Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway" Compare Koolie and German Shepherd. Which is better: Koolie or German Shepherd or Huntaway?

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

Name	Koolie	German Shepherd	Huntaway
Origins	Australia	Germany	New Zealand
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	329	2	280
Reviews	0	12	2
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Other Names	Australian Koolie, German Koolie, German Coolie	Alsatian, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog (UK), Deutscher Schäferhund, Schäferhund	New Zealand Sheepdog New Zealand Huntaway, NZ Huntaway
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908 as a Herding breed.	Not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
FCI Group	Not recognized by FCI.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.	Not recognized by FCI.
Breed Recognition	America's Pet Registry Australian National Kennel Council Dog Registry of America Inc.	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 German Shepherd Dog Club Of America	Dog Registry of America Inc. New Zealand Kennel Club
Price	$400-$600	$800-$2000	$300-$400

General Appearance - Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway

Size	Large Medium	Large	Large
Weight	33-53 pounds (15-24 kg)	Male: 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg), Female: 49-71 pounds (22-32 kg)	40-65 pounds (18-30 kg)
Avg. Weight	43 pounds (19.5 kg)	Male: 77 pounds (35 kg), Female: 60 pounds (27 kg)	52.5 pounds (24 kg)
Height	13-23 inches (34-60 cm)	Male: 24-26 inches (60-65 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (55-60 cm)	20-24 inches (51-61 cm)
Avg. Height	18 inches (47 cm)	Male: 25 inches (62.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (57.5 cm)	22 inches (56 cm)

Hair & Care - Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway

Coat	Smooth Double Rough	Fuzzy	Smooth Rough
Colors	Chocolate Blue Merle Tricolor Red Black	Silver Tan Red Black	Black & Tan
Grooming	Easy to groom: The Koolie doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Average: The German Shepherd requires average grooming effort.	Average: The Huntaway requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Koolies shed moderately.	German Shepherds are heavy shedders.	Huntaways shed moderately.

Characteristics - Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway

Temperament	Dominant Dedicated Temperate Diligent Intelligent Affectionate	Alert Courageous Intelligent Obedient Confident Curious Loyal Watchful	Friendly Energetic Active Intelligent Trainable Vocal
Intelligent Rank	Average: Koolie's has average obedience intelligence.	Outstanding: German Shepherd is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Smart: Huntaway's has great intelligence.
Trainability	Koolies are quite easy to train.	German Shepherds are easy to train.	Huntaways are easy to train.
Playfulness	Koolies, like any other dog breed, like playing.	German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, like playing.	The Huntaway is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Koolies don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	German 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	Koolies are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	German Shepherds are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Huntaways are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	Koolies are a social breed.	German Shepherds need for social interaction is average.	Huntaways are a social breed.
Barking	Average: The Koolie barks occasionally.	Low to Average: The German Shepherd rarely barks.	High: The Huntaway is a very vocal breed.
Watchdog Ability	Koolies are good watchdogs.	German Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.	Huntaways are not the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Koolies are extremely protective guard dogs.	German Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.	Huntaways are not the best to protect their territory.
Biting Potential	Low The Koolie has a low chance of biting somebody.	High The German Shepherd has a high chance of biting somebody.	Low The Huntaway has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Koolies have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shepherds have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Huntaways have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Koolies have average wanderlust potential.	German Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.	Huntaways are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Koolies 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.	German Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.	Huntaways don't have an impulse to catch or chase small animals.
Apartment Friendly	Koolies are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.	German 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.	Huntaways are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.
Adaptability	Koolies adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	German Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Huntaways adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Koolies 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.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Huntaways 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.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway

Stranger Friendly	Koolies are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are stranger friendly dogs.	Huntaways are very stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Koolies are kid-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.	Huntaways are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Koolies are average friendly towards cats.	German Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.	Huntaways are very cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Koolies are average friendly towards other dogs.	German Shepherds are not the most dog-friendly dogs.	Huntaways are dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Koolie is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Huntaway is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Koolies are usually recommended for elderly people.	German Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Huntaways are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Koolies are generally with other pets.	German Shepherds are generally with other pets.	Huntaways are one of the friendliest dog breeds.
Good For First Time Owners	No Koolies are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No German Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Huntaways are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn 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.	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.	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.
Boat Dog	Not really Koolie breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really Huntaway 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 - Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway

Health Issues	The Koolie is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	German Shepherds are commonly healthy dogs.	Very healthy dog breed.
Health Problems	Blindness Deafness	Allergies Blindness Bloat Cancer Cataracts Cherry Eye Chronic Diarrhea Cruciate Ligament Rupture Cushing's Syndrome Degenerative Myelopathy Demodectic Mange Diabetes Digestive Problems Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Heart Disease Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Hip Dysplasia Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy Lens Luxation Lupus Megaesophagus Myasthenia Gravis Nail Bed Disease Osteochondrosis Pannus Panosteitis Paralysis Perianal Fistula Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia Seborrhea Vitiligo Von Willebrand's Disease Wobbler's Syndrome	No set
Life Expectancy	16-18 years	10-13 years	12-14 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	Koolies have a higher energy level than other dog breeds.	German Shepherds are high energy dogs.	Huntaways are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Koolies need quite a lot of exercise.	German Shepherds need quite a lot of exercise.	Huntaways need a lot of exercises.
Sleeping Need	Koolies are quite energetic dogs and they don't spend to much time with sleeping.	German Shepherds don't need too much sleep.	Huntaways 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.	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Low to Average.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers warm weather	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Koolie has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Huntaway has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Koolie is a perfect example for low drooling tendency.	The German Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The Huntaway is an average drooler.

Reproducibility - Koolie vs German Shepherd vs Huntaway

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	4-6 puppies	6-10 puppies	5-7 puppies
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