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The Australian Shepherd has a strong and muscular, but also a very agile and supple build. Due to its height at the withers of 51 – 58cm in males and a height at the withers of 46 – 53cm in females and a weight of maximum 22Kg, the Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized dog breed, which is quite light.
If you want to get an Australian Shepherd into your life, you should be active and have the desire to do a lot with your four-legged friend.
The head of the Australian Shepherd is slightly arched to flat. He has a distinct stop and a muzzle of about the same length. Thus the head is in good proportion to the harmonious body of the Australian Shepherd. The Australian Shepherd also has a scissor bite and triangular ears that are set high on the head and tilt slightly forward or to the side when focused and highly attentive.
In addition, the congenital stub tail, which is also called ,,natural bobtail” (NBT), characteristic of this dog breed. In countries without a docking ban, longer rods may be docked up to a maximum of 10cm.
The Australian Shepherd has a very weather resistant coat due to the strong undercoat of the smooth to slightly wavy coat. The mane and ruff are somewhat more hairy in males than in females.
The coat color has different color variations. The four basic colors are black, red, blue-merle and red-merle, which can result in different combinations. However, white should never be the predominant color in breeding, even if white markings are allowed.
Just as versatile as the coat of the Australian Shepherd is its variation of eye colors. For eye colors, blue, brown, amber, and any other variation or combination are allowed in breeding.
The Australian Shepherd not only has an irrepressible temperament and an enviable stamina that lasts into old age, but also a strongly developed protective instinct.
Due to his intelligent and persevering nature he can also work concentrated over a longer period of time and is therefore an optimal working dog, which also as a family dog does not give up his innate herding and guarding instinct. Work is the Australian Shepherd’s passion and he enjoys every new challenge.
Due to his active nature, the Australian Shepherd also radiates a convincing joie de vivre and cheerfulness that can be very contagious. Nevertheless, the Australian Shepherd is not necessarily suitable as a beginner dog, because he can also be very stubborn.
Although the Australian Shepherd has a high willingness to learn, you must not think that he is easy to train. He learns quickly, but unfortunately also often quickly wrong things. Therefore, his education requires a lot of patience and empathy, but also consistency. When you show weakness, your four-legged friend senses it and takes advantage of it. But with self-confidence, consistency and, above all, love , you will definitely succeed in raising your pet.
Even though the Australia Shepherd is very active and would prefer a house with a garden, he is also very flexible when it comes to his living space. As long as you still actively engage with him and do a lot, you can keep him in a bunkhouse. For the mental and physical occupation of the Australian Shepherd, dog sports or training to become a rescue, therapy, or guide dog are very suitable.
If you don’t encourage your four-legged friend enough, you will notice it quickly, as the Australian Shepherd will then take out his frustration on destructive activities of all kinds.
Since the Australian Shepherd is also a very social creature and is interested in contact with his peers, it would also be a good idea to keep him in pairs. Besides other dogs, the Australian Shepherd gets along very well with other animals, especially horses.
The subject of nutrition is generally unproblematic with the Australian Shepherd. As a rule, Australia Shepherds are not prone to obesity or allergies.
It is recommended that the feed is composed of meat, vegetables and fruit. You should avoid grains and sugar if possible. In addition, you should pay attention to a high quality of dry and wet food. Barfing, i.e. feeding raw meat, is also very good for the Australian Shepherd.
For the care of the Australian Shepherd it is important that you brush his coat regularly. This way you can remove loose hair and dirt, but also avoid matting. In addition, ears, teeth, paws and claws should be checked about once a week and cleaned or shortened if necessary.
Even if the Australian Shepherd is a healthy and robust dog breed, there are hereditary diseases in the eyes or metabolic problems, but these are usually controlled by reputable breeders. Therefore, it is important that you get the dogs only from competent and reputable breeders.
Today’s Australian Shepherd does not originate from Australia, even if its name suggests that. It was developed in the 1950s in the southern United States .
The very ancient roots of the Australian Shepherd are in Australia, but he became the breed dog he is today in Arizona.
In the 19th century, Basque shepherds brought the dogs from Australia to the United States. They served as reliable herding dogs of merino sheep, which in the USA received the name ,,australien sheep”.
As a working and herding dog, the Australian Shepherd went unnoticed for a long time. Then in the 1950s and 1960s, farmer Jay Sisler introduced his dogs at a rodeo show. The audience was immediately impressed by the Australian Shepherds and their exceptional performance. The Australia Shepherd came into fashion. Thus, the first studbook was created in 1957. This was followed in 1966 by the founding of the International Australia Shepherd Association. Later, national and international clubs joined together. However, the Australian Shepherd was not recognized by the FCI as an independent breed until 1996.
If you want to get an Australian Shepherd into your life, you should be active and have the desire to do a lot with your four-legged friend.
However, please be careful when purchasing to choose a breeder so you get a healthy and happy Aussie.
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