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Comparison

Australian Shepherd vs Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Side-by-side comparison from peer-reviewed sources. Lifespan and health figures draw on Royal Veterinary College VetCompass and AKC breed data.

"Australian Shepherd studio portrait"
Large13.7 yr avg

Australian Shepherd

AKC · Herding

View breed
"Cavalier King Charles Spaniel studio portrait"
Small11.8 yr avg

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

AKC · Toy

View breed
At a glance

Side-by-side

The numbers that most change day-to-day care. A citrus border marks a meaningful advantage.

Large

Australian Shepherd

Lifespan13.7 yrrange 12–15
SizeLarge
Weight40–65 lb18.1–29.5 kg
Height18–23 in45.7–58.4 cm
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10
AKC groupHerding
Energy5/590 min/day
Trainability5/5
Shedding3/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs3/5
Small

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Lifespan11.8 yrrange 11–12
SizeSmall
Weight13–18 lb5.9–8.2 kg
Height12–13 in30.5–33 cm
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12
AKC groupToy
Energy3/545 min/day
Trainability4/5
Shedding2/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs5/5
Health

Common health issues

Top 3 prevalence-ranked conditions for each breed. See each breed's full health profile for screening schedules and source data.

Australian Shepherd

  • Moderatetypical onset ~8 yr

    Degenerative Myelopathy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Degenerative Myelopathy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

  • High prevalencetypical onset ~8 yr

    Degenerative Myelopathy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Degenerative Myelopathy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Synthesis

Which is right for you?

The Australian Shepherd tends to live about 1.9 years longer on average than the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (13.7 vs 11.8 years).

Size gap is meaningful: the Australian Shepherd is large and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is small. Expect different considerations for housing, travel, and vet-care costs.

Energy levels differ significantly. Australian Shepherds need substantially more daily exercise than Cavalier King Charles Spaniels — plan for 90+ active minutes per day with the Australian Shepherd.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels carry a heavier breed-specific health burden (1 high-prevalence conditions vs 0 for the Australian Shepherd). Budget for screening accordingly.

See Australian Shepherd profileSee Cavalier King Charles Spaniel profile
Or calculate your dog's age
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