Australian Shepherd
The Australian Shepherd is a herding breed from United States, standing males 20–23 in · females 18–21 in at the withers, weighing 35–70 lb. Recorded lifespan is 12–15 yrs.
- Breed group
- Herding
- Origin
- United States
- Height
- males 20–23 in · females 18–21 in
- Weight
- 35–70 lb
- Lifespan
- 12–15 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Australian Shepherd is taller than 51% of the measured breeds, heavier than 53%, one of 27 in the Herding group, one of 39 from United States.
Living with the Australian Shepherd
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Australian Shepherd’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 4 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 3 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 3 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 5 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 5 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 4 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 4 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 3 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Australian Shepherd on AKCAustralian Shepherd on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Australian Shepherd
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Australian Shepherd.
Picardy Spaniel
Scottish Deerhound
Berger Picard
Silken Windhound
Bohemian Shepherd
American Shepherd (Miniature)
Height 0–38 in
- Australian Shepherd20–23 in
- Picardy Spaniel21–24.5 in
- Scottish Deerhound28–32 in
- Berger Picard24–26 in
- Silken Windhound18.5–23.5 in
- Bohemian Shepherd19–22 in
- American Shepherd (Miniature)14–18 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Australian Shepherd35–70 lb
- Picardy Spaniel40–55 lb
- Scottish Deerhound85–110 lb
- Berger Picard51–71 lb
- Silken Windhound22–44 lb
- Bohemian Shepherd33–55 lb
- American Shepherd (Miniature)20–40 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Australian Shepherd12–15 yrs
- Picardy Spaniel13–15 yrs
- Scottish Deerhound8–9 yrs
- Berger Picard12–14 yrs
- Silken Windhound14–18 yrs
- Bohemian Shepherd9–13 yrs
- American Shepherd (Miniature)13–15 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Australian Shepherd
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.