The Versatile Australian Shepherd Dog

This unique breed of dog has a different history, appearance, and ability than many people think. From its name to its characteristics, the Australian Shepherd Dog is not what it may seem. These intelligent, loving, agile animals may surprise you, and you may fall head over tail in love with this wonderful dog.

By any other name
The first surprising fact about this dog breed is that it is not from Australia. Australian Shepherd dogs were bred in Colorado and other areas of North America. Their popularity arose from the need to have an animal help with herding and guarding sheep. The Australian sheep were being transported in large numbers at the time, and these dogs were used to herd them, which is how they ended up with an Aussie name.

These dogs are good at herding more than just sheep, however. They are highly intelligent and adaptable, which makes them an ideal working dog to own if you have a farm with many types of livestock. They are eager to please and learn new commands quickly, an excellent trait for the hectic owner of a farm.

These dogs are very gentle with their charges, and form tight bonds with their human owners. Their attachment to one person is intense, often to the point where they don’t like to leave that person’s side. This helps form a great team between human and dog, but people who don’t understand this breed may not appreciate the depths of this bond.

Easily misunderstood
There are other characteristics of these dogs that may be misunderstood by those who don’t know about the breed. They are intelligent, active, and agile. They need plenty of exercise and stimulation. If they are not exercised several hours a day, they may become bored and destructive.

Bored Australian Shepherd dogs may chew objects; make up games to amuse themselves, or create a job to do. This can develop into unwanted behavior, such as herding family pets, keeping guests out of certain rooms of the house, or not letting a family member cross the street.

Those who buy an Aussie dog as a pet without first researching the breed could misconstrue this behavior as hyperactive or dominant. If the owner can’t correct this behavior, they may get rid of the dog.

Keeping an Australian Shepherd happy
If you are not a farmer but want to own an Australian Shepherd dog, there are ways to keep him or her from acting out. Make sure the dog has plenty of room to run and lots of exercise. These dogs crave human companionship, so they do best in homes where someone is present often.

Agility training is another way to keep an Aussie dog exercised and content. These agile dogs love jumping, Frisbee, and other dog sporting events. Even if you are not looking to enter competitions with your dog, practicing these skills helps give them the mental and physical stimulation necessary. They will most likely learn the new commands easily, and you may find that you enjoy these sessions as much as your pet.

Physical characteristics
There are four main color variations for Aussie dogs. The colors are known as black, red, red merle and blue merle. They are often tri colored, with black, white, and gray markings or red, white, and tan markings. The merle variations are marbled colorings. The blue merle is a black marble with white and gray, while the red merle is red marble with white and tan. There are less known all black, tan merle, and a few other variations that have occurred because of dominant genes during breeding.

These loving, loyal dogs make great family pets. They are protective of their family members and spend as much time with people as they can. The more active a family is, the happier the Australian Shepherd dog will be. Just remember to start obedience training young and work with them daily to prevent unwanted behavior from developing.