General Description
Australian Shepherds are medium-sized working dogs with a robust, balanced, muscular build and a rustic appearance. Their bodies are just longer than they are tall at the withers. They have strong, deep chests and they stand squarely on all four legs. The breed’s front legs are straight, and their feet are oval-shaped, compact, and have a set of well-arched toes. Australian Shepherds have a well-proportioned head with a moderate stop and teeth that close in a scissor bite. Their oval-shaped, medium-sized eyes come in a variety of colors that may be marbled or flecked. Their high-set ears are triangular in shape and slightly rounded at the tip. Many Australian Shepherds have a naturally docked bobtail. Australian Shepherds have a slightly way, weather-resistant double coat that varies in length depending on the climate they originate from. The breed’s hair is short and smooth across the head, outside of the ears, in front of the forelegs, and below the hocks. The backs of the forelegs have hair that is somewhat feathered. Male Australian Shepherds have more of a mane and frill than their female counterparts. The breed’s coat may be straight or slightly wavy, and it exists in merle, red merle, solid black, or solid red. White markings and/or tan points may exist in red merle Australian Shepherds.Know something we don't? Add it here
Character
Australian Shepherds are a loving breed that loves to play. They are loyal and affectionate, and they get along great with children. Australian Shepherds are devoted companions that are protective over their family. They are playful, spirited, and lively, but their demeanor is very mild and easy-going. The Australian Shepherd has a natural desire to please, and he is highly intelligent and easy to train. They are very perceptive and intuitive, and they consistently know what is expected of them. While they are not remotely aggressive with people or other animals and pets, the Australian Shepherd takes its job very seriously and will be assertive when at work with livestock. This breed needs a lot of exercise and prefers having a job to do. When improperly trained and insufficiently exercised, Australian Shepherds can become nervous, bored, and destructive of property. They need proper socialization. Australian Shepherds don’t bark and they are quiet workers. They may be too energetic to make household family pets.Size
18 – 23 inchesWeight
40 – 65 poundsGeneral Health
The gene that prompts the Australian Shepherd’s beautiful merle coloration is the same gene that makes the breed prone to blindness and deafness. This propensity is predominately seen in merle and merle crosses. Potential owners of this breed should check the hearing of Australian Shepherd puppies with merle coats. Australian Shepherds with natural bobtails can acquire serious spinal defects. Other major health concerns of this breed include cataracts and CEA. Less prominent concerns include CHD, nasal and solar dermatitis, Pelger- Huet syndrome, and iris coloboma. Some lines of Australian Shepherds have been seen with lumbar sacral syndrome, PRA, epilepsy, distichiasis, PDA, and PPM. It’s suggested that owners of this breed have their Australian Shepherds’ hearing and eyes checked. Typically, Australian Shepherds live for 12 to 15 years and they average 7 puppies per litter.History
The Australian Shepherd was developed in the United States as a working dog that herded livestock on ranches. Many believe that the name “Australian Shepherd” actually came from the breed’s ancestors. The breed likely originated from Spanish dogs that accompanied the Basque shepherds that were exported to American and Australia in the early days of the colonies. At some point, the Australian Shepherd was probably crossed with the Collie. Australian Shepherds have only recently received recognition as a distinct breed.Maintenance
Australian Shepherds have a coat that is easy to groom and maintain. An occasional brushing with a firm bristle brush is sufficient to assist the shedding process and keep the coat free of tangles and matting. Australian Shepherds should be bathed only as necessary. They are average shedders.Ideal Environment
Australian Shepherds are energetic working dogs that need plenty of exercise. This breed isn’t suited for a small household or apartment. They are moderately active indoors and are happiest with at least a large yard. Australian Shepherds do best when they have a job to do.Australian Shepherds are energetic working dogs that need plenty of exercise. This breed isn’t suited for a small household or apartment. They are moderately active indoors and are happiest with at least a large yard. <a href='http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-breeds/Australian-Shepherd.html'>Australian Shepherd</a>s do best when they have a job to do. Agility is a great way for you and you aussie to get out energy!
