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Comparison

German Shepherd Dog vs Yorkshire Terrier

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
"Yorkshire Terrier studio portrait"
Toy13.3 yr avg

Yorkshire Terrier

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

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
Toy

Yorkshire Terrier

Lifespan13.3 yrrange 13–14
SizeToy
Weight7–7 lb3.2–3.2 kg
Height7–8 in17.8–20.3 cm
Senior at9 yrgeriatric at 13
AKC groupToy
Energy4/560 min/day
Trainability4/5
Shedding1/5
With kids5/5
With other dogs3/5
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/.

Yorkshire Terrier

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation 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/.

  • 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 Yorkshire Terrier tends to live about 2.0 years longer on average than the German Shepherd Dog (13.3 vs 11.3 years).

Size gap is meaningful: the German Shepherd Dog is large and the Yorkshire Terrier is toy. Expect different considerations for housing, travel, and vet-care costs.

Energy levels are close, with a slight edge to the German Shepherd Dog (90 min/day of directed exercise).

See German Shepherd Dog profileSee Yorkshire Terrier profile
Or calculate your dog's age
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