The history of Australian shepherd breed of dog is not very definite. Some believe that this breed originated in Spain and it was mostly regarded as sheepdog. This breed developed in western North America during the 19th and the early 20th centuries. The breed that we know today however, did not exist before the Victorian era. The local varieties of the ancestors of the present breed came to USA with their owners. This breed is a interbred of dogs which are known for their working abilities.

Selective breeding went on for many generations thus leading to the formation of this breed which is an effective sheepdog easily able to handle severe weather and known for energy, speed, endurance and athleticism. No one is sure how the breed got its name. One possibility is that it got the name as the dogs from Australia were blue merle and therefore any dog having similar coat color was given the same name.

General Description

This breed of dog lives for about 12-15 years. However, the biggest problem is it might become blind or deaf. So before you are buying this breed of puppy, first check on the hearing and the vision of the dog. It might also suffer from diseases like cataract, epilepsy and nasal solar dermatitis.

General Health

These dogs live about 10-16 years, and they are strong, physically active, and mostly healthy. However, there are some health problems such as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, elbow dysplasia, bone cancer, hip dysplasia, cherry eye which are common to the general population of the breed.

Height and Weight

The male of this dog is 20-23 inches in height and the female is about 18-21 inches. The weight for the males is 50-65 pounds and the female's weight is about 40-55 pounds.

Character

This breed remains like puppy even when they are adult. They are very good with children and love to play with kids. They are also good watchdogs for the house. They are always smart and immediately understand what the owner wants. They are also very intelligent and can be trained easily. They can be aggressive with the livestock and at the same time be soft with the human friends. But they can nervous and destructive, if they do not have enough mental and physical exercise. If they are socialized well, then they would not be suspicious of the strangers. This breed is generally quiet and rarely shows aggressiveness.

Maintenance

This breed needs quite a bit of exercise, and work so that their minds are always occupied and they are not bored because otherwise they might suffer from mental problems. You need to give your dog ample time for exercising and since they crave for work thus you should give them work always. The coat can be easily maintained by brushing it occasionally with firm brush and you can give them a bathe if necessary.

Australian Shepherd Photos