Is an Australian Shepherd the right breed for you?
When looking to add a canine companion to your family it is important to make sure that the breed you choose is best suited to you, your lifestyle and family. Australian Shepherds are a beautiful breed and their intelligence and loyalty can make them great companions. However, Aussies are not suited to everyone. Australian Shepherds are an active breed with relatively high training and exercise requirements that need to be met in order for them to thrive. An Aussie without its needs being met can soon become 'self-employed'. Aussies enjoy learning and having a job to do, whether that be participating in a dog sport such as Agility, Obedience, Scentwork, Mantrailing, or Working Trials, or something as simple as helping you with tasks around the house.
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You can read more about whether an Aussie is the right dog for you here:
https://www.australianshepherdnasa.com/is-an-aussie-for-me
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The Kennel Club Breed Standard:
A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance including the correct colour of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. The following breed standard for the Australian Shepherd is set by the Kennel Club.
Size:
Dogs: 51-58 cms (20-23 inches).
Bitches: 46-53 cms (18-21 inches).
Colour:
Blue merle, black, red merle, red, all with or without tan points. All colours should be strong, clear and rich. White should not dominate the head. On all colours the areas covering and surrounding the ears and eyes are dominated by a colour other than white.
May have white as follows:
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full or part collar not extending beyond point of withers at the skin
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chest
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muzzle
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moderate blaze
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underparts
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on fore legs
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on hind legs, preferably not extending above the hock joint
General Appearance:
Well balanced, length slightly greater than height. Medium sized, muscular with moderate bone. Expression alert and keen. Masculinity and femininity well defined.
Characteristics:
Intelligent working dog with herding and guarding instincts. Great stamina, loyal, attentive and animated. Lithe, agile and able to change speed and direction with ease.
Temperament
Even disposition. May show initial reserve, never shy or aggressive.
Head and Skull:
Eyes:
Ears:
In proportion to body. Clean cut. Dry. Muzzle equal to, or a little shorter than length of skull, tapering slightly to a rounded tip. Skull flat to slightly rounded, approximately equal in length and width. Moderate, well-defined stop. Nose and eye rims: black in blue merles and blacks; shades of brown in red merles and reds. Poor pigmentation undesirable over one year of age.
Forequarters:
Shoulder blades long and flat, well laid back. Upper arms of comparable length and angulation. Height to the elbow is half the height of the dog at the withers. Forearms straight from all sides with moderate oval bone. Slightly sloping pasterns of medium length.
Feet:
Oval, compact with well arched toes and thick pads.
Tail:
Previously customarily docked.
Undocked: Set on following the line of the croup. Of moderate length, not kinked. In overall balance with the rest of the dog. Moderately feathered.
May be naturally bobbed.
Expressive, almond shaped, set obliquely with tight-fitting rims. Brown, blue or amber, or combination including flecks and marbling.
Mouth:
Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Body:
Triangular; of moderate size and thickness with a slightly rounded tip. Set high on the side of the head. When alert, brought forward and carried semi-erect, with half to three quarters of the ear breaking forward or to side.
Neck:
Clean, without throatiness. Moderate length, strong, slightly arched; fitting smoothly into shoulders.
Length from point of shoulder to point of buttock slightly greater than height at withers. Strong, with firm level topline. Chest deep, of moderate width, with brisket reaching to elbow. Ribs well sprung and carried well back. Loin strong and broad. Croup moderately sloping. Moderate tuck-up.
Gait/Movement
Hindquarters:
Approximately equal in width to forequarters at the shoulders. Angulation of pelvis and upper thighs reflects that between scapulae and upper arms. Stifles moderately angulated. Hocks well let down, with rear pasterns perpendicular to ground and parallel when viewed from rear.
Agile, smooth, free and easy, with moderate length of stride without any exaggeration. Fore and hind limbs move straight and true but should converge at speed. Topline should remain firm and level.
Coat:
Medium length and texture, straight to slightly wavy, weather resistant with undercoat. Short hair on head, ears, front of forelegs and below hock joints. Back of legs moderately feathered. Moderate mane, more pronounced in dogs than bitches.
MDR1 and Aussies:
Australian Shepherds, along with several other herding breeds, can carry a genetic mutation that makes them sensitive to certain drugs. Use of those drugs can cause serious neurological illness or death. This just means we have to be careful which drugs we use and present our vets with a list at each visit. You can download the Do Not Use Drugs list here (credit to Nannette Newbury).