Shepherd Dog Breeds – Different Types and Characters

Shepherd dog breeds are often said to be the dog breeds with intelligence that is far above a normal dog breed. Also known as a working dog or a herding dog, these types of dog breeds are perfect for those who are looking to get various tasks done, from being a house protector to a livestock guardian.

Shepherd dog breeds for this very reason may often come at a price that might be slightly harder to afford for an average person, although affording them might be possible at times. Shepherd dogs besides this are said to be rather vicious when it comes to an intruder or a certain predator, especially so since they are made to fight off predators.

This article will be looking at some of these top 20 shepherd dog breeds that may be the best choice for your house or even your farm on which you may have a good amount of livestock. Keep reading below to know more!

Top 20 Shepherd Dog Breeds

This list will be dealing with some of the top 20 shepherd dog breeds that are both protective and intelligent while being able to fight off predators:

1. German Shepherd

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-26 inches
• Weight: 50-90 pounds
• Coat and Color: Medium Length double coat. Colors include Blue, Gray, Liver, White, Black, etc.
• Life Span: 7-10 years
• Origin: Germany

Intelligent and ready to spring into action, The German shepherd is one of the finest working dogs that one can find commonly as these dog breeds are often readily available for purchase. The German shepherd is instinctually wary of strangers and will become violent at them at the slight prospect of a certain threat.

Although, these dogs can be socialized early in their lives to be slightly less wary of strangers and not jump at them in a defensive manner.

2. Belgian Malinois

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-26 inches
• Weight: 40-80 pounds
• Coat and Color: Short-length smooth coat. Colors include Mahogany, Fawn, Red Sable, etc.
• Life Span: 14-16 years
• Origin: Belgium, Malines

Highly intelligent and filled with unending energy, the Malinois dog breed is agile and the perfect guard dog to keep in a household. Be warned that as these dogs are energetic, they will need good amounts of exercise to keep them non-destructive and happy.

3. Bergamasco Sheepdog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-24 inches
• Weight: 57-84 pounds
• Coat and Color: A long coat that is corded. The colors are Black and Gray
• Life Span: 13-15 years
• Origin: Italy

Huge and hairy with cords, the Bergamasco Sheepdog are great multitasking dogs, from being family pets to working dogs. These dogs can be wary of strangers, but won’t resort to violence until they feel truly threatened.

It is important to make sure these dogs are given good amounts of activities to partake in and regular exercise to keep them healthy.

4. Australian Kelpie

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding (technically unrecognized by AKC)
• Height: 17-20 inches
• Weight: 35-50 pounds
• Coat and Color: Smooth double coat that is short and has Black, Chocolate, and Fawn colors, etc.
• Life Span: 10-13 years
• Origin: Australia

Loyal and intelligent, the Australian kelpie is a tough cookie, for their coats are made in such a way that is can withstand the harshest climates of Australia. This makes the Australian kelpie one of the most sought-after dog breeds in Australia simply due to their overall resilience, agility, and never-ending energy to keep working.

These dogs desire work, therefore giving them something to do can be a great way to keep them occupied and mentally stimulated for better performance overall.

5. Old English Sheepdog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 21-22 inches
• Weight: 60-100 pounds
• Coat and Color: A long double coat that has Gray & White, Blue & White, and Grizzle & White colors along with possible combinations.
• Life Span: 10-12 years
• Origin: England

Cuddly and extremely furry, the old English sheepdog might be a heavy giant, but they are some of the best sheepdogs when it comes to intelligence and overall working capacity. With a coat that can withstand harsh weather, these dogs can work in different environments while also being alert to potential strangers.

6. Anatolian Shepherd Dog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Working
• Height: 27-29 inches
• Weight: 80-150 pounds
• Coat and Color: Smooth and short coat. Colors are Fawn, Biscuit & White, Brindle, etc.
• Life Span: 11-13 years
• Origin: Turkey

Bred to be a livestock guardian, the Anatolian Shepherd dog, also referred to as the “Kangal” dog at times, is probably one of the strongest dog breeds that one could hope to find in all dog breeds so far. The problem that may arise with handling an Anatolian shepherd is the very fact that they can be stubborn and strong due to their personality as a guardian.

Therefore, it is recommended to only get them if you are sure that you can handle these dogs correctly and without losing your control.

