FAQs

What exactly is an Australian Shepherd?
According to the AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD CLUB of AMERICA (ASCA):
    The Australian Shepherd is a well balanced dog of medium size and bone. He is attentive and animated, showing strength and stamina combined with unusual agility. Slightly longer than tall, he has a coat of moderate length and coarseness with coloring that offers variety and individuality in each dog. An identifying characteristic is his natural or docked bob tail. His gait is smooth, free and easily shows agility and efficiency of movement.
    The Australian Shepherd is intelligent, primarily a working dog of strong herding and guardian instincts. He is an exceptional companion. He is versatile and easily trained, performing his assigned tasks with great style and enthusiasm. He is reserved with strangers but does not exhibit shyness. Although an aggressive, authoritative worker, viciousness toward people or animals is intolerable.
    Australian Shepherds are considered by many people to be the ideal dogs. Their uncanny intelligence, whether herding livestock or being a companion is always at work. The Australian Shepherd's loyalty and devotion are beyond question. If you are looking for a dog to be an active part of your work or play, consider the AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD.

Where do Australian Shepherds come from?
According to the AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD CLUB of AMERICA (ASCA):
Would it surprise you to learn that the Australian Shepherd is the only livestock working breed developed in America? Contrary to his name, the Australian Shepherd is not an Australian breed at all. We can trace his early ancestors to sheep herds, many of which were brought from Australia. Basque shepherds on the west coast were known to have "little blue dogs with bob tails" in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Sheep were imported from France, Spain, England, New Zealand, and Australia along with shepherds with dogs. In the western United States the Basque shepherd and his little blue dogs came to represent shepherding as much as the Scotsman and his Collie in Britain. In Australia there are dogs similar to Australian Shepherds called German Coolies. Other breeds have been observed in the above countries exhibiting some of our Australian Shepherd's characteristics. Although their exact origin is unknown, there is no doubt that the breed was developed in the western United States by livestock producers who used the dogs for working. The fact that the dogs also excelled as a cattle dog made them ideal for our many diverse farm and ranch operations. The breed evolved to the demands of their farm and ranch owners.
Australian Shepherds have been used for many purposes. Their use with livestock demanded a natural worker who was easy to train. Their devotion to their owners made them the ideal family farm dog which was needed to guard the homestead. Modern times have seen these talents used in even more diverse ways such as Search and Rescue, Drug Detection and Hearing and Handicap work. The original purpose of the breed as a working stock dog is still maintained across America on ranches and farms as well as through competition at stock dog trials.

How many colors do Australian Shepherds come in?
The Australian Shepherd comes in four basic body colors: Merle (Blue or Red), Solid (Black or Red) All with or without white and/or copper trim. A solid dog with white and copper trim is called a Tri Color. A solid dog with only white trim is called a Bi Color. A solid dog with only copper trim is called a black/red and copper. A merle with white and copper trim is called a "Merle". A merle with only white trim is called a "Merle with White". A merle with only copper trim is called a "Merle with Copper". For more information on Aussie colors, please read "The Merle Gene" by Pam Bethurum.

What is the difference between male and female Australian Shepherds?
   In my experience, Most of the personality differences between the two sexes are minimal or non-existent.
    Female aussies tend to be a little more reserved and suspicious of strangers, especially men. Females tend to be between 35-50 lbs and 18-21 inches and the shoulder. Females will generally have shorter hair, but seem to shed more since they will shed in the summer, after every heat, and after every litter. Female aussies have a very strong "maternal instinct", and are very protective of small things, including children. Females will come into season approximately every 6 months and will need to be confined for 2-3 weeks during this time.
    Male aussies are not typical of male dogs. They are generally gentle and non-aggressive. Since they are very intelligent, they learn very quickly that marking in the house is unacceptable. Male aussies do not have a very high . . . shall we say, sex drive? :-) They do not wander. This makes neutering a male aussie an option instead of a necessity. Male aussies are of course bigger than the females. Males tend to be between 50-65 lbs and 20-23 inches at the shoulder. The male Aussie is the showier of the two sexes, carrying longer hair, heavier bone, and a more masculine head. He typically has a very regal air about him. Males generally shed only in the summer. Male aussies can sometimes be territorial, especially if sharing a home with a female dog. Male aussies will generally be submissive to female aussies, especially if the female is older.

