How to Select an Australian Shepherd
The Australian shepherd came to the United States from Australia in the 1800s accompanied by Basque shepherds. This bright working dog is bred to be a herder and a guard dog and is playful and energetic, demanding an abundance of physical activity.
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Things You'll Need
- Dental Kits (for Dogs)
- Dog Beds
- Dog Bones
- Dog Brushes
- Dog Collars
- Dog Dishes
- Dog Food
- Dog Leashes
- Dog Shampoo
- Dog Toys
- Nail Clippers For Dogs
- Frisbees
Instructions
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Realize that the Australian shepherd has seemingly boundless energy - expect to spend a lot of time exercising and running with your dog.
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Select an Australian shepherd if you have children in the house. The Australian shepherd is a puppy at heart and loves to romp around with children.
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Choose this breed if you're looking for a watchdog and guard dog. The Australian shepherd is very protective of its home and family, and is gentle with adults and children alike.
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Know that your Australian shepherd will expect to be an important member of the family. This is a social dog and it does not do well when left alone.
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Look at the Australian shepherd's features when choosing yours. The dog will be intelligent, alert and poised in appearance, with a medium-length coat that is either straight or wavy.
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Choose from a variety of coat colors. The Australian shepherds can have coats with a black tricolor, red tricolor, blue merle or red merle (all colors can have white or tan markings as well).
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Understand that the Australian shepherd is prone to certain health conditions such as hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint), cataracts (cloudy eye lens), progressive retinal atrophy (blindness) and Von Willebrand's disease (a bleeding disorder).
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Check out potential breeders very carefully, being sure to ask if they are members of breed clubs, specialty clubs or obedience clubs. Affiliation with a club means you can check their references to make sure that they don't run a puppy mill and that they screen for health problems before they breed.
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Note that male Australian shepherds will grow to 20 to 25 inches and weigh 50 to 65 pounds. Females will grow to 18 to 21 inches and weigh 40 to 55 pounds.
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Be aware that you'll probably pay between $300 and $1,000 for a purebred Australian shepherd.
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Realize that an Australian shepherd's life expectancy is 12 years or more.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (see Related Sites) to learn more about hip dysplasia.
Australian shepherds love to play fetch and Frisbee.
They enjoy time in the water as well.
The Australian shepherd tends to be guarded with strangers.
If it does not get enough physical activity, the Australian shepherd will quickly form bad habits such as chewing and digging.
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Comments
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ginnyb
Feb 02, 2009
I rescued 2 Aussies from a family who had a child with allergies. They are wonderful companions and have a lot of personality. I have had dogs all of my adult life but never 2 that had been raised together since they were puppies. They groom each other every day. When I am combing the male out and he gets tired of it, the female comes over and encourages him to hold still until I'm done. I've never met dogs with more personality. -
ginnyb
Feb 02, 2009
I rescued 2 Aussies from a family who had a child with allergies. They are wonderful companions and have a lot of personality. I have had dogs all of my adult life but never 2 that had been raised together since they were puppies. They groom each other every day. When I am combing the male out and he gets tired of it, the female comes over and encourages him to hold still until I'm done. I've never met dogs with more personality.
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Jan 13, 2006
We were having a problem with our Aussie jumping on people when visiting. Although he had been through obedience school twice, the second trainer suggested for us to use an air horn. This worked great! We would blow it a very brief second and right away, he got the idea. I do recommend that you set up scenarios of people visiting and everyone should have ear protection on. Also, it works for other problems as well, such as ignoring "no" and other things. I try to keep it hidden when I use it. It was the best $7 I have invested! Oh yeah, do not blow it next to the dogs ears!
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Nov 22, 2005
The dog will become overweight and lazy if it is not exercised. If you plan to get one, you need to be very active.
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Nov 22, 2005
Australian Shepherds are great for families. They are well behaved, polite, bark when someone comes to the door, but sits once they enter. They wan to be with family, especially watching TV. They must run every day.
