The Australian Shepherd breed is commonly called the Aussie. It is medium in size, well balanced and sturdy, a beautiful rustic looking dog. The dog has a slightly longer body than its height, from ground to withers. Their head should be in proportion to the body, with the muzzle being slightly smaller than the back of the skull, teeth should be scissor bite or level bite. The eyes are oval and come in blue, amber or brown; this includes flecks of colour in the eyes. This dog has triangular ears that are rounded at the tips. Its chest is deep reaching down to their elbow. The front legs are straight and perpendicular to the ground. The tail should be no longer than four inches, and if it is longer then it is usually docked. The coat is of medium length with a wavy look. It has an undercoat that can vary with the climate. Their forelegs have slight feathering, these dog's have a mane and frill, more obvious in the male of the breed. Colours found in this breed are solid red, with or without white markings, and can have copper or tan points, red merle, black and blue merle.
History: The Australian Shepherd dog is not Australian at all but comes from the Pyrenean Mountains between France and Spain. This has been used as a herding dog on ranches throughout Australia. This dog is then thought to have crossed with the Collie breeds. Other names this dog has are Bob-Tail, California Shepherd, New Mexican, Blue Heeler and Pastor Dog.
Temperament: The Australian Shepherd dog breed stays puppy like even in its adult life. It is easy going and wonderful with children. They love to play and are very agile, it is a lovely dog that is affectionate and caring. They are highly intelligent and are easy to train. On saying this, the dog needs mental and physical exercise daily, or they get bored and then can become problematic. They are not good dogs to leave on their own as they can get nervous and destructive. They need socialization to help them to accept strangers. They can be aggressive while at work but good with their human families. They make good watchdogs and can be very courageous.
Health issues: The Australian Shepherd dog can suffer from numerous health issues and good checking before getting this dog is strongly recommended. Here are a few of the health issues. Merle colouration is highly sought after but within this gene, there is also deaf factor/ blindness. This is only in the merle/ merle cross. Natural bobtail to bobtail breeding can course some puppies having serious spinal defects. Epilepsy is another factor that can come up.
Grooming: Surprisingly the Australian Shepherd breed needs little grooming. You only needed to brush occasionally with a firm brush. Bathing the dog when only necessary is enough for this breed.
Living conditions: Here we have a moderately active dog, but it is not suited to apartment life. The Australian Shepherd breed needs a fairly large garden.
