Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie vs Pointer – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie vs Pointer" Compare Australian Shepherd and Border Collie. Which is better: Australian Shepherd or Border Collie or Pointer?

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

Name	Australian Shepherd	Border Collie	Pointer
Origins	United States	England Scotland Wales	England
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Gun Dog
Popularity Rank	17	38	113
Reviews	2	8	0
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Other Names	Aussie, Little Blue Dog	Scotch Sheep Dog, Sheepdog	English Pointer
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1995 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1878 as a Sporting breed.
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 Sheepdogs 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 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 The American Int. Border Collie Registry The American Border Collie Association	No set
Price	$600-$800	$600-$800	$400-$500

General Appearance - Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie vs Pointer

Size	Large	Large	Medium
Weight	Male: 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg), Female: 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg)	Male: 30-45 pounds (14-20 kg), Female: 27-42 pounds (12-19 kg)	44-66 pounds (20-30 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 57.5 pounds (27 kg), Female: 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg)	Male: 37.5 pounds (17 kg), Female: 34.5 pounds (15.5 kg)	55 pounds (25 kg)
Height	Male: 20-23 inches (52-58cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46–53 cm)	Male: 19-22 inches (48-56 cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46-53 cm)	Male: 22-24 inches (55-62 cm), Female: 21-24 inches (54-60 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 21.5 inches (55 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (46–53 cm)	Male: 20.5 inches (52 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (49.5 cm)	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 22.5 inches (57 cm)

Hair & Care - Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie vs Pointer

Coat	Feathered	Dense Feathered Straight Short Moderately Long	Dense
Colors	Red Blue Merle Black	Black & White Tricolor Tan Blue merle Blue merle-tricolor Slate merle Red merle Black Brindle Gold Lilac Red Sable Sable Merle Saddleback Sable White & Blue White & Blue Merle White & Red White & Red Merle White Ticked Seal Slate White & Gold White & Sable White & Seal	White Brown Yellow Black
Grooming	Average: The Australian Shepherd requires average grooming effort.	Average: The Border Collie requires average grooming effort.	Effortless: The Pointer requires minimal grooming.
Shedding Level	Australian Shepherds shed moderately.	Border Collies shed moderately.	Pointers shed none to minimal.

Characteristics - Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie vs Pointer

Temperament	Active Friendly Intelligent Loving Affectionate Good-natured Protective	Intelligent Alert Tenacious Protective Energetic Responsive Loyal	Active Amiable Kind Intelligent Affectionate Outright Tempered Loyal
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Australian Shepherd's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: Border Collie is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Average: Pointer's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.	Border Collies are easy to train.	Pointers are very easy to train.
Playfulness	The Australian Shepherd is a highly playful breed.	The Border Collie is a highly playful breed.	The Pointer is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Australian Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	Border Collies don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	Pointers have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.
Affection Level	Australian Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.	Border Collies are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Pointers are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	Australian Shepherds are a social breed.	Border Collies need a lot of social interaction.	Pointers need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Low to Average: The Australian Shepherd rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Border Collie rarely barks.	Average: The Pointer barks occasionally.
Watchdog Ability	Australian Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.	Border Collies are one of the best watchdogs.	Pointers are good watchdogs.
Territorial	Australian Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.	Border Collies are extremely protective guard dogs.	Pointers strongly protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Australian Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Border Collie has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Pointer has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Australian Shepherds have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Border Collies have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Pointers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Australian Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.	Border Collies have average wanderlust potential.	Pointers 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.	Border Collies have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Pointers 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.	Border Collies are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Pointers are not apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Australian Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Border Collies adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Pointers 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.	Border Collies tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	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 Border Collie vs Pointer

Stranger Friendly	Australian Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Border Collies are average friendly towards strangers.	Pointers are not the most stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Australian Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.	Border Collies are very kid-friendly dogs.	Pointers are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.	Border Collies are average friendly towards cats.	Pointers are not cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.	Border Collies are average friendly towards other dogs.	Pointers are very dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Australian Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Border Collie is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Pointer is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Australian Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Border Collies are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Pointers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Australian Shepherds are generally with other pets.	Border Collies are generally with other pets.	Pointers 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 Border Collies are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	Yes Pointers are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good 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.	Yes This breed makes a perfect 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.	Yes 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.	Yes 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.	Yes 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.	Yes 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 Border Collie breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Pointer 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 Border Collie vs Pointer

Health Issues	The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Border Collie is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Pointers tend to have a lot and frequent health issues.
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)	Allergies Collie Eye Anomaly Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Osteochondrosis Dissecans Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)	No set
Life Expectancy	12-15 years	12-15 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs.	Border Collies are high energy dogs.	Pointers are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercises.	Border Collies need a lot of exercises.	Pointers need a lot of exercises.
Sleeping Need	Australian Shepherds don't need too much sleep.	Border Collies don't need too much sleep.	Pointers don't need too much sleep.
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 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two or three meals.	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Average.	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 Border Collie can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Prefers average to warm weather conditions
Stinkiness	Medium The Australian Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Border Collie has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Pointer has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Australian Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Border Collie is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Pointer is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie vs Pointer

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	4-8 puppies	4-6 puppies
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