Australian Shepherd

Australian Shepherd, breed of herding dog that, despite its name, was developed in the western United States in the late 1800s primarily from British-derived herding dogs, most of which came to the American West via the East and Midwest, though some arrived via Australia. Other ancestors of the Australian Shepherd may have come to the American West with Basque immigrants from the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, where a smaller but similar-looking breed, the smooth-faced Pyrenean Shepherd, developed. A hardy dog with strong herding and guarding instincts, the Australian Shepherd stands 18 to 23 inches (46 to 58 cm) tall at the withers and weighs 40 to 65 pounds (18 to 29.5 kg). Notable is its highly variable coat, which, according to American Kennel Club standards, can be black, blue merle (marbled gray on black), red merle (red marbled with beige), or red, with or without white markings or tan (copper) points. There is often a white collar and white on the neck, chest, legs, muzzle, and underparts or a white blaze on the head. The coat is medium length, slightly wavy, with moderate feathering on the legs and a longer mane and frill on the throat and upper chest. The eyes are brown, blue, or amber, and in some dogs each eye is a different colour. The tail is often naturally bobbed.

In addition to herding and farm work, Australian Shepherds have been used for search and rescue, police work, therapy work, and aid to blind, deaf, or otherwise physically disabled people. They are valued family pets but require a high level of activity.

Care and upkeep

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The Australian Shepherd requires a great deal of mental and physical exercise. It needs a long jog or vigorous play for at least an hour a day. Aussies enjoy retrieving, swimming, tugging, and running. They especially like and excel in such dog sports as herding, agility, obedience, nose work, tracking, and dock diving.

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At home the Australian Shepherd should have a well-fenced yard, though it is not generally an escape artist. The breed prefers fairly cool weather. Coat care consists of occasional bathing plus brushing at least once a week. However, during shedding season more frequent brushing is needed.

The breed is subject to some eye diseases, including cataracts. Other common health concerns include hip dysplasia and epilepsy. Merle dogs should never be bred to one another, as the resultant “double merles” (homozygous merles) can have serious hearing and vision problems. Some Australian Shepherds have naturally short “bob tails.” Such dogs should also not be bred together, as some offspring will have serious spinal defects.

Temperament

As a herder and ranch hand, the Australian Shepherd is required to be active, independent-thinking, responsive, bold, and alert. This combination can prove too demanding for owners who cannot devote hours every day to interacting with their dog. Aussies bred from working lines tend to be more demanding than those bred from companion or show lines. However, all Australian Shepherds have these traits to some degree. They are very playful, interactive, and demonstrative dogs, responsive to commands and quick to learn. Aussies often act aloof toward strangers, and they can be domineering toward unfamiliar dogs. They are alert watchdogs and fairly effective protection dogs. Some may bark excessively. It should be noted that these claims are traditional and widely accepted generalizations about the breed, and the behaviour of individual Australian Shepherds may differ.