The Australian Shepherd Dog ... which is not Australian!

Yes, the Australian Shepherd dog, also called Australian Shepherd , does not actually have Australian origins but is a dog made in the US.

His main gift is that of being an excellent worker, in fact he is often used to lead herds of animals; but it is also an excellent companion animal that lives very well at home with us.

The origins of the Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd is descended from the Pyrenean sheepdogs, which were used to look after the flocks of Spanish merino sheep , which followed Basque breeders and their flocks to Australia first, and to the United States later in the late 19th century. .

And it is precisely in the United States that this dog breed developed.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century this breed registered a real boom. Thanks to his skills as a tireless worker, the Australian Shepherd was used, or rather exploited, during the gold rush.

In the States, the Australian Shepherd was also very successful in other areas: both as a shepherd and sheep dog, and as a rodeo dog.

Then of course he became an excellent companion dog thanks to his docile character.

Facial traits of the Australian Shepherd Dog

The main feature of the Australian Shepherd Dog is undoubtedly the color of the eyes which can be blue, amber, walnut or dark brown depending on the color of the hair.

The coat colors are different: black and tan, brown and tan, red merle and blue merle. The shades of his furry coat are wonderful!

The ears are triangular and close fitting to the head. The male generally has a height between 51 and 58 cm, while the female between 46 and 53 cm, so it is slightly shorter.

Another distinctive feature is the tail: it is just 10 cm long.

Character:

As anticipated at the beginning of the article, the Australian Shepherd is a very docile dog, he trains very easily and is a tireless worker.

He is very affectionate and is therefore suitable for living with a family that loves him.