Australian Cattle Dog vs English Springer Spaniel — Side by Side

	Australian Cattle Dog	English Springer Spaniel
Lifespan	12-15 years	12-14 years
Size	Medium	Medium
Weight	30-50 lb	40-55 lb
Energy	Very high	Very high
Grooming	Low	Moderate
Shedding	High	Moderate
With kids	With supervision	Good with kids

What actually separates them

Less hair on the sofa with the English Springer Spaniel. More with the Australian Cattle Dog.
Less brushing with the Australian Cattle Dog. More with the English Springer Spaniel.
Australian Cattle Dog tends to live longer — 12-15 years against 12-14 years.
With young children, English Springer Spaniel is the safer default — Australian Cattle Dog is listed as "With supervision".

The honest downside of each

Australian Cattle Dog

This dog was bred to nip the heels of running cattle all day, and a bored, under-exercised Cattle Dog will redirect that instinct onto joggers, bicycles, other pets, and children's ankles — it is not a mellow companion breed no matter how it looks in photos.

English Springer Spaniel

This is a gundog built to work all day in the field, and without serious daily exercise and a job to do, that friendly energy turns into a bored, anxious house dog, which sellers rarely mention alongside 'great family pet.'

Read the full pages

Australian Cattle Dog · English Springer Spaniel
Health problems, origin and what living with each is actually like.