Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd, despite the name, is an American herding breed — an energetic, mottle-coated stock dog prized for its trainability.

History

It was developed in the western United States in the nineteenth century, its ancestry a mix of collies and sheepdogs that arrived alongside flocks traded through Australia — hence the misleading name. It became the ranch and rodeo dog of the American West.

Temperament

The breed is known for being intelligent, energetic and devoted, with a strong drive to work and a reserve toward strangers that made it a natural guardian of stock. It needs a job, and an idle one turns its cleverness to mischief.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and mental work, and excels at herding, obedience and dog sports. The medium double coat sheds and needs regular brushing, and it takes eagerly to reward-based training.

Health

Known tendencies include hip and elbow dysplasia, inherited eye conditions, epilepsy, and a drug sensitivity carried in some lines; breeding two merles together also risks deaf or blind pups. These are patterns for the breed rather than a verdict on one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.