Compare Australian dog breed profiles: temperament, energy, grooming, puppy prices, insurance and who each breed suits best.
Choosing a dog is a ten-to-fifteen-year decision, and the right match has far more to do with your lifestyle than with looks. Below you’ll find honest, Australian-specific profiles for our most-searched breeds — what they’re really like to live with, what they cost to buy and keep, their health watch-outs, and the homes they thrive in. Every profile is written or reviewed by people who work with animals for a living.
The monkey dog — a tiny, whiskered comedian with terrier courage and an expression that’s permanently unimpressed.
The King of Terriers — the largest of the breed group, a versatile clown-athlete that hunts, hikes and headlines family life.
A people-first powerhouse — confident, affectionate and famously devoted, for owners who lead with training and kindness.
Smart, tireless and born to work — the Kelpie needs a job, a run and your heart.
The merry little hound — a nose-powered optimist that loves everyone, follows every scent and sings about both.
A lamb in wolf’s clothing — the gentlest-looking terrier with one of the gamest hearts, and a coat that turns heads everywhere.
The elegant black Belgian — intensely loyal, whip-smart and athletic, a thinking owner’s dog that thrives on work and partnership.
The world’s most driven working dog — the choice of police and military, and a full-time lifestyle, not a pet.
The Swiss gentle giant — tri-coloured, patient and heartbreakingly short-lived, one of the most beloved family dogs on earth.
The powder-puff optimist — a cheerful, non-shedding companion bred for centuries to do one thing: make people happy.
The nose with a dog attached — 300 million scent receptors, a detective’s focus and the gentlest of souls.
The brainiac of the dog world. Brilliant, bouncy and best with an active owner.
The aristocratic Russian wolfhound — a silent, cat-like sighthound of extraordinary grace that lives for the occasional full-tilt sprint.
A cuddly, low-shedding Aussie favourite that suits apartments and families alike.
The world’s smallest dog with the world’s biggest attitude — a loyal, portable shadow that rules the household from your lap.
The lion dog of China — aloof, dignified and blue-tongued, a one-family companion that’s more cat than dog.
The merry cocker — a pocket rocket of enthusiasm that’s equally happy flushing quail or hogging the family couch.
The Lassie dog — gentle, sensitive and stunning, a family companion that herds children with a soft mouth and a soft heart.
Small body, huge personality. A brave little shadow that loves laps and blankets.
The athlete-aristocrat — velcro-loyal, whip-smart and elegant, a thinking person’s guardian that lives to work with you.
The old English gentle giant — the heaviest breed on earth and one of the softest, a dignified nanny in a fawn coat.
The inner-city comedian — quiet, compact and endlessly entertaining. Handle the heat with care.
The loyal guardian — smart, brave and devoted to its family. Needs training and a job.
A fox-faced fluffball with a watchdog’s voice and a comedian’s timing — the attentive little spitz Australia is just discovering.
Sunshine in dog form — gentle, patient and devoted. The classic family dog.
The Apollo of dogs — a gentle giant that thinks it’s a lapdog, with a heart as big as its food bill.
A majestic white mountain guardian — calm, patient and independent, bred to think for itself among the flocks.
A Golden Retriever–Poodle teddy bear — friendly, smart and low-shedding.
The velcro vizsla — a rust-coloured rocket that’s equal parts elite athlete and anxious-to-please cuddlebug.
The miniature aristocrat — a dainty, trembling sliver of sighthound elegance that lives on your lap and in your bed.
A monument of a dog — silent, dignified and devoted to one family, for experienced owners who speak fluent dog.
The aristocrat of the toy breeds — cat-like, charming and quietly hilarious, a thousand years of lap-warmer refinement.
A permanent smile wrapped in white fluff — cheerful, clever and apartment-sized, Australia’s underrated family comedian.
The smiling Dutchman — a spectacled, silver-cloud companion breed with an unmatched talent for making friends.
Australia's favourite family dog — loyal, gentle and always up for a swim.
Australia’s favourite livestock guardian — a calm, independent white giant that protects penguins, chickens and everything it calls its own.
The wrinkled titan — an ancient Italian guardian of staggering size and surprising tenderness, draped in famous folds.
A pocket-sized extrovert with a terrier’s courage — among the rarest terriers in Australia and one of the most charming.
The blushing hound of Malta — an elegant sighthound that literally glows pink with happiness when excited.
A lion-hearted two-kilo extrovert — the spitz personality at full volume in a powder-puff body.
The original Poodle — a brilliant, athletic water retriever in a cloud of curls, as clever as any breed on earth.
The second-smartest dog on earth in a three-kilo package — athletic, trainable and hypoallergenic, with a genius for mischief.
The Roman drover — a calm, confident powerhouse whose devotion to family is matched only by its need for a fair, consistent leader.
The smiling sled dog — a cloud of white fluff with a working heritage, a comedian’s soul and a voice that carries.
The Diehard — a short-legged, bearded aristocrat with unshakeable dignity and a terrier’s fearless core.
The wrinkled wonder of China — an ancient, dignified guardian whose hippopotamus muzzle hides a loyal, independent soul.
Japan’s ancient fox-dog — fastidious, independent and internet-famous, with a scream you’ll never forget.
The born runner — wolf-beautiful, escape-artist clever and comedically dramatic, bred to pull sleds all day and talk about it.
The irrepressible gundog — tireless, biddable and joyfully muddy, a top pick for active Australian families.
The merry red-and-white velcro dog — a softer, slightly shyer cousin of the English Springer that lives to be near you.
A big softie in a muscle suit — affectionate, courageous and devoted to its people.
Australia’s own pocket rocket — a bright, hardy little rat-catcher from the New England tablelands that’s all heart.
The Irish charmer — a bouncy, bearded, wheaten-coated optimist that greets life like it’s the best party ever thrown.
The silver ghost — a stunning, tireless gundog with an athletic brain and an absolute need to be with you.
A big dog on little legs — smart, comical and bossy in the best way, with a builtin smile and a herding dog’s work ethic.
Seven pounds of rat-catching terrier in a show-dog coat — brave, bossy and utterly devoted to their person.
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More breeds we cover in the selector and are expanding next: Border Terrier, Pug, Boxer, Boston Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Australian Shepherd, Whippet, Bull Terrier, Newfoundland and more.