7. Shetland Sheepdog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 13-16 inches
• Weight: 15-25 pounds
• Coat and Color: Double long coat. Colors are Black & White, Sable Merle & White, etc.
• Life Span: 12-14 years
• Origin: Scotland

Quick and ready to please, the Shetland sheepdog is one hard worker who can both the cold and warm winters with perfect care. These dogs have an intelligence that is much above the average intelligence of many dogs and can understand commands in a few gestures rather than many.

8. Bearded Collie

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 20-22 inches
• Weight: 44-55 pounds
• Coat and Color: A long double coat that is silky. Colors mainly can be either Brown, Fawn, Blue, Black, or a combination of these
• Life Span: 12-14 years
• Origin: Scotland

Bored but alert and watchful of troublesome elements, this dog breed is one of the most different dog breeds out there due to mainly their double coat which is long and shaggy, even covering up their face. These dogs may act regal in nature, but they can be perfect for herding livestock while also being playful when not doing anything!

9. Belgian Sheepdog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-26 inches
• Weight: 45-75 pounds
• Coat and Color: Medium-length double coat with colors that mainly include Black, Black & White
• Life Span: 12-14 years
• Origin: Belgium

Highly responsive to training and effective at herding, the Belgian Sheepdog (also known as Groenendael) is a tall and imposing dog with distinctly erect ears. These dogs may be extremely wary of strangers and won’t take it lightly if they do something to get on their bad side.

It might be important to make sure you give your Belgian Sheepdog good socialization training to keep them from being otherwise violent to strangers.

10. Border Collie

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 18-22 inches
• Weight: 30-55 pounds
• Coat and Color: Wavy topcoat and undercoat medium in size. Colors are Black, Blue Lilac, etc.
• Life Span: 12-15 years
• Origin: Anglo-Scottish border

Mainly used for herding livestock such as cattle and sheep while keeping a protective watch over them, these intelligent dogs are perfect as both household pets and herding dogs. These dogs are highly agile and will often require heavy amounts of long exercise as compared to other breeds.

For many, these dogs can be perfect as guard dogs while being companions to an owner. Be warned, that leaving these dogs alone for too long will make them develop behavioral issues that may not be a good thing in the long run.

11. Welsh Corgi

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 10-12 inches
• Weight: 28-30 pounds
• Coat and Color: Short double coat. Colors are Sable, Black & Tan, Fawn or Red
• Life Span: 12-13 years
• Origin: Pembrokeshire, Wales

Tiny and adorable, these dogs may look delicate and fragile from the outside, but they are heavy workers and are intelligent to boot. These dogs are always looking for love and adoration, this means they can be great family dogs.

The Welsh Corgi is savvy enough to both be working on the field, be a good herding dog, or even be one of Queen Elizabeth’s II personal companion dogs!

12. White Swiss Shepherd Dog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 21-26 inches
• Weight: 55-88 pounds
• Coat and Color: Medium-long double coat. Color is generally White or a combination of White & Cream
• Life Span: 10 years
• Origin: Switzerland

Also called Berger Blanc Suisse, this dog breed is some of the most regal-looking dogs who are of calm disposition while being physically strong and intimidating. These dogs can be good as watchdogs or guard dogs, but they might need some training as these dogs by nature are shy and won’t really bark too much at a stranger.

On the other hand, these dogs won’t hesitate to be threatening towards other canines who might be smaller or the same size.

13. Belgian Tervuren

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-26 inches
• Weight: 45-75 pounds
• Coat and Color: Medium-sized double coat. Colors are Fawn & Black or Mahogany & Black.
• Life Span: 12-14 years
• Origin: Tervuren, Belgium

Eager to please while being alert, the Belgian Tervuren is normally calm, although this dog breed can require hours of exercise and play to successfully maintain their calm behavior and keep them from becoming destructive.

With a normally elegant behavior and intelligence befitting of a herding dog, these breeds may be the perfect pet for a household or a farm.

14. Finnish Lapphund

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 16-21 inches
• Weight: 33-53 pounds
• Coat and Color: Medium-sized double coat. The colors are Black, Wolf Sable, Blonde, Brown, Tan, and Cream.
• Life Span: 12-15 years
• Origin: Finland

Wolf-like in appearance with a fitting coat for the harsh cold weather, this dog is mainly a reindeer herder, although can work on many other tasks befitting its physique. These dogs might be wary of strangers, but they won’t become hostile to them in the long run unless actively threatened. These dogs will also need attention as neglect will make them miserable and be the main cause of destructive behavior.

