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Australian Shepherd Dog

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General
OtherNames		Aussies
Dog Group Kennel Club		Pastoral
Breed Classification		Australian Shepherd Dogs belong to the pastoral group and are used for sheep-herding, as companions and seen in the show-ring.
Cost of Ownership Visit our dog food department
Average Food Cost		£4-7.50
Feeding Requirements		This breed does like its food and can become overweight if it does not get enough exercise.
Other Expenses		The initial cost of a puppy is from £500 upwards.
Average Puppy Price		£500-800
Lifespan		9 - 15 years
Average Litter Size		7
General Physical Description		These medium sized dogs are slightly longer than they are tall. They are solid and muscular. They are often compared to the Border Collie. Their gait demonstrates the agility and stamina that a sheepdog would need.
Height Min Max Bitch 46cm 53cm Dog 51cm 58cm Weight Min Max Bitch 16kg 32kg Dog 16kg 32kg
Size Category		Medium
Weight Height Range		Dogs ideally measure between 51-58cms at the withers, and bitches between 46-53cms. They should weigh in the region of 16-32kgs, the dogs at the top end of the scale and the bitches at the bottom.
Ailments		Being collies, the Australian Shepherd has inherited some of the collie eye diseases, among them collie eye anomaly, Coloboma, an abnormal development of the eye and microopthalmia, an abnormally small eye. Cataracts, retinal detachments and progressive r
Common Ailments
Susceptibility To Illness Pet insurance for dogs resource Pet health and vet advice		Low
Other
History		The Anatolian was once used for hunting lions and horses, now they are used for guarding flocks of sheep and goats in Turkey. They are an ancient breed that is regarded as a national emblem in Turkey.
Intelligence		Australian Shepherds are eager to learn and please their owner. As a result, this is an easy to train breed, although they can be rather dominant. It is also a breed that must be trained, as it needs something to occupy its mind. Aussies were bred to work and without a purpose in life they become bored and can develop destructive behaviours.
Show Characteristics		An Australian Shepherd’s head should have a flat skull or moderate dome. Equal in length to the back of the skull, the muzzle should be neither massive or snipey but round, and only slightly tapered. A scissor or level bite is permitted. Colours for the eyes can be very interesting with blue, brown, one blue and one brown, flecked or mottled, all accepted. Almond in shape, the eyes should be wide set and show an alert and intelligent expression. Blue merles and black dogs should have black eye rims, while red and red merles can have liver eye rims. Noses also play the colour game with black nostrils asked for in the darker dogs, while red dogs can have brown noses. Merles can have pink spots on their noses, so long as the spots cover less than 25% of the nose. Triangular in shape and moderate in size, folding forward at the top. The neck is strong and slightly arched sporting a ruff above the finely boned shoulders, which create close-set withers. The chest is deeper than it is wide and the ribs are well sprung but not barrel shaped. There is a moderate tuck-up to the abdomen. Equal in size to the shoulder blade, the upper arm should be made of dense bone and appear perfectly straight in the front view. In profile, it will appear that
Country Of Origin		United States of America
Famous Examples
Records Held
Characteristics Visit our dog training aids department
Energy		High
Overall Exercise		80 - 100 minutes
Distress Caused if Left Alone
Personal Protection		High
Suitability As Guard Dog		Medium
Risk of Sheep Worrying		High
Tendency to Bark		High
Ease of Transportation		High
Level of Aggression		Medium
Compatibility With Other Animals		Low
Suitable For Children		Medium
General Character And Temperament		It is recommended that you socialize Aussies early, as they can be a bit shy with strangers. It is also good for them to get used to children, other dogs and pets at an early age if one wants relations to go smoothly. The herding instinct is very strong in this breed and they must be taught that not all children take kindly to being herded. It is probably best to keep Aussies in a well-fenced yard and on leads when out for a walk as they may otherwise feel compelled to herd traffic, which can be fatal. This is a one person or family dog so they do make good protectors. They are very vocal and have a peculiar bark-howl combination that can be utilised in their guarding capacity. This is not the best breed for novice dog owners.
Grooming Visit our dog grooming department
Coat Length		Medium/Long
Grooming Requirement		< Once a week
Trimming
Requires Professional Groomer
Grooming		Aussies do shed and it is advisable to comb with a coarse, double toothed comb during moulting season.
Colour		Coat colours include, black, blue merle, red and red merle. Merle is a mottled colour that darkens as the dog ages. All colours have white markings on the chest, legs, under the muzzle and as a blaze on the forehead.
Shedding		Little
Suffers From Allergies
Tendency to Cause Allergies