Australian Shepherds

The Australian Shepherd is a breed of herding dog that was developed on ranches in the Western United States. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not in fact originate in Australia. They acquired their name because of its association with Basque sheepherders who came to the United States from Australia.
Australian Shepherds rose rapidly in popularity with the boom of western riding after World War II. They became known to the general public through rodeos, horse shows, and through Disney movies made for television.

For decades Aussies have been valued by stockmen for their inherent versatility and trainability. While they continue to work as stock dogs and compete in herding trials, the breed has earned recognition in other roles due to their trainability and eagerness to please, and are highly regarded for their skills in obedience. Like all working breeds, the Aussie has considerable energy and drive, and usually needs a job to do. It often excels at dogsport such as dog agility, flyball and frisbee. They are also highly successful search and rescue dogs, disaster dogs, detection dogs, guide, service, and therapy dogs. And, above all, they are beloved family companions.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN United States

SIZE

An ideal Aussie will stand between 18 and 23 inches (46 to 58 cm) and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg). Females should fall between 18″ and 21″ and males from 20″ to 23″. The large accepted variation in height reflects the varied tasks and conditions that are part of the life of an American working stockdog. A dog too small will be too easily injured, and a dog too large will not have the necessary athletic ability. Whether they work or not, all Aussies should be physically able to do the job that the breed was developed to do.

COAT

The coat comes in four colours – blue merle, solid black red merle, or solid red, with no order of preference. All may be with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points. Black and solid red dogs with both tan and white trim along with the primary colour are usually referred to as “tricolour”. Eye colour can be brown, amber, blue or any combination of these. White over the eyes and ears and white body splashes can be an indication of deafness and blindness in this breed.

A hallmark of the breed is a short bobbed or docked tail in countries where docking is permitted. Some Aussies are born with naturally short bob tails, others with partial bob tails or long tails.

CARE REQUIRED

Relatively little grooming is needed for its coat. During moulting the under layer of the coat is shed, requiring a good combing to remove loose hairs.

CHARACTER

The Australian Shepherd requires a family or individual who is willing to spend a lot of time with the dog. They were bred to work and may get bored if not given a task, possibly resorting to unacceptable behavior if entertainment and activity is not provided. A bored Aussie may resort to barking, chasing, digging and anything else it can find as an outlet to boredom. They require a large yard and plenty of activity.

This is not the breed for everyone. The Breed Standard states, “primarily a working dog of strong herding and guardian instincts”. “Primarily” means this is a strong part of the breed’s genetic makeup. The Standard also states, “reserved with strangers”. Although some Aussies are quite friendly, it is typical of the breed to prefer to have little contact with people they don’t know. It is also not uncommon for an Aussie to become territorial and protective of its people, their property, and what the dog considers its own space.

ANYONE WHO IS NOT PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THESE INSTINCTS SHOULD SEEK ANOTHER BREED.

TRAINING

Training is easy because the Australian Shepherd learns so quickly and eagerly. If condemned to an outing just three times a day, the Australian Shepherd may behave very tediously. In addition to a certain level of regular exercise, this breed also requires to be kept occupied. It is sensible to involve it in agility skills training, fly-ball, or obedience competitions – for which it is ideally suited.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Provided that it has been well socialized, the Australian Shepherd causes no problems with other dogs and pets. They are also generally good with children but can be a bit shy with strangers

EXERCISE

This dog needs lots of exercise, but above all it needs to be kept occupied to keep it happy. Perhaps the best home for it is with sporty people who are able every day to spend time doing things with it.