15. Australian Cattle Dog

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 17-20 inches
• Weight: 35-50 pounds
• Coat and Color: Coat that is short in size and with normally Black-Brown colorings or shades of other colors.
• Life Span: 12-16 years
• Origin: Australia

Normally bred for herding cattle over long distances, this dog can be extremely protective of its owner or the family members of its owners. As with other dogs of a herding breed, these dogs too are energetic and playful, this means that they will need plenty of mental stimulation to keep them from going destructive and miserable.

16. Huntaway

Breed Overview:

• Group: Working
• Height: 20-24 inches
• Weight: 40-77 pounds
• Coat and Color: Medium-length coat that can be wavy. Colors can be a combination of Black & Brown along with some other colors.
• Life Span: 12-14 years
• Origin: New Zealand

Also called “New Zealand Huntaway”, these dogs are a crossbreed of various dogs such as Border Collie, Doberman or Labrador, etc. These dogs are highly intelligent and less prone to getting diseases due to their mixed breed genes. These dogs also have inherited the activeness of their parents and are more than willing to embark on a good amount of exercise and any sort of work to keep themselves occupied.

These dogs, however, are tolerant of strangers and normally won’t bark at them unless they sense some sort of ill intent.

17. Briard

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-27 inches
• Weight: 55-100 pounds
• Coat and Color: Wavy double-length coat that is long. Colors include Tawny, Gray, or Black shades.
• Life Span: 12 years
• Origin: France

Adorable and fluffy with their long and wavy coat hair, these dogs may almost seem ditzy, but they are highly competent herders who desire to please their owners as much as possible. These dogs however are typical high-maintenance as they both need to be groomed regularly alongside getting proper exercises.

These dogs, however, can be good watchdogs and are normally wary of strangers, something that is common with many herding dogs.

18. Beauceron

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 24-28 inches
• Weight: 70-110 pounds
• Coat and Color: Short-sized smooth topcoat and undercoat. Colors include Black & Rust, Harlequin, etc.
• Life Span: 10-12 years
• Origin: France

Normally intimidating and almost similar to a Doberman due to their erect ears and coat colorings, these dogs are the perfect herders who won’t stop in the middle of a work. Originally bred for hunting boars, these dogs are extremely agile, and outrunning them would be equivalent to trying to outrun a car, which generally won’t go well for an intruder.

19. Rough Collie

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 22-26 inches
• Weight: 50-75 pounds
• Coat and Color: Rough double coat which is long in length. Colors are generally Black White & Tan, White, Sable, etc.
• Life Span: 12-14 years
• Origin: Scotland, United Kingdom

Instantly recognizable due to their rich hanging white fur with shades of black and tan, these dogs are the perfect herders who may seem intimidating and tall but are actually playful when inside a house. These dogs are highly sensitive to emotions and may be able to figure out what is going on in a family if things are slightly tense.

On the other hand, these dogs will also slightly be wary of strangers and generally are not that playful, they would rather go about their business soon than play roughhousing with children.

20. Miniature American Shepherd

Breed Overview:

• Group: Herding
• Height: 13-18 inches
• Weight: 20-40 pounds
• Coat and Color: Double medium-sized coat. Colors are generally Black, Red, Red Merle, and Blue Merle.
• Life Span: 12-13 years
• Origin: United States

Despite their tiny frame and fluffy structure, these dogs are bred to be competent herders and won’t disappoint while looking over and herding cattle or livestock. However, as with other shepherd dogs, these too are always excitable and require good amounts of playtime and exercises to maintain their sanity and overall productive behavior.

These dogs can also be great companion pets, however, they won’t take roughhousing too well and will instinctively take on their herding behavior by barking and nipping at times.

Conclusion

Shepherd dogs in most cases are generally known for their productive and energetic behavior, however, they are also wary of strangers and normally wouldn’t take too much raucous noise well and become slightly irritated. One thing that an owner has to take care of when getting a Shepherd dog is they are getting these dog breeds from a reputable breeder.

In general senses, as long as you are making sure to get a health certificate from the breeder, chatting with them for long periods to get an idea of how good they are. It will also help to make sure that the dogs are properly vaccinated before making a deposit of any sort and that the puppies are over 6-8 weeks of age before properly getting them.