Australian Shepherd – The Most Energetic Dog Breed Alive?

Written by: Bojana Radulovic
The Australian Shepherd is a super-smart, active, and energetic dog. Read on to check if you could handle owning this breed.
Dog Breed Group:
Herding Dogs
Height:
18 to 23 inches tall at the shoulder
Weight:
40 to 65 pounds
Life Span:
12 to 15 years

Breed Characteristics:

Apartment Friendly

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How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?

Good For First-Time Owners

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Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?

Overall Sensitivity

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Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?

Tolerates Being Alone

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Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?

Affectionate With Family

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How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?

Kid-Friendly

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Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?

Friendly Toward Other Dogs

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Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?

Friendly Toward Strangers

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Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?

Drooling Level

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If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?

Easy To Groom

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Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?

Overall Health

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What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.

Prone To Obesity

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Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?

Trainability Level

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Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.

Intelligence Level

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Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?

Prey Drive

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Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?

Barking Level

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How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?

Energy Level

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Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?

Exercise Needs

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Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?

Playfulness Level

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Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?

Australian Shepherd is a highly intelligent dog who is extremely passionate about his work. Even when they are full-time pets, they see game time as a job to be done.

This herding dog is happiest when there is a job to be done, and indeed this is the ultimate ranch dog.

Their name is a bit misleading because this breed has one of the blockbuster-all-American stories: originally a European breed perfected in California by way of Australia. Sounds confusing? That’s because there is a story behind it. Check it.

Quick Facts

Real name: Australian Shepherd
Origin: United States
Breed type: Herding Dogs
Weight: 50-65 pounds (male), 40-55 pounds (female)
Height: 20-23 inches (male), 18-21 inches (female)
Lifespan: 12 – 15 years
Litter Size: 6 – 7 puppies
Color: Blue or red merle, solid black or red, and/or white markings and/or tan points or a mixture of all
Coat: Moderately long double coat

Australian Shepherd History

Dog breeds are commonly connected to specific places, which reflects their nature. In fact, specific places reflect both their native climates and cultures.

As a result, we have dogs whose names are directly linked to the places of their birth or creation, such as German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, or Swedish Lapphund.

However, there is one exception to this rule: a tie to a fast and intelligent Australian Shepherd.

Opposite to many true Australian breeds, this dog is an American breed, developed mostly in California, but other parts of the States contributed as well, including Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho.

So, what’s the reason for the Aussie reference in the breed name? And how much of the breed is owed to the Basques?

Australian Shepherd’s earliest roots go back to the 1500s and the New World when the Spaniards imported their hardy native Churras sheep, as well as herding dogs to tend them.

Some documents describe these dogs as wolf-like, and much larger than the modern Australian Shepherd.

Over time these Spanish-derived herders created space for a kind of generic sheepdog that populated New Mexico, California, and beyond.

In the mid-1800s the California rush occurred and created a high demand for sheep to feed new miners, and with more sheep, getting more dogs was an expected step.

Farmers used the British-derived sheepdogs – many of them originated from working Collies, which often had different colors, from being merle, tricolor, and black or tan with today popular colors and patterns.

At the time they were called English Shepherds, and sometimes they had half-tails or no tails at all.

In the late 19th century the most popular sheep breed was Merinos – holders of the most expensive wool.

At the time, Germany has become an epicenter of Merino breeding.

One German émigrée brough Merinos to Australia, where the numbers went up to millions – from there they traveled to a sheep-starved American West.

Newspapers covered these events, and also mentioned the Australian Shepherds that accompanied them. No one in Australia called them Australian Shepherds – that name was given by Americans.

All in, the Australian Shepherd belongs to the UK Rural clade, next to Border Collie, Collie, and Shetland Sheepdog. Like dogs in that clade, the Australian Shepherd carries the MDR1 mutation.

This mutation leads to high sensitivity to ivermectin, and the breed can develop Collie eye anomaly – a disease that is linked to a dog’s of British roots.

Today, this is one of the most popular and most loved breeds ever, usually being in the first 15 places on AKC’s most popular dog list of the year.

Australian Shepherd Physical Appearance

The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent and hard-working dog with strong guarding and herding instincts.

In fact, this is the breed that people envision when they think about dogs herding sheep.

This powerful dog is a loyal companion and will demand frequent exercise time and well-structured training – otherwise, you can expect some destructive behavior or even separation anxiety if left alone for too long and too often.

As for the appearance, the Australian Shepherd is a well-built and muscled dog of medium size.

He is agile, solid, and muscular, with a coat of moderate length and coarseness. They almost always have a docked or naturally bobbed tail.

The head is strong and clean-cut, and always in proportion to the body. The back is straight and strong, while the croup is moderately sloped. Ribs are long and well sprung, while shoulder blades are long and flat.

Legs are straight and strong, while feet are oval. Front dewclaws may be removed, and pads are thick and resilient.

Hair is of medium texture and may vary from straight to wavy, weather-resistant, and of medium length.

