Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky" Compare Australian Shepherd and Australian Cattle Dog. Which is better: Australian Shepherd or Australian Cattle Dog or Alaskan Husky?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Australian Shepherd	Australian Cattle Dog	Alaskan Husky
Origins	United States	Australia	United States
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Sled Dogs
Popularity Rank	17	56	495
Reviews	3	4	2
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Other Names	Aussie, Little Blue Dog	Queensland Heeler, Blue Heeler, Hall39;s Heeler, ACD, Cattle Dog, Red Heeler	Husky (Alaskan)
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Cross Breed
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1980 as a Herding breed.	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) section.	Not recognized by FCI.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Australian Shepherd Club Of America	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	Dog Registry of America Inc.
Price	$600-$800	$500-$700	$1000-$1500

General Appearance - Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky

Size	Large	Medium	Medium
Weight	Male: 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg), Female: 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg)	30-62 pounds (13-28 kg)	Male: 40-60 pounds (18-27 kg), Female: 35-48 pounds (16-22 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 57.5 pounds (27 kg), Female: 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg)	46 pounds (20.5 kg)	Male: 50 pounds (22.5 kg), Female: 41.5 pounds (19 kg)
Height	Male: 20-23 inches (52-58cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46–53 cm)	Male: 17-20 inches (43-51 cm), Female: 17-19 inches (43-48 cm)	20-24 inches (51-61 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 21.5 inches (55 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (46–53 cm)	Male: 18.5 inches (47 cm), Female: 18 inches (45.5 cm)	22 inches (56 cm)

Hair & Care - Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky

Coat	Feathered	Dense	Dense
Colors	Red Blue Merle Black	Blue Speckled Red Mottled	Gray White Blonde Orange Black
Grooming	Average: The Australian Shepherd requires average grooming effort.	Effortless: The Australian Cattle Dog requires minimal grooming.	Average: The Alaskan Husky requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Australian Shepherds shed moderately.	Australian Cattle Dogs shed moderately.	Alaskan Huskys shed moderately.

Characteristics - Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky

Temperament	Active Friendly Intelligent Loving Affectionate Good-natured Protective	Aggressive Energetic Loyal Responsive Alert Intelligent Protective	Agile Energetic Protective Alert Powerful Sensitive
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Australian Shepherd's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: Australian Cattle Dog is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Average: Alaskan Husky's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.	Australian Cattle Dogs are easy to train.	Alaskan Huskys aren't famous for their trainability.
Playfulness	The Australian Shepherd is a highly playful breed.	The Australian Cattle Dog is a highly playful breed.	The Alaskan Husky is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Australian Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	Alaskan Huskys don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Australian Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are average dogs regarding their affection level.	Alaskan Huskys are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	Australian Shepherds are a social breed.	Australian Cattle Dogs need for social interaction is average.	Alaskan Huskys need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Low to Average: The Australian Shepherd rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Australian Cattle Dog rarely barks.	Average to high: The Alaskan Husky is a vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Australian Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are one of the best watchdogs.	Alaskan Huskys are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Australian Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are extremely protective guard dogs.	Alaskan Huskys are average defenders.
Biting Potential	Low The Australian Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Australian Cattle Dog has a low chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Alaskan Husky has an average chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Australian Shepherds have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Australian Cattle Dogs have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Alaskan Huskys have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Australian Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.	Wanderlust potential of the Australian Cattle Dog is strong enough to escape from home.	Alaskan Huskys have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.
Prey Drive	Australian Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Australian Cattle Dogs have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Alaskan Huskys have a high impulse to chase and catch something.
Apartment Friendly	Australian Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.	Australian Cattle Dogs are not apartment-friendly dogs.	Alaskan Huskys are not apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Australian Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Australian Cattle Dogs adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.	Alaskan Huskys adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Australian Shepherds do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky

Stranger Friendly	Australian Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Alaskan Huskys are very stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Australian Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are very kid-friendly dogs.	Alaskan Huskys are average friendly dogs towards children.
Cat Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.	Australian Cattle Dogs are average friendly towards cats.	Alaskan Huskys are not cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are average friendly towards other dogs.	Alaskan Huskys are very dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Australian Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Australian Cattle Dog is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Alaskan Husky is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Australian Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Australian Cattle Dogs are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Alaskan Huskys are commonly okay with elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Australian Shepherds are generally with other pets.	Australian Cattle Dogs are generally with other pets.	Alaskan Huskys do best when they’re the only pet at the family.
Good For First Time Owners	No Australian Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Australian Cattle Dogs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Alaskan Huskys are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Australian Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Australian Cattle Dog breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Alaskan Husky breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky

Health Issues	The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Australian Cattle Dog is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Alaskan Huskys tend to have more and frequent health issues than other breeds.
Health Problems	Allergies Cancer Cataracts Collie Eye Anomaly Deafness Detached Retina Distichiasis Drug Sensitivity Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Nasal Solar Dermatitis Osteochondrosis Dissecans Persistent Pupillary Membranes Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)	Deafness Hip Dysplasia Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)	Hyperthyroidism Laryngeal Paresis Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
Life Expectancy	12-15 years	12-15 years	10-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs.	Australian Cattle Dogs are high energy dogs.	Alaskan Huskys are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercises.	Australian Cattle Dogs need a lot of exercises.	Alaskan Huskys need a lot of exercises.
Sleeping Need	Australian Shepherds don't need too much sleep.	Australian Cattle Dogs don't need too much sleep.	Alaskan Huskys are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.
Avg. daily food consumption	1.5 to 2.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1.5 to 2.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1.5 to 2 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two or three meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Average to High.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Australian Shepherd can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Australian Cattle Dog can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Prefers cold weather The Alaskan Husky can adapt well to harsh weather conditions, and also can be a good mountain dog.
Stinkiness	Medium The Australian Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Australian Cattle Dog has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Alaskan Husky has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Australian Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Australian Cattle Dog is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Alaskan Husky is an average drooler.

Reproducibility - Australian Shepherd vs Australian Cattle Dog vs Alaskan Husky

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	6-9 puppies, average 7	1-7 puppies, average 5	4-10 puppies
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