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

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

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

Name	Dalmatian	Australian Shepherd
Origins	Croatia	United States
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Companion Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	63	17
Reviews	1	3
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Other Names	Dal, Dally, Carriage Dog, Spotted Coach Dog, Firehouse Dog, Plum Pudding Dog	Aussie, Little Blue Dog
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as a Non-Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Scent hounds and related breeds group, in the Related breeds section.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	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	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
Price	$500-$600	$600-$800

General Appearance - Dalmatian vs Australian Shepherd

Size	Large	Large
Weight	about 55 pounds (25 kg)	Male: 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg), Female: 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg)
Avg. Weight	about 55 pounds (25 kg)	Male: 57.5 pounds (27 kg), Female: 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg)
Height	Male: 22 - 24 inches (50 – 60 cm), Female: 20 - 22 inches (50 - 55 cm)	Male: 20-23 inches (52-58cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46–53 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 22 - 24 inches (50 – 60 cm), Female: 20 - 22 inches (50 - 55 cm)	Male: 21.5 inches (55 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (46–53 cm)

Hair & Care - Dalmatian vs Australian Shepherd

Coat	Fine	Feathered
Colors	White Liver Brown Black	Red Blue Merle Black
Grooming	Effortless: The Dalmatian requires minimal grooming.	Average: The Australian Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Dalmatians are heavy shedders.	Australian Shepherds shed moderately.

Characteristics - Dalmatian vs Australian Shepherd

Temperament	Active Friendly Outgoing Sensitive Energetic Intelligent Playful	Active Friendly Intelligent Loving Affectionate Good-natured Protective
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Dalmatian's has great intelligence.	Smart: Australian Shepherd's has great intelligence.
Trainability	Dalmatians are quite easy to train.	Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.
Playfulness	The Dalmatian is a highly playful breed.	The Australian Shepherd is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	Australian Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Dalmatians are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Australian Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	Dalmatians need a lot of social interaction.	Australian Shepherds are a social breed.
Barking	Average: The Dalmatian barks occasionally.	Low to Average: The Australian Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Dalmatians are average watchdogs.	Australian Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Dalmatians are average defenders.	Australian Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Dalmatian has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Australian Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Dalmatians have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Australian Shepherds have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Dalmatian is strong enough to escape from home.	Australian Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Dalmatians have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.	Australian Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Dalmatians are not apartment-friendly dogs.	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.
Adaptability	Dalmatians adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Australian Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Dalmatians tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	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.
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 - Dalmatian vs Australian Shepherd

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

Health Factors - Dalmatian vs Australian Shepherd

Health Issues	Dalmatians are commonly healthy dogs.	The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Allergies Deafness Hip Dysplasia Iris Sphincter Dysplasia Skin Allergies Urolithiasis	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)
Life Expectancy	12-14 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Dalmatians are high energy dogs.	Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Dalmatians need a lot of exercises.	Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercises.
Sleeping Need	Dalmatians don't need too much sleep.	Australian Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 1.5 to 2 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.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Average to High.
Weather & Climate	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	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.
Stinkiness	Low The Dalmatian has a low chance of bad smell.	Medium The Australian Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Dalmatian is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Australian Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Dalmatian vs Australian Shepherd

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	6-9 puppies, average 7
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