German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd" Compare German Shorthaired Pointer and Miniature American Shepherd. Which is better: German Shorthaired Pointer or Miniature American Shepherd or Australian Shepherd?

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

Name	German Shorthaired Pointer	Miniature American Shepherd	Australian Shepherd
Origins	Germany	United States	United States
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Gun Dog	Working Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	10	35	17
Reviews	2	0	2
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Other Names	Deutsch Kurzhaar, Kurzhaar, GSP, DK, Deutscher Kurzhaariger Vorstehhund	North American Shepherd, Mini American, MAS, Ameri	Aussie, Little Blue Dog
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1930 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2015 as a Herding breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Pointing Dogs group, in the Continental Pointing Dogs section.	Not recognized by FCI.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Kennel Club Canadian Kennel Club Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain Australian National Kennel Council New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	No set	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	$600-$800	$900-$1000	$600-$800

General Appearance - German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd

Size	Large Medium	Small Medium	Large
Weight	Male: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg), Female: 45-60 pounds (20-27 kg)	15-35 pounds (6-16 kg)	Male: 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg), Female: 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg), Female: 52.5 pounds (23.5 kg)	25 pounds (11 kg)	Male: 57.5 pounds (27 kg), Female: 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg)
Height	Male: 23-25 inches (59-64 cm), Female: 21-23 inches (53-58 cm)	Male: 14–18 inches (36–46 cm), Female: 13–17 inches (33–43 cm)	Male: 20-23 inches (52-58cm), Female: 18-21 inches (46–53 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 24 inches (61.5 cm), Female: 22 inches (55.5 cm)	Male: 14–18 inches (36–46 cm), Female: 13–17 inches (33–43 cm)	Male: 21.5 inches (55 cm), Female: 19.5 inches (46–53 cm)

Hair & Care - German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd

Coat	Dense	Smooth	Feathered
Colors	Roan Liver White Black	Merle Blue White Black	Red Blue Merle Black
Grooming	Effortless: The German Shorthaired Pointer requires minimal grooming.	Easy to groom: The Miniature American Shepherd doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Average: The Australian Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	German Shorthaired Pointers shed moderately.	Miniature American Shepherds shed moderately.	Australian Shepherds shed moderately.

Characteristics - German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd

Good With - German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers are average friendly towards strangers.	Miniature American Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	Australian Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers are kid-friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are kid-friendly dogs.	Australian Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers are not cat-friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers are dog-friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.	Australian Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.
Office Friendly	No German Shorthaired Pointer is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Miniature American Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Australian Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers are usually recommended for elderly people.	Miniature American Shepherds are usually recommended for elderly people.	Australian Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers do best when they’re the only pet at the family.	Miniature American Shepherds are generally with other pets.	Australian Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No German Shorthaired Pointers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Miniature American Shepherds 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	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	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.	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)	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.	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 German Shorthaired Pointer breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Miniature American Shepherd 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.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd

Health Issues	German Shorthaired Pointers are commonly healthy dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds tend to have more and frequent health issues than other breeds.	The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Gastric Torsion Hypothyroidism Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) Osteochondrosis Dissecans Von Willebrand's Disease Entropion Pannus Lymphedema Cardiomyopathy Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)	No set	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	13-15 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	German Shorthaired Pointers are high energy dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are high energy dogs.	Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	German Shorthaired Pointers need a lot of exercises.	Miniature American Shepherds have an average exercise need.	Australian Shepherds need a lot of exercises.
Sleeping Need	German Shorthaired Pointers don't need too much sleep.	Miniature American Shepherds don't need too much sleep.	Australian Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1 to 1.5 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.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Average.	Average to High.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to warm weather conditions	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	Medium The German Shorthaired Pointer has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Miniature American Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Australian Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The German Shorthaired Pointer is a perfect example for low drooling tendency.	The Miniature American Shepherd is a perfect example for low drooling tendency.	The Australian Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - German Shorthaired Pointer vs Miniature American Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd

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	7-12 puppies	2-6 puppies	6-9 puppies, average 7
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Temperament	Affectionate Bold Intelligent Boisterous Cooperative Trainable	Devoted Intelligent Energetic Loyal	Active Friendly Intelligent Loving Affectionate Good-natured Protective
Intelligent Rank	Very smart: German Shorthaired Pointer is an excellent dog breed.	Average: Miniature American Shepherd's has average obedience intelligence.	Smart: Australian Shepherd's has great intelligence.
Trainability	German Shorthaired Pointers are very easy to train.	Miniature American Shepherds are very easy to train.	Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.
Playfulness	The German Shorthaired Pointer is a highly playful breed.	The Miniature American Shepherd 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.	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	German Shorthaired Pointers are highly affectionate dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.	Australian Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	German Shorthaired Pointers need for social interaction is average.	Miniature American Shepherds need for social interaction is average.	Australian Shepherds are a social breed.
Barking	Average: The German Shorthaired Pointer barks occasionally.	Low to Average: The Miniature American Shepherd rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Australian Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	German Shorthaired Pointers are average watchdogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are average watchdogs.	Australian Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	German Shorthaired Pointers are average defenders.	Miniature American Shepherds are average defenders.	Australian Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The German Shorthaired Pointer has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Miniature American Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Australian Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	German Shorthaired Pointers have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Miniature American Shepherds have a higher 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	German Shorthaired Pointers have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.	Miniature American Shepherds have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.	Australian Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	German Shorthaired Pointers have a high impulse to chase and catch something.	Miniature American Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Australian Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	German Shorthaired Pointers are not apartment-friendly dogs.	Miniature American 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 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	German Shorthaired Pointers adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	Miniature American Shepherds don't adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	Australian Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	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.	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.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.