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Comparison

German Shepherd Dog vs Golden Retriever

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

"German Shepherd Dog studio portrait"
Large11.3 yr avg

German Shepherd Dog

AKC · Herding

View breed
"Golden Retriever studio portrait"
Large13.2 yr avg

Golden Retriever

AKC · Sporting

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

German Shepherd Dog

Lifespan11.3 yrrange 11–12
SizeLarge
Weight50–90 lb22.7–40.8 kg
Height22–26 in55.9–66 cm
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10
AKC groupHerding
Energy5/590 min/day
Trainability5/5
Shedding4/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs3/5
Large

Golden Retriever

Lifespan13.2 yrrange 13–14
SizeLarge
Weight55–75 lb24.9–34 kg
Height21.5–24 in54.6–61 cm
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10
AKC groupSporting
Energy3/545 min/day
Trainability5/5
Shedding4/5
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.

German Shepherd Dog

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

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

  • 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 ~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/.

Golden Retriever

  • 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 ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

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

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect 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 Golden Retriever tends to live about 1.9 years longer on average than the German Shepherd Dog (13.2 vs 11.3 years).

Both are large breeds, so housing footprint and exercise planning read similarly.

Energy levels differ significantly. German Shepherd Dogs need substantially more daily exercise than Golden Retrievers — plan for 90+ active minutes per day with the German Shepherd Dog.

See German Shepherd Dog profileSee Golden Retriever profile
Or calculate your dog's age
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