What is the difference between a "pet quality" puppy and a "show quality" puppy? Aren't all puppies pets?
    Above all, yes, all puppies should make excellent pets. After all, that is usually your primary reason for getting a dog. However, puppies are usually broken down in to two categories.
    A pet puppy is a puppy that is healthy with a good personality but may lack desirable qualities when compared to the breed standard. The breed standard, which is set forth by ASCA, is the written description of the ideal of the breed. There are breed standards for all breeds of dogs. Often the imperfections of the pet puppy are minimal and are things that the person looking for a pet would never notice. A pet puppy should not have any health or temperament problems! Some typical faults that may cause a breeder to consider a happy, healthy puppy as pet quality are teeth imperfections (breed standard calls for a full compliment of teeth which meet in a scissors bite), color that is not rich and clear, faults of toplines, legs, or earsets. Often the breeder will request that the dog be spayed or neutered. Spayed and neutered Australian Shepherds can compete in all ASCA programs except for Conformation. Some clubs offer spay/neuter classes in Conformation also.
    A show quality puppy should come as close as possible to the breed standard. No one can guarantee just what the puppy will grow up to look like, but a knowledgeable breeder can see potential and should be honest with you in evaluating their puppies. A breeder can make no guarantee that a dog will attain show championship as the care, upbringing, training and handling methods needed to achieve titles are up to the owner of the dog, and beyond a breeders control. The best that a breeder can do is provide you with a good quality puppy that meets the breed standard and displays the required characteristics needed for competition.

Australian Shepherds seem like they have a lot of hair, do they need a lot of grooming?
Although this is a long haired breed, Australian shepherds require only minimal grooming, just a brushing now and then and baths when needed. Their coats are surprisingly low maintenance. Aussies do shed, but a trip to the groomer's every 3 months or so, drastically cuts back on the shedding.

Why don't Australian Shepherds have tails?
    Many aussies have naturally bobbed tails (NBTs), but aussie tails can come in almost any length. Natural tails (long tails) taper at the end, whereas NBTs stop short at a stub or "bob". Those dogs with long NBTs or with natural tails are most often docked.
    Historically, the most popular reason for short tails is due to working. Tails have a different coat texture and are more prone to collect burrs when working in dense brush. These burrs, if left untended, can cause extreme pain and irritation to the dog. Also, there have been many undocumented cases of tails being broken from cattle stepping on them and gates being slammed shut on them. Now, the reason cited is that the short tail is a "signature," or recognizable characteristic, of the breed. The breed standard calls for a tail less than four inches long. Docking tails lends to consistency and type within the breed.
    Tail docking is done by the vet when the puppies are no more than 5 days old. My vet uses local anesthetic, and the puppies have very little discomfort.

Will you sell a puppy with an undocked tail?
No. Since tail docking must be done at such a young age, the tail are usually already docked before a potential owner ever sees the puppy. Even if the request were made before the birth of the litter, I would still refuse for 2 reasons. 1. The owner would be forced to select his puppy based on color alone. Markings change as the puppy gets older, not personality is detectable, and no health checks or eye clearances could be done before the selection is made. 2. If the owner changed his mind, I would be left with a puppy that did not meet the breed standard or the expectations of most aussies buyers.

How big will Australian Shepherds get?
Females tend to be between 35-50 lbs and 18-21 inches and the shoulder. Males tend to be between 50-65 lbs and 20-23 inches at the shoulder

Are Australian Shepherds good with children?
Australian Shepherds are great family dogs. Australian Shepherds are basically very good with children if they have been raised with children, and sometimes even when they have not been around them. One of the basic prerequisites for your children and your puppy to have a good relationship is to teach the child, as well as the puppy, what is allowed. Babies and toddlers should not be left unattended with your dog, no matter what breed. A child should learn not to handle the dog roughly or tease him. The parent, not the child, should be responsible for correcting the puppy if he gets too rough. Puppies and dogs have a tendency to look at children as "siblings" in the social order of the family, and the dog should never be allowed to get the upper position over the child. Something that sometimes occurs with Aussie puppies and kids is that, in play, the puppy may chase and nip at the heels of the child. This is because the dog is bred to herd and he is trying to "herd" the child because it is natural to herd something moving. In this situation, it is a good idea to have the child stop running and tell the dog "no bite." This should not be confused with actually trying to harm the child, but the game should not be encouraged. Australian Shepherds are very protective of children and would literally die to protect "their" child from harm. Australian Shepherds are the greatest dog any kid can have. They are fun, learn fast, and become the best of pals
Because they are very smart, easily trained, and learn fast, kids can interact with them very easily.

