Australian Shepherd vs Mudi

An Australian Shepherd
Photo: bantam10
A Mudi
Photo: The original uploader was Lily15 at Hungarian Wikipedia.

Side by side

Australian Shepherd
Mudi
Adult weight
Males 23–29 kg (50–65 lb); females 18–25 kg (40–55 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 11–15 kg (24–33 lb); females 8–12 kg (18–26 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 50.8–58.4 cm; females 45.7–53.3 cm (breed club figure)1
No sourced figure
Lifespan
Median 13.7 years3
No sourced figure
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
10 months, both sexes4
Group
Sheepdogs & cattledogs5
Sheepdogs & cattledogs6
Coat
Coat of medium length5
Wavy coat6
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Sheds through the year
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
Exercise
Plenty
Class
Sport
Working

Which suits you

Size
The Australian Shepherd is much larger: about 24 kg (52 lb) as an adult, against 12 kg (25 lb) for the Mudi.
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the Australian Shepherd moults most as the seasons change, the Mudi sheds through the year.
Temperament
They differ most on sensitivity (Australian Shepherd: average; Mudi: needs a calm, predictable home) and on voice (Australian Shepherd: barks to alert, then settles; Mudi: very vocal).
Alike
Both are rated the same on independence: keen to work with you.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Australian Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium

In temperament the Australian Shepherd is quick to learn, energetic and keen to have a job, and it may be reserved with strangers while devoted to its own people.

Mudi
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium

In temperament it is lively, alert and quick to learn, close to its own people and reserved with strangers, and it barks readily, which makes it a watchful guard.

The Australian Shepherd page →The Mudi page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Australian Shepherd
Mudi
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Australian Shepherd
Mudi
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Keen to work with you
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Australian Shepherd
Mudi
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Very vocal
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour7. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home8,9.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Australian Shepherd grows to the heavier adult, about 24 kg against the Mudi's 12 kg.
Australian Shepherd
Mudi
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More comparisons

Compare the Australian Shepherd with
Australian Shepherd vs Miniature American ShepherdAustralian Shepherd vs Border CollieAustralian Cattle Dog vs Australian ShepherdAustralian Shepherd vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverAustralian Shepherd vs Rough Collie (Collie)Australian Shepherd vs Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)All breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·