Australian Shepherd vs White Shepherd

Compare the Australian Shepherd to the White Shepherd. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Australian Shepherds and White Shepherds.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Australian Shepherd and White Shepherd are okay choices for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - Both the Australian Shepherd and White Shepherd are great with children.
Grooming - The White Shepherd is very easy to groom. The Australian Shepherd has high grooming requirements.
Barking - Both the Australian Shepherd and White Shepherd are very vocal and will bark/howl frequently.

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Australian Shepherd vs White Shepherd

Breed Name	Australian Shepherd	White Shepherd
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	No
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	10-12 yrs.
Height	18-23 in.	22-26 in.
Weight	40-65 lb	77-85 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	United States	Germany
Origin Year	1840 AD	1882 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Poor	Below Average
Stranger Friendly	Good	Very Good
Personality
	Affectionate Loving Willing To Please	Affectionate Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	No	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	Yes	Yes
Medium Yard	Yes	Yes
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	30°F to 80°F	40°F to 85°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High-Very High	High
Exercise Required	High	High
Top Running Speed	25 mph	30 mph
Strength	High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium	Medium-High
Shedding	Medium	High
Dander	Medium	High
Drool Amount	Low	Medium

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	Australian Shepherd	White Shepherd
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	Yes
Independent	No	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	No
Average	Yes	No
Focused & Patient	No	Yes
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Average
Burrow/Digging	Below Average	Below Average
Chasing	Below Average	Below Average
Follow Commands	Average	High
Fighting	Very Low	Below Average
Guarding	Below Average	High
Herding	High	High
Hunting	Below Average	High
Protection	Below Average	High
Remove Vermin	Very Low	Below Average
Sledding	Below Average	Below Average
Watch	Below Average	High

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Australian Shepherd	White Shepherd
Lifespan
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	10-12 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Allergies	Yes	Yes
Bloat	No	Yes
Cancer	Yes	No
Cataracts	Yes	No
Collie Eye Anomaly	Yes	No
Deafness	Yes	No
Detached Retina	Yes	No
Distichiasis	Yes	No
Drug Sensitivity	Yes	No
Elbow Dysplasia	Yes	No
Epilepsy	Yes	No
Hip Dysplasia	Yes	No
Hypothyroidism	Yes	No
Joint Dysplasia	No	Yes
Nasal Solar Dermatitis	Yes	No
Osteochondrosis Dissecans	Yes	No
Persistent Pupillary Membranes	Yes	No
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	Yes	No

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Australian Shepherd	White Shepherd
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	Yes
Coat Texture
Wavy	Yes	No
Straight	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Medium	Yes	Yes
Long	Yes	No
Short	No	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black	Yes	No
Blue Merle	Yes	No
Red	Yes	No
Red Merle	Yes	No
White	No	Yes