hip. The malformation can lead to arthritis and pain and ultimately lead to the loss of hip function, crippling your dog.
You will need to get your pet to the vet for treatment to make his life more comfortable.
Because there have not been any studies done on the health of the Formosan Mountain Dog, there is not a lot known about any inherent or genetic health issues. It would seem that some bloodlines are healthy, and others have some serious issues. Especially because there are no studies, it is important for breeders to test for eye issues and skeletal issues through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and the Canine Eye Registration Foundation.
◆Brush the coat of your Shepherd Husky twice a week to rid the coat of loose hairs. This dog’s hair sheds quite heavily as the weather warms and he may require brushing more often.
◆When you brush him, check the ears and eyes for infection. The eyes must be bright and clear.
◆Feed your Shepherd Husky the best food there is as he is an energetic, working breed. The commercially manufactured foods can be a good, convenient choice but you need to make sure it is one of the better brands.
Some of the cheaper brands are full of bad ingredients that can make a dog sick.Try and give him some home-made foods that are healthy and nutritious. This food can be added to his dry kibble twice a week.
Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a tasty healthy choice for your pet. Try and include some raw meat into the diet as well.
Feed a high-quality puppy food for medium size dogs at the rate of a ¼ cup twice a day until 8 months then ½ to ¾ twice a day until 12-16 months.
1 to 2 cups of high-quality dry food split into 2 meals per day.
Generally healthy breed. Keep clean and watch for mites.
This is an energetic breed and he needs a lot of exercise. He must have at least an hour of exercise daily but the more, the better. He loves swimming and jogging with his people. He’s athletic, smart and agile. He does well with field trials, tracking, agility, and obedience.