The Australian Shepherd is perfect for anyone wanting a smart, higly trainable, versatile dog that can work or play all day. Their loyalty, character and sense of humour will not dissapoint. If you have the time and commitment to share your life with an Aussie their exhuberance for life will be infectious.
The Aussie was developed to be a medium sized all purpose working dog of great intelligence, character and endurance. Even dogs that have never seen sheep and cattle usally still have a very strong herding instinct. With this in mind, adequate fencing of your yard is essential, as the temptation to get out and herd up the local children might be too great!
Running, jumping and some rough play are all part of their nature. Owners should be commited to giving their Aussie the time, training and attention that they requirre. This will avoid having a bored Aussie which might see some undesired pasttimes coming to light, ie. digging, chewing & barking. These are not dogs to be just left in the back yard all the time, they love to be with you and would like to help with the chores!
Being an active dog they are idealy suited to someone wanting to do agility, herding, obedience, or just a busy family willing to include the dog in all their activities.
ORIGIN: Basques sheep herders immigrated from Australia to the western United States of America as Australian wool became popular. Americans imported boatloads of Australian sheep in the late 1800's, accompanied by the Basque shepherds and their dogs. It was at this time that the "little blue dogs" began to be noticed. Because the dogs accompanied their Basque herdsmen from Australia, they came to be known as Australian Shepherds, even though they were developed in America.
In the ranges he became a dependable herdig dog of superior intelligence and a loyal family companion. Legend has it that the Indians held a reverence for these dogs because of the unusual blue eyes. Indians left these "sacred dogs" and their owners unharmed.
Aussies came to the public eye as trick dogs, with acts performed at rodeos throughout the USA during the 1950's & 1960's. In 1957 a club was formed by fanciers of the breed, but it took until 1993 for the breed to be fully recognised by the American Kennel Council. The first dogs arriving in Australia in 1990 and they were recognised by the Australian Kennel Council in 1994. Many fanciers of the breed have imported dogs into Australia from across the USA and the breed is growing in popularity today.
Australian Shepherds come in the following colours, blue merle, red merle, black tri & red tri - all these colours come with or without white markings and copper points. The typical Aussie male should stand about 51-58cm (20-23 inches) at the shoulder with the females being 45-53cm (18-21 inches). Many Aussies are born as a natural 'bob-tail', many have a tail that varies greatly in length.
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