Australian Shepherd
Herding Group
Height at Shoulders
Females 18-21 in, Males 20-23 in
Weight
Females 35-55 lbs, Males 55-70 lbs
Life Expectancy
12-15 yrs
History
The Australian Shepherd's name is a bit misleading considering it originated in California. The "Aussie"'s ancestor, the Pyrenean Shepherd, was a popular herding dog amongst the Basques, a group of indigenous people from the borderlands between France and Spain. In the early 1800's, as Anglo-Australians were making their way into the interior, many Basques sailed east to Australia to herd sheep there. They bred their shepherds with collies and border collies to improve the breed. Eventually, many of them left for California where Californians mistook their dogs for being Australian (hence the misnomer). The breed was fine-tuned on the West Coast, establishing the breed we know today.
Breed Characteristics
While not all Australian Shepherds share the exact same personality and temperament, there are certain generalizations that can be made about the breed. In addition to genetics, a dog’s environment, training, socialization, and many other factors all contribute to their personality and behavior.
Intelligence
Affection Towards Family
Friendliness Towards Strangers
Friendliness Towards Other Dogs
Exercise Needs
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★☆☆
★★★★★
★★★★★
Energy Level
Sensitivity
Noise Level
Prey Drive
Shedding
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★☆☆
Intelligence
★★★★★
Affection Towards Family
★★★★★
Friendliness Towards Strangers
★★★☆☆
Friendliness Towards Other Dogs
★★★★★
Exercise Needs
★★★★★
Energy Level
★★★★★
Sensitivity
★★★★★
Noise Level
★★★★☆
Prey Drive
★★★★☆
Shedding
★★★☆☆
Common Traits
Active, playful, and versatile
Tend to try to herd animals and people (especially children)
Very intelligent and have been known to try to dominate or trick their caretaker
Very high energy and do best when they have a job to perform- otherwise, they may become destructive and loud
Protective of household and will alert bark if they hear or see anything out of the ordinary
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