Online Guide to the Australian Shepherd Dog Breed

Common Misspellings: Minature Aussie, Minature Australian Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Australian Sheperd

Known as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog in the world, the Australian Shepherd is a wonderful and seemingly tireless companion. Bred for the task of tending unruly sheep, these beautiful canines require athletic humans to keep up with their fast-paced lifestyles.

Australian Shepherd Dog Breed

Australian Shepherd Size Variations: Miniature Australian Shepherd, Standard Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherd Colors: colors
Australian Shepherd Exercise Needs: Demanding
Australian Shepherd Grooming Needs: Moderate
Australian Shepherd Life Expectancy (Lifespan) :12-13 years
Are Australian Shepherd Dogs Good With Children?: Yes, with supervision.
Australian Shepherd Training: Moderate

Australian Shepherd History

With origins as mottled as his coat, the Australian Shepherd is a unique little working animal that has been capturing the hearts of dog lovers since the end of WWII. While it is believed that this beautiful breed may have originated near the Basque region of the Pyrenees Mountains, he was dubbed the Australian Shepherd, due to his close association with the Basque shepherds who made their way into the United States, from Australia, during the 1800�s. In fact, the Australian Shepherd is not even registered in Australia as a native breed, despite the dog�s gaining recognition throughout the world since the 1950�s. Regardless of his origins, however, this beautiful dog was further developed within the United States, where he was not only recognized as a registered breed, but he was also quick to gain popularity, featured in various rodeos and wild west shows, movies and on the television. In no time flat, the Australian Shepherd became a part of Western culture.

A favorite amongst ranchers, the Australian Shepherd is an excellent herder, able to control sheep, cattle and even horses, through a complex collection of movements, techniques and, of course, the herding 'eye' (a term which refers to the herding dog's ability to control the herd through eye contact). This dog is extremely attentive and quick, allowing him to not only notice the calf that is about to break from the herd but, even more, allowing him to head said calf off before it gets more than a few bounds away. At times, these movements are so quick, and so precise, it seems like the Australian Shepherd knows what each member of the herd is going to do, before they even do it.

Australian Shepherd Appearance

As if the intelligence and extreme trainability of the Australian Shepherd wasn't draw enough, this scruffy little dog is truly a prince amongst the canine world as well. Sporting coats of red, black, or the more exotic red or blue merle, they are a sight to behold and their eyes are jewel-like, ranging in shade from amber and blue to a rich brown, as well as mottled, marbled and flecked, with any combination of the mentioned colors. It's not uncommon to find yourself captured by an attentive mismatched gaze; a sight which only helps add to this wonderful breed�s allure. Additionally, the Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized herding dog, standing only 20-23 inches at the top of the shoulder, which makes him small enough to comfortably enjoy life both inside and outside the house.

Australian Shepherd Temperament & Personality

The Aussie, as he is affectionately known, is a sweet-tempered dog and rarely aggressive with other animals. He can be, at times, somewhat shy and does best with quiet voices and gentle, slow touches. If you're expecting a lot of traffic or noisy visitors, it's probably safest to provide your Australian Shepherd with a quiet place that he can retreat to, should noise levels become too much to bear.

Australian Shepherd Exercise Needs

One downfall of the Australian Shepherd is that they are a very active dog and do require a good deal of exercise, so they are not well-adapted to a city lifestyle in an apartment, unless you�re prepared to spend a lot of time down at the local dog park - of course, they are also known to make excellent Frisbee dogs, with their athletic frames and high-energy personalities, so this may be an option for you yet!

Australian Shepherd Grooming Requirements

While the Australian Shepherd may not require weekly trips to the groomers, he falls under the high maintenance category, simply due to the fact that he requires frequent and diligent brushing. While the Australian Shepherd's coat rarely gets mats and needs no trimming, in order to keep it in good condition, Aussies do shed. In fact, Aussies can shed a lot, all year round. If you�re interested in one of these wonderful dogs, it�s best to keep in mind that you may spend a lot of time vacuuming the floor and the furniture with this hairy bundle of joy.

Australian Shepherd Training

A very quick and intelligent dog, the Australian Shepherd is sometimes seen as a bit of a challange to train. While the combination of their intelligence, happy-go-lucky personality, and athletic ability makes them perfect dogs for agility training, getting these independent thinkers to work with you takes patience and a gentle hand. The Australian Shepherd will also react in a very stubborn or shy manner to any who apply a heavy hand or stern voice. Persistence and a whole lot of patience are the best techniques to bring to these training sessions. Be patient and try to remember that he doesn't mean to be impudent, but he's used to tending sheep, not rolling over and playing dead.

Australian Shepherd Health Information

Like any breed of dog, the Australian Shepherd is subject to a variety of health concerns. Your best bet is, when deciding to choose a new Australian Shepherd puppy, check around with several breeders and ask about the various health issues that can affect these beautiful little dogs. A reputable breeder should be well-versed in the health concerns and should be able to give you more details, as well as showing you the sire and dam of your potential puppy. Some of the health problems that can affect Australian Shepherds include:

Hip dysplasia
Cataracts
Ocular or iris coloboma
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
Distichiasis
Epilepsy
Heart problems
Thyroid problems
Merle-to-merle breedings resulting in deafness

Finding A Responsible Australian Shepherd Breeder

Now that you have decided that the Australian Shepherd is the right breed for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible Australian Shepherd breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first Australian Shepherd puppy you find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a responsible Australian Shepherd breeder, you may need to pay more and wait longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it. Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication - or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible, caring Australian Shepherd breeder who home-raises their puppies with love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the Australian Shepherd breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter and companionship.

Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...

Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised Australian Shepherd puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the breeders whom they allow to advertise.

Additional Australian Shepherd Information Resources

There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn more about the Australian Shepherd dog breed. We've compiled a list of Australian Shepherd information sites to assist you in quickly locating quality information about the Australian Shepherd dog breed, while avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general. If you know of an Australian Shepherd information site that offers unique, quality information and photos of the Australian Shepherd breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief description so that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our list below.