Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
Australian Shepherd Dog
Solid, muscular and robust, the Australian Shepherd is an athletic dog who looks like they are built to work. Slightly longer than they are tall, Aussies have a medium length coat that should be straight or very slightly waved with a thick weather resistant undercoat. Tails, if present, should carry decent feathering and be set on in line with the croup. Some are born naturally tailless.
With strong working instincts, particularly the instinct to herd and drive groups of animals, and a natural suspicion of strangers, the Australian Shepherd is devoted to their owners, and loves to be a part of family life, if that family can offer the right active lifestyle. Early dog socialisation with other animals and children is vital, and Aussies must be given a job to do and plenty of physical and mental exercise to keep them satisfied and content. For the right owner, they can be the perfect dog but like most working breeds, a bored Aussie is a nightmare to live with.
With a somewhat misleading name, the Australian Shepherd is actually an American breed, bred to herd sheep imported from Australia. Shepherds from the Basque region of the Pyrenees took their native small ‘blue’ (blue merle) dogs to work in the U.S in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. It is also possible that they could originate from dogs first imported from Australia, then mixed with native dogs in the U.S in the late 1800’s so there is more of a potential Australian connection.
Since they were created, bred or imported to work, working ability was significantly more important than appearance, and it is no surprise that they share many physical traits with other well established pastoral breeds.
The Aussie has remained a popular herding dog in the U.S. for over a century, particularly as although bred to herd sheep, the Aussie is also adept at working with cattle.
More recently, the Aussie has turned a paw to a variety of canine sports and proven to be a versatile and adaptable competitor in obedience, scent work, agility, disc-dog, search and rescue and field trial competition.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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