The undercoat may vary depending on the climate. In general, on the head hair is short and smooth, and in dog shows non-typical coast are severe faults.

Australian Shepherd Personality

Before you get a dog, no matter how much like the breed, make sure that you do the proper research first.

Know as much as possible about the breed’s personality, character, and what makes them so unique and recognizable.

Be honest and conclude on facts if you can afford to have that specific breed or not.

If your job forced you to be outside your home all day long, it’s a clear sign that at the time you don’t have enough time to care about another living being, and you should wait for some calmer period.

On the other hand, if you do your research, meet some representatives of the breed and have extra time, love, and finances (because owning a dog will cost you money) then you are ready to have a canine following you all day long.

Now… What you should know about the Australian Shepherd’s personality?

Australian Shepherd Personality And Character

The Australian Shepherd was developed to be a dog of medium-sized, highly intelligent, and all-purpose stock dog.

Even today they are busy working on farms, while there are Aussies that have never seen sheep or cattle – this doesn’t mean that their strong herding instinct wouldn’t immediately jump in.

This strong urge to herd means that you should have a fenced yard, on walks leash all the time, and your children well-educated on how to behave around dogs, especially when they are at a young age.

This dog isn’t a couch potato, and will never act as such. This dog was bred for action. If you don’t give them a job to do, they will demand heavy active time to burn out that extra energy.

This is common in dogs with high energy – they need activity. Don’t forget: a tired dog is a good dog.

They are capable of out-thinking their owners, which is why this breed isn’t recommended for first time dog owners.

They tend to be shy around strangers and reserved. They are protective of their family members and property. As with all dogs, if you miss training and early socialization Aussies may become aggressive.

Australian Shepherd Training

The key for any well-behaved dog is proper training and early socialization. Obedience training is a must for every dog, especially puppies who can be trained at the age of only 8 months.

Make sure that you are well-prepared for delivering the best methods for basic commands, that you can deliver structured and fun training sessions.

This is a highly intelligent dog, and as such training will be a breeze as long as you know how to work with dogs.

The most frequent reason why Australian Shepherds end up in the rescue is that owners couldn’t or wouldn’t deal with the breed’s energy properly.

The best way to keep the breed’s boundless energy within normal boundaries is to use training.

Since they tend to make strong connections with their owners, Aussies can be territorial and overprotective, and easily destructive if neglected.

Luckily, that loyalty combined with the breed’s intelligence and high energy makes them very easy to train if you know your way around dogs.

Did you know that Australian shepherds can tolerate cold and pull people from the snow? They will be fine being active outdoors in the cold, but they cannot survive living outside in harsh climates.

Australian Shepherd Grooming

In general, you will have to invest time in grooming your Australian Shepherd. Weekly brushing is mandatory and expects more frequent brushing during the shedding season.

Always have the best grooming tools on hand because they will help you deal with waterproof and double-layer coats to look their best.

During shedding season, keeping a vacuum cleaner nearby is a wise decision.

During shedding days, an undercoat rake can be used every two or three days to remove the abundant dead hair, followed by a cleanup with the wire brush. Aussies tend to work or play outdoors, so they do get dirty quite often.

Unless they got themself into a huge mess, you shouldn’t bath them because they don’t need frequent bathing as humans do.

Just have an old T-shirt or a piece of cloth next to the door that you can soak in water and use for cleaning.

You can use special tissues designed for cleaning your dog after a walk. As with all breeds, trim or grind nails regularly, check gums, and learn how to clean dog’s ears.

Australian Shepherd Health

Aussies are generally healthy and long-living dogs.

If you are dealing with a responsible breeder, you will always get medical documentation on the dog.

This way they are showing you that you can trust them and that you are getting a healthy dog.

If you are not presented with documentation on the breed, know that you are dealing with puppy mills.

This breed should always be checked for certain conditions, including:

  • Hip dysplasia
  • Epilepsy
  • Cataracts
  • Certain forms of cancer
  • Elbow condition
  • Ophthalmologist check-up

Ears should be checked regularly to remove foreign matter and avoid a buildup of wax.

Teeth should be brushed (discuss this with your veterinarian), and always provide food that promoted dog teeth health.

When you get a dog you are directly responsible for his weight. It’s up to you whether your dog is about to gain weight or not.

Obesity in pets is a huge problem, and what may be a decision to you, is probably dangerous to your Fido – learn which human foods are safe for your dog and which you should avoid sharing with your Fido.

The Bottom Line

Doublethink if the Australian Shepherd is a breed for you.

You may love the fact of owning a dog who is smart and can learn many commands but are you willing to invest an enormous amount of time into training your Australian Shepherd and keeping him active?

If you don’t want to deal with providing enough exercise and training to keep your Australian Shepherd active, if barking is an issue, for you, and is heavier shedding is an issue, then an Australian Shepherd may not be the best choice for you.

On the other hand, if you want a dog who is of medium size, has breathtaking looks, and thrives on athletic activities, then an Australian Shepherd may be right for you.

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