Briard vs German Shepherd
Side by side
Briard
German Shepherd
Adult weight
Males 32–45 kg (71–99 lb); females 25–38 kg (55–84 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 36–45.5 kg (79–100 lb); females 30.6–39.5 kg (67–87 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 12,146, middle 50%)2
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
Daily brushing
No sourced figure
Exercise
Plenty
Health
No sourced figure
Class
Watchdog
Watchdog
Which suits you
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Briard lives longer: a median of 12.6 years, against 11.3 for the German Shepherd.
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the Briard sheds through the year, the German Shepherd moults most as the seasons change.
Temperament
They differ most on independence (Briard: cooperative, with its own ideas; German Shepherd: keen to work with you) and on sensitivity (Briard: average; German Shepherd: needs a calm, predictable home).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 35 kg (77 lb) for the Briard and 38 kg (84 lb) for the German Shepherd.
Alike
Both are rated the same on loyalty: sticks close to its people.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Briard
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large
The Briard is loyal and protective towards its household and reserved with strangers. It learns quickly but has an independent streak suited to work done with little direction.
German Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large
The breed is alert, watchful and self-assured, devoted to its own people and reserved with strangers.
Breed traits
Day to day
Briard
German Shepherd
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
Briard
German Shepherd
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Briard
German Shepherd
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 37 kg.
Briard
German Shepherd
More comparisons
Compare the Briard with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Briard breed page. ↑
- 2VetCompass UK. Primary-care veterinary records. ↑
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 10Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 11American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 12
Parts of this page were written by AI ·