Australian Shepherd

Temperament:

Wise, Friendly, Protective
Size: Medium
Height: 46-58 cm
Weight: 16-32 kg
Lifespan: 13-15 years
Coat: Medium Hair
Colors: Merle Factor, Red Merle, Black, Red Tri, Black Tri, Blue Merle, Red
FCI Group: Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)

The Australian Shepherd impresses with its beautiful appearance and high intelligence. Its penetrating, alert look has already melted many hearts. Although he is generally sociable, he is not suitable as a beginner's dog. Anyone who chooses this breed must know what they are getting into.

Australian Shepherd
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Characteristics

The Australian Shepherd is a herding and driving dog. The breed has been recognized by the FCI since 1996 and belongs to Group 1, Section 1: Herding Dogs. The name of the breed is often abbreviated to Aussie.

Aussies are medium sized and medium heavy with an athletic, balanced build. Males reach a shoulder height of 51 - 58 cm, bitches 46 - 53 cm. The breed standard does not specify exact weight limits. It should correspond to the overall appearance of the dog. Therefore, many use the guideline value of a maximum of 28 kg.

The head is well proportioned and matches the rest of the body. The stop is clearly visible but not pronounced. This refers to the transition from the bridge of the nose to the forehead. The eyes are almond-shaped and of medium size. They are monochrome or bicolored blue, brown or amber.

The triangular tipped ears are slightly rounded at the tip. Standing or drooping ears are not permitted according to the breed standard. Another characteristic feature is the shortened tail, also known as the natural bobtail (NBT). It is congenital in some animals. However, in some countries where it is not prohibited, breeders dock the tail afterwards.

The Aussie's coat is double-layered. The dense undercoat keeps them warm in all weathers. The top coat is of medium length, smooth to slightly wavy. The basic colors black, red, blue merle and red merle are permitted as coat colors. In addition to the basic colors, there are also variants with white and copper-colored markings. This results in a total of 16 different markings and colors.

Australian Shepherds are loyal, alert and intelligent. As herding and driving dogs, they had to master many commands and be persistent. These qualities still characterize them today. They are loyal and protective of their family. Their powers of observation and intelligence enable them to assess situations.

The Aussie tends to think for himself. If he is not trained consistently, he will start to make up his own rules. Otherwise, with good training, he is obedient, friendly and sociable.

Problems with other dogs or excessive aggression are not typical. He may show herding or chasing behavior towards other animals or children. As an owner, you should work on this with him as early as possible.

As a true working dog, the Australian Shepherd is active and willing to work. They require a lot of attention and activity. His urge to move is great, so a leisurely walk is not enough. If you want to do justice to a dog of this breed, you should plan several hours a day to keep it occupied. Owners of this breed need to be particularly creative and active.

The intelligent Aussie needs a lot of variety because he gets bored quickly. If boredom becomes too great, he will look for something to do without being asked. This rarely meets the owner's expectations and makes living together more difficult. Owners should teach their dogs early on to observe rest periods. If left unchecked, the urge to be active can get out of hand and no longer be satisfied.

Coat care:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Shedding:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Energy level:

Little
Medium
High

Trainability:

Little
Medium
Good

Children suitable:

Less
With supervision
Perfect

The right food

The Aussie is a medium-sized dog. The amount of food depends on this. It is important to ensure a balanced energy intake for puppies. They need more energy as they are still growing. If the food is too high in energy, the puppies will grow too quickly. The puppy's skeleton is not yet stable enough at this age, which can lead to deformities.

Various factors play a role in determining the amount of food a puppy needs. Age, activity level, current weight and target weight. You can use the weight of the parents as a guide.

The protein and carbohydrate content of the food should be balanced. An adequate supply of vitamins and minerals is just as important. For healthy bones, a balanced supply of calcium and phosphorus should be ensured.

Similar rules apply to adult Aussies. Here, the amount of food depends on activity, age and weight. Particularly active dogs or working dogs may eat more carbohydrates or fat. Even if the Australian Shepherd does not tend to be overweight due to its above-average urge to move, attention should be paid to a healthy and balanced diet.

The Aussie loves to work with you. He is happy about every new trick and every training session. But of course he doesn't mind a few treats as a reward. These must later be deducted from the basic food so as not to overfeed him.

It is easy to tell whether your Australian Shepherd's diet is in order. A healthy Aussie is active, lively and has a silky, shiny coat. The ribs and waist can be felt with the hands, but should not protrude too much.

Health & Care

The medium-length coat of the Australian Shepherd is easy to care for. It is sufficient to brush the coat thoroughly once or twice a week. This removes dead hair, dander, dust and dirt. This keeps the coat shiny and well-groomed. The coat of Aussies must not be clipped. This destroys the hair structure and makes the coat dull.

After every walk, the coat must be checked for ticks and parasites. These can easily hide in the thick fur. Checking and cleaning eyes, ears and paws is also part of the grooming program.

You can carefully remove any dirt that has accumulated on the edges of the eyes. Check the eyes for injuries or inflammation. Heat and moisture do not accumulate as much in the tilting ears as in the floppy ears. Nevertheless, you should check the ears regularly and carefully clean the pinna.

The paws can be stressed differently depending on the surface. It is therefore important to check the paws and the length of the claws regularly. Sharp stones, branches and thorns can injure the paws. The injuries are often superficial but can be painful.

Dogs that don't walk much on asphalt usually don't wear their claws down enough. If the claws become too long, they can no longer place their paws correctly. This leads to misalignment and problems when walking. It is best to have the claws trimmed by a specialist. This is because blood vessels run along the claws and can easily be injured.

Suitable accessories

To groom your Aussie, you will need a sturdy brush for medium-length coats and tick tweezers.

It is even more important to provide the Australian Shepherd with sufficient activity. Not only do they have a great urge to move, they also need mental challenges. The worst thing for this breed is boredom.

Frisbee and balls are a good way to satisfy his urge to move. Various tricks and stunts are very popular. There are no limits to their imagination. Australian Shepherds enjoy working with you and accept every challenge with enthusiasm. No task or challenge seems too big for them.

So-called strategy and logic games for dogs are also a good idea. If the weather is bad or you don't have much time, you can keep your dog occupied with these games for a short time. Of course, this is no substitute for exercise in the fresh air.

You should always come up with new games and exercises. Your Shepherd will thank you with balance and contentment. Basically, the Aussie is happy to accept any kind of toy or training device.

Australian Shepherd History

Origin & History

Despite its name, the breed does not originate from Australia, but from the USA. The name is probably derived from the cattle they had to herd. Many Australians and Europeans came to America as farmers in the 19th century. The Australians brought their Merino sheep with them. In the USA, they were therefore called Australian Sheeps.

The farmers needed a reliable dog that could herd the cattle and guard the farm. This is where the breed originated. For a long time, the Australian Shepherd went unnoticed and was purely a working dog. This changed in the 50s and 60s.

Farmer Jay Sisler presented his Australian Shepherds at a rodeo show. Their appearance and amazing tricks thrilled the audience. Soon many wanted to keep this remarkable breed.

Sisler's Aussies became famous. They were given their own TV show and appeared in two Disney films. This is how the Shepherd made the leap from farm to family and companion dog.

The first stud book was established in Arizona in 1957. At that time, there was only an official association for this dog breed in the USA. It was not until 1966 that the International Australian Shepherd Association was founded. Later, the national and international associations merged.

The Australian Shepherd was not officially recognized as a breed until much later. It was not until 1996 that it was recognized as an independent breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI). Shepherds came to Europe in the 1970s. Since then, their popularity has been steadily increasing here.