Home / Breeds / Compare / Australian Shepherd vs Border Collie
The Aussie is a tireless, whip smart herding dog that thrives on work, sport and adventure. Often called the smartest of all breeds, the Border Collie is a workaholic sheepdog that needs a job as much as it needs exercise. This page puts the two side by side on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is size: the middle of the Australian Shepherd weight range is about 52.5 lb against 42.5 lb for the Border Collie.
The next biggest gap is monthly cost: the modeled total is about $82 a month for the Australian Shepherd against $74 for the Border Collie.
| Australian Shepherd | Border Collie | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Herding | Herding |
| Origin | United States (despite the name) | United Kingdom (Anglo-Scottish border) |
| Height | 18 to 23 in | 18 to 22 in |
| Weight | 40 to 65 lb | 30 to 55 lb |
| Lifespan | 12 to 15 years | 12 to 15 years |
| Coat | Medium length water resistant double coat with a thick undercoat. | Rough or smooth double coat, weather resistant. |
| Temperament | Smart, driven, loyal and intense | Brilliant, intense, tireless and sensitive |
| Energy | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
| Trainability | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Barking | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Better with older children |
| With other dogs | Usually good with dogs | Usually good with dogs |
| With strangers | Reserved with strangers | Reserved with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Not ideal | Not ideal |
| Daily exercise | 90 to 120 min | 90 to 120 min |
| Food per month (model) | $34 (3.2 cups a day) | $29 (2.7 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $35 to $60 | $32 to $58 |
| Monthly total (model) | $69 to $94 | $61 to $87 |
| Yearly total (model) | $825 to $1,125 | $729 to $1,041 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $9,901 to $16,876 | $8,749 to $15,617 |
| Breeder health tests | 5 recommended tests | 6 recommended tests |
| Health watch | Watch for the MDR1 drug sensitivity gene, hereditary cataracts, epilepsy and hip dysplasia. Merle to merle breeding can produce deaf or blind puppies, so choose breeders who never cross two merles. | Main concerns are hip dysplasia, collie eye anomaly, epilepsy and a gene mutation (MDR1) that affects drug safety. Good breeders DNA test for CEA and screen hips and eyes. |
The two are level on the first-time-owner score, so daily temperament and the sections below decide this one.
Border Collie: matches the Australian Shepherd on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Australian Shepherd: is listed "Good with children" while the Border Collie is listed "Better with older children".
Level on shedding. Shedding is only a proxy for loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free, so time spent with the breed matters more than this row.
Border Collie: runs about $8 a month less than the Australian Shepherd on modeled food plus insurance ($74 against $82 at the midpoints).
Verdict rules, in full: first-time owner scores 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking). Apartment ranks the apartment rating, then barking, exercise and weight. Children ranks the children rating, then trainability and stranger friendliness. Allergy ranks lowest shedding, then grooming. Budget ranks the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
The published breeder panel for the Australian Shepherd lists 5 recommended tests; the Border Collie panel lists 6. 1 test area appears in both panels.
Listed for the Australian Shepherd and not in the Border Collie panel: DNA test; DNA tests; Elbow evaluation (OFA); Eye examination by a veterinary ophthalmologist (CAER).
Listed for the Border Collie and not in the Australian Shepherd panel: DNA panel; Elbow grading and BAER hearing test; Eye examination and gonioscopy (BVA, Kennel Club and ISDS Eye Scheme).
Full panels: Australian Shepherd health testing and Border Collie health testing.
On the modeled figures the Australian Shepherd costs more month to month: about $82 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $74 for the Border Collie. Run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $9,901 to $16,876 for the Australian Shepherd and $8,749 to $15,617 for the Border Collie. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
They are level: both plan on 90 to 120 minutes a day, and energy is rated 5 of 5 for the Australian Shepherd against 5 of 5 for the Border Collie.
On our ratings, yes: both are rated 4 of 5 for shedding. The coats still feel different in the house. Australian Shepherd: Medium length water resistant double coat with a thick undercoat. Border Collie: Rough or smooth double coat, weather resistant.
Not equally. The Border Collie is the better fit for an apartment: it matches the Australian Shepherd on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks, barking, then daily exercise, then size.
The Border Collie: its published breeder panel runs to 6 recommended tests, against 5 for the Australian Shepherd. A longer panel is not a mark against a breed; it usually means the breed club has identified more inherited risks that testing can screen for, and it gives you more paperwork to ask a breeder for.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
Breed facts follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed profile. Cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, labeled with their basis, and are not quotes or veterinary advice. Health test panels are the recommendations published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.