Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog" Compare Australian Shepherd and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Which is better: Australian Shepherd or Greater Swiss Mountain Dog?

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

Name	Australian Shepherd	Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Origins	United States	Switzerland
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Working Dogs
Popularity Rank	17	75
Reviews	2	1
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Other Names	Aussie, Little Blue Dog	Great Swiss Mountain Dog, Swissy
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 1995 as a Working breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.	Recognized by FCI in the Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs group, in the Swiss Mountain- and Cattledogs 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	No set
Price	$600-$800	$2000-$2500

General Appearance - Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Size	Large	Large
Weight	Male: 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg), Female: 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg)	130-135 pounds (59-61 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 57.5 pounds (27 kg), Female: 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg)	132.5 pounds (60 kg)
Height	Male: 20-23 inches (52-58cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46–53 cm)	23.5-28.5 (60-72 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 21.5 inches (55 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (46–53 cm)	23.5-28.5 (66 cm)

Hair & Care - Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Coat	Feathered	Dense
Colors	Red Blue Merle Black	White Red Black
Grooming	Average: The Australian Shepherd requires average grooming effort.	Effortless: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog requires minimal grooming.
Shedding Level	Australian Shepherds shed moderately.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs shed none to minimal.

Characteristics - Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Temperament	Active Friendly Intelligent Loving Affectionate Good-natured Protective	Alert Fearless Protective Devoted Good-natured Selfish Confidence
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Australian Shepherd's has great intelligence.	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.
Trainability	Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	The Australian Shepherd is a highly playful breed.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, like any other dog breed, like playing.
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.
Affection Level	Australian Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	Australian Shepherds are a social breed.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are a social breed.
Barking	Low to Average: The Australian Shepherd rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Australian Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Australian Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Australian Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Australian Shepherds have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Australian Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have average wanderlust potential.
Prey Drive	Australian Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
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.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.
Adaptability	Australian Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.
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.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs 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.
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 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Stranger Friendly	Australian Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are average friendly towards strangers.
Child Friendly	Australian Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Australian Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Australian Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are usually recommended for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Australian Shepherds are generally with other pets.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Australian Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs 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.
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.
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.
Boat Dog	Not really Australian Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Greater Swiss Mountain Dog 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.	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

Health Issues	The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
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)	No set
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.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercises.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Australian Shepherds don't need too much sleep.	Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs 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.	4 to 5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Average to High.
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 cold weather The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog 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 Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Australian Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Australian Shepherd vs Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

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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