How long do Australian Shepherds live?
Generally, an aussie will live to be 12-15 years old.

What about miniature Australian Shepherds?
I do not know very much about Miniature Australian Shepherds. What I do know is that they are a very new breed that has been created mostly by breeding only the smallest aussies in the standard and repeating until small aussies have been produced. Generally speaking, they are not that much smaller than a small standard aussie, maybe 10 lbs lighter than a small female, and 2-3 inches shorter. Miniature aussies are not recognized by the AKC. I have been told that their personalities are a bit more hyper than a standard aussie. I do not breed Miniature Aussies, and I do not know anyone who does.

What kind of health problems do Australian Shepherds have?
    The Australian Shepherd is a healthy breed compared to many but is not without hereditary problems. Hip Dysplasia and several different eye defects are the most common problems in the breed.
    Hip Dysplasia (HD) is found in all dog breeds and is basically bad development of the hip joints. This disease is not caused by a single pair of genes, but instead is "polygenic". This means many gene pairs determine the condition and development of the hip joints. This has made the disease extremely difficult to understand and to determine the genetic inheritance involved.
    It has been found that the incidence of HD can be lessened by careful selection of breeding stock. Australian Shepherd breeders have been leaders in the control of the disease in this breed.
    Why is HD such a concern? Lameness varying from slight to very severe crippling can occur, usually between six months to a year or in the dogs older years. Some dogs never show lameness at all but have the disease. These dogs can run and jump but carry the disease and can pass it on to their offspring.
    HD can only be diagnosed with x-rays taken by a competent veterinarian after the dog is past it's second birthday. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) has for many years served as the diagnostic expert for this disease. X-rays submitted to the OFA are sent to three independent radiologists for a consensus opinion. OFA will not certify a dog free from HD until it is two years old. Dogs may be x-rayed for a preliminary evaluation earlier than two years, but because of the progressive nature of the disease, OFA will not certify them until two years of age.
    Most recent statistics from OFA report an incidence of 6.5% of Aussies with HD from 9,712 evaluated. This sounds like a small percentage, but it is about 1 out of 15 which would be one in every two litters. This statistic comes from dogs owned by conscientious breeders and owners who use the OFA, and not the general population so this may be deceiving.
    To be a conscientious breeder, a breeder must breed only OFA certified individuals and guarantee pups to be free from HD. Littermates and siblings are also important. An animal diagnosed as having HD should never be bred.
    The Aussie also can be affected by eye defects with varying degrees of hereditability. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a very serious disease which is caused by a recessive gene. The end result is complete blindness. We do know that affected dogs inherit the gene from both parents, so both parents are carriers. All the puppies from an affected dog will have the disease or be carriers. This disease may not show up until later in the dog's life which is a reason for yearly eye exams by a veterinary ophthalmologist.
    A regular veterinarian can not diagnose most eye diseases. When a dog is examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist and diagnosed free of disease the owner will receive a form. The owner can submit this form to CERF to receive a number declaring the dog free from eye defects. If CERF is not used, the owner should be able to provide a copy of the ophthalmologist forms to potential buyers.
    Another eye defect diagnosed in the Australian Shepherd is Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) which is also hereditary. Again a veterinary ophthalmologist needs to check the eyes of all dogs used for breeding.
    A defect that can be seen without special equipment is the Iris Coloboma, and it is especially noticeable in blue eyes. The inheritance of this defect has not been identified although studies have shown it occurring in families. In these eyes the pupil appears to extend into the iris (colored part of the eye) often with a jagged edge. The ASCA breed standard calls for the pupil to be well defined and perfectly positioned. If the pupil is not perfectly round and in the center of the eye, the eye is not normal. Most dogs with an Iris Coloboma appear to function normally, but there is evidence that this is inherited and affected dogs should not be bred.
    Juvenile cataracts are a serious defect as they also end in blindness. This is a disease and different than old age or senile cataracts. Again a veterinary ophthalmologist would need to diagnose the disease in its early stages.
    Other inherited diseases have been observed in the Australian Shepherd to a lesser degree. ASCA strongly recommends that all puppies be sold with a guarantee against hereditary defects and all breeding stock be OFA Certified and have a clear eye check.

