Australian Shepherds

Country of Origin: The Australian Shepherd is a breed of herding dog from the United States. The name of the breed is
technically a misnomer, as it was developed in California in the 19th century; the breed was unknown in Australia at the time. It is claimed that Australian Shepherds descend from a variety of herding breeds, including collies imported, alongside sheep, from Australia and New Zealand; the breed reportedly took its name from this trade. Originally used solely as a herding dog, the Australian Shepherd has become one of the most popular companion dog breeds in North America.

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Size and Description: The Australian Shepherd stands 18 to 23 inches tall at the withers and weighs 40 to 65 pounds. 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 color. The tail is often naturally bobbed.

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Coat: The Australian Shepherd is described as intelligent, active, loyal, protective, playful, and adaptive. The modern breed is predominantly bred for pets; despite this, many retain a strong herding instinct and it is not uncommon for companion dogs of the breed to try to herd children or other pets. A very active breed, the Australian Shepherd is known to become destructive if it does not receive adequate exercise.

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Temperament: The Australian Shepherd is described as intelligent, active, loyal, protective, playful, and adaptive. The
modern breed is predominantly bred for pets; despite this, many retain a strong herding instinct and it is not uncommon for companion dogs of the breed to try to herd children or other pets. A very active breed, the Australian Shepherd is known to become destructive if it does not receive adequate exercise.

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Care: 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.

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.

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Activity: Most Australian Shepherds love a game of fetch and it is a great energy burner. They usually take to playing fetch straight away. If they are not natural retrievers it may take a little training at first. A game of Frisbee with your Aussie is taking fetch to another level. Due to their athletic and high jumping ability, Aussie look spectacular playing this.

Australian Shepherds do very well at dog sports like agility. However, you don’t have to compete in an actual competition to get the benefits of an agility workout. You can set up an agility or obstacle course in your own backyard by building obstacles yourself or using items from around the home. You can also get inexpensive agility equipment.

Australian Shepherds need a job to do and there is no better job for them than what they instinctively breed for – herding. Most of us don’t have access to livestock for them to herd, but using a herding ball is a good alternative. Teaching your Aussie to play herding games will actually reduce their desire to herd people and other dogs as herding breeds often do.