The Australian Shepherd is a working dog that was developed in the United States in the 19th century. The dog, commonly known as an Aussie, is popular in its native California and is growing in popularity in countries across the world. Contrary to its name, the breed did not originate in Australia.

Like all working breeds, the Aussie has considerable energy and drive and usually needs a job to do. It often excels at dog sports such as frisbee and dog agility.

Appearance

The breed's general appearance also varies greatly depending on the particular line's emphasis. As with many working breeds that are also shown in the ring, there are differences of opinion among breeders over what makes an ideal Australian Shepherd.

Size

Reflecting the great variation that exists in the breed, an Aussie can stand between 18 and 23 inches (46 to 58 cm) at the withers and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg). For show dogs, females should fall in the lower heights and males in the higher ranges. There is a conflict, though, concerning the Miniature Australian Shepherd. Since there is no strict height or weight measurements, some say mini Aussies are the same as the original breed, simply smaller, and should not be considered a separate breed. Others stick to an opinion that minis evolved somewhat separately and should be their own breed.

Color

The four colors of Aussies are blue merle (black and gray patchwork) red merle (liver red and beige patchwork), black, and red. Any of these colors can have white markings on the face in the form of a blaze, white collars, chests, belly and legs. They may also have copper/tan points above their eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ear, on the chest, legs and under the tail. White should not appear on the body of the dog from topmost point of the shoulder blade to the tail.

Dogs with tan and white along with the primary color are called tri-color. Dogs with white or copper only along with the primary color are called bi-color. Dogs with no white or copper are referred to as "self colored".

The merle gene which produces a mingled or patchwork combination of dark and light areas is the most common pattern associated with the breed. This merle gene (M) is dominant so that affected dogs (Mm) show the pigmentation pattern, however, when two merles are bred, there is a statistical risk that 25% of the offspring will end up with the two copies of the merle gene (Homozygous). These dogs usually have a mostly white coat, blue irises, are often deaf and/or blind. In this case the deafness and blindness is neither dominant nor recessive defective gene, but is linked to having two copies of the merle gene that disrupts pigmentation and produces these health defects.

Eyes

There is also great variety in the Aussie's eye color. An early nickname for the breed was "ghost-eye dog". Aussie eyes may be green, hazel, amber, brown, or blue; they may have two different colored eyes, or even have bicolored or "split eyes" (for example, a half-brown, half-blue eye), which appear to be linked to the merle coloration. Merled eyes occur as well, where one color is mixed in and swirled with another. Any combination of eye color is acceptable in the breed standard, so long as the eyes are healthy. In general, however, black Aussies (self, bi-color or tri-color) tend to have brown eyes, while red (self, bi-color or tri-color) Aussies tend to have amber eyes.

A hallmark of the breed is a short bobbed or docked tail in countries where docking is permitted. Some Aussies are born with naturally short bobbed tails, others with full long tails, and others with natural partial bobs, where the tail is midlength and appears stubby. Most breeders dock the tails when the puppies are born.

Temperament

The Australian Shepherd is unique with regard to its temperament. There are two distinct types of personality to look for depending on the lines, as well as many shades within these two types.

Generally the breed is an energetic dog that requires exercise and enjoys working, whether it is learning and practicing tricks, competing in dog agility, or any other physically and mentally involving activity. Many need to run, full out, regularly. It is usually a sweet and affectionate dog who is faithful to its owners and may be good with children, although its overwhelming instinct to work may subvert its ability to function as a family dog.

Dogs with strong working instinct may show more reserved, guarding behaviors along with a tendency to chase or nip at running children or strangers if not properly trained. Its protective instinct and behaviors can be frightening to children, strangers, and small animals. Those bred for a more family-oriented temperament are more friendly and affectionate with strangers and generally more reliable around children. Because the breed was developed to serve on the ranch, a job which includes being protective of its property, it sometimes can be annoying with its inclination to bark warnings about neighborhood activity, but it is not generally an obsessively barking dog.

Although most Aussies don't have tails, the wagging movement of the hind end still occurs. The Aussie is intelligent, learns quickly, and loves to play. This means that a bored, neglected, unexercised Aussie will invent its own games, activities, and jobs, which to a busy owner might appear to be hyperactivity in the house (for example, an Aussie may go from being at rest to running at top speed for several 'laps' around the house before returning to rest, all apparenty for no purpose) around fragile furnishings or involve the destruction of yard and property. Without something to amuse them, Aussies often turn destructive. Aussies also do best with plenty of human companionship: they are often called "velcro" for their strong desire to always be near their owners and for their tendency to form intense, devoted bonds with select people.

The Australian Shepherd has a reputation as a highly intelligent and versatile stock dog with a range of working styles. While improperly trained or frustrated Aussies may exhibit excessive running and barking, a good working Aussie is quick, thoughtful, and easy with its stock. The ability for the breed to adapt to the situation and think for itself makes it an excellent all-around worker. For this reason the Aussie is often chosen to work unusual livestock such as ducks, geese, and commercially raised rabbits. One interesting thing about Aussies is that they are seen 'smiling', pulling up their lips and showing their teeth. This is often mistaken as a challenge, but is actually friendly.

Health

Though typically a very healthy breed, the Australian Shepherd is known to be susceptible to certain hereditary conditions. Collie eye anomaly (CEA) and cataracts are considered major health concerns. Other conditions of note include iris coloboma , canine hip dysplasia (CHD), Pelger-Huet syndrome , hypothyroidism, and nasal solar dermatitis .^[1] A veterinarian should test your Australian Shepherd's hips, eyes, thyroid and DNA (to check for CEA).

