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DreamWinds Aussie Info
| Australian Shepherd Information TEMPERAMENT The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent, medium-sized dog of strong herding and guardian instincts. He is also a delightful and loyal companion and a great family dog. He loves to be part of the daily hustle and bustle, and enjoys riding in the vehicle just to be with his beloved master. As a farm dog, he diligently carries out his responsibilities, be they bringing in the stock or finding that stray one that got tangled in the brush. He is easy to train, easy to housebreak, and eager to please. Aussies have been used as seeing-eye dogs, as utility dogs to the physically handicapped, hearing aid dogs, police and narcotics dogs and search and rescue dogs. In the northern areas they have also been used as sled dogs. Many go with their masters as volunteers to children's homes and nursing homes to do therapy work. Truly, the Australian Shepherd is a highly versatile dog. The Aussie (as he is lovingly nicknamed) is a very active dog that needs a great deal of exercise on a daily basis to prevent him from become bored or frustrated and developing destructive habits. Because of their high energy level, combined with high intelligence, Aussies need to be given a "job" to perform, be it shepherding the children, protecting the house, herding livestock or competing in dog events. One of the most frequent reasons Aussies are turned over to rescue groups is because their owners didn't realize how much energy the breed has, and weren't willing to channel that energy through training. Aussies are also quite demanding of their owners' time and attention and want to be constantly with them, following them from room to room in the house, and going along in the car or truck on errands. They can be highly territorial and protective of their masters' possessions, which can cause serious difficulties unless controlled with proper training. COLORS The Australian Shepherd comes in four acceptable colors: black, blue merle (a marbling of gray and black), red (ranging from light cinnamon to liver), and red merle (marbling of red and silver or buff). A variety of white and tan markings may appear on the face, chest, front and rear legs. The outer coat is of moderate length, with a texture that is straight to wavy and weather resistant. The undercoat is soft and dense, and the amount varies with climate. Tails are naturally bobbed or docked. Ears are moderately sized, and break forward and over, or the side as rose ears. Males weigh approximately 50 to 65 pounds, measuring from 20 to 23 inches, and females weigh about 40 to 55 pounds, measuring from 18 to 21 inches. The eyes of the Australian Shepherd are perhaps one of his most commented on features because of the variety of colors. They may be any color or combination of colors from glassy blue, amber, hazel, to all shades of brown. BREED HISTORY While there are many theories as to the origin of the Australian Shepherd, the breed as we know it today developed exclusively in the United States. The Australian Shepherd was given its name because of their association with the Basque sheep herders who came to the United States from Australia in the 1800's. The Aussie rose rapidly in popularity with the boom of western riding after World War II, becoming known to the general public via rodeos, horse shows, movies and television. Their inherent versatility and trainability made them useful on American farms and ranches. The American stock men continued the development of the breed, maintaining the versatility, keen intelligence, strong herding instinct and eye-catching appearance. Australian Shepherds have been registered by various registries since the early 1950's. One of the earliest registries for Aussies is the National Stock Dog Registry. In 1990, the United States Australian Shepherd Association was established as the parent club of the Australian Shepherd representing the breed to the American Kennel Club. On September 1, 1991, the AKC recognized the Australian Shepherd breed and on January 1, 1993, accepted them into the Herding Group. ******************************************************************************************************************* FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: American Kennel Club VS National Stock Dog Registry, what's the difference? I get a lot of questions regarding the difference between the two registries. American Kennel Club (AKC) is more well known and more popular because it is thought of as the best and you can show these Aussies. However for the Aussies it has actually changed the entire breed as it once was. Whenever the Aussies were first being registered the National Stock Dog Registry (NSDR) registered many, many dogs and had a vast amount of bloodlines. They came in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and coat variety. These Aussies had a purpose: To help farmers work. Therefore they couldn't have eye problems, hip problems, and had to have a lot of intelligence in order to survive and work. Only the best work dogs were bred to the best work dogs leaving little error for lack of intelligence and/or health issues. Whenever the AKC opened their books to the Aussies in the 90's they registered only so many Aussies, not everyone was notified of the open book. As time went by people began breeding their AKC Aussies for their looks and conformation, forgetting about intelligence, working ability, and overall health. A lot of the AKC Aussies are linebred so close that health problems sometimes crop up. The overall intelligence of the AKC Aussie is totally different from a NSDR Aussie. We own both AKC and NSDR Aussies so we can safely verify that they are as different as night and day. I love my AKC Aussies as much as the NSDR Aussies but they both have a speciality, so AKC papers will not ensure you a better dog. If you are looking for something to work on the farm and/or have high intelligence then I recommend taking another look at the NSDR Aussie. What about the other registries? In the Aussie world there are dozens of registries, NKC, CKC (continental kennel club), ASDR, IPR, and the list goes on and on. The first registry to recognize Aussies was the NSDR/IESR. Eventually the IESR broke off and formed the ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America). These two registries are the foundation for the Aussie. Eventually AKC opened their books to them but like I said earlier a lot of Aussies didn't get in. I, myself, do not recommend purchasing an Aussie unless they have at 'least' 3 generations of registered ancestry. A lot of registries will register anything that might be an Aussie as long as you have 2 friends verify it as being an Aussie, so you never know what you are getting if the parent has unknown pedigree. The three registries that I recognize are NSDR, ASCA, and AKC. With NSDR make sure you ask for a pedigree as NSDR will also register unknown pedigrees. What should I look for in a breeder? There are hundreds of Aussie breeders out there. There are basically three types of breeders: 1. Those that own show Aussies and will only sell to people wanting to show or sell their non-show quality pups to pet homes for $1000. Their Aussies are usually kept up in a kennel most of the day and very rarely get to enjoy being a 'real' Aussie. Most of their dogs do not have any herding instinct and are just fluffy show dogs. 2. Those that show or compete in performance events part-time and raise their pups for everyday people and families to enjoy. They do activities with their Aussies. Their Aussies are part of their family and most of the time will be house dogs or are able to get out on a farm and run/play everyday. Their pups are mid-range prices $400-800, most of the pups will be show quality. Several if not all of their dogs have health clearances or at least several generations of no health problems in their Aussies. The 3. And the third type of breeder are those that are only in it for the money. They do nothing with their dogs, most never leave their kennel and have no obedience training. They usually have 3 or more breeds of dogs they raise pups from and will have no health clearances on their dogs. A lot of times these breeders will continuously sell and buy dogs especially if they do not produce good litters. Prices range from $50-800 depending on how much money they want to make off the litter, the current fad is on the breed, and how quick they want to sell the pup. So which one do I recommend? Type #2 is where you will find the |