Dutch Shepherd vs German Shepherd
Side by side
Dutch Shepherd
German Shepherd
Adult weight
19–34 kg (42–75 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
No sourced figure
Moults most as the seasons change
Exercise
Plenty
Health
No sourced figure
Class
Working
Watchdog
Which suits you
Size
The German Shepherd is larger on average: about 38 kg (84 lb) as an adult, against 27 kg (59 lb) for the Dutch Shepherd.
Temperament
They differ most on sensitivity (Dutch Shepherd: average; German Shepherd: needs a calm, predictable home) and on prey drive (Dutch Shepherd: likely to chase small pets; German Shepherd: chases; needs managing).
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.
What they're like
Dutch Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
In temperament the Dutch Shepherd is lively, watchful and quick to learn, with a strong drive to work alongside its handler.
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
Dutch Shepherd
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
Dutch Shepherd
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
Keen to work with you
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Dutch Shepherd
German Shepherd
Sensitivity
Differs
Average
Needs a calm, predictable home
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Likely to chase small pets
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The German Shepherd grows to the heavier adult, about 38 kg against the Dutch Shepherd's 27 kg.
Dutch Shepherd
German Shepherd
More comparisons
Compare the Dutch Shepherd with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Dutch Shepherd 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
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- 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 ·