Australian Shepherd
The Australian Shepherd is a working dog that was developed, not in Australia, but on American farms and ranches in the early 1900?s. The 'breed' had no club or registry until the Australian Shepherd Club of America was formed in 1957, thus this is a very young breed.
Like other working breeds developed to do a job, the Aussie thrives on activity and will get bored if it is not an active part of its owner's life.
Appearance
The coat comes in four colours - blue merle, solid black red merle, or solid red, with no order of preference. All may be with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points. Black and solid red dogs with both tan and white trim along with the primary colour are usually referred to as "tricolour". Eye colour can be brown, amber, blue or any combination of these. White over the eyes and ears and white body splashes can be an indication of deafness and blindness in this breed.
An ideal Aussie will stand between 18 and 23 inches (46 to 58 cm) and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg). Females should fall between 18" and 21" and males from 20" to 23". The large accepted variation in height reflects the varied tasks and conditions that are part of the life of an American working stockdog. A dog too small will be too easily injured, and a dog too large will not have the necessary athletic ability. Whether they work or not, all Aussies should be physically able to do the job that the breed was developed to do.
A hallmark of the breed is a short bobbed or docked tail in countries where docking is permitted. Some Aussies are born with naturally short bob tails, others with partial bob tails or long tails. Most breeders dock the tails when the puppies are born, and the Breed Standard calls for a tail not longer than 4?.
Temperament
The Australian Shepherd requires a family or individual who is willing to spend a lot of time with the dog. They were bred to work and may get bored if not given a task, possibly resorting to unacceptable behavior if entertainment and activity is not provided. A bored Aussie may resort to barking, chasing, digging and anything else it can find as an outlet to boredom. They require a large yard and plenty of activity. This is not the breed for everyone. The Breed Standard states, 'primarily a working dog of strong herding and guardian instincts' 'Primarily' means this is a strong part of the breed's genetic makeup. The Standard also states, ?reserved with strangers?. Although some Aussies are quite friendly, it is typical of the breed to prefer to have little contact with people they don't know. It is also not uncommon for an Aussie to become territorial and protective of its people, their property, and what the dog considers its own space. ANYONE WHO IS NOT PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THESE INSTINCTS SHOULD SEEK ANOTHER BREED.
Health
Epilepsy, hip dysplasia, auto-immune diseases, cataracts and other eye defects such as Collie Eye Anomaly appear within the breed.
RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HEALTH PROBLEMS.
BE SURE TO ASK TO SEE ANY HEALTH CLEARANCES.
This breed description gratefully accepted from
Terry Martin
Slash V Australian Shepherds
#3 ASCA Hall of Fame Kennel
http://www.modeldogs.com
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