Australian Shepherd

This month on Dog Diaries, we are showcasing the Australian Shepherd, commonly known as the ‘Aussie’. To the untrained eye, Aussies most closely resemble Border Collies, but they are slightly larger and have a wider range of coat colours. Bred as a working dog, Australian Shepherds are highly active, intelligent, alert and eager, with strong herding and guarding instincts.

Snapshot
Weighing in at around 16 to 32kg, the Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized dog. Their medium-length coats come in four colours — black, blue merle (marbling of grey and black), red (ranging from a light cinnamon to liver), and red merle (marbling of red and silver or buff).

The appearance of the Australian Shepherd varies largely on whether they have been bred as a show dog or a working dog. Working dogs tend to have shorter coats, and are thinner and smaller than the show lines.

Aussies’ eyes can also vary greatly in colour. They can be green, hazel, amber, brown or blue; they may even have two different-coloured eyes, or even more strangely, can have bicoloured or ’split’ eyes, where each eye can be of two colours.

Their natural bob-tail gene means that Aussie tails can vary in size, with some born with naturally short bob tails, while others have partial bob tails or even long tails.

Australian Shepherds are hard-working dogs that usually need a job to do. They are therefore best suited to owners who enjoy getting out and about and who have the time to spend with them.

Priced between $500 and $2000, the Aussie makes a loyal companion and a great family dog for active people.

History
Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd breed was not actually developed in Australia, but on the ranches in the west of the United States. There is some debate over its actual origins, but it is generally believed that the breed came to Australia via Spain before being sent to the United States late in the 19th century with Merino sheep and the Basque shepherds who tended to them. American stockmen continued to develop the breed, maintaining its versatility, intelligence, strong herding instinct and eye-catching appearance.

Personality
Due to their innate abilities to learn, their obedience and desire to please, Australian Shepherds make excellent search and rescue dogs, detection dogs, and guide and therapy dogs. It also means they are easy to train and housebreak, meaning Aussies are loyal companions and can make great family dogs. Plenty of exercise is a must, though, as without some form of activity to keep them busy, Aussies tend to get bored and frustrated, and can develop destructive habits as a result.

This breed is not for everyone. While most are quite friendly, due to their guardian instincts, it is quite typical for them to prefer to have little contact with people. They are not aggressive dogs, but they are very protective and cautious of strangers. Their instinct is to herd — and they will try to herd anything that moves, including people and other animals.

Health
Overall, the Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed, although it is susceptible to certain medical conditions.

Maintenance is a key part of ensuring your Aussie lives a healthy life. Make sure you look after the coat and skin, gums and teeth, ears and eyes, and ensure he enjoys a healthy, balanced diet.

Aussies can inherit a number of eye defects which can cause problems. Other hereditary diseases associated with the breed include hip dysplasia, epilepsy, thyroid dysfunction, heart disease, cancer and skin allergies.

As with all pure-bred dogs, hereditary health issues can be minimised through proper breeding practices and buying your Australian Shepherd from a qualified breeder.

Breeders
The Australian Shepherd Association of NSW and the Australian Shepherd Club of VIC both list breeders on their websites.

Further Reading:
http://www.australianshepherds.org/about.html
http://www.australianshepherds.org.au/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Shepherd
http://www.australianshepherd.org.au/content/blogcategory/1/2/

Image supplied by Ben Gwilliam