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Ask a QuestionAustralian Shepherd Q&A
Our Australian Shepherd is 14 months old. We cannot get our 3 year old cat to even come in the house if the dog is in the house. Any suggestions?
I`m not sure if there is a fix for this. My mother hasn`t seen her cat much since she got an inside dog and she`s tried a lot of things. From my own personal experiences, I`ve found cats do well if they are introduced to dogs when they are kittens. Older cats generally seem to not like dogs and since I`m not a cat guy, I have no clue how to socialize them……
It will just take time, don't worry just ignore it, not the cat but it's attitude, giving the cat enough attention to not feel jealous.
kittens and puppies raised together usually get along quite well in these circumstances. however, if the cat is older and is being introduced to a dog for the first time it can be a traumatic experience for the cat. only time and patience will tell in this case and a try to give as much love between all your pets equally during this time of transition. one day you might find you kittie and pup playing together without you noticing.
I just adopted an Australian Shepherd that is 8 years old and has been in a rescue agency since his owner died 2 months ago. He prefers to poop in the house rather than outdoors. Can he be re-trained, and if so, how?
You should be able to retrain him in a month or so. The key is patience and repetition. Every SINGLE time he poops in the house, calmly take him to it, put his nose very close and tell him “no” in a very firm voice then immediately take him outside and use a keyword. I use “go potty.” It’s important to remain calm. If you start to act frustrated, he will become confused and not understand that it’s about the poo. When he does go potty outside, reward him with praise and treats. The key is to do it every single time, not just when you catch him doing it.
buy a kennel to put him in. it will natrually train him to hold it. dogs do not like to urinate or poo where they sleep. putting him in a kennel will keep him from peeing or pooing untill you let him outsied. i suggest you put him in the kennel after you feed him. and whenever you feel, you can take him outside and let him do his business. trust me this is the most effective way. just keep doing it and eventually he will let you know when he has to go by whinning and scratching on the door. this is how i trained my aussie.
Instead of scolding after the poo has occurred, I chose to reward for going outside with a treat. After watching my aussie male for habits, I have his 'poo and pee' habits, at least after eating, down. He pees immediately after coming out of the kennel in the morning, he gets a treat. I feed him immediately after he tinkles. He poos immediately after eating. This did not happen right away - I started putting him in his kennel after he would eat his breakfast for 10 minutes, let him out to go poo/pee, and if he didn't go, I returned him to the kennel for another 10 minutes. This way I wouldn't miss any accidents, or at least minimize the occurance rate of accidents. Also, when he begins to eliminate - pee or poo - I repeat the words "Go Potty". Firmly, slowly, but gently. He will now tinkle on command - or at least try - and he gets a treat every time. I will eventually remove the treats, but since we've been at this only 2 weeks, I will continue for at least a few months.
I have a 2 1/2 yr female and she has had submissive peeing since I got her. I have two older brother that she does it too, no dad...Is is beacuse they like to domenate?? How do you stop this peeing?
the peeing is a sign of a submissive dog and yes there is a way of combatting it. this form of submission can be won over with slow but friendly advances of your older brothers or any male figure for that matter.first get a bunch of her favorite treats and instead of giving them to her, ask any male friends, male family members, or male strangers met on walks if they'd like to help you train your pup. with palms open and the treat in the center, allow them to feed her a tasty treat.by introducing the treat, you will be conditioning her to not be 'as submissive' and making the experience a positive one for her. just make sure if it looks like she is fearful (no tail wagging or wiggling, intense stare, or baring teeth). if she is displaying any of these signs do not continue and try to play with her to bring her out of that fearful state of mind.my german shepherd experienced the same symptoms and over a few weeks time, she was able to overcome it and now jumps and bounces on everyone happily...without the mess ^_^
My male Aussie is 2yrs old and His ears stand straight up like a german shepherds. Of all the pics i've seen of aussies...i have yet to see one with ears like his..Could it be he doesnt want to miss anything?
