About Australian Shepherds
The Australian Shepherd, the cowboy’s herding dog of choice and ACTIVE Family dog of Choice. Aussies are remarkably intelligent, and keen learners. Most of our Aussies have been sold as active family dogs and we've had nothing but positive feedback from there homes. Aussies are extremely smart and capable of learning pretty well any sport and activity and love to stay active and try new things. Australian Shepherds like any breed need a leader to properly train and guide them to bring them to there full potential in life.
Look Color & Weight
Aussie coats offer different looks, including merle (a mottled pattern with contrasting shades of blue or red) as well as Black Tri and Red Tri.
The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent dog. He is a loyal companion and has the stamina to work all day. He is well balanced, slightly longer than tall, of medium size and bone, with coloring that offers variety and individuality. He is attentive and animated, solid and muscular but still elegant. He has a coat of moderate length.. He has a docked or natural bobbed tail. (Due To laws in BC we no longer Dock tails, but some puppies are born with a natural bob.)
The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent dog. He is a loyal companion and has the stamina to work all day. He is well balanced, slightly longer than tall, of medium size and bone, with coloring that offers variety and individuality. He is attentive and animated, solid and muscular but still elegant. He has a coat of moderate length.. He has a docked or natural bobbed tail. (Due To laws in BC we no longer Dock tails, but some puppies are born with a natural bob.)
- Height: 20-23 inches (male), 18-21 inches (female)
- Weight: 40-55 pounds
- Life Expectancy: 10-16 years
History
The Australian Shepherd is descended from a line of Europe’s finest herders. The Aussie’s world tour began in Europe, near the Pyrenees Mountains. It was here, in the borderlands between France and Spain, where the indigenous people known as the Basques built their centuries-old reputation as world-class shepherds. Their herding dog of choice was called the Pyrenean Shepherd, progenitor of our modern Aussie.
In the early 1800s, Australia’s Anglo emigres began a push into the continent’s vast interior in search of rich pastureland for cattle ranching. Eventually, many Basques, with their faithful shepherd dogs in tow, sailed east to try their luck on the virgin Australian continent, a wide-open paradise for sheep herders.
During their long sojourn in Australia, the Basque shepherd refined their dogs with judicious crosses to Australia’s British imports, Collies and Border Collies, among them. After building up their flocks, the intrepid Basques left Australia for greener pastures—literally—and set sail to California.
California ranchers admired the Basques’ herding dogs and assumed they were an Australian breed—thus the misleading name Australian Shepherd. Aussies, further refined and perfected in America, have been an iconic part of cowboy culture ever since. Many are still happily herding in the American West, others earn their feed as rodeo performers, and still others of this exuberantly versatile breed work as therapy dogs, drug detectors, service dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs.
In the early 1800s, Australia’s Anglo emigres began a push into the continent’s vast interior in search of rich pastureland for cattle ranching. Eventually, many Basques, with their faithful shepherd dogs in tow, sailed east to try their luck on the virgin Australian continent, a wide-open paradise for sheep herders.
During their long sojourn in Australia, the Basque shepherd refined their dogs with judicious crosses to Australia’s British imports, Collies and Border Collies, among them. After building up their flocks, the intrepid Basques left Australia for greener pastures—literally—and set sail to California.
California ranchers admired the Basques’ herding dogs and assumed they were an Australian breed—thus the misleading name Australian Shepherd. Aussies, further refined and perfected in America, have been an iconic part of cowboy culture ever since. Many are still happily herding in the American West, others earn their feed as rodeo performers, and still others of this exuberantly versatile breed work as therapy dogs, drug detectors, service dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs.