Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever" Compare Australian Shepherd and Golden Retriever. Which is better: Australian Shepherd or Golden Retriever?

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

Name	Australian Shepherd	Golden Retriever
Origins	United States	Scotland
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Gun Dog
Popularity Rank	17	3
Reviews	2	3
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Other Names	Aussie, Little Blue Dog	Yellow Retriever, Golden Flat Coat
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1925 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 Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Retrievers section.
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
Price	$600-$800	$1000-$2000

General Appearance - Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever

Size	Large	Large
Weight	Male: 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg), Female: 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg)	Male: 60-80 pounds (27-36 kg), Female: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 57.5 pounds (27 kg), Female: 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg)	Male: 70 pounds (31.5 kg), Female: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg)
Height	Male: 20-23 inches (52-58cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46–53 cm)	Male: 22-24 inches (56-61cm), Female: 20-22 inches (51-56 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 21.5 inches (55 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (46–53 cm)	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 21 inches (53.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever

Coat	Feathered	Silky Wavy Shiny Straight
Colors	Red Blue Merle Black	Golden Light
Grooming	Average: The Australian Shepherd requires average grooming effort.	Average: The Golden Retriever requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Australian Shepherds shed moderately.	Golden Retrievers shed moderately.

Characteristics - Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever

Temperament	Active Friendly Intelligent Loving Affectionate Good-natured Protective	Confident Intelligent Reliable Friendly Kind Trustworthy
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Australian Shepherd's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: Golden Retriever is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.	Golden Retrievers are easy to train.
Playfulness	The Australian Shepherd is a highly playful breed.	The Golden Retriever is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Australian Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	Golden Retrievers have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.
Affection Level	Australian Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.	Golden Retrievers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Australian Shepherds are a social breed.	Golden Retrievers need a lot of social interaction.
Barking	Low to Average: The Australian Shepherd rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Golden Retriever rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Australian Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.	Golden Retrievers are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Australian Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.	Golden Retrievers are average defenders.
Biting Potential	Low The Australian Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Golden Retriever has an average chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Australian Shepherds have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Golden Retrievers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Australian Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.	Golden Retrievers tend to escape less than other breeds.
Prey Drive	Australian Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Golden Retrievers 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.
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.	Golden Retrievers are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.
Adaptability	Australian Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Golden Retrievers 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.	Golden Retrievers tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.
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.

Good With - Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever

Stranger Friendly	Australian Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Golden Retrievers are very stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Australian Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.	Golden Retrievers are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.	Golden Retrievers are cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.	Golden Retrievers are very dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Australian Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.	Yes Golden Retriever is one of the best dog breeds for office environment
Senior Citizens Friendly	Australian Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Golden Retrievers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Australian Shepherds are generally with other pets.	Golden Retrievers are usually friendly towards other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Australian Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	Yes Golden Retrievers 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.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect 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.
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.
Boat Dog	Not really Australian Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Yes Golden Retriever breed usually likes 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.

Health Factors - Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever

Health Issues	The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Golden Retrievers are commonly healthy dogs.
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 Bloat Cataracts Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Hemangiosarcoma Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Osteochondrosis Dissecans Osteosarcoma Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis Von Willebrand's Disease
Life Expectancy	12-15 years	10-12 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs.	Golden Retrievers are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercises.	Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercises.
Sleeping Need	Australian Shepherds don't need too much sleep.	Golden Retrievers 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.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	High: The Golden Retriever breed has a strong tendency to overweight.
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.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Australian Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Golden Retriever has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Australian Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Golden Retriever drools quite a lot, so if you dislike being covered by slobber spots on your clothes, you may want to choose another dog breed.

Reproducibility - Australian Shepherd vs Golden Retriever

Gestation Length	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.
Litter Size	6-9 puppies, average 7	5-10 puppies
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