Bearded Collie vs Old English Sheepdog

A Bearded Collie
Photo: marbla123
An Old English Sheepdog
Photo: AKS.9955

Side by side

Bearded Collie
Old English Sheepdog
Adult weight
20–25 kg (45–55 lb) (breed club figure)1
27–45 kg (60–100 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 53–56 cm; females 51–53 cm3
No sourced figure
Lifespan
Median 13.9 years4
Median 12.1 years4
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes5
12 months, both sexes5
Group
Sheepdogs & cattledogs3
Sheepdogs & cattledogs6
Coat
Double coat3
Double coat6
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
No sourced figure
Bone cancer (much more likely); Lymph node cancer (more likely)7,8
Class
Family
Family

Which suits you

Size
The Old English Sheepdog is much larger: about 36 kg (80 lb) as an adult, against 23 kg (50 lb) for the Bearded Collie.
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Bearded Collie lives longer: a median of 13.9 years, against 12.1 for the Old English Sheepdog.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Bearded Collie: affectionate on its own terms; Old English Sheepdog: a lap or leaning dog) and on intelligence (Bearded Collie: needs daily brain work; Old English Sheepdog: learns readily, likes games).
Alike
Both are rated the same on voice: very vocal.
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

Bearded Collie
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium

In temperament the breed is lively, alert and self-confident, with an enthusiasm that often shows in playful bouncing.

Old English Sheepdog
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large

The breed is steady, good-natured and playful, with a clownish streak, and some try to herd the people around them. In Britain it became widely familiar through decades of paint advertising.

The Bearded Collie page →The Old English Sheepdog page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Bearded Collie
Old English Sheepdog
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
Bearded Collie
Old English Sheepdog
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Bearded Collie
Old English Sheepdog
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Very vocal
Very vocal
Prey drive
Differs
Chases; needs managing
Usually fine with small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour9. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home10,11.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Old English Sheepdog grows to the heavier adult, about 36 kg against the Bearded Collie's 23 kg.
Bearded Collie
Old English Sheepdog
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More comparisons

Compare the Bearded Collie with
Bearded Collie vs Polish Lowland SheepdogOld English Sheepdog vs Polish Lowland SheepdogBearded Collie vs Tibetan TerrierAustralian Shepherd vs Bearded CollieAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·