10 dog breed lookalikes and how to spot the difference

Dalmation and lookalike white dog wearing spotted hoody.

There are lots of dog breed lookalikes out there – where two breeds are quite similar and tricky to tell apart. So, if you ever find yourself looking at a dog and thinking, “Wait, is that a __ or a __?”, we’re here to help!

I’m Dr Hannah Godfrey, BVetMed MRCVS, and I graduated from the Royal Veterinary College back in 2011. It’s certainly true that the dog breeds that were popular when I first qualified aren’t as common anymore. These days, most dogs I see in my consult room are so-called designer crossbreeds, such as cockapoos and cavachons.

Whether pedigree or mixed breed, some dogs can look very similar – so let’s take a look at some examples of dog breed lookalikes and find out how to tell them apart.

Dog breed lookalikes

1. Shih Tzu vs Lhasa Apso

(Image credit: Getty Images)

	Shih Tzu	Lhasa Apso
Height	9-10.5 inches	10-11 inches
Weight	9-16 pounds	12-18 pounds
Coat	Long sleek hair Colors include combinations of black, gold, brindle, white, red, silver, blue, liver, and red	Long sleek hair Colors include combinations of black, golden, tan, cream, grizzle, white, red, and blue
Personality	Affectionate, fun and playful	Intelligent and playful when they get to know you, often indifferent to new people
Exercise needs	Minimal exercise required	Minimal exercise required

Read our breed profiles on the Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso.

2. French Bulldog vs Boston Terrier

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	French Bulldog	Boston Terrier
Height	11-13 inches	10-12 inches
Weight	<28 pounds	12-25 pounds
Coat	Short, sleek hair with minimal shedding Colors include combinations of white, fawn, brindle, and cream	Short sleek hair with minimal shedding Colors include combinations of black, white, brindle, and seal
Personality	Affectionate, fun, and friendly with dogs and people	Lively, friendly, and curious
Exercise needs	Minimal to moderate exercise required	Moderate exercise required

Read our breed profiles on the French Bulldog and Boston Terrier, or our full comparison of the Boston Terrier vs French Bulldog.

3. Siberian Husky vs Alaskan Malamute

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	Siberian Husky	Alaskan Malamute
Height	20-23.5 inches	23-25 inches
Weight	35-60 pounds	75-85 pounds
Coat	A thick double coat, lots of shedding Colors include agouti, sable, red, gray, or black, combined with white	A thick double coat that sheds Colors include red, sable, black, gray, or seal, combined with white
Personality	Friendly, active, get on well with dogs and children	Loyal, playful, and friendly
Exercise needs	Need lots of exercise	Needs lots of exercise

Read our breed profiles on the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute or our full comparison of the Husky vs Malamute.

4. Whippet vs Italian Greyhound

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	Whippet	Italian Greyhound
Height	18-22 inches	13-15 inches
Weight	25-40 pounds	7-14 pounds
Coat	Short smooth coat Colors include combinations of black, blue, brindle, fawn, white, and red	Short smooth coat Colors include combinations of fawn, blue, red, black, sable, seal, and white
Personality	Affectionate, chilled, and gentle	Playful, curious, and intelligent
Exercise needs	Lots of exercise required (off-leash ideal)	Moderate to high exercise requirements

Read our breed profiles on the whippet and Italian Greyhound, or our comparison of the Italian Greyhound vs whippet.

5. Bearded Collie vs Old English Sheepdog

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	Bearded collie	Old English Sheepdog
Height	20-22 inches	>21-22 inches
Weight	45-55 pounds	60-100 pounds
Coat	Long thick coat, daily brushing, and weekly removal of tangles and dead hair required Colors include combinations of black, blue, brown, and fawn	Thick double coat, regular grooming required Colors include combinations of grizzle, blue, gray, and white
Personality	Friendly and playful but sometimes stubborn	Friendly, playful, and affectionate
Exercise needs	Moderate to high exercise requirements	Moderate exercise required

Read our round-up of the best herding dog breeds.

6. Bichon Frise vs Bolognese

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	Bichon Frise	Bolognese
Height	9.5-11.5 inches	10-12 inches
Weight	12-18 pounds	6-10 pounds
Coat	Thick, curly white coat	Long wavy white coat
Personality	Affectionate, intelligent, and playful	Intelligent, playful, and laidback
Exercise needs	Average exercise requirement	Minimal exercise required

Read our breed profile on the Bichon Frisé.

7. Beagle vs harrier

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	Beagle	Harrier
Height	13-15 inches	19-21 inches
Weight	19-21 inches	45-60 pounds
Coat	Short, smooth coat Usually lemon, black, white, and tan	Short double coat Usually lemon, black, white, and red
Personality	Clever, vocal, and confident	Intelligent, playful, and affectionate
Exercise needs	Lots of exercise required	Lots of exercise required

Read our breed profile on the beagle.

8. Welsh Terrier vs Lakeland Terrier

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	Welsh Terrier	Lakeland Terrier
Height	15 inches	14.5-15 inches
Weight	20 pounds	17 pounds
Coat	Medium length, wiry, double coat Usually black and tan or grizzle and tan	Short, wiry double coat Colors include combinations of black, wheaten, tan, blue, liver, grizzle, white, and red
Personality	Affectionate, friendly, and playful.	Confident, affectionate, and playful
Exercise needs	Moderate to high exercise requirements	Average exercise requirements

Read our round-ups of terrier breeds and other British dog breeds.

9. Shetland Sheepdog vs rough collie

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	Shetland Sheepdog	Rough collie
Height	13-16 inches	22-26 inches
Weight	15-25 pounds	50-75 pounds
Coat	Long double coat Colors include combinations of black, white, tan, sable, and blue	Long double coat Colors include combinations of black, white, tan, sable, and blue
Personality	Affectionate, intelligent, friendly but vocal	Friendly and affectionate with family but can be wary of other dogs and strangers
Exercise needs	Moderate exercise required

Read our breed profile on the Shetland Sheepdog and the collie – or our full comparison of Shelties vs collies.

10. Golden retriever vs Labrador Retriever

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	Golden retriever	Labrador Retriever
Height	21.5-24 inches	21.5-24.5 inches
Weight	55-75 pounds	55-80 pounds
Coat	Medium length, golden double coat	Short double coat in black, yellow, or chocolate
Personality	Affectionate, friendly, and playful	Intelligent, affectionate, playful, and energetic
Exercise needs	Moderate to high exercise requirements	Lots of exercise required

Read our breed profiles on the golden retriever and Labrador Retriever or our full comparison of the golden retriever vs labrador.

Now that you’ve read about some of the differences between these pairs of similar breeds, you should be able to make the best choice for which canine companion suits your family best!

Read next: Dog breeds with bad reputations and the most Googled dog breeds

Edited by Megan Milstead.