Those are called "prick" ears and are rare, but possible, in Australian Shepherds. They develop within the first year or two depending on the conditions that the puppy grows up in. Hot weather = prick ears b/c this is how they loose heat, but it is rare and genetic.
Our Aussie has prick ears also. He is our 5th but the first with upright ears. I am glad to know it happens. I thought he had some Border Collie in him as he is a black tri-color.
Yes, my dogs ears are up also. Ive heard that Aussies with higher set ears are more apt to have prick ears.It's more common than one may think but rarely seen because many breeders or owners train the ears to go down with tape or glue during the first year.My breeder suggested it to me but I liked him the way he was.
Prick ears tend to be more common in the smaller sized Aussies. One of mine has prick ears and it just adds to his personality.
My red-tri aussie has prick ears too. He is absolutely gorgeous the way he is, we did not tape or glue them. He was bred as a mini but he is 46 pounds so as a male he is in between mini and standard. We love him so, and he is really really smart!!
i have a 7month old male. He weighed 40lbs approx 3 weeks ago. is this a normal weight for his age?
Not sure, but I have a 6 1/2 month old aussie male that weighed 46lbs 8 oz 3 weeks ago - I do believe that yours and mine are at the TOP end of the weight scale ... mine's not at all fat, though, he's just HUGE for an aussie - he's already taller than my mom's 6 yr old female who's more 'normal' sized. (she outweighs him though - but that's another story...)
This is absolutely a normal weight for a 7 month old male...you will find male dogs weighing as much as 60-70 lbs although that would be a large dog for the breed. Most of my males full grown will weigh 50-55 lbs. That is normal, although you will find adults males weight 40-45. Your male is almost full grown at 7 months
my 4 month old australian shepherd is 31lbs and is 19" tall.could he be mixed with another breed?or is this the normal weight and height of an aussie?
That does seem to be awfully tall for a four month old, but if you will go to the following link you can find out all you need to know about an Australian Shepherd.
http://asca.org/About+Aussies/Breed+Standard
I have a 6 year old black tri australian shepherd is that to old to start breeding it to have puppies? What other colored aussies could I breed it with so there will be no defects?
i have a 13 week old australlian shepard i live in WA now and im moving to MS will he be able to adjust to the heat, and humidity?
I have an almost 8 yr. old male australian shepherd and I live in southeast texas where the temp. in the summer time gets 102 heat index. However my dog stays in the house and gets walked twice a day. Because of the heat and sometimes the mosquitos we have decided to have him be an "inside dog".
what is the normal litter size for a (miniature) australian shepherd?
We have an australian shepherd that is four now. Her instinct to protect the family and herd strangers out of her house is extreme. She has the fastest run, circle and nip you can imagine. She listens to us in every other instance, with the exception of her low tolerance for strangers. Anyone have a success story with an aggressive aussie that they love?
Aussies have a tendency to herd anything that moves to include people outside their master(s). For the Most part it is normal so long as it is not agressive behavior as in the dog is being what one would call viscious. Working with the dog with other people around is the only way around that. Aussies are smart but can be stubborn especially when they are adults (like any other dog). Like the "Dog Whisperer" says, let your dog know it is unwanted behavior. You as the "pack leader" as he would say need to claim the people over to visit in a sence. As the alpha you need to take control. Good Luck
I have an aussie that is nearing 7 months standing about 19" tall and weighing aprox 35 lbs. is this normal for the breed, and at waht age are they generally considered fully grown
We rescued a female shepherd about 2 months ago from the local shelter. She wasn't in very good physical shape when we got her and I noticed when she squat to pee her hind legs would shake. Well, she's in much better shape now (she actually has a waist and more energy) but her hind legs still shake when she squats to pee. Is this normal or is there an issue?? She's on the bigger end of the breed at 60 lbs the doctors think shes 5-6 yrs. Is there anything to do?
My 2 1/2 year old australian shepherd is afraid of everything and very fear aggressive. He gets sick in the car, growls and lunges at us for no reason, is afraid of his own shadow. what do i do?
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