The Australian Shepherd – Eager to Learn

Australian Shepherds are among the most popular dog breeds in Europe, Canada, and the USA. Contrary to their name, the animals do not come from Australia and can also adapt to cold regions. According to some sources, the animals are among the most intelligent dogs in the world – if you want to raise an Australian Shepherd puppy and teach him fun or useful tricks, do thorough research on the breed’s idiosyncrasies.

The Appearance of the Australian Shepherd: Colorful Shepherd Dogs with a Long Coat

The ancestors of the Australian Shepherds can be found in all parts of the world and were never selected for aesthetic factors such as coat color at any time in their creation. This resulted in robust and diversely colored dogs that are both suitable for use at high altitudes and withstand the temperature differences in the desert-heavy western USA. Males reach a height at the withers of 51 – 58 centimeters, bitches are built somewhat narrower and smaller and are 48 – 53 centimeters tall. Australian Shepherds are distinguished from other shepherd dogs primarily by their long, bushy coats and the typical mask-like coloration around the eyes.

Miniature American Shepherds

A height at the withers of 35 – 46 centimeters is common for Miniature American/Australian Shepherds (both terms are common in Europe, with Americans describing the actual origin of the dog breed). However, this type, which is not recognized by the FCI, is rarely deliberately propagated in Germany and is only available from a few breeders.

External characteristics of the Australian Shepherds at a glance

• The head is as long as it is wide and the muzzle narrows towards the tip of the nose without being pointed. The nasal furrow and the stop are rather flat, but the eyebrows are clearly pronounced. The crooked ears are triangular and can be turned forwards or to the side.
• Australian Shepherds have brown, blue, or amber eyes. There are also rare combinations of these colors that do not affect the dogs’ vision (with the exception of the merle gene). The almond-shaped eyes are often outlined in dark.
• The body is powerfully built, but like German shepherds, the chest is rather deep than broad. Strong muscles and a horizontal backline give the long-legged animals a firm footing.
• The tail is long, carried high and slightly curled, and is well feathered. Some puppies are born with a natural bobtail. Docking the tail is common abroad, which is strictly forbidden in Germany.

Colorful Dogs: Coat Colors for Breeding Animals and Rare Colors

Solid Australian Shepherds:

• Black or red from light red to dark brown-red.
• Yellow (not desired to inbreed).
• Blue Merle or Red Merle (lightened coat with dark patchy shading).
• Very rarely there are white or almost white Australian Shepherds (Double Merle), but these can only come from matings that violate the breeding regulations of reputable clubs.

Bicolor Australian Shepherds:

• Black, red, yellow, or merle with white markings on chest, paws, inside of legs, muzzle, forehead crease, and belly.
• Black, red, yellow, or merle with yellow markings on chest, paws, inside of legs, muzzle, forehead crease, and belly.
• Sable – each individual hair is two-tone and darker at the tip than at the root, giving the dogs a border collie resemblance. Merle-Sable colors also occur, but these can hardly be distinguished from yellow fur. The sable coloring is not approved for breeding.

Tricolor Australian Shepherds:

• Basic color Black or blue merle with white markings on chest, belly, and forehead and yellow markings on the muzzle, eyebrows, inside legs, and paws.
• Basic color Red or red merle with white markings on chest, belly, and forehead and yellow markings on muzzle, eyebrows, inside of legs, and paws.

Brightening caused by the dilute gene:

All colors also appear lightened due to a genetic defect. Patchy lightening is normal in multicolored dogs, but a complete lightening of the coat color is a clear sign of the dilute gene, which is not approved for breeding.

• The base color black becomes blue.
• The base color yellow becomes Isabell.
• The base color red becomes fawn.
• Other Dilute colors: Cinnamon (light brown to beige), Lilac (grey-blue).

History of the Australian Shepherds: Typical Wild West Dogs from the USA

As we know Australian Shepherds today, the dogs have only been bred since the first half of the 20th century. It was not until 1957 that the Australian Shepherd Club of America began selectively breeding the dogs and introduced a breed standard. Today, the dog breed is recognized worldwide and Australian Shepherds are among the most popular modern family dogs.

A dog with a typical American past

• Among the ancestors of the Australian Shepherd are many different European Shepherd breeds.
• Basque settlers from Australia came to the United States in the late 1800s and bred the dogs to protect their Australian Sheep herds.
• Small in stature, Miniature Australian Shepherds (known in the US as Miniature American Shepherds) were bred alongside the larger working line and were widely used as circus dogs in horse shows in the 1960s.
• The animals have only been found in Europe since the 1970s and are enjoying growing popularity here.

Nature and Character: Adaptable All-Round Talents

Australian Shepherds are even-tempered, hard-working dogs who like to use their heads. They see work as play and are also suitable as drug sniffer dogs or tracking dogs. Children and visitors quickly fall in love with them, which is why they are only suitable as watchdogs to a limited extent. Due to their function as livestock protection dogs, they sometimes behave aggressively towards other dogs (especially male dogs) and want to protect their owner.

Australian Shepherds with children

The dogs love children and take on the function of gentle protectors. After a short greeting, they also regard strange children as part of the pack and include them in games and cuddles. Due to their impressive body size, the dogs should not be played with or kept on a leash by children without supervision.