I was looking at your contract, and it says that merles shouldn't be bred to other merles, why not?
    Merle is the Australian Shepherd’s signature color. So much so that the uninformed often mistake non-merle Aussies for some other breed. There is only one other breed—the Catahoula Leopard Dog—where merle is more common than in the Aussie. We like the color. It is distinctive and beautiful. Unfortunately, the gene that produces it can also cause serious problems for a dog that inherits two copies. Homozygous merles—those with two merle genes—almost always have defects in sight and hearing. This is the reason that all Aussie breed standards used since the early 1970s have discouraged or disqualified “excessive white.”
    Since homozygous merles—also called double merles, white merles, excessive whites or lethal whites—may have defects and since most homozygous merle Aussies are predominantly white, the framers of the breed standards discriminated against the color in order to discourage people from breeding these dogs. This type of merle can ONLY be produced from the breeding together of two merles, producing a pup with two merle genes. A merle white is usually blind and/or deaf. Many times they will have two blue eyes and the pupils of the eyes will be misshapen, starburst in shape, or off center in the eye. The eyes many times will have multiple hereditary eye defects which is referred to as merle ocular dysgenesis (homozygous merle eye). They can be deaf due to the lack of pigment in the inner ear. There are also indications that these individuals may have other physical defects due to the action of the merle gene on the neural crest during embryonic development. The neural crest is an embryonic structure from which the nervous system, internal organs and eventually even pigment cells originate.
    So, there is a very simple way to avoid producing homozygous merles. Never breed two merles together. This is the option many breeders, including myself, choose. However, some breeders will breed merle to merle. Sometimes a breeder feels that the stud most ideal for his merle bitch is also a merle. If that is the case, the breeder usually culls (kills) the homozygous merle puppies at birth. I personally believe that there is no excuse for knowingly breeding two dogs that will produce deformed puppies. Therefore, if one of my merle puppies is going to be bred, I require that it be bred only to solid dogs.

Ok, they can't be perfect, what are the draw backs of owning an Australian Shepherd?
     Those of us who love Aussies can't imagine a more perfect breed of dog. Unfortunately, the very characteristics we value in these dogs make them unsuitable for some homes and owners. Consider carefully if your lifestyle can accommodate the exuberance of a typical Aussie.
    The Australian Shepherd was developed to be a moderate sized, intelligent, all-purpose stock dog of great character and endurance. Many Aussies today still do the work they were bred for, and even those that have never seen sheep or cattle usually have a strong herding instinct. This means that Aussies need fenced yards and leashes, as the temptation to herd dogs, children, and traffic can simply overwhelm them.
    Being bred to work hard all day means that most Aussies are not content to be couch potatoes, although Aussies have individual characters and some are more sedate and quiet-natured than others. For the most part, however, these are high energy dogs who need a purpose in their lives-a job as it were. Owners must be committed to give these dogs the time and attention they require through play and training, for as with any dog, undirected energy can turn towards destructive behaviors such as digging and chewing. Running, jumping, and rough-housing are all a part of being a normal Aussie.
    The great intelligence of these dogs, necessary to out-think and control livestock, can be detrimental when left untrained and unused. Aussies are quite capable of out-thinking their owners. Obedience training is highly recommended as a means of teaching owners how to channel the typical Aussie's innate desire to please into appropriate behaviors. Aussies learn very quickly, so be certain you are willing to keep your Aussie occupied with walks, play, and training to benefit both mind and body.
    Although many Aussies are friendly with everyone, the Australian Shepherd as a breed tends to be somewhat reserved and cautious around strangers. With Aussies of this nature, owners should encourage the dog to meet people but not force encounters. Aussies are often quite protective of their family and property, a desirable trait in some situations but not acceptable in others, and some dogs never accept strangers. As with all dogs, poorly socialized Aussies may become aggressive without proper training. It is very important that puppies receive early socialization. Puppies raised in the garage or barn, will not have the same socialization benefits as puppies raised in the house.
    Aussies are generally healthy dogs and can be expected to live up to 12 years or more, so ownership can be a lengthy commitment. Although minimal, there is some grooming required to keep the coat clean and conditioned, such as regular brushing and nail trimming. To maintain their high energy levels, typical active Aussies may eat more than other more sedate dogs of similar size, so be prepared to feed plenty of high quality food.
    However, Aussies are perfect for people wishing to own a highly trainable, versatile, super-smart dog that can work/play "till the cows come home". If you have the time and commitment for an Aussie, you won't be disappointed. These special dogs deserve special owners. Their loyalty, drive, character, and whimsical sense of humor place them in a class by themselves.