The Golden Retriever ranked No. 3 in the AKC's 2025 popularity rankings. The Dutch Shepherd, in the AKC's words, is "not a widely known breed." Here is how the two compare, from the AKC breed pages, both official standards and the AKC's expert articles. We breed Dutch Shepherds, and our honest read is that the Golden Retriever may be the easier fit for a first dog, for a home with young children, or for a home that wants a friendly greeter. Both are active breeds, and neither is a dog for a home with little time for one.

Azul, Alpha Kennels' brindle Dutch Shepherd, sitting on a sandy beach with both ears upright, wearing a brown leather collar and a blue patterned bandana, a purple rope leash on the sand in front of her, waves and a cloudy sky behind her
Azul, at the beach.

At a glance

Heights come from each official standard. Both the Golden standard and the AKC's Dutch Shepherd breed page give weights, but the Dutch standard sets none, so the Dutch weight is named with its page.

Our pair, for the record: Azul (our female) is 75 to 80 pounds and Dabo (our male) is heavier. Those are two adult dogs, not a promise about any puppy's adult size. Our size guide has more, and our Stud Book explainer covers the 2027 move.

Where each one comes from

The AKC calls the Golden Retriever "an exuberant Scottish gundog of great beauty," and its breed page says the first Lord Tweedmouth "developed the breed in the Scottish Highlands." The AKC says that for "a breed built to retrieve waterfowl for hours on end, swimming and fetching are natural pastimes." The Golden standard says "Primarily a hunting dog."

The AKC says the Dutch Shepherd "was developed as an all-purpose farm dog, working originally as a farm guard, drover, and livestock dog." One began as a Scottish gundog and the other as a Dutch farm dog.

Size

The AKC breed page calls the Golden Retriever "a sturdy, muscular dog of medium size," and the standard asks for a "symmetrical, powerful, active dog." The Dutch Shepherd standard asks for a "well-muscled dog of powerful and well-balanced structure" with "lots of endurance." Our own pair sits at the top of the Dutch range and past it: Azul is 75 to 80 pounds, and Dabo is heavier.

Energy and exercise: two active breeds

The AKC says "Like most Sporting breeds, Goldens need plenty of daily exercise," and that "A Golden who doesn't get enough exercise is likely to engage in undesirable behavior." Its expert article says that without enough activity, Goldens "can become bored and may develop unwanted behaviors." The breed page scores energy 3 of 5 on the AKC's scale, and the same page says Goldens need plenty of daily exercise.

The Dutch Shepherd, in the AKC's words, "has been bred for hard work, and plenty of it," and "does not want to be a pet left at home; they want to be your partner in life." The AKC adds that the dog "will differentiate between work, play, and chill time, adjusting its energy level accordingly." That is the off-switch. Our guides to exercise and mental exercise cover it.

Coat and shedding

The AKC says the Golden's "thick, water-repellant double coat" sheds heavily "once or twice a year," with moderate shedding "on a continuous basis." Brushing "once or twice a week" will remove much of the dead hair most of the time, and during heavy shedding the brushing sessions "turn into daily affairs."

On the AKC breed pages, the Golden scores 4 of 5 for shedding and 2 of 5 for grooming frequency, and the Dutch Shepherd 3 of 5 and 2 of 5. A short-haired Dutch Shepherd "will only need occasional brushing," switching to daily brushing during the spring and fall sheds. Our coat guide covers all three Dutch coats.

Temperament: strangers, family and kids

The Golden standard calls the breed "Friendly, reliable, and trustworthy." The AKC says Goldens "are outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please family dogs." Its expert article says they "typically get along well with strangers, children, and other pets" and are "not typically suited for watchdog roles." The breed page scores the Golden 5 of 5 for openness to strangers, at the "Everyone Is My Best Friend" end.

The Dutch Shepherd standard asks for "loyalty and reliability, alertness, and watchfulness," and the AKC breed page scores the breed 5 of 5 on the watchdog scale, at the "Vigilant" end, and 3 of 5 for openness to strangers.

Dabo, Alpha Kennels' brindle Dutch Shepherd, lying on a tan carpet with his ears upright and his mouth open, an orange rubber ball between his front paws, a bookshelf and a plain wall behind him
Dabo, at home.

For families, the AKC says Goldens are "very good with children thanks to their gentle and patient nature" and "can keep up with kids' level of energy and playfulness." The breed page scores the Golden 5 of 5 for young children, at the "Good With Children" end, and 5 of 5 for other dogs. The Dutch Shepherd scores 3 of 5 for each. The AKC puts the same note on both breeds' pages: "Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs."

For the Dutch Shepherd, "provided with proper mental and physical exercise," the AKC says the dog "makes a great pet for an active family familiar with dogs." Our temperament guide and working dogs and kids guide go deeper.

Training, recall and independence

The AKC says Goldens are "relatively easy to train due to their intelligence and desire to please," and its breed page says "As with all breeds, early socialization and puppy training classes are recommended." The AKC's expert article calls Goldens "often a good choice for first-time owners."

Both breeds score 5 of 5 for trainability, but the Dutch Shepherd's page reads differently. "Because of their keen intelligence," the AKC says, the breed "does better with shorter training sessions (with little repetitions)," and it "can be slightly obstinate and have a mind of its own." The AKC's warning: "Without training, this breed will become very independent and will start to make its own decisions, so obedience training is highly recommended." Our guide to teaching a Dutch Shepherd to come when called covers the Dutch side.

Who each one fits

If this is your first dog, or you have young children, the Golden may be the easier fit, and we would rather say so than point you toward the wrong dog.

The short version: the AKC says Goldens need plenty of daily exercise, and the Dutch Shepherd "has been bred for hard work, and plenty of it." The AKC calls Goldens "often a good choice for first-time owners" and says they "typically get along well with strangers, children, and other pets." The Golden Retriever was recognized by the AKC in 1925, and the Dutch Shepherd moves into the AKC Stud Book on June 30, 2027. The AKC says the Dutch Shepherd "makes a great pet for an active family familiar with dogs," provided with proper mental and physical exercise.

Which one?

Pick either and you take on an active breed that needs daily exercise. If this is your first dog or you have young children, the Golden may be your dog. If your family is active and has raised dogs before, the Dutch Shepherd may be a good fit.

Still weighing breeds? Read our comparisons with the Border Collie and the German Shepherd, then work through our ten honest questions.

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