Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd" Compare Golden Retriever and Miniature American Shepherd. Which is better: Golden Retriever or Miniature American Shepherd?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Golden Retriever	Miniature American Shepherd
Origins	Scotland	United States
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Group	Gun Dog	Working Dogs
Popularity Rank	3	35
Reviews	2	0
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Other Names	Yellow Retriever, Golden Flat Coat	North American Shepherd, Mini American, MAS, Ameri
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1925 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2015 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Retrievers section.	Not recognized by FCI.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	No set
Price	$1000-$2000	$900-$1000

General Appearance - Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd

Size	Large	Small Medium
Weight	Male: 60-80 pounds (27-36 kg), Female: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg)	15-35 pounds (6-16 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 70 pounds (31.5 kg), Female: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg)	25 pounds (11 kg)
Height	Male: 22-24 inches (56-61cm), Female: 20-22 inches (51-56 cm)	Male: 14–18 inches (36–46 cm), Female: 13–17 inches (33–43 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 21 inches (53.5 cm)	Male: 14–18 inches (36–46 cm), Female: 13–17 inches (33–43 cm)

Hair & Care - Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd

Coat	Silky Wavy Shiny Straight	Smooth
Colors	Golden Light	Merle Blue White Black
Grooming	Average: The Golden Retriever requires average grooming effort.	Easy to groom: The Miniature American Shepherd doesn't require a lot of grooming.
Shedding Level	Golden Retrievers shed moderately.	Miniature American Shepherds shed moderately.

Characteristics - Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd

Temperament	Confident Intelligent Reliable Friendly Kind Trustworthy	Devoted Intelligent Energetic Loyal
Intelligent Rank	Outstanding: Golden Retriever is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Average: Miniature American Shepherd's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Golden Retrievers are easy to train.	Miniature American Shepherds are very easy to train.
Playfulness	The Golden Retriever is a highly playful breed.	The Miniature American Shepherd is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Golden Retrievers have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.
Affection Level	Golden Retrievers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	Miniature American Shepherds are highly affectionate dogs.
Social Needs	Golden Retrievers need a lot of social interaction.	Miniature American Shepherds need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Low to Average: The Golden Retriever rarely barks.	Low to Average: The Miniature American Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Golden Retrievers are average watchdogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are average watchdogs.
Territorial	Golden Retrievers are average defenders.	Miniature American Shepherds are average defenders.
Biting Potential	Moderate The Golden Retriever has an average chance of biting somebody.	Low The Miniature American Shepherd has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Golden Retrievers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Miniature American Shepherds have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Golden Retrievers tend to escape less than other breeds.	Miniature American Shepherds have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.
Prey Drive	Golden Retrievers have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Miniature American Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Golden Retrievers are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Miniature American Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Golden Retrievers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Miniature American Shepherds don't adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Golden Retrievers tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	Golden Retrievers are very stranger friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are not the most stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Golden Retrievers are very kid-friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Golden Retrievers are cat-friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Golden Retrievers are very dog-friendly dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are average friendly towards other dogs.
Office Friendly	Yes Golden Retriever is one of the best dog breeds for office environment	No Miniature American Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Golden Retrievers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Miniature American Shepherds are usually recommended for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Golden Retrievers are usually friendly towards other pets.	Miniature American Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	Yes Golden Retrievers are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.	No Miniature American Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Yes Golden Retriever breed usually likes being on a boat.	Not really Miniature American Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd

Health Issues	Golden Retrievers are commonly healthy dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds tend to have more and frequent health issues than other breeds.
Health Problems	Allergies Bloat Cataracts Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Hemangiosarcoma Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Osteochondrosis Dissecans Osteosarcoma Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis Von Willebrand's Disease	No set
Life Expectancy	10-12 years	13-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Golden Retrievers are high energy dogs.	Miniature American Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Golden Retrievers need a lot of exercises.	Miniature American Shepherds have an average exercise need.
Sleeping Need	Golden Retrievers don't need too much sleep.	Miniature American Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	1 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	High: The Golden Retriever breed has a strong tendency to overweight.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Golden Retriever has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Miniature American Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Golden Retriever drools quite a lot, so if you dislike being covered by slobber spots on your clothes, you may want to choose another dog breed.	The Miniature American Shepherd is a perfect example for low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Golden Retriever vs Miniature American Shepherd

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	5-10 puppies	2-6 puppies
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