| CONTACT INFO: 324 WEST FIELDS, EL DORADO SPRINGS, MO 64744 (417) 296-0785 OR (417) 296-3163 australian_dogs1@yahoo.com |
THREE ACRE RANCH
| The Australian Shepherd is a breed of working dog that was developed in the United States in the 19th Century from several different breeds. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as the Aussie, did not in fact originate from Australia. |
| AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS |
History
| The coat comes in several colors—blue merle, red merle, solid red, or solid black; all can occur with or without white markings, tan (called "copper") points, or both. Dogs with tan and white along with the primary color are called tricolor. Dogs with white only along with the primary color are called bicolor. There is also great variety in the Aussie's eye color. An early nickname for the breed was "ghost- eye dog". Aussie eyes may be green, hazel, amber, brown, or blue; they may have two different colored eyes, or even have bicolored or "split eyes" (for example, a half-brown, half-blue eye). Any combination of eye color is acceptable in the breed standard, so long as the eyes are healthy. In general, however, black Aussies tend to have brown eyes, while red Aussies tend to have amber eyes, frequently with one eye totally or partially unpigmented (that is, blue). A Standard Aussie can stand between 18 and 23 inches (46 to 58 cm) at the withers and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg). For show dogs, females should fall in the lower heights and males in the higher ranges. Then you have the Mini Aussie that stands between 12-18 inches tall. The dogs we mainly sale are the Mini Aussies. A hallmark of the breed is a short bobbed or docked tail in countries where docking is permitted. Some Aussies are born with naturally short bobbed tails, others with full long tails, and others with natural partial bobs, where the tail is midlength and appears stubby. Most breeders dock the tails when the puppies are born. |
Appearance
| It is an energetic dog that requires exercise and needs a job to do, whether it is learning and practicing tricks, competing in dog agility, or any other physically and mentally involving activity. It needs to run, full out, regularly. It is usually a sweet and affectionate dog who is faithful to its owners and is good with children, although its overwhelming instinct to work may subvert its ability to function as a family dog. Its protective instinct and behaviors can be frightening to children, strangers, and small animals. It was bred to guard stock and can be sometimes annoying with its inclination to bark warnings about neighborhood activity, but it is not generally an obsessively barking dog. It is intelligent, learns quickly, and loves to play. This means that a bored, neglected, unexercised Aussie will invent its own games, activities, and jobs. The Australian Shepherd has a reputation as a highly intelligent and versatile stock dog with a relatively easygoing working style and a "soft mouth" (compared with more intense breeds like the Border Collie or Australian Cattle Dog). |
Temperment
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