German Shepherd vs Labrador Retriever
Side by side
German Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
Adult weight
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%)1
Males 29–36 kg (65–80 lb); females 25–32 kg (55–70 lb) (breed club figure)2
Shedding
Moults most as the seasons change
Grooming
No sourced figure
A brush once a week
Exercise
Plenty
Health
Class
Watchdog
Family
Which suits you
Size
The German Shepherd is a little larger on average: about 38 kg (84 lb) as an adult, against 31 kg (68 lb) for the Labrador Retriever.
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Labrador Retriever lives longer: a median of 13.1 years, against 11.3 for the German Shepherd.
Temperament
They differ most on loyalty (German Shepherd: sticks close to its people; Labrador Retriever: friendly with everyone) and on handler demand (German Shepherd: needs an experienced owner; Labrador Retriever: suits a first-time owner).
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
German Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Large
The breed is alert, watchful and self-assured, devoted to its own people and reserved with strangers.
Labrador Retriever
Retrievers & water dogs · Large
The breed is friendly, outgoing and keen to work alongside people. Its steady nature has made it a common choice as a guide dog for blind people.
Breed traits
Day to day
German Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Differs
Needs daily brain work
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs an experienced owner
Suits a first-time owner
With people
German Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Sticks close to its people
Friendly with everyone
Independence
Keen to work with you
Keen to work with you
Around the home
German Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
Sensitivity
Differs
Needs a calm, predictable home
Hardy, takes a busy home in its stride
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Differs
Chases; needs managing
Usually fine with small pets
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The German Shepherd grows to the heavier adult, about 38 kg against the Labrador Retriever's 31 kg.
German Shepherd
Labrador Retriever
More comparisons
Compare the German Shepherd with
Sources
- 1VetCompass UK. Primary-care veterinary records. ↑
- 2American Kennel Club. Labrador Retriever breed page. ↑
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- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
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- 10Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 11Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 12American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 13
Parts of this page were written by AI ·