Portuguese Water Dog vs Australian Kelpie

Compare the Portuguese Water Dog to the Australian Kelpie. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Portuguese Water Dogs and Australian Kelpies.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Portuguese Water Dog and the Australian Kelpie are good for new owners, but the Portuguese Water Dog is a slightly better choice.
Children - The Portuguese Water Dog is very child friendly. The Australian Kelpie does okay around kids, but is not as tolerant as the Portuguese Water Dog.
Grooming - The Australian Kelpie is easy to groom while the Portuguese Water Dog has moderate grooming needs.
Barking - Both breeds will bark frequently, but the Australian Kelpie has the highest tendency to bark between the two.

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Portuguese Water Dog vs Australian Kelpie

Breed Name	Portuguese Water Dog	Australian Kelpie
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	Yes	No
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Height	17-22 in.	18-22 in.
Weight	35-60 lb	30-60 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	Portugal	Australia
Origin Year	1297 AD	1900 AD
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Below Average
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Good
Stranger Friendly	Good	Below Average
Personality
	Enjoys Attention Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please	Affectionate Loving Willing To Please
Living Environment
Apartment	No	No
Indoor	Yes	No
Small Yard	No	No
Medium Yard	No	Yes
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	40°F to 80°F	30°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High-Very High	Very High
Exercise Required	High-Very High	Very High
Top Running Speed	22 mph	24 mph
Strength	High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Medium-High	Medium
Shedding	None	Medium
Dander	None-Low	Medium
Drool Amount	None	Low

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

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Portuguese Water Dog	Australian Kelpie
Lifespan
Lifespan	10-14 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Cerebellar Abiotrophy	No	Yes
Collie Eye Anomaly	No	Yes
Hip Dysplasia	No	Yes
Osteoarthritis	No	Yes
Patellar Luxation	No	Yes
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Portuguese Water Dog	Australian Kelpie
Coat
Hair	Yes	Yes
Fur	No	Yes
Coat Type
Curly Coat	Yes	No
Single Coat	Yes	Yes
Double Coat	No	Yes
Smooth Coat	No	Yes
Coat Texture
Wavy	Yes	No
Rough	No	Yes
Straight	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Medium	Yes	Yes
Short	No	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black	Yes	Yes
Brown	Yes	Yes
White	Yes	Yes
White Markings	Yes	No
Blue	No	Yes
Cream	No	Yes
Fawn	No	Yes
Red	No	Yes
Tan	No	Yes