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The Australian Shepherd is a gorgeous dog. One could almost overlook the fact that his name is an outright lie. Here’s all the info.
Three things make the Australian Shepherd stand out: an intelligent face paired with cute tilting ears and an almost infinite endurance. These three things make the Australian Shepherd one of the most popular dogs in recent years – whether as a family dog or for dog sports.
The “Aussie”, as it is called by its lovers, only partially lives up to its name. He is a first-class shepherd, i.e. a herding dog. However, the breed itself does not come from Australia – or at least with a very long detour.
In contrast, the breed became known, popular, and widespread primarily through cowboys in the USA. In Germany, western riders have also ensured that the Aussie has been seen more and more frequently in this country since the 1990s. Beyond the western scene, he quickly started a career as a family dog.
In many dog sport competitions or in trick dogging, the Australian Shepherd is almost unbeaten with its accurate powers of observation and quick reflexes. Together with the unconditional will to learn and the desire to work, he is the perfect companion for active dog lovers.
What does an Australian Shepherd look like?
An Aussie is a medium-sized dog with a medium-length coat. It consists of a long and smooth to slightly wavy top coat and a dense undercoat. The tail is feathered, although there are always puppies that are born with a natural bobtail.
The standard specifies four basic colors:
- ਕਾਲੇ
- Red
- Blue Merle (the base color is gray with black marbling)
- Red Merle (the basic color is light red/beige with brown or red marbling)
Each of these four basic colors can occur in the dog alone (no markings), with white markings, with copper markings, or with white and copper markings together. This results in a total of four times four possible color variants.
Merle dogs may also have lightened eyes due to the genetic pigment disorder.
How big is an Australian Shepherd?
According to his official standard, male dogs should be between 51 cm and 58 cm tall. Bitches are slightly smaller in size, at 46 cm to 53 cm.
How heavy is an Australian Shepherd?
Australian Shepherds are medium build. Males typically weigh between 25kg and 32kg and females between 16kg and 25kg.
How old does an Australian Shepherd get?
For a medium-sized dog, with proper care and good health, the Aussie has a fairly long life expectancy of 13 to 15 years.
What is the character or nature of the Australian Shepherd?
Two qualities characterize the passionate workaholic best: intelligence and persevering. If the Aussie has a job, he works concentrated on his goal for a longer period of time.
The Australian Shepherd is loyal to its owner and will go through fire for him or her. With strangers, on the other hand, he is somewhat reserved at first. This has to do with the good portion of protective instinct for which he was originally bred – in addition to his duties as a herding dog.
As an independent thinker, the Aussie needs a meaningful task. He does this conscientiously, almost with a civil servant mentality.
As a distinctive herding dog, he has fantastic powers of observation, which is why he sometimes decides for himself what needs to be done. This is not always what people want, especially because of the protective instinct. However, an Aussie is extremely enthusiastic about learning and therefore relatively uncomplicated in education.
Where does the Australian Shepherd come from?
Contrary to its name, the Australian Shepherd breed does not come from Australia, but from the USA. Despite this, the Aussie’s roots go back to the fifth continent. Because it was Basque shepherds who first brought the ancestors of the Australian Shepherd from Europe to Australia. When they moved from Australia to California around 1800, they took their dogs with them.
US farmers assumed the dogs came from Australia and this is how the breed got its name. On the extensive farms, the dogs were used very successfully for herding. And so the breed was bred and refined more and more for this characteristic.
It wasn’t until after World War II that the Aussie made a name for itself in Western riding circles. During rodeo shows in the 1960s, the breed made the leap from being a pure work animal to being a family dog. Because many of the spectators were enthusiastic about the intelligence, the willingness to work, and the beauty of the Australian Shepherds and also wanted to own such a dog.
Australian Shepherd: Proper Keeping and Training
As a classic working dog, the Australian Shepherd does best in the hands of active people. He’s not a dog that’s just content with going for a walk, jog, or bike ride. He needs a job and a good upbringing.
But don’t worry: you don’t have to buy a flock of sheep to tend. For example, Aussies are up for almost any type of dog sport like agility. If they get “real jobs”, such as that of a guide dog or assistance dog, that’s perfect, of course. Many Aussies can also be found in rescue dog work. With a corresponding physical and mental workload, they are very pleasant family dogs.
Due to their character, Australian Shepherds are very easy to train and educate, because they learn quickly and with pleasure. However, you should make sure you take enough breaks. Otherwise, the willing and balanced partner who is willing to learn can turn into a hectic dog in constant expectation of constant action.
What Grooming Does the Australian Shepherd Need?
The medium-length, silky coat is the first thing you notice about Australian Shepherds. Nevertheless, the Aussie is not one of them particularly care-intensive dog breeds. Normal, regular care of the coat with a brush or a curry comb is sufficient.
You should also check the ears, which are flipped forwards or backward depending on how alert you are, regularly for possible infections. In this way, you make an important contribution to the health of the dog.
You should also keep an eye on the wolf claw on the hind legs. It does not wear out and must therefore be trimmed regularly.
What are the typical diseases of the Australian Shepherd?
The Australian Shepherd is a reasonably healthy breed of dog when well cared for. However, some genetically inherited diseases can occur. In reputable breeding clubs, breeders must therefore have the parents examined before they are allowed to breed so that the diseases are not passed on to the puppies.
These include hip dysplasia (HD), elbow dysplasia (ED), and cataracts. Allergies, thyroid and heart problems as well as autoimmune diseases have increased in breeding in recent years. A large part of this is due to the boom in the breed and the associated partially uncontrolled production of puppies by dubious breeders.
The so-called MDR status is important for every owner. This is a genetic defect that results in intolerance to some medicines in puppies and later also in adult dogs. By the way, this defect can occur not only in puppies but also in humans. Dogs with genetic defects can also be more susceptible to chronic inflammatory bowel disease. An Australian Shepherd with an MDR1 defect is therefore classified as a risk patient by the veterinarian.
Such a gene mutation also occurs in the Belgian Shepherd Dog, German Shepherd Dog, Rough and Smooth Collie, Bobtail, Borzoi, and Kelpie.
Due to the high demand for bright colors, dubious breeders often breed two dogs with a merle factor. In Germany, however, this falls under torture breeding.
As beautiful as the dog’s piebald coat is, it is the result of a gene mutation that disrupts pigment formation and can cause serious illnesses in the puppies. The consequences are possible balance disorders, hearing disorders up to deafness, heart diseases, or eye problems up to blindness. You should definitely refrain from buying a puppy from such a breed.
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According to the Club for Australian Shepherd Germany, you have to reckon with a price of between 1,400 and 1,800 euros for the purchase of an Australian Shepherd puppy, depending on the breeder. This makes the Australian Shepherd one of the more expensive dog breeds.