The Australian Shepherd (as well as Collies and many other herding dogs) is susceptible to toxicity from common heartworm preventatives (anti-parasitics) and other drugs. This is caused by a genetic mutation of the MDR1 gene. The most common toxicity is from the heartworm medicine Ivermectin found in products such as Heartgard. (Only at doses 100x the recommended. Most dogs do not have problems with Ivermectin.) A test is available to determine if a particular dog carries the mutated gene. Read here for more information.

History

The Australian Shepherd's history is vague, as is the origin of its misleading name. Although many claim that the majority of the breed's antecedents most originated in the Basque region near the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France, facts supporting this theory are not there. A few dogs from the German Coolie breed may have come with sheep from Australia. The color and conformation of these dogs was similar, while the Basque shepherd dogs had more marked differences, they were much smaller and lankier, came in a wire haired variety, and lacked white markings.

Most ancestors of the Australian Shepherd breed come from the landrace of farmshepherds in North America. Although dogs from all over Europe added to the mix, the greatest portion were from Great Britain, and the largest influx was probably along with the Scottish fleeing their homeland and moving into North Carolina following the Battle of Culloden in the mid eighteenth century.

Early European settlers took many of their herding dogs with them as they emigrated to the eastern United States in the 19th century. Breeds as we know them today did not exist before Victorian times, but local variations of the ancestors of different breeds that we know today came into this country along with their owners and livestock. Included are some that are now extinct or that have merged into other breeds. These probably included the English Shepherd, Dorset Blue Shag, Cumberland Sheepdog, Scottish Collie , Glenwherry Collie, Welsh Sheepdog (which still includes a blue merle variety) and Bouvier des Flandres, as well as dogs from Germany and Spain. For many centuries, shepherds had more interest in dogs who performed well when helping to manage flocks of sheep than they had in the specific appearance of the dogs. As a result, over time, shepherds interbred dogs that they believed would produce better workers for the given climate and landscape. Terrain and weather conditions in the eastern U.S. were similar to that of Europe, however, so the existing imported breeds and their offspring worked well there.

In the western states, conditions were quite different. In the primarily arid and semiarid areas inhabited sparsely by early Spanish settlers, temperatures reached extremes of hot and cold, and fields varied in altitude from sea level into the higher, rougher Sierra Nevada and similar mountain ranges. The ranchers in these areas often pasture livestock on remote ranges without attention for months at a time. They prefer aggressive herding dogs that can be taken to remote pastures and work cattle that were not familiar with dogs or to the dogs.

With the 1849 California Gold Rush, a massive migration occurred from the east coast to the west coast, and along with the people came flocks of sheep and the eastern herding dogs. But it was just as effective to bring sheep in by ship, and in they came, including flocks from Australia and other regions. Shepherds came along with the flocks and also independently, from Latin America, Europe, and Australia, along with their own herding breeds.

Dogs from Australia had already begun to be selected and bred for climates and terrains that were often similar to California.

As shepherds selected dogs who could handle stock in harsh storms, high arid heat, and chilling cold, and who could think on their own in challenging terrain, reacting instantly to the movement of sheep and to their handlers' commands, the type that became known as the Australian Shepherd was born.

Recent history

Selective breeding for many generations focused on aspects of the dog that enabled it to function as an effective stockdog in the American west. It had to handle severe weather; have plenty of speed, athleticism, energy, and endurance; and be intelligent, flexible, and independent while remaining obedient. The Australian Shepherd remained more of a type than a breed until the 1950s, when they became popular as performing dogs in rodeos. Their stunts and skills earned them places in several Disney films, including Run Appaloosa Run and Stub: The Greatest Cowdog in the West.

Agility

Like their relatives, the Border Collies, these dogs excel at many dog sports, especially herding, dog agility, frisbee, and flyball. The dog has a stride in which its front and back legs cross over, making for an incredible appearence of "on the edge" speed. The dogs instinctively use a "pounce" position (see above) to deal with cattle trying to kick them. They, in turn, have very strong hips and legs, allowing for fast acceleration and high jumping, sometimes as high as 4 ft (1.3m).

Miscellaneous

The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) was founded in 1957 to promote the breed, and the National Stock Dog Registry became its official breed registry the same year, which it continued until ASCA took over in the 1940s. In the late 1970s, ASCA created a breed standard, which described exactly how an Australian Shepherd should look and be constructed (its conformation). This was the first step in becoming a breed rather than a type.

In the United States, the AKC is the primary breed registry for purebred dogs. However, many Aussie breeders felt that AKC put too much emphasis on conformation and not enough on performance, so ASCA declined to join the AKC. Those breeders who felt that AKC membership had its advantages split off from ASCA to form their own Australian Shepherd club, the United States Australian Shepherd Association, created their own breed standard, and joined the AKC in 1993. The decision about affiliation with the AKC remains controversial, as it does with many performance breeds.

In addition to the Miniature Australian Shepherd, the western United States are now seeing the emergence of an even smaller version, referred to as the Toy Australian Shepherd, with adult males tipping the scales at a mere 12 to 15 pounds (5.5 to 6.8 kg.). The genetic consequences of breeding the standard Australian Shepherd down to one-quarter size remain to be seen. Some owners of Australian Shepherds consider the Mini and Toy to be separate breeds.

See also

• Miniature Australian Shepherd

References

1. ^ Caring for an Australian Shepherd - Breeder Retriever, URL dated December 7, 2006

• Coile, Caroline. Australian Shepherds. Barron's, 1999. ISBN 0-7641-0558-2

• Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 0-7525-8276-3. 

• Fogle, Bruce (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Dorling Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7. 

• McCormick, Marla. Buster Alert. Retrieved on 2006-11-12.